NIGERIAN MAN EDIKAN ADIAKPAN ARRESTED IN U.S. OVER MULTI-STATE EMAIL FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A 33-year-old Nigerian national, Edikan Adiakpan, has been arrested in the United States for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) and money laundering scheme that targeted organisations across eight U.S. states, including a medical research institution in California.
The arrest was announced by Nicholas J. Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, in a press release published Thursday on the U.S. Department of Justice website. Adiakpan is expected to make his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in Houston.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on June 11, 2025, charging Adiakpan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and operating an unlicensed money transmission business.
According to prosecutors, Adiakpan and his co-conspirators executed the scheme in 2021 by sending spoofed emails that impersonated legitimate vendors. These emails allegedly deceived businesses into transferring funds to fraudulent bank accounts controlled by the group.
“The conspirators are accused of quickly moving the stolen funds between multiple accounts, converting them into cashier’s checks, which Adiakpan allegedly cashed for a commission,” the DOJ statement revealed.
One of the affected victims was a medical research group dedicated to developing treatments for U.S. military veterans. The scheme is reported to have affected several businesses across various states, causing significant financial losses.
The DOJ also named Ayobami Omoniyi, a 26-year-old Nigerian, as a co-conspirator. Omoniyi had previously been charged in connection with the same scheme and is currently awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.
If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud and money laundering charges, and up to five years for the illegal money transmission count. Each charge carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Houston Field Office, its Bryan Resident Agency, and the IRS Criminal Investigation unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu.
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