A 33-year-old Nigerian man, Edikan Adiakpan, has been arrested in Houston, Texas, over his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar business email compromise (BEC) and money la¥ndering operation spanning at least eight U.S. states.
The U.S. Attorney, Nicholas J. Ganjei, announced the arrest on Thursday. Adiakpan appeared before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray the same day, following a three-count federal indictment issued on June 11.
According to court documents, Adiakpan and his co-conspirators executed a sophisticated 2021 scheme by sending d+ceptive emails that impersonated legitimate vendors and business partners. The emails tricked victims — including a California-based research institution aiding U.S. veterans — into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the fr@udsters.
