Nigerian Man Indicted in Multimillion-Dollar Email Fraud and Money Laundering Case in U.S.

A 33-year-old Nigerian man, Edikan Adiakpan, has been arrested by U.S. authorities over his alleged involvement in a high-stakes business email compromise (BEC) and money laundering operation spanning multiple states in the U.S.

According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Adiakpan is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in Houston.

A federal grand jury indicted Adiakpan on June 11, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and a network of co-conspirators executed a sophisticated BEC scam, targeting businesses across at least eight states. One notable victim was a California-based research institution focused on treatments for U.S. military veterans.

Using fraudulent emails that mimicked legitimate communications from suppliers, the suspects allegedly deceived companies into diverting payments to accounts under their control. Prosecutors say the proceeds were rapidly moved between multiple bank accounts and eventually converted into cashier’s checks. Adiakpan is accused of cashing those checks and retaining a portion as commission.

Another Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, had earlier been charged in relation to the same fraud scheme and is currently awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.

If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and money laundering charges, and an additional five years for illegal money transmission. Each charge carries a potential $250,000 fine.

The investigation was led by the FBI’s Houston Field Office, including its Bryan Resident Agency, in collaboration with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case.