Oluwagbemiga Otufale, a resident of Atlanta, has received a seven-year prison term for participating in a conspiracy to launder money. This illegal operation was linked to various fraudulent schemes, including those aimed at diverting COVID-19 relief funds.
By using forged passports and counterfeit identity documents, Otufale successfully established multiple bank accounts under different fictitious companies. This allowed him to wash more than $2.6 million in illicit funds. The majority of these funds originated from deceitful claims for unemployment benefits filed in several states, such as Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington. The claims exploited the personal information of unsuspecting individuals.
Furthermore, Otufale funneled proceeds from a scheme involving fraudulent emails targeting two businesses in Georgia.
Under various aliases such as “Joseph Perrone,” “Kelvin Benjamin,” and “Abraham Young,” Otufale created fictitious businesses and multiple bank accounts to receive the fraudulent funds and make cash withdrawals. Overall, he managed to launder approximately $2.6 million across at least six bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced Otufale, aged 45, to seven years of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution amounting to $498,450. On December 7, 2022, Otufale had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiring to launder money.
The investigation into this case was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Klapman and Tracia King were responsible for prosecuting the case.