Nigerian Man Arrested In U.S. Over Multi-State Email Scam, Faces 20-Year Sentence

A 33-year-old Nigerian national, Edikan Adiakpan, has been arrested in the United States for his alleged involvement in a widespread business email compromise (BEC) and money laundering scheme that targeted organisations across eight states, including a California-based medical research group aiding U.S. military veterans.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest in a press release issued Thursday, revealing that Adiakpan will face trial before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in Houston, Texas. The suspect is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and operating an unlicensed money transmission business, following a three-count indictment filed by a federal grand jury on June 11.

According to prosecutors, Adiakpan and his co-conspirators used spoofed emails in 2021 to impersonate legitimate vendors and deceive organisations into diverting payments into accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Once funds were obtained, the group allegedly laundered the money through a network of bank accounts, rapidly transferring the proceeds and converting them into cashier’s checks. Adiakpan is accused of cashing the checks and keeping a portion as a “service fee.”

One of the scheme’s major victims was a medical research institution focused on developing therapies for American veterans. Other affected businesses spanned a range of sectors and locations across the country.

Another Nigerian national, 26-year-old Ayobami Omoniyi, has already been charged in connection with the same operation and is currently awaiting sentencing.

If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the fraud and money laundering charges, and five years for illegal money transmission. Each count could attract fines up to $250,000.

The investigation was led by the FBI Houston Field Office, the Bryan Resident Agency, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu.