Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, a 46-year-old Nigerian man, has been sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his role in a massive scheme to defraud U.S. pandemic aid programs.
The fraudulent activities, which spanned several years, included submitting false claims for unemployment benefits, tax refunds, and economic disaster loans, leading to millions of dollars in financial losses.
Lawal, along with his co-conspirator, Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 46, exploited the identities of American citizens to submit over 1,700 fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits across 25 states, including Washington.
The claims sought approximately $25 million, but the duo managed to steal $2.7 million in total. Lawal alone filed claims amounting to $1.3 million using stolen identities from various states.
In addition, between 2018 and 2022, Lawal filed 3,000 fake tax returns in an attempt to steal $7.5 million in refunds, though only $30,000 was successfully paid out by the IRS.
The fraudulent scheme also included fake applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which targeted the Small Business Administration.
Although 38 fraudulent applications were submitted, the pair were caught before receiving substantial funds.
The stolen proceeds were funneled through various methods, including cash cards and “money mules,” with funds being deposited into bank accounts opened under stolen identities.
Lawal was ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution—the amount he personally gained from the fraud.
The case, investigated by multiple agencies including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has highlighted the significant harm caused to Americans in need of pandemic assistance.
Lawal’s co-conspirator, Ambali, was sentenced to 42 months in prison earlier this year. The U.S. government had initially sought a 65-month sentence for Lawal, emphasizing the devastating impact of his actions on both the financial system and the victims of the fraud.
The Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat pandemic-related fraud are part of a broader initiative to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent future fraudulent activities.
Anyone with information regarding similar cases of fraud is encouraged to report it through the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline.
