Nigerian National Receives Eight-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Multi-Million Dollar Cyber Tax Fraud
A Nigerian man residing in Mexico, Mathew A. Akande, has been handed a significant prison sentence by a United States federal court in Boston for his central role in a complex scheme involving computer intrusions and fraudulent tax filings. The United States Department of Justice officially announced this development in a press statement released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Akande, aged 37, received an eight-year prison term from U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani on Tuesday, February 17. This sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release upon completion of his incarceration. Additionally, the court has ordered Akande to pay restitution amounting to $1,393,230 to the victims of his crimes.
International Arrest and Extradition Process
The defendant's journey to sentencing began with his arrest at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom in October 2024, executed at the formal request of United States authorities. Following legal proceedings, Akande was successfully extradited to the United States on March 5, 2025, to face the charges against him.
Akande faced a comprehensive indictment from a federal grand jury dating back to July 2022, which included multiple serious charges:
- One count of conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to protected computers to further fraud and commit theft of government money and money laundering
- One count of wire fraud
- Four counts of unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud
- Thirteen counts of theft of government money
- Fourteen counts of aggravated identity theft
Sophisticated Cyber Fraud Operation Details
Between approximately June 2016 and June 2021, Akande collaborated with accomplices to systematically steal funds from the United States government. Their method involved using stolen personally identifiable information (PII) from legitimate taxpayers to file fraudulent tax returns under those individuals' names.
The criminal operation specifically targeted Massachusetts tax preparation firms through carefully crafted phishing attacks and computer network intrusions. Akande orchestrated the sending of deceptive phishing emails to five different tax preparation companies in Massachusetts. These emails masqueraded as communications from potential clients seeking tax services but actually contained malicious software designed to compromise the firms' computer systems.
The attackers utilized remote access trojan malware, including a variant known as Warzone RAT, to infiltrate the tax preparation firms' networks. Once inside, they harvested sensitive client information, including PII and previous years' tax data. This stolen information was then weaponized to file fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds.
Financial Mechanics and International Money Movement
The fraudulent tax refunds were directed to bank accounts that had been opened by Akande's co-conspirators within the United States. After the illicit refunds were issued, these accomplices would withdraw the stolen funds in cash. Following Akande's instructions, a portion of this money was transferred to third parties located in Mexico, while the co-conspirators retained another portion for themselves.
Over the approximately five-year duration of this criminal enterprise, Akande and his associates filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns seeking refunds totaling over $8.1 million. Their successful thefts resulted in actual losses exceeding $1.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds obtained from the government.
Law Enforcement Coordination and Prosecution
The case announcement was made jointly by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations in Boston.
The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs played a crucial role in coordinating with authorities in the United Kingdom to secure Akande's extradition. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division, who successfully brought the case to its conclusion with this substantial prison sentence.
