A Nigerian woman residing in the United States, Funke Iyanda, faces up to 10 years in prison after being indicted for allegedly defrauding the US government of $40,980 in unemployment benefits.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Iyanda, who has no legal residency status in the US, filed fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance between May 2020 and May 2021 using another person’s identity.
The statement read: “A Nigerian national residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property. The indictment names Funke Iyanda, 43, as the sole defendant.”
It further stated that if found guilty, Iyanda could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, with the final sentence depending on the seriousness of the crime and any prior criminal history.
However, authorities noted that the indictment is only an accusation and that the suspect remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
This development comes weeks after a US-based Nigerian professor, Gordian Ndubizu, was sentenced to two years in prison for tax evasion.
