CLEVELAND, Ohio (BN24) — A Nigerian pastor based in the United States has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Edward Oluwasanmi, 61, of Willoughby, Ohio, was sentenced to 27 months behind bars on three counts related to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government following a conviction in a case involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications.
Oluwasanmi and a co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede of Medina, Ohio, were indicted on 13 counts in total. Federal prosecutors said the pair conspired to submit falsified documents from April 2020 to February 2021 to obtain pandemic relief funds intended to support struggling businesses.
According to court records, Oluwasanmi used several shell companies—Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated—to receive approximately $4.2 million in pandemic aid. The funds, which were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), were meant to assist with payroll and operational costs during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, authorities said the money was diverted for personal use in violation of federal law.
The indictment also detailed how the two men submitted fraudulent tax filings and wage documents to support their loan applications.
Both defendants entered guilty pleas in February 2025 as part of negotiated plea deals. On July 2, U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months in federal prison, with all three counts to be served concurrently. The court has not yet issued a ruling in the case against Oloyede.
“The defendant willfully exploited a global crisis for personal enrichment,” said a federal prosecutor involved in the case. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: pandemic fraud will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
