US Court Jails Nigerian Pastor Over COVID-19 Fraud as Osun Monarch Forfeits Property

A United States District Court has sentenced Nigerian pastor Edward Oluwasanmi to 27 months in prison for his involvement in a COVID-19 relief fund fraud scheme. Oluwasanmi, who was convicted alongside his associate and traditional ruler, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, was found guilty of defrauding the U.S. government of $4.2 million in pandemic relief funds.

The two men were arrested in early 2024 and charged with 13 counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. They were arraigned before Justice Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Both Oluwasanmi and Oba Oloyede entered guilty pleas to some of the charges following a plea agreement with prosecutors. On Wednesday, July 2, Judge Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months’ imprisonment on three counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a \$15,000 fine and ordered Oluwasanmi to report to the U.S. Marshal Service. He is also to serve three years of supervised release following his sentence.

As part of the penalty, the court ordered both defendants to forfeit all assets acquired through fraudulent means, including properties and funds traced to the offenses. Specifically, Oluwasanmi must forfeit a commercial property located at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio.

Oba Oloyede, who also pleaded guilty to two counts, is awaiting his sentencing scheduled for August 1. The monarch, a U.S.-based accountant and information systems expert appointed Apetu in July 2019, was accused of using his companies—Available Tax Services Incorporated, Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company—to submit falsified applications for loans under the U.S. Paycheck Protection Programme and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan scheme between April 2020 and February 2022.

Prosecutors stated that the two men used fake tax and wage documents to fraudulently access funds designated for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial aid program, part of the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was designed to support businesses and non-profits adversely affected by the pandemic.

Back in Nigeria, the Osun State Government has maintained its position of non-interference until the court process concludes. Reacting to the monarch’s guilty plea, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the government would not act prematurely. “A person is innocent until a court convicts them. So, we don’t want to jump the gun; let us wait for the court’s pronouncement on the matter,” he stated.