Atlanta man sentenced 7 years for multiple fraud schemes involving COVID-19 relief money

ATLANTA - An Atlanta resident, Oluwagbemiga Otufale, has been handed a seven-year prison sentence for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy. This scheme was connected to multiple fraud schemes, including those targeting COVID-19 relief funds.

Through the use of fraudulent passports and other fake identity documents, Otufale managed to open multiple bank accounts under various shell companies. This enabled him to launder over $2.6 million in illicit funds. The majority of these funds were proceeds from fraudulent unemployment claims filed in several states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington. The claims were submitted using the personal information of unknowing individuals.

Additionally, he also laundered proceeds from a business email compromise scheme that targeted two Georgia businesses.

Otufale, using various aliases such as "Joseph Perrone," "Kelvin Benjamin," and "Abraham Young," created sham business entities and multiple bank accounts to deposit the fraudulent proceeds and withdraw cash. In total, he managed to launder approximately $2.6 million through at least six bank accounts.

U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced 45-year-old Otufale to seven years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $498,450. Otufale had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of money laundering conspiracy on Dec. 7, 2022.

The investigation into this case was conducted 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 prosecuted the case.