Nigerian national Matthew Akande has been sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $1.39 million in restitution for his involvement in a U.S. tax fraud scheme.
The development was confirmed via an X post on the official FBI Cyber Division handle on Saturday, citing statements from U.S. authorities.
Akande, 37, was extradited from the United Kingdom in March 2025 after his arrest at Heathrow Airport in October 2024, following federal charges accusing him of stealing taxpayer information and filing fraudulent tax returns targeting Massachusetts tax preparation firms.
What they are saying
According to the statement, Akande was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1.39 million in restitution for his role in a scheme targeting Massachusetts tax preparation firms.
The Justice Department, FBI, and IRS officials emphasized the coordinated effort to bring him to justice and recover stolen funds.
- “A Nigerian national living in Mexico, who was extradited to the United States, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to break into Massachusetts tax preparation firms’ computer networks and to file fraudulent tax returns.”
- “Matthew A. Akande, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Akande was also ordered to pay $1,393,230 in restitution,” the statement read in part.
- The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with U.K. authorities to secure his extradition.
- Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb prosecuted the case on behalf of the Criminal Division.
U.S. federal authorities successfully recovered over $1.3 million in stolen refunds. Between June 2016 and June 2021, Akande and accomplices stole personal information from tax firms using phishing emails and remote access trojans, including Warzone RAT.
Over 1,000 fraudulent tax returns were filed seeking more than $8.1 million, with portions of refunds transferred to Mexico at Akande’s direction.
Backstory
The scheme involving Akande dates back several years and involved multiple co-conspirators.
The DOJ unsealed charges in November 2024 against Akande and others for intruding into Massachusetts tax firms’ networks.
- Akande, 35 at the time of arrest, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on July 19, 2022, for conspiracy to access protected computers, wire fraud, theft of government money, and aggravated identity theft.
- Kehinde H. Oyetunji, 33, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to conspiracy and theft of government money, with sentencing pending.
- The scheme relied on phishing attacks and malware to steal taxpayer data, directing fraudulent refunds to U.S. accounts controlled by co-conspirators, with portions sent to Mexico at Akande’s direction.
Penalties for such charges can include 2 to 20 years in prison, supervised release, and fines up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain/loss.
More insights
Akande’s extradition is part of a broader trend of Nigerian nationals facing U.S. charges for cybercrime and fraud.
What you should know
The case mirrors other recent Nigerian extraditions linked to cybercrime and financial fraud.
- Adepoju is accused of gaining unauthorized access to a construction company’s email system, creating a spoofed domain, and diverting payments to a fraudulent account.
- The funds remain unrecovered, and Adepoju is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
These developments reflect the ongoing focus of U.S. authorities on preventing international cybercrime and prosecuting individuals involved in cross-border financial fraud.
