A Nigerian woman residing in the United States, Funke Iyanda, faces up to 10 years in prison after being indicted for allegedly defrauding the US government of $40,980 in unemployment benefits.
According to a statement by the US Department of Justice on Thursday, Iyanda, 43, who resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an illegal immigrant and was not eligible for the benefits she claimed.
The indictment alleges that between May 2020 and May 2021, she submitted fraudulent applications using another person’s identity to obtain unemployment assistance.
“The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. However, under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence will depend on the severity of the offense and the defendant’s criminal history, if any,” the statement read.
It added that Iyanda remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
This comes weeks after another Nigerian, Professor Gordian Ndubizu, was sentenced to two years in prison by a US federal court for tax evasion involving over $1.25 million.
