A Nigerian – Emmanuel Kazeem – who masterminded a plot to obtain millions in refunds from the United States Internal Revenue Service has been sentenced in Oregon to 15 years imprisonment.
Kazeem, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced in Eugene, on Thursday for a “vast conspiracy” of identity theft and tax fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the convict bought personal information (including social security numbers and dates of birth) and used same to fraudulently file thousands of tax returns on behalf of unwitting victims.
“Emmanuel Kazeem orchestrated one of the largest tax fraud schemes in our nation’s history. The complexity of this case and the incredible effort by law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice cannot be understated,” Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon,said.
Kazeem purchased more than 91,000 stolen identities from a Vietnamese hacker—who pried that information from an Oregon background check company’s private database.
Between 2012 and 2015, Kazeem and his co-conspirators filed over 10,000 fraudulent tax returns in an attempt to get over $91 million in refunds.
Not all of the fake returns were successful—but out of a possible $91 million, Kazeem and his crew still managed to receive more than $11.6 million in refunds.
The lid over Kazeem’s fraudulent activities was blown open in 2013 after a Medford resident noticed that someone had filed false tax returns on behalf of her and her husband. She alerted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which swung into action and was able to track down Kazeem.
Kazeem reportedly purchased a $175,000 townhouse and put a $200,000 down payment on a brand new home in Maryland. He also attempted to develop a $6 million 4-star hotel in Nigeria.
Security agents arrested Kazeem in May of 2015 and their probe of his background revealed that he had also engaged in marriage fraud with a view to staying in the country after entering on a student visa. Kazeem was convicted by a federal jury on 19 counts—including mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud—in Medford on August 4, 2017.
From the Nation
I believed it's America bad economy that drove him to become yahooboy
ReplyDeleteLazy Nigerian youth, lmao!
DeleteAnd we still wonder why they keep denying us Visa to their country.
DeleteNigeria I hail thee
ReplyDeleteAlways disgracing themselves
ReplyDeletemtcheeeeeeeewwwwww.
This guy get liver oooo
ReplyDeleteNo be small
DeleteMoral of this story.....
ReplyDeleteThe average Nigerian is intelligent....
..
Carve out your own moral, don't come for mine...
Yes........
DeleteIntelligently stupid.
Heard one can still apply for BVN number, especially if you live outside Nigeria. Now, after applying it's been over a month and still absent BVN#. The OIS office in New York City keeps saying it's due to computer glitches from the Lagos or Abuja end. Abegi, pipo how does one get over this impasse? Why does getting a BVN# have to be so stressful and onerous? How much longer will one have to wait for a purported computer glitch to clear from the home front? Kilode?
ReplyDeleteDo the crime, do the time.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence wasted.
There are lots of them involve in these tax frauds... Disgracing their father's name and mother land. Train a child the way to go and he won't depart from it
ReplyDelete