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Feb
Feb
NIGERIAN PASTOR ARRESTED FOR MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR INTERNET FRAUD
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Nicolas Adekeye / 2 weeks
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- 1 min read
The FBI has arrested Nigerian Pastor Edward Abiodun Oluwasanmi for conspiring to defraud the U.S. government of $4.2 million COVID-19 relief funds. Oluwasanmi, a U.S.-based pastor, allegedly worked with Osun monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to submit forged documents and obtain millions of dollars in COVID-19 loans meant for struggling businesses. The pastor used his three companies, Dayspring Property Incorporated, Dayspring Holdings, and Dayspring Transportation, to divert the funds for his personal expenses, breaching U.S. federal laws. He was indicted on a 13-count charge of fraud and arrested in Cleveland in April. Oluwasanmi was released on a $20,000 bail with the condition that he appears in court for trial and serves his sentence if convicted. The FBI’s investigation revealed that the pastor made several suspicious transactions, including a wire transfer of $221,880 in September 2020 to purchase a commercial property in Ohio. On October 26, 2021, he wired $1 million in COVID-19 funds to his company’s brokerage account.