A United States-based Nigerian, Animashaun Adebo, has admitted guilt in a wire fraud conspiracy case linked to a series of business email compromise and romance scam operations that caused losses exceeding $50 million.
According to a statement from the United States Department of Justice, Adebo—also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun”—entered his guilty plea on Monday at a federal court in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors said Adebo and his collaborators ran multiple fraudulent schemes targeting individuals and small businesses across the United States, especially within the Eastern District of New York.
Authorities explained that the group stole victims’ money and moved it through shell company accounts both in the United States and abroad. In some cases, they relied on unsuspecting intermediaries to disguise the true source of the funds.
Investigations showed that the fraud operations took place between April 2021 and March 2022, mainly involving business email compromise tactics. Victims in real estate transactions were tricked into receiving fake emails that appeared to come from legitimate parties, instructing them to send money to fraudulent accounts.
In other cases, employees of companies were deceived by emails impersonating trusted vendors or business partners, leading them to transfer funds directly to accounts controlled by Adebo and his associates.
The stolen money was later laundered through various channels, including the purchase of luxury watches and an illegal money exchange network operated by a co-defendant already convicted and sentenced. Some of the proceeds were also traced to corporate accounts in Nigeria.
Another suspect linked to the operation, a Nigerian national identified as Nelson Ojeriakhi, was arrested in Paris, extradited to the United States, and has also pleaded guilty while awaiting sentencing. A fourth suspect remains at large.
