Edikan Adiakpan, The "Lifestyle Big Boy," Nabbed in US for Massive Email Fraud
Enet
A Nigerian man named Edikan Adiakpan, aged 33, has been arrested in Houston, Texas. He's suspected of running a large-scale email scam and money laundering operation across at least eight states in the U.S.
The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei on Thursday. On the same day, Adiakpan appeared before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray following a federal indictment from June 11 that charges him with three crimes.
Court papers detail how Adiakpan and others carried out a trick in 2021. They sent fake emails pretending to be real vendors and partners. These emails deceived victims, including a research center in California that helps U.S. veterans. The victims were tricked into transferring money into accounts controlled by the scammers.
Prosecutors say the stolen funds were moved through several bank accounts and then turned into cashier’s checks. Adiakpan is accused of cashed some of these checks and taking a portion as profit.
Another Nigerian, 26-year-old Ayobami Omoniyi, is also involved in the case. He has been indicted and is waiting for his sentencing.
If Adiakpan is convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for both wire fraud and money laundering. He could get up to five years for conspiracy to send illegal funds. Each charge also carries a fine of up to $250,000.
The FBI in Houston and the IRS Criminal Investigation unit are investigating the case. U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are leading the prosecution.
