A Houston resident has been arrested in connection with a large-scale business email compromise and money laundering scheme, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The 33-year-old man, Edikan Adiakpan, is set to make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.
Adiakpan was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and others engaged in a scheme targeting companies across at least eight states, including a California research group working on treatments for U.S. veterans.
The alleged scheme involved sending "spoofed" emails to victims that appeared to be from known suppliers and creditors. These emails reportedly deceived victims into sending payments to bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters instead of the intended recipients.
The indictment further claims that the conspirators laundered the stolen funds by rapidly transferring them between various bank accounts they managed. They allegedly converted these funds into cashier's checks, which Adiakpan purportedly cashed while retaining a percentage as a fee.
Another individual involved in the scheme, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, has already been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing before U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.
If found guilty, Adiakpan could face up to 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and money laundering charges and up to five years for illegal money transmitting. Each charge carries a potential fine of $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by FBI – Houston along with its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation of criminal conduct; it does not constitute evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due legal process.
