A Nigerian man has been charged with defrauding the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program and the Paycheck Protection Program, according to an announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Oluwanishola Oyedyipo Jinadu, 25, was indicted on February 26, 2025, on seventeen counts including five counts of theft of government money, three counts of wire fraud, eight counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of false statements in immigration documents. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian McKay.
The indictment claims that Mr. Jinadu overstayed his B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa and illegally obtained unemployment benefits through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program under the CARES Act. It is alleged that he received stolen unemployment benefits into his bank accounts using applications submitted without authorization in the names of at least five victims from Washington, Massachusetts, and Kansas.
Additionally, Mr. Jinadu is accused of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided forgivable loans to small businesses under the CARES Act. He allegedly received over $65,000 in stolen PPP funds into his bank accounts through unauthorized applications submitted in the names of at least three victims from Oklahoma.
Shortly after these alleged frauds occurred, Mr. Jinadu applied for lawful permanent residency in the United States. On his application form when asked if he had ever committed a crime, he reportedly answered "no" and certified that all information provided was "complete, true, and correct."
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation and not evidence; Mr. Jinadu remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
If convicted on all charges, Mr. Jinadu could face up to 96 years in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers and Madeline S. Case.