U.S. Court docket Jails Nigerian Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi Abiodun For $4.2 Million COVID-19 Aid Fraud

U.S. Court docket has jailed Nigerian Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi Abiodun for $4.2 million COVID-19 Aid Fraud.

PoliticalNews Nigeria reviews {that a} United States District Court docket has sentenced Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi Abiodun, to 27 months in jail for his position in a $4.2 million COVID-19 reduction fraud scheme.

Abiodun was arrested in April 2024 alongside Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Nigeria. The duo confronted a 13-count indictment, together with prices of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. authorities, cash laundering, and conducting illegal {financial} transactions.

In keeping with court docket paperwork, between April 2020 and February 28, 2022, each defendants submitted fraudulent purposes for Paycheck Safety Program (PPP) loans and {Economic} Damage Catastrophe Loans (EIDLs) utilizing firms they managed. The purposes have been supported with falsified tax paperwork and wage information.

Abiodun used firms akin to Dayspring Transportation Restricted, Dayspring Holding Included, and Dayspring Property Included to safe the funds. Investigations revealed the funds have been diverted for private use in violation of federal legal guidelines.

In February 2025, Abiodun and Oloyede pleaded responsible to a number of of the costs and entered into plea agreements.

On July 2, Choose Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court docket for the Jap Division of Ohio sentenced Abiodun to 27 months imprisonment on counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment, to be served concurrently. As well as, the court docket ordered the forfeiture of $1.3 million to the U.S. authorities.

“The defendant is sentenced to 27 months on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment, to be served concurrently,” Choose Boyko acknowledged.

Judgment remains to be pending within the case in opposition to the co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede.