Nigerian Man Extradited to U.S. Over $1.3M Tax Fraud, Cyber Intrusion – Springs News NG
Abuja MARCH 6,2026 A Nigerian citizen, Matthew A. Akande, 36, has been extradited to the United States for his involvement in a sophisticated cyber intrusion and tax fraud scheme that targeted Massachusetts tax preparation firms. Akande, who resided in Mexico, was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom at the request of U.S. authorities. He was extradited to the U.S. on March 5, 2025, and appeared in federal court in Boston on Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal grand jury indicted Akande in July 2022 on multiple charges, including conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to protected computers, theft of government funds, wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment also includes four counts of unauthorized access to protected computers, 13 counts of government money theft, and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Akande’s co-conspirator, Kehinde H. Oyetunji, 33, a Nigerian national residing in North Dakota, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to conspiracy charges related to computer fraud, government money theft, and money laundering. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
Between June 2016 and June 2021, Akande, Oyetunji, and others allegedly orchestrated a scheme to steal money from the U.S. government by using taxpayers’ personally identifiable information (PII) to file fraudulent tax returns. The scheme intensified in February 2020 when the conspirators targeted Massachusetts tax preparation firms through phishing attacks and computer intrusions.
To execute the fraud, Akande allegedly sent phishing emails to five Massachusetts tax preparation firms, posing as a prospective client. These emails contained remote access trojan (RAT) malware, including Warzone RAT, which allowed Akande to infiltrate the firms’ networks. Using the stolen PII and prior-year tax information, Akande facilitated the filing of fraudulent tax returns seeking refunds.
The fraudulent refunds were directed to bank accounts allegedly opened by Oyetunji and others. Once the refunds were issued, Oyetunji and his associates withdrew the stolen money in cash in the United States and transferred a portion to third parties in Mexico, purportedly under Akande’s direction, while keeping some for themselves.
In total, Akande and his co-conspirators allegedly filed over 1,000 fraudulent tax returns, seeking more than $8.1 million in tax refunds. They successfully obtained over $1.3 million through this fraudulent scheme.
If convicted, Akande faces significant penalties:
- Conspiracy: Up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Wire Fraud: Up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Unauthorized Access to Protected Computers: Up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Theft of Government Money: Up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Aggravated Identity Theft: A mandatory two-year prison sentence to be served consecutively to any other sentence, along with one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, along with Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigations in Boston. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with U.K. authorities to secure Akande’s extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
