A U.S. District Court has sentenced Nigerian-born pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, to 27 months in prison for his role in a multi-million dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud scheme.
Oluwasanmi was convicted of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government of $4.2 million, alongside his associate and long-time friend, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, a traditional monarch in Osun State, Nigeria.
The duo, both of whom are U.S. citizens, were arrested in early 2024 following extensive investigations into fraudulent claims made under federal pandemic relief programs.
Specifically, they were charged with 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
They were arraigned before Justice Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court in Ohio, where the judge delivered a ruling on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, sentencing Pastor Oluwasanmi to 27 months imprisonment on counts one, eleven, and twelve of the indictment. The sentences are to run concurrently.
In addition to the prison term, Oluwasanmi was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and to report to the U.S. Marshal Service. Upon completing his sentence, he will also serve three years of supervised release on each of the aforementioned counts, all to run concurrently.
Furthermore, the court directed the forfeiture of assets obtained through fraudulent means. Oluwasanmi is to forfeit a commercial property located at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, as part of the restitution.
The court emphasized that the convicted parties must surrender any property—real or personal—directly or indirectly obtained through the commission of the fraud, including assets linked to money laundering offenses.
Meanwhile, Oba Joseph Oloyede, who also pleaded guilty to counts one and thirteen, is expected to be sentenced on Friday, August 1, 2025. He had previously forfeited a property to the U.S. government in anticipation of sentencing.
IREPORT247NEWS had reported that the Nigerian traditional ruler made headlines after being declared missing in March 2024, only to later resurface in FBI custody.
His arrest was executed based on a warrant issued on May 4, 2024, following U.S. court filings that linked him to large-scale fraud involving the misuse of pandemic funds.
Investigators revealed that Oba Oloyede operated six registered companies, through which he falsified tax records, wage statements, and other necessary documents to illegally secure loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) scheme launched in 2020 to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.
Notably, in June 2020, four of Oloyede’s businesses—Available Tax Services, Available Tutors, Available Financial, and Available Transportation—received loans totaling over $100,000. Later, in October 2021, two companies—JO&A and Available Transportation—secured additional loans worth $500,000 each.
Further investigations disclosed that Oba Oloyede, an accountant by profession, used his expertise to assist other co-conspirators in perpetrating similar fraudulent schemes, collecting a percentage of the loan proceeds as commission.
A federal grand jury in Ohio eventually indicted both Oluwasanmi and Oloyede on April 3, 2024, for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. Prosecutors noted that the criminal activities took place between April 2020 and February 2022, during which they illegally acquired nearly $4.2 million in SBA-guaranteed relief funds.
Missing Apetu of Ipetumodu Rots in FBI Custody over Fraud
This case highlights ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to crack down on fraudulent exploitation of pandemic-era financial assistance programs, with both American citizens and foreign nationals under scrutiny.