A United States District Court has sentenced a Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, to 27 months in prison for his involvement in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme, while his co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede, a traditional ruler from Osun State, has forfeited properties linked to the crime.
Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio handed down the sentence on July 2, 2025, after Oluwasanmi was convicted on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of a 13-count federal indictment. The court also ordered him to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. His prison terms will run concurrently.
Fraud During COVID-19 Relief
Oluwasanmi and Oloyede, who is the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, were arrested in April 2024 and later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, defrauding the U.S. government, money laundering, and conducting monetary transactions with criminally derived property.
Court documents revealed that between April 2020 and February 2022, the pair filed fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications. These filings were made using falsified tax and payroll documents under various shell companies they controlled.
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Pastor Oluwasanmi reportedly used entities like Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated to illegally obtain the funds, which were used for personal expenses and luxury acquisitions.
Guilty Plea and Asset Forfeiture
In February 2025, both men entered guilty pleas and signed plea bargain agreements. While Oluwasanmi has now been sentenced, Oloyede’s case is still pending. However, sources confirm that properties linked to Oloyede in the United States have already been seized through asset forfeiture proceedings.
- This high-profile case underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to crack down on international fraud rings that exploited COVID-19 relief programs intended to support struggling businesses.
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