A 34-year-old Nigerian national based in Houston, Edikan Adiakpan, has pleaded guilty in the United States to operating an illegal money transmission business linked to a large-scale online fraud scheme.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck, Adiakpan admitted to running an unlicensed money transfer operation through a company he controlled, Akama Lifestyle, between 2020 and 2022. He reportedly earned fees by processing and moving funds on behalf of clients.
Court documents show the operation was tied to a business email compromise (BEC) fraud network that deceived multiple victims using spoofed emails impersonating legitimate suppliers and creditors. Over 10 victims were reportedly defrauded through the scheme.
One of the victims allegedly transferred nearly $927,000 after being misled into sending payments to fraudulent accounts, with portions of the stolen funds later routed through Adiakpan’s business. He was also found to have cashed a $60,000 cheque connected to the proceeds of the scam.
Authorities say the funds were part of a wider international fraud network, and investigations involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alongside the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit.
Adiakpan is currently in custody and awaits sentencing scheduled for September 15, where he faces up to five years in prison and significant financial penalties.
In a related case, another Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, was previously sentenced to 32 months in prison for involvement in the same fraud network.
