By Sandra Umahi
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has arrested a Nigerian Pastor Edward Oluwasanmi for alleged 4.2 million dollars money laundering.
Oluwasanmi is wanted by the U.S. government for allegedly conspiring with an Osun monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to defraud the U.S. government of 4.2 million dollars COVID-19 relief funds.
Oluwasanmi and Oloyede allegedly submitted forged documents to apply for the loans intended to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.
Oluwasanmi is said to have used his three companies—Dayspring Property Incorporated, Dayspring Holdings, and Dayspring Transportation—to perfect the alleged fraud.
He allegedly secured millions of dollars, which he later diverted for personal expenses, violating U.S. federal laws.
The Nigerian pastor, who resides in the U.S., was earlier indicted in a 13-count fraud charge and arrested in Cleveland in April.
He was later released on 20,000 dollars bail under the condition that he would appear for trial and serve any prison sentence, if convicted.
In Sept. 2020, Oluwasanmi transferred approximately 221,880 dollars to purchase commercial property on South Freen Road in South Euclid, Ohio.
On Oct. 26, 2021, he transferred 1million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds to his company, Dayspring Transportation’s brokerage account.
Prosecutors have seized around 620,000 dollars from Oluwasanmi, and they are seeking to forfeit that amount, along with other properties acquired through the fraudulent activities.
The FBI also seized 599,250 dollars from his Dayspring Transportation account at Fidelity Investments and nearly 20,000 dollars from his Dayspring Property account at Key Bank, both on April 5, 2024.
To ensure his appearance in court, Oluwasanmi’s U.S. and Nigerian passports have been confiscated.
