US court sentence Nigerian male was 11 years in prison for $ 1.3 million Covid-19 job fraud

The United States Court has punished a 43-year-old Nigerian man, Abiola Quadri, to be 11 years in prison after he was found guilty for arranging a $ 1.3 million fraud scheme involving a stolen identity to claim Pandemic Covid-19 unemployment allowance.

According to a statement from immigration and enforcement of the US Customs (ICE) on Wednesday, Quadri, a permanent resident of Pasadena, California, has submitted hundreds of fraud applications using stolen identity, sucking taxpayers, and using illegal funds to build nightclub, shopping malls, and Lavish response 120-Poor.

When he said the sentence, United States District Judge George H. Wu, also ordered Quadri to pay $ 1,356,229 as compensation and a fine of $ 35,000.

“Abiola Quadri is a Nigerian citizen who received permanent residency in the United States through a fake marriage in a message with a woman who is not his wife,” the agency said in the statement.

“He pleaded guilty on January 2 on a conspiracy accusation to commit bank fraud. Quadri withdrew unemployment and cheating disability benefits at the ATM from 2021 until his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, where he was scheduled to fly to Nigeria.

“Quadri sent at least $ 500,000 abroad during the scheme. He also paid for the construction of the 120 room hotel in Nigeria, Oyins International, which included nightclubs, malls, and additional high-end facilities. He failed to express his ownership of the hotel as needed when completing his financial disclosure to court.

“Investigators found Figure 17 Fake Checks with a total of more than $ 3.3 million on Quadri phones, along with messages discussing negotiations for checks. Some checks are paid to the shell business owned in the name of the alias Quadri alias.

“California pays Quadri to provide child care services to children with developmental disabled through its business based in Altadena, Rock of Peace. When agents look for Quadri’s residence, they found a debit card for children’s food assistance.

“We are proud that the hard work of our special agents pays off and Quadri will face justice for his crime,” ICE stated in a statement published on its website by US Assistant Lawyer Andrew Brown from the main fraud department.