A United States District Court has sentenced 47-year-old Nigerian national, Imafedia Adevokhai, to 46 months in federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme.
According to a statement from the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, Abe McGlothin Jr., Adevokhai was part of a conspiracy that involved stealing the identities of American citizens to file fraudulent tax returns, claiming a total of $4.9 million in refunds.
The Alpharetta, Georgia resident worked alongside two other Nigerians based in the U.S.—Michael Martin and Osazuwa Okunoghae—both of whom had previously pleaded guilty to related offenses.
Adevokhai was primarily responsible for preparing and submitting the false returns, while Martin and Okunoghae laundered the illicit proceeds.
Court documents revealed that the fraudulent activities led to at least $390,220 in actual financial loss to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Following his guilty plea to money laundering in February 2023, Adevokhai was sentenced on April 2, 2025, by Judge Robert W. Schroeder III.
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He was also ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and forfeit $3,500.
Martin, 52, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay the same restitution amount along with a $121,623.41 forfeiture.
Okunoghae, 46, is currently serving a 78-month sentence handed down in January 2022 and must pay $451,117.63 in restitution and forfeiture.
“The Eastern District of Texas is committed to prosecuting individuals who participate in schemes to steal personal information, prepare and file fraudulent tax returns, and launder the proceeds,” McGlothin stated, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of such crimes on individuals, taxpayers, and financial institutions.