A man who left the United States for Nigeria in 2019 is now back in American custody, years after investigators searched his home in connection with a major fraud and money-laundering investigation.
The 34-year-old Nigerian, identified as Adetunji Abudu from Lagos, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, while attempting to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey.
But what makes this case significant is the scale of the alleged operation and the kind of people investigators say were targeted.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, Abudu is one of six defendants named in an expanded indictment involving a scheme through which millions of dollars were reportedly obtained from victims and moved through American bank accounts and businesses.
Investigators say the operation originated in Nigeria and involved several forms of fraud designed to deceive unsuspecting Americans, particularly elderly people.
Among the methods identified in the indictment were online romance scams, in which fraudsters allegedly gained victims’ trust through the internet before taking their money.
Other schemes involved fake sweepstakes, fraudulent rental advertisements and sham online shipping transactions. Each method presented a different opportunity to deceive victims and obtain their funds.
However, collecting the money was only part of the alleged operation. Investigators say the proceeds were moved through bank accounts and businesses in Rhode Island, Idaho and other locations across the United States, making it possible to transfer funds from the schemes.
A significant portion of the money was eventually sent to Nigeria, according to the indictment.
The investigation also uncovered allegations that members of the conspiracy used proceeds from the schemes to purchase vehicles, which were then shipped overseas.
For Abudu, the case dates back several years.
The US Attorney’s Office said he left the United States for Nigeria in 2019 after the FBI carried out a court-authorised search of his residence in North Providence, Rhode Island.
He remained outside the country until his recent arrest at Logan International Airport, where he was apprehended while arriving from Turkey.
Meanwhile, five other defendants connected to the case have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
They were identified as Dotun Olawale Alonge, Oluwaseyi Akintol, Samson Ikotun, Olabode Shaba and Oladipup Shodipu.
Following their guilty pleas, the five men received prison sentences ranging from time served to 42 months’ imprisonment.
Their convictions and sentences form part of the wider case that authorities have been pursuing.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and police departments in Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant US Attorney John P. McAdams.
Although Abudu has now been arrested, the legal process is not over. The charges against him remain allegations, and his guilt has not been established in court.
The US Attorney’s Office has emphasised that an indictment is not proof of guilt. Under the law, Abudu is presumed innocent unless the prosecution proves the charges against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
For now, his arrest brings a man who left the United States in 2019 back into the hands of American authorities, as the case over an alleged fraud and money-laundering network involving millions of dollars continues.