Yomi Jones Olayeye, also known as “Sabbie,” from Lagos, Nigeria, was taken into custody on August 13, 2024, upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The announcement was made on August 19 by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, is handling the prosecution.
Olayeye faces charges including wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York on August 14, 2024, and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on August 20.
The indictment alleges that between March and July 2020, Olayeye and his associates defrauded three pandemic assistance programs: traditional unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
They are accused of using stolen personally identifiable information (PII) purchased through criminal internet forums to falsely claim eligibility for these benefits. The fraudulently obtained PII was also used to open U.S. bank and prepaid debit card accounts to receive the assistance payments.
Additionally, it is alleged that Olayeye and his co-conspirators recruited U.S.-based account holders to receive and transfer the stolen funds via cash transfer apps, which they then used to purchase Bitcoin. The group is also accused of masking their connection to Nigeria by using U.S.-based IP addresses for fraudulent transactions.
Olayeye and his associates reportedly applied for at least $10 million in fraudulent benefits from multiple states, including Massachusetts, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maine, Ohio, and Washington, and received over $1.5 million in unearned assistance.
The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, along with possible fines and restitution. The aggravated identity theft charge adds a mandatory minimum sentence of two years to any sentence for the wire fraud charges. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General on May 17, 2021, aims to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud by coordinating resources and sharing information among various government agencies.
