A 36-year-old Nigerian man, Matthew A. Akande, who had been residing in Mexico, has been extradited to the United States over allegations of infiltrating tax preparation firms in Massachusetts to file fraudulent tax returns.
Akande was apprehended in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom following a request from U.S. authorities.
His extradition was completed on March 5, 2025, and he appeared before a federal court in Boston.
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Akande was indicted in July 2022 on multiple charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government funds, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
His alleged accomplice, Kehinde H. Oyetunji, a 33-year-old Nigerian residing in North Dakota, had previously pleaded guilty in December 2022.
Investigators claim that between 2016 and 2021, Akande and his associates stole taxpayer information using phishing attacks and malware to gain access to tax preparation firms’ records.
They reportedly filed over 1,000 fraudulent tax returns, seeking more than $8.1 million in refunds and successfully obtaining $1.3 million.
Once the funds were disbursed, Oyetunji and others allegedly withdrew and transferred portions to Mexico under Akande’s instructions.
If convicted, Akande could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, along with additional penalties for other offenses.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Special Agent Jodi Cohen, and IRS Special Agent Thomas Demeo.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in facilitating the extradition.
