A Nigerian man, extradited from the United Kingdom, stood before a Seattle court today, facing accusations of orchestrating a significant tax fraud by stealing W-2 information, as per an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. Onomen Uduebor, 38, entered a 'not guilty' plea to charges that stem from an elaborate scheme to file over 300 fraudulent tax returns across the United States, attempting to claim upwards of $1 million in tax refunds. The case, resting on an indictment that dates back to 2019, was only unsealed for Uduebor’s court appearance.
Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller detailed this indictment, saying, "This defendant allegedly participated in a conspiracy that involved tricking companies around the United States, including a Tukwila-based company, into providing W-2 information," before the conspirators allegedly filed fake tax returns. A specific Tukwila-based company was among the victims of these deceitful actions. Dating from February 2016 to April 2017, the indictment describes how conspirators ostensibly sent false emails, masquerading as company executives to procure sensitive employee data.
Uduebor's indictment includes charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office outlines the intricate investigation led by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and the efforts by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam Hinman to lead the prosecution. The arrest, carried out in the United Kingdom in September 2023, was facilitated through cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs to successfully extradite Uduebor to face his charges in the U.S. court system.
