On July 10, 2023, a Nigerian man residing in the San Gabriel Valley was sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for defrauding California and Nevada of $1.3 million in COVID-19 unemployment and disability benefits. The fraud involved more than 100 applications using stolen identities, with the funds used to build a nightclub and mall in Nigeria.
Abiola Femi Quadri, aged 43 from Pasadena, received his sentence from United States District Judge George H. Wu. In addition to the prison term, Quadri was ordered to pay $1,356,229 in restitution and a $35,000 fine.
Quadri is a Nigerian citizen who gained permanent residency in the U.S. through what he described as a "fake wedding" according to court documents. He pleaded guilty on January 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
From 2021 until his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport in September 2024, Quadri withdrew fraudulent benefits at ATMs. During this period, he sent at least $500,000 abroad and funded the construction of Oyins International—a resort hotel featuring a nightclub and mall—in Nigeria. Quadri did not disclose his ownership of this hotel when required by financial disclosure regulations.
Investigators discovered images of counterfeit checks totaling over $3.3 million on Quadri’s phone along with messages about check negotiations. Some checks were payable to shell businesses under Quadri's aliases. Additionally, California paid him for daycare services for developmentally disabled children through his business Rock of Peace in Altadena; however, agents found misappropriated food-aid debit cards meant for these children during their search of his residence.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown from the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
