Nigerian national admits to role in email scam

May 12, 2026 · Sourced to the U.S. Department of Justice

This case reached the sentenced stage in the Department of Justice's public record. Everything below reflects only what the government itself announced, and links to the original release.

A 34-year-old foreign national who resided in Houston has pleaded guilty to illegal money transmission

District

Southern Texas

Announced

May 12, 2026

Status

Sentenced

Defendants

Edikan Adiakpan — age 34 · Houston · pleaded guilty
Ayobami Omoniyi — age 26 · sentenced

Charges

Illegal money transmission / Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
Max: five years in federal prisonEdikan Adiakpan· pleaded guilty

Financial actions

fine: $250,000 — Possible maximum fine faced at sentencing

Investigating agencies

Federal Bureau of InvestigationIRS Criminal InvestigationU.S. Attorney's Office

Case details

Prosecuting office: Southern District of Texas
Judge: Andrew Hanen, U.S. District Judge

Business Email Compromise (Bec) FraudFederal Law Enforcement Investigation And ProsecutionForeign Nationals In U.S. Fraud SchemesIllegal Money TransmissionMoney Laundering

Primary source

Every fact above is drawn from the Department of Justice's own announcement — a public-domain government record.

Read the original DOJ release →

This is a research and reference page compiled from public DOJ announcements, not legal advice. Details reflect the government's statements as of its release date and may not capture later developments such as appeals, dismissals, or overturned convictions. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.