A United States District Court has sentenced Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi, a Nigerian cleric, to 27 months in prison for his role in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Delivering judgment on July 2, 2025, Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio convicted Oluwasanmi on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of a 13-count indictment. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. His sentence will run concurrently. Oluwasanmi’s co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede, a traditional ruler from Osun State, Nigeria, known as the Apetu of Ipetumodu, has forfeited property tied to the crime, though sentencing in his case is pending.
Fraudulent Scheme
Between April 2020 and February 2022, the duo filed fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. They submitted falsified tax returns and wage documents for multiple businesses they controlled.
Pastor Oluwasanmi used companies such as:
- Dayspring Transportation Limited
- Dayspring Holding Incorporated
- Dayspring Property Incorporated
…to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds, which he allegedly diverted for personal gain.
Plea Bargain
Both defendants were arrested in April 2024 and later pleaded guilty in February 2025. As part of the plea deal, Oluwasanmi accepted responsibility for key charges, while Oloyede’s agreement has led to seizure of properties in the U.S. This case highlights growing scrutiny of pandemic-related fraud and reinforces U.S. authorities’ commitment to tracking and prosecuting international financial crimes.
