Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to a $6 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme.
Kayode, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, was arrested in Ghana in April 2023 and subsequently transferred to US custody.
He appeared before a US Magistrate Judge on December 11th and was ordered to remain detained pending trial.
The indictment alleges that Kayode, along with co-conspirators, engaged in a sophisticated fraud scheme between 2015 and 2016.
The group targeted businesses by impersonating company executives through spoofed emails, tricking employees into transferring funds to bank accounts controlled by the scammers. Additionally, the group exploited victims of romance scams to launder money through their accounts.
Several co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced to prison terms. The FBI continues to pursue the remaining individuals involved in the scheme.
Speaking in a statement, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said: “Four years ago, we identified six Nigerian nationals suspected of defrauding individual victims and businesses in Nebraska and other states of millions of dollars.
“Today, Abiola Kayode is the second of those co-conspirators to be extradited to stand trial in Nebraska. Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you. Dismantling cyber-criminal groups that victimize U.S. citizens is a priority for the FBI, DOJ, and our international law enforcement partners.
“The FBI, working together with our partners in Ghana, particularly the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the Ghana Immigration Service, will continue to pursue and bring to justice criminals who engage in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes.”
