Edward Oluwasanmi, a Nigerian pastor, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison by a United States court for defrauding the U.S. government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Oluwasanmi was arrested in April 2024 alongside Joseph Oloyede, the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Nigeria. Both men faced 13 charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, money laundering, and engaging in financial transactions involving criminally obtained funds.
According to court records, between April 2020 and February 28, 2022, Oluwasanmi and Oloyede submitted fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) using companies under their control. The applications contained false information, backed by fake tax and wage documents.
Oluwasanmi used entities such as Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated to secure the funds, which were later diverted for personal use—violating U.S. federal laws.
In February 2025, both Oluwasanmi and Oloyede pleaded guilty to selected charges through plea agreements.
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, with all sentences to run concurrently.
“Defendant sentenced to 27 months on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of the indictment, to be served concurrently,” the judgment stated.
In addition to the prison sentence, Oluwasanmi was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. The case against Joseph Oloyede is still pending, and he remains the first defendant in the matter.
