- Nigerian pastor arrested for alleged $4.2m COVID-19 relief fund fraud
- Pastor indicted on 13-count fraud charge, released on $20,000 bail
- Over $620,000 seized from pastor's accounts, properties to be forfeited
The FBI has arrested Nigerian Pastor Edward Abiodun Oluwasanmi on charges of conspiring with Osun monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to defraud the U.S. government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Oluwasanmi, alongside Oloyede, is accused of submitting forged documents to apply for loans meant to assist struggling businesses during the pandemic. The funds, intended for businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis, were allegedly misused by Oluwasanmi for personal expenses through his three companies: Dayspring Property Incorporated, Dayspring Holdings, and Dayspring Transportation.
The pastor, who resides in the U.S., was indicted on 13 counts of fraud and arrested in Cleveland in April. He was released on $20,000 bail, with the condition that he appears for trial and serves any prison sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that in September 2020, Oluwasanmi used approximately $221,880 of the funds to purchase commercial property on South Freen Road in South Euclid, Ohio. In October 2021, he transferred $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds into the brokerage account of his company, Dayspring Transportation.
The FBI has seized approximately $620,000 from Oluwasanmi and is seeking to forfeit these funds, along with other properties allegedly acquired through fraudulent activities. Authorities also seized $599,250 from his Dayspring Transportation account at Fidelity Investments and nearly $20,000 from his Dayspring Property account at Key Bank on April 5, 2024.
To ensure Oluwasanmi’s appearance in court, both his U.S. and Nigerian passports have been confiscated.
