A United States District Court has sentenced Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, to 27 months in prison for his role in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
His co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede, a traditional ruler in Osun State, has forfeited U.S.-based property linked to the crime.
The sentence was handed down on July 2, 2025, by Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, following Oluwasanmi’s conviction 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 prison terms will run concurrently.
Both men were arrested in April 2024 and later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and defrauding the U.S. government. Oloyede is known traditionally as the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State.
Prosecutors said that between April 2020 and February 2022, the duo submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications using falsified tax and payroll records for shell companies under their control.
Oluwasanmi used businesses such as Dayspring Transportation Ltd, Dayspring Holding Inc, and Dayspring Property Inc to secure and divert millions in pandemic relief funds for personal expenses.
In February 2025, both Oluwasanmi and Oloyede entered guilty pleas and signed plea bargain agreements with federal prosecutors.
While Oluwasanmi has now been sentenced, judgment in Oloyede’s case is still pending. However, U.S. authorities have already seized properties tied to him as part of ongoing asset forfeiture proceedings.