Nigerian Businessman Jailed in U.S. for $1.3M COVID Fraud

A U.S. federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Abiola Quadri, to 11 years and three months in prison for orchestrating a $1.3 million fraud scheme that exploited stolen identities to illegally claim pandemic unemployment and disability benefits.

The 43-year-old, a permanent resident of Pasadena, California, used the illicit proceeds to fund the construction of a lavish 120-room resort hotel, a nightclub, and a shopping mall in Nigeria, according to U.S. authorities.

The conviction was announced via a statement on Wednesday, July 24, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which shared details of the case on its official Instagram page.

“We’re proud that our special agents’ hard work paid off and Quadri will face justice for his crimes,” ICE declared, emphasizing the large-scale identity theft and financial deception involved in the scheme.

Abiola Quadri

According to ICE’s official website, dated July 16, 2025, Quadri submitted hundreds of fraudulent benefit applications using stolen identities during the COVID-19 pandemic. He withdrew the stolen funds from ATMs between 2021 and his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, as he attempted to flee to Nigeria.

Investigators found that at least $500,000 of the stolen money was funneled abroad to bankroll the construction of Oyins International Resort in Nigeria — a luxury complex featuring a nightclub, shopping mall, and upscale amenities. Quadri failed to disclose ownership of the resort in his court-mandated financial statements.

Authorities also discovered 17 counterfeit checks worth over $3.3 million stored on his phone, along with messages negotiating fraudulent transactions. Some of these checks were linked to shell companies registered under aliases used by Quadri.

Additionally, he misused his Altadena-based business, Rock of Peace, which was registered to provide daycare for developmentally disabled children in California. A search of his residence revealed misappropriated food-aid debit cards connected to the company.

Quadri pleaded guilty on January 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On July 10, 2025, United States District Judge George H. Wu handed down a 135-month prison sentence and ordered Quadri to pay $1,356,229 in restitution, along with a $35,000 fine.

Court documents also revealed that Quadri fraudulently obtained U.S. permanent residency through a fake marriage.

“The United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter,” the ICE statement said.

“Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.”