Yomi Olayeye, a 40-year-old Nigerian citizen, has been arrested and charged in connection with a $10 million COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme in the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that Olayeye was taken into custody on August 13 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He is facing charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft.
According to the authorities, Olayeye, also known as “Sabbie,” is accused of working with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
The scheme targeted three pandemic assistance programs managed by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and other states’ unemployment insurance agencies: traditional Unemployment Insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
Using stolen personal information, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly applied for unemployment benefits across multiple states, including Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Indiana. The fraudulent applications totalled at least $10 million, with the group reportedly receiving more than $1.5 million in benefits.
If convicted, Olayeye could face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss. He could also be subject to forfeiture and restitution
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
