Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, di Apetu of Ipetumodu for Osun State, don land 56 months (almost four years, eight months) for US prison sake of say eim do multi-million dollar COVID-19 relief fraud. US District Court for Ohio, Judge Christopher A. Boyko, give am di sentence on Tuesday. Eim go still do three years supervised release, pay $4,408,543.38 as restitution, and dem go seize im house for Medina, Ohio, plus $96,006.89 wey dem grab from di fraud money.
Judge Christopher A. Boyko drop di sentence on Tuesday. Apart from prison, Oloyede go face three years of supervised release, pay $4,408,543.38 as restitution, and dem go seize im house for Medina, Ohio, plus $96,006.89 from di fraud money wey dem grab. From April 2020 to February 2022, Oloyede and im guy, Edward Oluwasanmi, submit fake applications for US Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) wey be COVID-19 relief under CARES Act. Dem do 38 fake loan applications, collect around $4.2 million wey no legit. Oloyede use different businesses and NGOs, even im tax clients’ own, to do di fraud, and eim dey take 15–20% cut from di money. Court papers show say dem use di stolen money buy land, build personal house, and buy luxury car—things wey no follow di purpose of di relief funds. Edward Oluwasanmi, a Nigerian pastor wey be im partner, get 27 months for prison in July, with order to pay restitution and forfeit assets over $600,000. Oloyede, 62, wey get Nigeria and US citizenship and dey stay for Medina, Ohio, dem arrest am on May 4, 2024, with 13-count indictment for wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and other offenses. Eim plead guilty for April 2025, agree say eim do di fraud.
