A Nigerian national, Edikan Adiakpan, has been sentenced to 30 months in a United States federal prison for his role in a business email compromise scheme that defrauded American companies.
The US Department of Justice announced the sentence in a statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
Adiakpan, 35, a resident of Houston, Texas, will serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, following an order by US District Judge Andrew Hanen.
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According to the department, Adiakpan pleaded guilty on May 12, 2026, to illegally transmitting proceeds from the email fraud scheme.
Prosecutors said he used a company known as Akama Lifestyle, which he controlled and advertised as a luxury car service, to transfer money for fraudsters between 2020 and 2022.
In return, he allegedly retained a percentage of the funds as payment for facilitating the transactions.
Mississippi Company Lost $927,080 to Fraudsters
The Justice Department said the scheme targeted more than 10 victims through business email compromise fraud.
The fraudsters reportedly sent deceptive emails impersonating legitimate suppliers and creditors, tricking businesses into transferring payments to bank accounts controlled by the criminals.
One of the victims was a small utility trailer company in Mississippi, which transferred $927,080 to the fraudsters after receiving fraudulent payment instructions.
The company believed it was paying a legitimate supplier but was instead deceived into sending the money to accounts controlled by the perpetrators.
Prosecutors said portions of the stolen funds were subsequently transferred to Adiakpan.
Investigators found that he deposited and redeemed several cashier’s cheques payable to himself and his luxury car company. The transactions involved $359,000 belonging to the Mississippi company.
A victim impact statement detailing the financial consequences of the fraud was presented during Adiakpan’s sentencing hearing.
Another Nigerian Sentenced to 32 Months
The Justice Department also identified another Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, 27, as a participant in the scheme.
Omoniyi was sentenced on March 24, 2026, to 32 months in federal prison for his role in the fraud.
The department disclosed that Adiakpan had temporary legal status in the United States at the time of his arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Houston Field Office and Bryan Resident Agency, alongside the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant US Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s announcement did not state whether Adiakpan would face deportation after serving his sentence.
Source: US Department of Justice
