The United States Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint seeking to revoke the citizenship of Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem over his alleged role in a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme.
According to the department, Kazeem orchestrated a scheme that targeted more than 259,000 victims and attempted to defraud the Internal Revenue Service of over $91 million.
The complaint, filed in a federal court in Baltimore, Maryland, argues that Kazeem obtained American citizenship through fraud and concealment of his criminal activities.
Kazeem was previously convicted in 2017 on multiple charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served about six years before his sentence was commuted in December 2024 by former US President Joe Biden.
Officials say the denaturalisation case is part of a broader effort under President Donald Trump’s administration to strip citizenship from individuals who obtained it unlawfully.
Investigations revealed that Kazeem and his network used phishing and stolen personal data to file over 10,000 fraudulent tax returns, successfully obtaining more than $11.6 million in refunds. Authorities also traced thousands of wire transfers, including funds sent to Nigeria.
The scheme came to light in 2013 after a victim reported fraudulent tax filings, triggering a multi-agency investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other authorities.
Prosecutors also allege that Kazeem engaged in immigration fraud, including entering into a sham marriage to obtain permanent residency, which further disqualified him from lawful naturalisation.
If the court grants the request, Kazeem could lose his US citizenship, reinforcing the government’s stance that citizenship obtained through fraud can be revoked.
