A France-based Nigerian, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, who was extradited to the United States over his involvement in an $8m disaster fraud, has been sentenced to three years and five months’ imprisonment.
Jemide was sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Deborah K. Chasanow of a US District Court.
The 47-year-old Jemide was extradited from France after he was found culpable of fraudulently obtaining federal grants meant for vulnerable US citizens.
The US Department of Justice had noted that Jemide, alongside some conspirators, stole the identities of US citizens to open Green Dot accounts, which were used to request federal benefits meant for victims of wildfires between 2016 and 2017.
The US DoJ stated that the convict and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the US to purchase hundreds of Green Dot debit cards.
It added, “Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.
“As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot debit cards.
“Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.”