Three Nigerians wey dey live for US, Kamaldeen Karaole, Stephen Olamigoke, and Johnson Omodusonu don collect more than eight years for prison after dem run COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud wey chop $520,910 from US government.
One of dem even gree say after im prison waka finish, make dem deport am go Nigeria.
According to wetin US Department of Justice talk, the wahala happen for 2020 when the three people thief 168 Unemployment Insurance debit cards wey belong to other people.
Between August and October 2020, dem join body with other people wey dey outside US to use the stolen cards and passwords take apply for fake unemployment benefits.
Dem use 98 of the cards withdraw money from different ATM machines across US, especially for Indianapolis. Sometimes, dem go withdraw money plenty times within few minutes.
The cards wey dem use na from California, Arizona, and Nevada, and none of the cards belong to dem. All na real people name dem use.
To get the cards, their partners wey dey outside US use stolen personal info take apply for plenty fake unemployment claims.
Altogether, dem do 529 withdrawals and collect $520,910.
After dem catch dem, dem carry dem go court and charge dem with conspiracy and identity theft among other things.
Dem talk say Karaole wey be 24 years old chop charge for aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to do access device fraud, and access device fraud. Im come plead guilty.
Dem sentence am to four years and three months for prison, plus two years wey dem go dey monitor am after im come out.
Olamigoke wey be 23 years old, dem find am guilty of conspiracy to do access device fraud and access device fraud. Dem give am two and half years for prison, plus two years supervised release.
Omodusonu wey be 24 years old and dey Indianapolis, dem also find am guilty of conspiracy to do access device fraud and access device fraud. Dem sentence am to two years for prison and two years supervised release.
Dem order all of dem make dem pay back $520,910 as restitution.
Dem also talk say when Olamigoke plead guilty, im gree say after im prison finish, dem go deport am comot from US.
Before this one, one Nigerian wey dey France, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, fit face up to 47 years for prison after dem extradite am go US because of wire fraud, hacking, and identity theft wey cause $819,000 loss to victims.
US Department of Justice talk say for 2019, Amachukwu and im people hack US-based tax preparation businesses, including some wey dey New York, Texas and other states using spear-phishing emails to enter their electronic systems.
