A Nigerian man, Edikan Adiakpan, has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for his role in an email fraud scheme in the United States.
According to the US Department of Justice, Adiakpan, a Houston resident, was sentenced by US District Judge Andrew Hanen. He will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
The sentence followed Adiakpan’s guilty plea on May 12 over his involvement in transferring money obtained through a business email compromise scheme that operated between 2020 and 2022.
Court proceedings revealed that Adiakpan used a company he controlled, Akama Lifestyle, which was advertised as a luxury car service, to receive and transfer funds for fraudsters in exchange for a percentage of the money.
The scheme involved criminals sending fraudulent emails designed to appear as though they came from legitimate suppliers and creditors. The messages tricked victims into transferring payments to bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters instead of their intended recipients.
One of the victims was a small utility trailer company in Mississippi, which was deceived into transferring $927,080 intended for its supplier. The money was subsequently sent to fraudsters in Houston, who transferred portions of the proceeds to Adiakpan.
Investigators found that Adiakpan deposited and cashed several cashier’s cheques made payable to himself and his exotic car business. The transactions involved $359,000 belonging to the victim.
During the sentencing proceedings, the victim company submitted a statement describing the financial and operational consequences of the fraud.
The case highlights how business email compromise scams can exploit trust between companies and their suppliers, leading to substantial financial losses. Such schemes often rely on impersonation and fraudulent payment instructions to divert legitimate business transactions into accounts controlled by criminals.
Another Nigerian national, 27-year-old Ayobami Omoniyi, was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison on March 24 for his role in the same scheme.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Houston office and its Bryan Resident Agency, alongside the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division. Assistant US Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
Adiakpan, who is originally from Nigeria, had temporary legal status to remain in the United States at the time of his arrest, according to the authorities.
The case underscores the legal consequences of helping to move money obtained through financial fraud, including when transactions are conducted through a company presented as a legitimate business.
US authorities continue to pursue individuals involved in financial crime networks, including those who facilitate the movement of illicit proceeds rather than directly carrying out the initial deception.
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