A Nigerian national residing in France, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has been extradited to the United States to face multiple charges related to computer hacking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, following his alleged role in a complex cybercrime scheme that defrauded victims of over $819,000.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice, Amachukwu, 39, was handed over to American authorities on Monday and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Manhattan on Tuesday. The charges stem from a large-scale criminal conspiracy that targeted U.S.-based tax preparation firms and government financial aid programs.
Federal prosecutors allege that in 2019, Amachukwu and unnamed co-conspirators infiltrated electronic systems of several tax preparation businesses across New York, Texas, and other U.S. states using spear-phishing emails to gain unauthorized access. The hackers allegedly stole personal data and used it to file fraudulent tax returns with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking to collect at least $8.4 million in refunds.
While the full amount was not disbursed, authorities confirmed that the syndicate successfully obtained about $2.5 million in illicit refunds. In addition to the IRS fraud, the group is accused of filing fake claims under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, siphoning an additional $819,000 through fraudulent applications.
Following a thorough investigation, Amachukwu was traced to France, where he was arrested and later extradited to the United States for trial. He now faces a five-count indictment before U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, which includes one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions (maximum sentence of five years), two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud (each carrying a maximum of 20 years), and one count of aggravated identity theft, which mandates a two-year sentence to be served consecutively.
In addition to the current charges, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Amachukwu is also being prosecuted in a separate case involving an investment scam. In that case, he allegedly duped victims by offering non-existent standby letters of credit, swindling millions of dollars.
Authorities emphasized that sentencing, if convicted, will be determined by the court and could result in a maximum of 47 years behind bars.
