Nigerian Man Sentenced to 30 Months in U.S. for Email Fraud Scheme

A federal court in the United States has sentenced Edikan Adiakpan, a 35-year-old Nigerian man living in Houston, to 30 months in prison for his involvement in a business email fraud scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing, which also includes three years of supervised release after his prison term.

Adiakpan pleaded guilty in May to illegally handling money from the fraud scheme. He operated a company called Akama Lifestyle, which he promoted as a luxury car service. However, prosecutors say he used this business from 2020 to 2022 to help transfer money obtained from fraudsters, taking a cut of the proceeds.

The fraud involved sending emails that pretended to be from legitimate suppliers and creditors. This tricked businesses into sending payments to fake bank accounts. One victim, a small utility trailer company in Mississippi, lost nearly $1 million after being misled into believing they were paying a real supplier.

According to the Department of Justice, the Mississippi company transferred about $927,080 to the fraudsters. Adiakpan then received part of this money, which included $359,000 linked to the company. He deposited and cashed several checks made out to him and his business.

During the sentencing, a victim impact statement highlighted the financial damage caused by the fraud. Adiakpan had temporary legal status in the U.S. when he was arrested. Another Nigerian, Ayobami Omoniyi, was also involved in the scheme and was sentenced earlier this year to 32 months in prison.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, with the case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek.