Edward Oluwasanmi, a Nigerian pastor, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison by a U.S. federal court for his involvement in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Oluwasanmi was arrested in April 2024 alongside co-defendant Joseph Oloyede, the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Nigeria. Both men were charged with 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering, and conducting unlawful monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.
Court documents revealed that between April 2020 and February 28, 2022, Oluwasanmi and Oloyede submitted multiple fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). These applications were tied to companies under their control and included fabricated tax and wage records.
Oluwasanmi used entities such as Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated to obtain millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds. The funds were later funneled into personal expenditures, violating U.S. federal laws.
In February 2025, both Oluwasanmi and Oloyede pleaded guilty to selected charges as part of plea agreements with federal prosecutors.
On July 2, Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio sentenced Oluwasanmi to 27 months in prison on counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment. The sentences will be served concurrently.
“Defendant sentenced to 27 months on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment, to be served concurrently,” the official judgment stated.
In addition to the prison sentence, Oluwasanmi was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. Proceedings against Oloyede are still ongoing, as he remains the first defendant in the case.
