A Nigerian man based in France, Chukwuemeka Amachukwu, has been handed over to the United States to face multiple charges, including computer hacking, fraud, and identity theft.
The 39-year-old was arrested in France and transferred to New York on Monday after a formal request by US authorities.
According to a press release from the US Department of Justice on Tuesday, Amachukwu and several co-conspirators based in Nigeria were involved in hacking US tax preparation firms.
They allegedly stole customers’ personal information and used it to file fake tax returns.
The scheme reportedly led to the theft of at least $2.5 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“Amachukwu also allegedly took part in a separate fraud scheme that promised his victims valuable investments that did not in fact exist,” said US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York.
He is also accused of using stolen identities to file fake claims with the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, which allegedly earned him another $819,000 in illegal payouts.
If convicted, Amachukwu could face several decades in prison. His charges include conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
