By Milcah Tanimu
In a recent legal development, Nigerian nationals Quazeem Owolabi Adeyinka, 22, and Ayodeji Jonathan Sangode, 25, have been sentenced in the United States for their roles in a significant COVID-19 fraud operation.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that Adeyinka has been sentenced to 26 months in prison, while Sangode has received a 14-month sentence.
The convictions of these individuals are related to their participation in a scheme that targeted pandemic relief funds allocated by the State of California. Between June 2020 and July 2021, Adeyinka, Sangode, and their associate, Olamide Yusuf Bakare, 26, conspired to file fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims.
Using stolen personally identifiable information (PII) from individuals who were not eligible for these benefits, the trio submitted false applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) from their shared residence in Hyattsville, Maryland. Their deceptive tactics included inventing employment histories, incomes, and pandemic-related hardships on behalf of unsuspecting victims.
Once the fraudulent claims were approved, the EDD transferred funds onto debit cards managed by Bank of America. Under Bakare’s guidance, Adeyinka and Sangode retrieved these cards and withdrew substantial amounts of money from ATMs for personal gain, as well as for their co-conspirators.
Adeyinka was directly linked to the withdrawal of approximately $237,911 in fraudulent UI and PUA benefits, while Sangode accessed around $752,142 through this illicit scheme.”
