A Nigerian national, Abiola Quadri, has been sentenced to 135 months (over 11 years) in a U.S. federal prison for orchestrating a massive $1.3 million fraud scheme that exploited pandemic relief funds.
Quadri, 43, who resided in Pasadena, California, was convicted of using stolen identities to file hundreds of fake COVID-19 unemployment and disability claims, U.S. authorities confirmed.
“We’re proud that our special agents’ hard work paid off and Quadri will face justice for his crimes,” the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The illicit proceeds were used to construct Oyins International Resort in Nigeria, which reportedly includes a nightclub, a shopping mall, and a 120-room luxury hotel. Authorities said he sent at least $500,000 abroad for the project.
ICE revealed that Quadri withdrew the stolen funds from ATMs between 2021 and his arrest in September 2024, just before boarding a flight to Nigeria at Los Angeles International Airport.
Further investigations unearthed:
- 17 counterfeit checks worth over $3.3 million stored on his phone
- Messages negotiating fraudulent financial deals
- Evidence of shell businesses and aliases used in the scam
- Misuse of food-aid debit cards and fraud through his company, Rock of Peace, which was funded to care for disabled children
In court documents, Quadri also admitted to obtaining his U.S. permanent residency through a fake marriage.
He pleaded guilty on January 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The sentence, handed down on July 10, 2025, by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu, also includes: $1,356,229 in restitution, and a $35,000 fine
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Employment Development Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown leading the prosecution.
