Another Nigerian indicted in US for massive false unemployment claims

A Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Onyegbula, has been indicted for filing 253 false claims to obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits in 17 states.

Using the name “Phillip Carter,” he was linked to at least 253 fraudulent filings for unemployment benefits, according to an indictment released in Seattle, USA.

Already, the suspect has been detained in Nigeria, but it is not clear if he will be extradited to the US.

Onyegbula is the second Nigerian national charged with such fraud in US District Court for western Washington. Abidemi Rufai, 42, the suspended aide to Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, is accused of filing $350,000 in fraudulent claims in Washington and other states, with $288,000 making it into a bank account he controlled.

Onyegbula works for an oil company in Nigeria, according to the Seattle US Attorney’s Office. Court documents did not list an attorney who might comment on his behalf.

Washington, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin paid out a total of nearly $290,000 on claims related to the case.

The federal Small Business Administration also paid out $54,000 in COVID-19 economic disaster claims filed by Onyegbula and his co-conspirators, prosecutors said.

Washington State was severely victimised by fraudulent claims for pandemic-related benefits. It likely paid out more than $647 million in such fraudulent claims, though $370 million was recovered, according to state officials.