Nigerian Citizen Extradited, Accused of Defrauding U.S. Pandemic Benefits

A Nigerian citizen, Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, has been extradited from Germany to face charges related to an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits in multiple U.S. states.

Ambali, along with co-conspirator Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, both residing in Canada, are accused of orchestrating a complex fraud operation that bilked the system of approximately $2.4 million in pandemic unemployment benefits.

The elaborate operation allegedly entailed using stolen identities from thousands of Americans to file over 1,700 fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits across more than 25 different states, including Washington State.

Ambali was apprehended in February 2023 while traveling from Nigeria to Canada and was subsequently detained in Germany for extradition. He arrived in the Western District of Washington recently.

The indictment details how Ambali and Lawal exploited the personal information of U.S. taxpayers and residents to submit counterfeit claims for COVID-19 pandemic assistance and fictitious tax returns in search of refunds. While their claims sought around $25 million, they succeeded in obtaining approximately $2.4 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits.

The duo reportedly employed 13 Google accounts to file nearly 900 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits across various states. Additionally, they established four internet domain names and utilized around 800 email addresses for fraudulent activities.

Beyond the unemployment benefits scheme, Lawal and Ambali also attempted to leverage the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration.

The proceeds of their illicit activities were directed to cash cards and “money mules” who transferred funds according to the co-conspirators’ instructions. Stolen identities were further employed to open bank accounts, allowing the funds to be deposited directly for personal use.

Ambali and Lawal face charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. While Lawal remains in Canada, pending extradition, Ambali is now confronting the legal consequences of his alleged actions.

The charges presented in the indictment are accusations and should not be considered as conclusive evidence of guilt. The presumption of innocence remains in effect until proven otherwise in a court of law.

The investigation into this case was initiated by the National Unemployment Fraud Task Force, and it was pursued by a collaborative effort involving the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

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Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson of the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs is providing support.

The arrest and charges align with the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force established by the Attorney General on May 17, 2021. This initiative aims to bolster anti-fraud efforts and enhance coordination across government agencies to prevent pandemic-related fraud at both domestic and international levels.