GA Man Charged in $12M FAFSA Identity Theft

United States Attorney Josh Minkler dropped a bombshell on Indianapolis with the announcement of 23 federal charges against Taiwo K. Onamuti, 29, from Doraville, Georgia, and Muideen A. Adebule, 49, from Indianapolis, Indiana. The duo is accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme of identity theft, fraud, and conspiracy that resulted in over $12 million stolen from the U.S. Treasury.

Minkler cited the Onamuti organization’s role in the illegal acquisition of thousands of victims’ identities, including students applying for financial aid. He emphasized that the crime not only disrupted lives but also diverted funds meant for taxpayers.

The indictment claims that from 2014 to 2016, Onamuti and Adebule, along with others, stole personal information through email purchases or the FAFSA website’s Data Retrieval Tool. They then used this data to file false tax returns, directing refunds onto prepaid debit cards bought by Adebule and associates. The group is alleged to have obtained nearly $12.7 million in fraudulent tax refunds.

Following the exposure of the fraud, the Department of Education and IRS removed the data retrieval tool from fafsa.gov, causing significant disruption during financial aid application season.

Investigation into this case was a joint effort by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Education, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Agent in Charge Gabriel Grchan commended IRS Criminal Investigation’s work in protecting taxpayers from identity theft.

Robert Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education’s OIG Technology Crimes Division, highlighted the agency’s commitment to pursuing those who misuse federal student aid systems. Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston noted that the charges against Onamuti and Adebule carry potential sentences ranging from five to fifteen years for fraud and two years for aggravated identity theft.

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