A Nigerian man, Abiola Femi Quadri, has been handed an 11-year federal prison sentence in the United States after masterminding a $1.3 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme, authorities say.

The 43-year-old, who had been living in Pasadena, California, allegedly exploited pandemic-era unemployment and disability benefit programs in both California and Nevada, using over 100 stolen identities to siphon public funds meant for struggling citizens.

According to a statement released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 23, 2025, Quadri funneled large sums of the stolen money into Nigeria, where he financed the construction of a nightclub, shopping mall, and a luxury 120-room resort named Oyins International.

Court records show that Quadri was sentenced back on July 10, 2023, by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to repay $1,356,229 in restitution and pay a $35,000 fine.

Quadri, a Nigerian national, had reportedly obtained U.S. permanent residency through what he described in private messages as a “fake wedding”, according to investigators.

He pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. From 2021 until his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, Quadri is said to have regularly withdrawn fraudulent benefit funds from ATMs—just as he was preparing to board a flight to Nigeria.

Authorities revealed he sent over $500,000 abroad, a significant portion of which helped fund the lavish resort project. Notably, Quadri failed to declare ownership of the hotel when filing court-required financial disclosures a major red flag during sentencing.

Investigators also uncovered damning digital evidence. On his mobile phone, they found 17 counterfeit checks totaling more than $3.3 million, along with messages discussing forged financial documents. Some checks were linked to shell companies registered under multiple aliases he used.

In a bizarre twist, Quadri also ran a registered business, Rock of Peace, that was paid by California's government to provide daycare for developmentally disabled children. However, when agents searched his home, they discovered food-aid debit cards meant for those same children—further confirming a web of misappropriation.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the California Employment Development Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section oversaw the prosecution