A Nigerian woman living in the United States, Funke Iyanda, is facing a possible 10-year prison sentence after being indicted for fraudulently claiming $40,980 in unemployment benefits.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice on Thursday, Iyanda was illegally residing in the country and was not eligible for the unemployment benefits she applied for. The indictment, filed by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, charged her with theft of government property.
The statement read, “Iyanda, 43, with no U.S. status, is accused of submitting a false application and claim for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits between May 27, 2020, and May 24, 2021. She used another person’s identity to obtain approximately $40,980 in unemployment benefits, which she was not legally entitled to.”
If convicted, Iyanda could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The Department of Justice emphasized that she remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
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The statement added, “The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. However, under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence would be based on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any. An indictment is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
Iyanda’s case is the latest in a series of fraud-related convictions involving Nigerians in the US. Just last week, PUNCH Metro reported that a US-based Nigerian professor, Gordian Ndubizu, was sentenced to two years in prison by a Trenton federal court for tax evasion. Ndubizu and his wife reportedly operated a pharmacy that earned about $3.28 million in income but failed to pay approximately $1.25 million in taxes between 2014 and 2017.
Authorities in the US have continued to crack down on fraud-related crimes, particularly those linked to financial aid programs established during the COVID-19 pandemic.