A Nigerian man, Abiola Quadri, has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison in the United States for orchestrating a $1.3 million fraud scheme involving stolen identities to claim COVID-19 pandemic unemployment and disability benefits.
The 43-year-old, a permanent resident of Pasadena, California, used the illicit funds to construct a nightclub, shopping mall, and a lavish 120-room resort hotel in Nigeria, authorities revealed.
According to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on its Instagram page on Wednesday, Quadri submitted hundreds of fraudulent applications using stolen identities, siphoning off taxpayer money.
“We’re proud that our special agents’ hard work paid off and Quadri will face justice for his crimes,” ICE declared, highlighting the scale of the operation that raked in $1.3 million.
The fraudster withdrew the stolen funds from ATMs between 2021 and his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, where he was en route to Nigeria.
Investigations revealed he sent at least $500,000 abroad, funding the construction of the Oyins International resort in Nigeria, complete with a nightclub, mall, and high-end amenities. Shockingly, Quadri failed to disclose his ownership of the hotel in his court financial disclosures.
Authorities uncovered 17 counterfeit checks worth over $3.3 million on Quadri’s phone, alongside messages negotiating these fraudulent transactions.
Some checks were linked to shell businesses under his aliases. Quadri also exploited his Altadena-based company, Rock of Peace, which was paid to provide daycare for developmentally disabled children in California, misappropriating food-aid debit cards found during a search of his residence.
Quadri was sentenced to 135 months in prison on July 10, 2023, by United States District Judge George H. Wu in Los Angeles.
The judge also ordered him to pay $1,356,229 in restitution and a $35,000 fine. Quadri, who admitted to acquiring permanent residency through a “fake wedding” via court documents, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on January 2.
“The United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter.
“Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case,” ICE stated
