Akinade Adedeji Raheem, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, was extradited from the Republic of Benin to the United States and arraigned in federal court in Atlanta on Monday, October 26, 2026, to face charges stemming from an alleged tax fraud conspiracy seeking over $100 million in fraudulent refunds. ​
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the extradition on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, via a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, highlighting that Raheem’s transfer represents only the second extradition from Benin to the United States in history. ​Federal prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2023, Raheem and his co-conspirators acquired hundreds of stolen identities belonging to American citizens.
They allegedly used these credentials to establish online accounts with the Internal Revenue Service, request tax records, and electronically submit more than 300 fraudulent tax returns requesting in excess of $100 million. ​According to court filings, the conspiracy directed the IRS to deposit the fraudulent tax refunds onto prepaid debit cards.
The funds were subsequently laundered across the United States through money orders, purchases of designer clothing, and the procurement of used automobiles that were shipped to Nigeria and other overseas destinations. ​”Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained hundreds of stolen identities, filed fraudulent tax returns using that information, and laundered the proceeds through prepaid debit cards and purchases of used cars that were shipped to Nigeria and other locations,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated.
He described the scope of the alleged fraud as staggering and noted that Raheem’s extradition confirms that no criminal can escape the reach of American justice. ​The path to Raheem’s extradition began on February 24, 2026, when a federal grand jury in Atlanta returned a 30-count indictment against him.
When federal law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Raheem at his Atlanta residence in April 2026, he spoke to agents through a video doorbell system, identifying himself while falsely claiming he was not at home. Within days, investigators discovered he had fled the country, traveling from Mexico City to Benin, where local authorities arrested him on April 15, 2026, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice.
​Following monthslong legal proceedings in Cotonou, Beninese authorities surrendered Raheem to the U.S. Marshals Service for transport back to Georgia. His co-conspirator, Abayomi Eletu, was separately indicted in the Western District of Texas on February 17, 2026, and arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings remain pending. ​
In the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Raheem faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 14 counts of access device fraud, and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, up to 10 years per count for access device fraud, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term for each count of aggravated identity theft. ​
The ongoing joint investigation is being led by the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce, Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler, and Trial Attorney Michael Jones.
Raheem remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting further court proceedings, with officials reminding the public that an indictment contains only allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
