A Nigerian socialite, Abiola Femi Quadri, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a US court for his involvement in a $1.3 million COVID-19 relief fund scam. Quadri, 43, was found guilty of submitting over 100 fraudulent applications using stolen Identities to claim unemployment and disability benefits.
The Scam
Quadri scheme involved using stolen Identities to file fake claims for COVID-19 pandemic unemployment and disability insurance benefits in California and Nevada. He withdrew the fraudulent benefit at ATMs and used the money to build a nightclub and mall in Nigeria. Investigators found images of 17 counterfeit cheques totalling over $3.3 million on Quadri’s phone, along with messages about negotiating the cheques.
Sentence and Restitution
United States District Judge George H. Wu sentenced Quadri to 135 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $1,356,229 in restitution and a $35,000 fine. Quadri was arrested in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, where he was scheduled to fly to Nigeria.
Who is Abiola Femi Quadri?
Quadri is a Nigerian citizen who acquired permanent residency in the United States through a ” fake wedding”. He owns a business, Rock of Peace, which provides daycare services to developmentally disabled children in Altadena, California.
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