A 33-year-old Nigerian man named Edikan Adiakpan has been arrested in Houston, Texas. He is accused of playing a key role in a large online fraud and money laundering operation in the United States.

The U.S. Attorney, Nicholas J. Ganjei, announced his arrest on Thursday, June 26, 2025, through an official statement.

Adiakpan has already faced a judge, U.S. Magistrate Peter Bray, for his first court appearance.

He is facing serious charges including planning to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and illegally sending money. These charges were approved by a grand jury in Houston on June 11.

The case says that in 2021, Adiakpan and others ran an email scam targeting companies across at least eight U.S. states. One victim was a research group in California that works on medical treatments for American veterans.

The victims got fake emails that looked like they came from trusted vendors or partners. These emails fooled them into sending payments to fake bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

The stolen money was moved through several bank accounts to hide its source. After that, the money was turned into cashier’s checks. Adiakpan is accused of cashing the checks and taking a cut for himself.

Another Nigerian man, 26-year-old Ayobami Omoniyi, is also involved in the same scheme. He has been charged and is waiting to be sentenced by a U.S. District Judge.

If Edikan Adiakpan is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison for the fraud and laundering charges. The illegal money transfer charge could add another five years. Each crime could also lead to a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI in Houston and Bryan, along with IRS criminal agents. Prosecutors Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are handling the case in court.