Nigerian-American, Oladapo Fadugba Indicted For $690k Fraud And Identity Theft In US

Oladapo Olalekan Fadugba, a Nigerian-born U.S. citizen living in Jacksonville, Florida, could face up to 27 years in federal prison.

Oladapo Fadugba was indicted for wire fraud, identity theft, and lying during his U.S. citizenship process.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the 40-year-old allegedly redirected over $690,000 in funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) into his personal accounts.

The money was originally meant to reimburse a major local healthcare provider between October 2020 and July 2023.

Investigators say Fadugba transferred the funds into his own accounts, wrote checks to himself or affiliated businesses, and then moved the money across multiple bank accounts he controlled.

The Nigerian-American is also accused of using someone else’s identity to facilitate the transactions.

The statement read, “According to the indictment, beginning on October 30, 2020, and ending no later than July 11, 2023, Fadugba had more than $690,000 of Department of Veterans Affairs funds, intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider, transferred to his personal bank accounts.

“Fadugba then wrote cheques to himself or to businesses associated with him, which were subsequently transferred to other bank accounts under his control. It is alleged that he used the identification of another individual to carry out these transfers.”

In addition to the fraud, Fadugba allegedly lied under oath during his naturalization process by claiming he hadn’t committed any offenses, even though the alleged fraud was ongoing at the time.

The U.S. government is also asking the court to seize $400,000, which it believes represents the proceeds of the crimes.

“The indictment further alleges that Fadugba, a naturalised US citizen from Nigeria, made a false statement under oath during his naturalisation proceedings by claiming he had not committed any offence or crime for which he had not been arrested.

“If convicted on all charges, Fadugba faces up to 27 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes a notice that the United States is seeking a forfeiture order of $400,000, which reflects the approximate proceeds of the criminal conduct charged,” the statement added.

Authorities emphasized that the charges are allegations and Fadugba remains innocent until proven guilty in court.

KanyiDaily recalls that the FBI recently announced the extradition of 37-year-old Nigerian, Abiola Kayode from Ghana to face charges related to an alleged $6 million cyber fraud scheme.