U.S. arrests Nigerian national Edikan Adiakpan over multi‑state business email fraud, money laundering

A 33‑year‑old Nigerian man, Edikan Adiakpan, was arrested in Houston, Texas, this week for his alleged involvement in a wide‑ranging business email compromise (BEC) and money laundering scheme targeting entities across eight U.S. states, including a California medical research group serving military veterans.

According to court documents filed on June 11, 2025, Adiakpan and his accomplices sent spoofed emails, impersonating trusted suppliers to coerce victims into diverting funds to accounts under their control. The conspiracy, first uncovered in 2021, enabled them to redirect payments destined for legitimate vendors into their own accounts.

Once funds were transferred, the group allegedly laundered the money by shuffling it through multiple bank accounts before converting them into cashier’s checks. Adiakpan is accused of cashing these checks and retaining a portion as his fee.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas confirmed that Adiakpan faces serious charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and illegal money transmission. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, and an additional five years for the money transmission offense—with potential fines up to $250,000 per count.

The scheme's impact on the California medical research institution—a group dedicated to veteran healthcare—exemplifies the danger of such frauds. Investigators from the FBI’s Houston office and the IRS Criminal Investigations unit are leading the probe. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are handling the prosecution.

Another Nigerian, Ayobami Omoniyi (26), was previously implicated in the same conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing before Judge Andrew S. Hanen.