First-time traveler to the United States arrested for fraud after arriving at JFK Airport

A Nigerian man, Yomi Jones Olayeye, also known as "Sabbie," has been arrested in the United States for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud while residing in Nigeria.

 Olayeye, 40, was detained upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on August 13, 2024. 

He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors allege that between March and July 2020, Olayeye and his accomplices fraudulently applied for at least $10 million in unemployment benefits from several U.S. states, including Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Michigan. 

Using stolen personal information purchased on criminal forums, they posed as U.S. residents eligible for the relief programs, such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).

The fraudulent scheme involved opening U.S. bank accounts to receive payments, recruiting U.S.-based individuals to help transfer the funds, and using Bitcoin to launder the proceeds. In total, they successfully obtained over $1.5 million in benefits.

Olayeye, who made an initial court appearance in New York before being transferred to Massachusetts, faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and conspiracy, along with mandatory additional prison time for the identity theft charge. 

His co-conspirators, including another Nigerian national, remain at large.