US seeks to strip Nigerian man of citizenship after fraud conviction
Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, a Nigerian-born man, faces the loss of his US citizenship after being convicted for orchestrating a massive identity theft and tax fraud scheme. The US Department of Justice filed a civil complaint accusing Kazeem of unlawfully obtaining citizenship through fraud and concealing his criminal activities. Authorities allege that he led a syndicate which stole identities and defrauded the US government of millions. The case involves extensive investigations and multiple federal agencies.
What we know
- Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem was convicted in 2017 on 19 counts including mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
- His sentence was later commuted in 2024 by former US President Joe Biden after serving about six years in prison.
- The Justice Department alleges Kazeem masterminded a scheme that used over 91,000 stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns between 2012 and 2015, resulting in over $11.6 million in refunds.
- Investigators linked more than 2,000 wire transfers valued at over $2.1 million to Nigeria, with over 700 transfers directly tied to Kazeem.
- The denaturalisation proceedings are being handled by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, following a joint investigation by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security.
