A Nigerian man, Abiola Quadri, has been sentenced to over 11 years in a U.S. federal prison after he was found guilty of carrying out a $1.3 million fraud scheme involving stolen identities and fake claims for COVID-19 unemployment and disability benefits.
The 43-year-old, a permanent resident of Pasadena, California, used hundreds of stolen identities to submit fraudulent applications between 2021 and his arrest in September 2024.
Investigators confirmed that the money, drawn from government pandemic relief funds, was used to finance multiple projects in Nigeria, including a luxury 120-room resort hotel, a shopping mall, and a nightclub under the name Oyins International.
Officials revealed that Quadri withdrew large sums of money from ATMs across California. At least $500,000 of the stolen funds were wired to Nigeria to support the development of his personal ventures.
During a search of his residence, agents found food-aid debit cards and other evidence of misused benefits.
Further investigation showed 17 fake checks valued at over $3.3 million saved on his phone, along with conversations related to the fraudulent transactions.
Some of the checks were connected to shell companies registered under false identities.
He also ran a company named Rock of Peace in Altadena, which received funds for providing daycare services for disabled children, but those funds were misused.
Quadri was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to leave the country.
He also admitted in court to gaining U.S. permanent residency through a sham marriage.
On July 10, 2023, U.S. District Judge George H. Wu sentenced Quadri to 135 months in prison, along with a $35,000 fine and an order to repay $1,356,229 in restitution.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud earlier in January. The case was investigated by several U.S. agencies, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.