U.S-based Nigerian Edikan Adiakpan pleads guilty to laundering $927,000

Edikan Adiakpan, a 34-year-old Nigerian resident of Houston, has pleaded guilty to charges of illegal money transmission, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Between 2020 and 2022, Adiakpan operated an unlicensed money transmitting business through his company, Akama Lifestyle. As part of his plea agreement, Adiakpan admitted to using the business to transfer funds, retaining a percentage as a fee for his services.

Authorities revealed that the funds Adiakpan transmitted originated from a business email compromise scheme, which targeted over 10 victims. Fraudsters sent spoofed emails that appeared to come from legitimate suppliers and creditors, tricking victims into wiring payments to accounts controlled by the fraudsters rather than the actual vendors.

One of the victims lost a total of $927,080, which was subsequently forwarded to Adiakpan. Additionally, Adiakpan redeemed a cashier’s check for $60,000, which was part of the victim’s stolen funds.

Adiakpan remains in custody pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for September 15. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a potential $250,000 fine.

Another Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was previously sentenced on March 24 to 32 months in federal prison for his involvement in the scheme.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI’s Houston office, alongside the IRS Criminal Investigation division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is handling the prosecution of the case.