The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil complaint seeking to revoke the citizenship of Nigerian-born Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem over his involvement in a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme valued at about $91 million.
According to US authorities, the case was filed in the US District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, alleging that Kazeem unlawfully obtained American citizenship by concealing criminal activities and engaging in immigration fraud.
Fraud Scheme Targeted Thousands
Investigators said Kazeem masterminded an extensive fraud operation that used stolen personal information to file thousands of false tax returns with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Authorities said the scheme targeted more than 259,000 victims and attempted to claim over $91 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Court documents show that the network filed more than 10,000 fraudulent federal tax returns, successfully obtaining about $11.6 million in refunds before the scheme was uncovered.
Previous Conviction and Prison Sentence
Kazeem was convicted in 2017 on 19 counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, though his sentence was later commuted in December 2024 by then-US President Joe Biden after he had served about six years.
Why the US Wants to Revoke His Citizenship
The DOJ said its denaturalisation case is based on allegations that Kazeem committed fraud both before and after becoming a US citizen, which would have made him ineligible for naturalisation.
Prosecutors also alleged that he entered a sham marriage to obtain permanent residency, an act that could independently disqualify him from citizenship under US immigration law.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the government intends to ensure that individuals who obtained citizenship through deception do not retain the privilege.
If the court rules in favour of the government, Kazeem could lose his US citizenship and face potential immigration consequences.