A 25-year-old Nigerian man who overstayed his visa in the United States has been charged with defrauding the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Chad Meacham, announced the charges in a press statement on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Oluwanishola Oyedipo Jinadu, 25, was indicted on February 26, 2025, on seventeen counts, including:
- Five counts of theft of government money
- Three counts of wire fraud
- Eight counts of aggravated identity theft
- One count of false statements in immigration documents
He made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian McKay on Monday.
Allegations Against Jinadu
According to the indictment:
- Jinadu, who had overstayed his B1/B2 visa, fraudulently obtained federal unemployment benefits meant for qualified claimants under the CARES Act.
- He allegedly received stolen unemployment benefits in his bank accounts, with applications submitted in the names of at least five victims across Washington, Massachusetts, and Kansas without their consent.
- He also allegedly defrauded the PPP program, securing over $65,000 in stolen funds, with fraudulent applications submitted in the names of at least three victims in Oklahoma.
Shortly after allegedly committing these frauds, Jinadu applied for U.S. permanent residency. On his application, he reportedly falsely answered “no” to the question, “Have you EVER committed a crime of any kind?” and certified under penalty of perjury that all information provided was true and correct.
Legal Proceedings & Investigation
- An indictment is merely an allegation and not evidence. Mr. Jinadu, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- If convicted, he faces up to 96 years in federal prison.
- The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office.
- Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers and Madeline S. Case are prosecuting the case.
