Nigerian Man Arrested in Houston for Multimillion-Dollar Email Fraud, Money Laundering Scheme

Nigerian Man Arrested in Houston for Multimillion-Dollar Email Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

A 33-year-old Nigerian national, Edikan Adiakpan, has been arrested in Houston, Texas, for his alleged role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) and money laundering scheme. The arrest was announced on Thursday, June 26, 2025, by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei in an official press release.

Adiakpan made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray following his arrest. He is facing a three-count federal indictment returned by a grand jury on June 11, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.

According to the indictment, the scheme dates back to 2021 and involved Adiakpan and his co-conspirators targeting businesses in at least eight U.S. states. Among the victims was a California-based research organization dedicated to developing medical treatments for military veterans. The defendants allegedly sent spoofed emails that mimicked legitimate communications from trusted vendors, deceiving victims into transferring payments to bank accounts under the conspirators’ control.

The funds were then allegedly laundered through a series of bank accounts and eventually converted into cashier’s checks. Prosecutors claim Adiakpan personally cashed some of the checks and retained a portion of the stolen funds as commission.

Another Nigerian citizen, 26-year-old Ayobami Omoniyi, has also been implicated in the same scheme. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is currently awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.

If convicted, Adiakpan could face up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud and money laundering charges, and up to five years for the illegal money transmitting offense. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to \$250,000.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Houston Field Office, its Bryan Resident Agency, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are leading the prosecution.