U.S. Court Jails Nigerian Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

A U.S. District Court has sentenced Nigerian cleric, Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi, to 27 months in federal prison for his involvement in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Oluwasanmi was convicted alongside his longtime associate and friend, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Nigeria. While Oluwasanmi’s sentencing was delivered on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Oloyede is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2025, having already surrendered a property in the U.S. as part of a plea agreement.

The pair were arrested in early 2024 following an investigation into fraudulent claims totalling $4.2 million submitted under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)—both initiatives of the U.S. CARES Act aimed at supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presiding Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months on each of three counts of wire fraud and conspiracy, with the terms to run concurrently. In addition to imprisonment, he was fined $15,000 and sentenced to three years of supervised release.

As part of the sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of a commercial property located at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, which was determined to be linked to proceeds of the fraudulent activity.

“As a result of the aforementioned offenses, defendants Joseph Oloyede and Edward Oluwasanmi shall forfeit to the United States all real and personal property derived from, or traceable to, the proceeds of the wire fraud and conspiracy convictions,” the judgment reads in part.

Oba Oloyede, who previously held professional roles in accounting and IT while residing in the U.S., pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment in April 2025. Prosecutors say he used several companies under his control—including Available Tax Services Inc., Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company—to file fraudulent wage and tax documents in order to access pandemic relief funds.

The offenses took place between April 2020 and February 2022.

Osun Government Reacts Cautiously

In response to the case, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, stated that the state government is closely monitoring the situation but will hold off on formal action until the U.S. legal process concludes.

“A person remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court,” Alimi said. “We will wait for the final judicial pronouncement before making any administrative decisions.”

The state had reportedly initiated a preliminary inquiry into Oba Oloyede’s prolonged absence from the community and his inactivity in royal affairs even before the case became public.