A 39-year-old Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Amachukwu, has been extradited from France to the United States to face multiple charges related to cybercrime, tax fraud, and identity theft, the US Justice Department announced on Tuesday.
Amachukwu, who was arrested in France, was flown to New York on Monday following a US extradition request. He and his Nigeria-based associates allegedly hacked into US tax preparation businesses, stole customers’ sensitive information, and used it to file fraudulent tax returns, stealing over $2.5 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In a separate scheme, Amachukwu also defrauded victims with fake investment opportunities, according to US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York.
The Justice Department further disclosed that he used stolen identities to fraudulently claim $819,000 through the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program.
Now extradited, Amachukwu is facing charges including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft; offences that could lead to decades of imprisonment if convicted.
