A 25-year-old Nigerian man, Oluwanishola Oyedyipo Jinadu, is facing up to 96 years in U.S. federal prison for allegedly defrauding pandemic relief programs.
Jinadu, who overstayed his visa, was indicted on February 26, 2025, on 17 counts, including theft of government funds, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements in immigration documents.
Prosecutors allege that he fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program and received more than $65,000 in stolen Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. The applications, linked to multiple victims in different states, were allegedly submitted without their consent.
Jinadu also reportedly applied for U.S. permanent residency while denying any past criminal activity. Authorities say his response was false.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor led the investigation. Jinadu remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
