The United States Department of Justice has initiated legal proceedings to strip a Nigerian-born man, Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem, of his American citizenship over his alleged involvement in a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme.
In a civil complaint lodged before a U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, authorities accused Kazeem of securing his naturalisation through concealment of criminal conduct and fraudulent immigration practices.
Kazeem had earlier been convicted in 2017 on 19 counts bordering on mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. He was handed a 15-year jail term but was granted clemency in 2024 by former U.S. President Joe Biden after serving about six years.
Confirming the move on Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the government remained committed to revoking citizenship obtained through dishonest means.
He said, “U.S. citizenship is a privilege, and we will continue to ask courts to revoke a status that was obtained through fraud.”
According to court filings, Kazeem’s criminal activities reportedly spanned several years, both before and after he became a U.S. citizen, rendering him ineligible for naturalisation. Investigators also alleged that he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain permanent residency before remarrying, in violation of immigration laws.
Authorities further disclosed that Kazeem orchestrated an extensive identity theft network involving over 259,000 victims. He was said to have acquired more than 91,000 stolen identities from a foreign hacker and distributed them to accomplices who used the data to file fraudulent tax returns between 2012 and 2015.
Investigations linked him to over 10,000 false tax filings seeking refunds exceeding $91m, with about $11.6m successfully obtained. The proceeds were reportedly routed through prepaid debit cards, while at least $2.1m was wired to Nigeria through numerous transactions.
Officials added that part of the illicit funds was used to finance a lavish lifestyle, including a down payment of nearly $200,000 on a residential property and the purchase of a townhouse valued at $175,000 in Maryland.
Kazeem was also said to have attempted investing in a $6m hotel project in Lagos and, shortly before his arrest in 2015, transferred ownership of some assets to a relative in Nigeria at nominal values.
The case followed a joint investigation by multiple U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit.
The ongoing denaturalisation proceedings are being handled by the Department of Justice’s immigration litigation division, with support from Homeland Security investigators. If the court rules in favour of the government, Kazeem could lose his U.S. citizenship on grounds of fraud and misrepresentation.
