Justice Department Moves to Revoke Citizenship of Nigerian National
The Justice Department has initiated a lawsuit to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, a Nigerian national, due to his involvement in a substantial tax fraud scheme.
Filed on Wednesday, the lawsuit alleges that Kazeem engaged in conspiracy to steal the identity of a U.S. citizen and filed fraudulent tax returns in 2017. This follows his conviction on 19 counts related to mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud, though President Biden commuted his sentence in 2024.
Despite Biden’s decision, the Trump administration remains firm on addressing Kazeem’s conviction. “The Trump Administration will not allow criminals to retain U.S. citizenship to which they were not entitled,” stated Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “U.S. citizenship is a privilege, and we will continue to ask courts to revoke status earned through fraud and deception.”
The government asserts that Kazeem had been involved in criminal activities both before and after his naturalization. They also claim he entered into a fraudulent marriage to gain legal immigration status and then married a second woman.
An investigation by the IRS that led to his 2013 conviction found that he had submitted false tax returns for both federal and Oregon taxes. Searches conducted in Illinois, Maryland, and Georgia uncovered extensive evidence, including the seizure of 150 prepaid debit cards and a $50,000 money order.
According to the press release, additional searches yielded more than 50 electronic devices, 40 money orders totaling over $29,000, and around $14,000 in cash, along with numerous prepaid debit cards that had over $12,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.
Kazeem was reportedly involved in identity theft concerning over 260,000 Americans and bought information on another 91,000 individuals, sharing this data with co-conspirators, including his brother.
In total, he attempted to file 10,139 false federal tax returns, trying to steal more than $91 million in refunds but ultimately succeeded in claiming over $11.6 million.
Using the proceeds from these crimes, Kazeem bought a townhouse for $175,000 and made a $200,000 down payment on a new home in Maryland. From 2012 to 2015, he had average monthly credit card payments exceeding $8,300. Furthermore, he tried to invest stolen funds into developing a $6 million hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.
In June 2018, Kazeem received a 15-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay over $12 million in restitution. His sentence is set to be commuted in December 2024, just as Biden is expected to leave office.
