Nigerian-Born U.S. Resident Jailed for Pandemic Fraud, Used Proceeds to Fund Luxury Hotel Back Home

A Nigerian national living in California has been sentenced to over 11 years in a U.S. federal prison for masterminding a large-scale benefits fraud scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw public relief funds rerouted to finance personal business ventures in Nigeria.

Abiola Femi Quadri, 43, who resided in the San Gabriel Valley area, exploited emergency support systems in both California and Nevada by filing more than 100 fraudulent claims for unemployment and disability assistance between 2021 and 2024. He did this using stolen personal information, according to court documents.

Quadri’s fraudulent gains amounted to $1.3 million, which he then used in part to construct a 120-room resort complex in Nigeria complete with a nightclub, shopping centre, and high-end amenities, federal investigators revealed.

He was arrested in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria. His sentencing took place on July 10, 2025, before Judge George H. Wu of the United States District Court, who also ordered him to pay over $1.35 million in restitution and a $35,000 fine.

Federal agents say Quadri had transferred at least $500,000 abroad, hiding his foreign assets from the court. His phone contained images of 17 forged checks totalling more than $3.3 million, alongside conversations in which he discussed deals involving the counterfeit instruments. Some of the fake checks were linked to fictitious companies operating under aliases he created.

Authorities also discovered that Quadri operated a daycare business Rock of Peace in Altadena, California, which had received payments to serve developmentally disabled children. During a raid, investigators found benefit cards meant for those children misappropriated and stored at his residence.

The court further heard that Quadri had obtained U.S. lawful permanent resident status through a sham marriage, which he admitted to in text messages referenced in the prosecution's filings.

The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and California’s Employment Development Department. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown.