A Nigerian woman residing in the United States, Funke Iyanda, faces up to 10 years in prison after being indicted for a $40,980 unemployment benefits fraud.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, Iyanda, 43, who is reportedly an illegal resident in the U.S., falsely applied for and received unemployment benefits using another person’s identity between May 2020 and May 2021.
The statement revealed that Iyanda submitted a fraudulent application for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, securing financial aid she was not legally entitled to.
“A Nigerian national residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property. The one-count indictment named Funke Iyanda, 43, with no U.S. status, as the sole defendant,” the DoJ statement read.
The document further stated that if convicted, Iyanda could face up to a decade in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Despite the indictment, U.S. authorities emphasized that Iyanda remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
“The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence will depend on the seriousness of the offence and the defendant’s criminal history, if any,” the statement added.
This development follows a similar case involving another Nigerian-born U.S. resident, Professor Gordian Ndubizu, who was sentenced to two years in prison on March 5 for tax evasion amounting to $1.25 million.
Iyanda’s case is now pending trial, where her fate will be determined by the U.S. judicial system.
