A U.S. District Court has sentenced Nigerian pastor Edward Oluwasanmi to 27 months in prison for his involvement in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fund scam. His associate, Joseph Oloyede—a traditional ruler in Osun State—has forfeited properties tied to the fraudulent scheme.
Pastor Oluwasanmi was convicted on three counts (Counts 1, 11, and 12) from a 13-count indictment and sentenced on July 2, 2025, by Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. His prison terms will run concurrently.
The duo—arrested in April 2024 faced charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, defrauding the U.S. government, money laundering, and conducting financial transactions with illicitly obtained funds.
Court documents reveal that between April 2020 and February 2022, Oluwasanmi and Oloyede submitted bogus applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) schemes using falsified wage and tax records for shell companies under their control.
Oluwasanmi funneled funds through entities such as Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Inc., and Dayspring Property Inc., using the money for personal gain.
In February 2025, both men entered guilty pleas and signed plea deals with prosecutors. While Oluwasanmi has now been sentenced, Oloyede—who holds the traditional title of Apetu of Ipetumodu—is still awaiting final judgment. However, U.S. authorities have already seized properties connected to him as part of the ongoing asset forfeiture process.
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