Two Nigerians Among Six Facing 62 Years in U.S. Prison Over $50 Million Fraud Scheme

Six individuals, including two Nigerians, have been arraigned in a New York federal court for their roles in an alleged $50 million fraud scheme that targeted U.S. government programs. The defendants—Shan Anand, Nosakhare Nobore, Nicholas Pappas, Leonard Ujkic, Solomon Aluko (also known as “D1 ReallyRich”), and Jorge Gonzalez—allegedly operated a multi-year check fraud operation involving stolen and fake identities to deposit illicit funds.

According to federal prosecutors, the group attempted to steal approximately $80 million, successfully laundering about $50 million through fraudulent bank accounts tied to sham businesses. The scheme reportedly ran from 2021 to 2025 and heavily targeted government relief efforts, including COVID-19-related assistance.

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky, who unsealed the indictment, criticized the defendants for exploiting emergency aid programs meant to support Americans in crisis. The charges allege that the group manipulated filings with the Internal Revenue Service to receive tax credits under the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and Qualified Sick Leave Wages (QSLW) credit—relief measures meant for legitimate businesses affected by the pandemic.

Investigators say the defendants opened bank accounts using stolen or fictitious identities. One of the accused, a bank teller, allegedly helped the group from inside the institution by opening or modifying accounts. Fraudulent or counterfeit checks—including U.S. Treasury checks for tax refunds and government benefits—were deposited and then quickly withdrawn or transferred to controlled accounts.

Some of the funds were linked to federal programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Many checks were either forged or stolen from the mail.

Authorities say the defendants even flaunted their crimes. One suspect shared a video of the “2021 Fraud Bible,” a document detailing instructions for various types of financial fraud. Members of the conspiracy were also seen wearing apparel branded with a “Bag Hunter” logo—a running sack of money—while committing some of their crimes. Surveillance footage captured Nobore withdrawing funds while wearing clothing with the emblem.

The six accused—Anand, 34, of Queens, New York; Nobore, 29, of Edgewater, New Jersey; Pappas, 28, of Miami, Florida; Ujkic, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Aluko, 29, of Hackensack, New Jersey; and Gonzalez, 28, of North Bergen, New Jersey—face a range of charges. These include conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud (up to 30 years), conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions (up to 20 years), conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government (up to 10 years), and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years.

Final sentencing will be determined by a judge. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Units. The investigation involved the FBI, IRS-CI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the NYPD.