U.S. convicts Nigerian national Oyewusi of wire fraud, identity theft

Nigerian national Akinpelumi Olawale Oyewusi, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, according to Peoples Gazette.

Between September 2020 and March 2021, Oyewusi and co-conspirators used stolen identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with state workforce authorities, including Maryland and California’s labour departments. He was directly connected to over $415,000 in losses and personally obtained at least $25,000. Oyewusi tracked fraudulent debit cards via USPS mail alerts and withdrew maximum amounts repeatedly, totalling roughly $69,000. He faces sentencing on December 3.