Nigerian pleads guilty to $415,874 US unemployment insurance fraud

A Nigerian national, Akinpelumi Olawale Oyewusi, has pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to charges related to a widespread unemployment insurance fraud scheme.

Oyewusi, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced the plea, which is part of the Trump administration's initiative to combat fraud. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, along with Inspector Generals Joseph V. Cuffari and Anthony P. D’Esposito, confirmed the guilty plea.

According to court documents, Oyewusi and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme from September 2020 to at least March 2021. They defrauded state workforce agencies, including the Maryland Department of Labor, by using the identities of real individuals to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. The stolen funds were then allegedly transferred and withdrawn by Oyewusi through electronic means and ATM withdrawals.

The conspiracy victimized individuals through identity theft, state agencies through the theft of unemployment funds, and financial institutions by misdirecting funds. Oyewusi is directly implicated in at least $415,874.63 in actual losses, having personally gained at least $25,000 from his participation. The scheme involved submitting false claims to various state agencies, including those in Maryland and California, using victims' personal information but falsifying employment histories.

Funds were disbursed via bank-issued debit cards mailed to addresses in Maryland and other locations. Oyewusi allegedly intercepted these cards, withdrew substantial amounts, and transferred portions to other conspirators after taking his share. He also reportedly used U.S. Postal Service mail alerts to track the fraudulent debit cards.

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Through the conspiracy, Oyewusi and his co-conspirators used the identities of real people to obtain fraudulent UI from the state of Maryland and other states.