A 39-year-old Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has been extradited from France to the United States to face multiple charges related to cyber fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.

Amachukwu, who is alleged to have orchestrated a sophisticated hacking scheme that targeted U.S.-based tax preparation businesses, appeared before a U.S. District Court in New York on Tuesday following his extradition the previous day.

Alleged Fraud and Hacking Scheme

Federal prosecutors allege that in 2019, Amachukwu and his co-conspirators infiltrated electronic systems belonging to several tax firms in states including New York and Texas. Using spear-phishing emails, they allegedly gained unauthorized access to sensitive information and stole the identities of numerous individuals.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the stolen identities were used to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with the suspects attempting to claim at least $8.4 million in tax refunds. They successfully obtained around $2.5 million, the statement revealed.

In addition to tax fraud, the accused individuals allegedly exploited the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, filing fake claims that resulted in an additional $819,000 in fraudulent disbursements.

Charges and Sentencing

Amachukwu now faces five counts of federal charges, including:

• One count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions (maximum 5 years)
• Two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud (maximum 20 years each)
• Two counts of wire fraud (maximum 20 years each)
• One count of aggravated identity theft (mandatory additional 2-year sentence)

If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 47 years in federal prison.

The U.S. authorities noted that while these are the maximum penalties, final sentencing will be determined by the presiding judge, District Judge Paul Gardephe, and will take into account various legal factors.

Additional Investment Fraud Charges

In a separate indictment, Amachukwu is also accused of running a fraudulent investment scheme, in which he purportedly offered victims investments in fictitious “standby letters of credit.” Prosecutors allege that he embezzled millions of dollars through this scheme, which targeted victims under the pretense of high-yield returns.

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that Amachukwu was arrested in France after extensive investigations and was extradited under an existing bilateral agreement between the U.S. and France on transnational crime cooperation.

His arraignment marks a significant development in ongoing efforts by U.S. law enforcement to crack down on international cybercrime and financial fraud targeting American institutions and citizens.