A U.S. federal court has sentenced 43-year-old Nigerian man, Abiola Quadri, to 11 years in prison for running a $1.3 million fraud scheme involving COVID-19 relief funds.
Quadri, who held U.S. permanent residency, used stolen identities to file hundreds of fake claims for unemployment and disability benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the sentencing in a statement released Wednesday.
Quadri, based in Pasadena, California, withdrew the illicit funds from ATMs between 2021 and 2024.
He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in September 2024 while attempting to flee to Nigeria.
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu handed down the sentence and also ordered Quadri to pay $1.35 million in restitution and a $35,000 fine.
According to ICE, Quadri gained permanent residency in the U.S. through a fake marriage. He later pleaded guilty on January 2, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Authorities revealed that he wired over $500,000 to Nigeria. He used the money to construct a massive 120-room luxury hotel, Oyins International, which includes a shopping mall and nightclub.
Importantly, Quadri failed to declare the hotel’s ownership during court-required financial disclosures.
When investigators searched his phone, they discovered 17 fake checks totaling more than $3.3 million. Messages on the device showed negotiations related to the counterfeit checks.
Some of the checks were addressed to shell companies tied to multiple aliases used by Quadri.
In addition, California had paid Quadri to run a daycare facility for developmentally disabled children. The business, Rock of Peace, operated in Altadena.
Shockingly, when agents raided his home, they found misused food-aid debit cards meant for the children.
This case adds to a growing list of Nigerians convicted abroad over COVID-era fraud schemes.
In a related case, another Nigerian pastor, Oluwasanmi, was recently jailed for a $4.2 million COVID scam in the U.S.
Authorities say Quadri’s conviction should serve as a warning. Fraud involving public funds especially in times of crisis will be met with severe penalties.
