A Nigerian pastor named Edward Oluwasanmi is heading to prison in the United States for pulling off a huge scam during the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s going to spend 27 months behind bars after stealing $4.2 million that was meant to help struggling businesses.

Back in April 2024, U.S. authorities arrested him alongside another Nigerian, Joseph Oloyede, who’s actually a king in Osun State, Nigeria. He’s the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu. Both of them got hit with 13 serious charges including fraud, money laundering, and using fake documents to trick the government.

Between April 2020 and February 2022, the two men sent in a bunch of fake applications for government loans. These were loans meant to help small businesses during the pandemic. They used companies they owned to ask for money under the Paycheck Protection Program, also called PPP, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL.

To make the scam work, they faked tax returns and made up employee wage documents. Oluwasanmi’s companies, Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Inc, and Dayspring Property Inc, were used to collect the millions.

But instead of helping employees or keeping businesses alive, they used the money for themselves, which is totally against U.S. law.

In February 2025, both men finally admitted to some of the charges and made plea deals. Then on July 2, U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi. The sentence was 27 months in prison, all to be served at the same time for three of the charges, which were Counts 1, 11, and 12.

Not only that, Oluwasanmi now has to give up $1.3 million to the U.S. government. That’s part of the punishment too.

As for Joseph Oloyede, the case against him isn’t over yet. He’s still considered the main defendant and the court hasn’t made its final decision on what will happen to him.