Four years ago, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while many fought to save lives, others exploited the crisis for personal gain.

One such individual is Yomi Jones “Sabbie” Olayeye, a 40-year-old Nigerian accused of attempting to defraud the U.S. government of $10 million in unemployment benefits and receiving $1.5 million in pandemic relief payments. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts disclosed these allegations in a press release dated August 19.

Olayeye was apprehended by Secret Service agents on August 13 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. He is now under the jurisdiction of the District of Massachusetts for further legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, Olayeye and an unnamed Nigerian national were charged in September 2020 with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Between March and July 2020, they allegedly filed false claims under various pandemic assistance programs, targeting the unemployment departments of multiple U.S. states, including Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Ohio.

Federal prosecutors claim the pair used stolen personal information to file fraudulent applications, open bank accounts, and obtain prepaid debit cards to receive the funds. They allegedly transferred some of the ill-gotten gains to Nigeria via intermediaries with U.S. bank accounts.

Olayeye remains in custody at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, pending further court proceedings. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, with an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.

The case is part of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established in 2021 to combat pandemic-related fraud.