The United States government has initiated legal proceedings to revoke the citizenship of Nigerian-born Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, following his conviction in a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud operation that targeted hundreds of thousands of victims.
In a civil complaint filed in a federal court in Maryland, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Kazeem unlawfully obtained American citizenship through fraud and deliberate concealment of his criminal activities. The case marks a significant escalation in efforts by U.S. authorities to pursue denaturalisation of individuals linked to serious financial crimes.
According to the DOJ, Kazeem masterminded a sophisticated scheme that compromised the personal data of more than 259,000 individuals. The operation involved filing over 10,000 fraudulent tax returns in an attempt to secure more than $91 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Authorities confirmed that at least $11.6 million was successfully obtained through the scheme.
Kazeem’s Crimes
Kazeem was previously convicted in 2017 on 19 counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served approximately six years before his sentence was commuted in December 2024 as part of a broader clemency initiative tied to COVID-19-era prison adjustments.
The DOJ’s complaint asserts that Kazeem’s criminal conduct both predated and continued after his naturalisation, making him ineligible for U.S. citizenship under federal law. Prosecutors also allege that he secured permanent residency through a sham marriage, further undermining the legitimacy of his naturalisation process.
Investigators revealed that Kazeem acquired over 91,000 stolen identities from a foreign hacker and distributed them among co-conspirators, including his younger brother. The group used the stolen information to bypass IRS security systems, obtaining electronic filing PINs and accessing sensitive taxpayer records.
The fraudulent proceeds were allegedly laundered through various channels, including more than 2,000 wire transfers totaling over $2.1 million sent to Nigeria. Kazeem is also said to have used the funds to purchase real estate in Maryland and attempted to invest in a $6 million hotel project in Lagos.
Authorities traced significant financial activity linked to the scheme, including large credit card payments and property transactions. In one instance, Kazeem reportedly transferred ownership of a townhouse to a relative for a nominal fee shortly before his arrest in 2015.
The case originated in 2013 after a victim reported suspicious tax filings in Oregon, prompting a multi-agency investigation involving the IRS Criminal Investigation unit, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
If the court rules in favor of the government, Kazeem could be stripped of his U.S. citizenship, reinforcing Washington’s stance on prosecuting immigration fraud linked to criminal activity.
