Oladapo Fadugba, a Nigerian-born United States citizen, risks 27 years imprisonment over his alleged involvement in a $690,000 wire fraud scheme and making false declarations to obtain US citizenship.

This was contained in a statement by the US Attorney for the District of Florida, Gregory Kehoe, on Tuesday.

Kehoe said Fadugba was indicted for multiple charges, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements during his naturalisation process.

He noted that between October 2020 and July 2023, the suspect allegedly diverted $690,000 in funds belonging to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which was meant for reimbursement to a major local healthcare provider.

It was also alleged that Fadugba used another person’s identity to facilitate the transfers into different bank accounts under his control.

The statement read in part, “According to the indictment, beginning on October 30, 2020, and ending no later than July 11, 2023, Fadugba had more than $690,000 of Department of Veterans Affairs funds, intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider, transferred to his personal bank accounts.

“Fadugba then wrote cheques to himself or to businesses associated with him, which were subsequently transferred to other bank accounts under his control. It is alleged that he used the identification of another individual to carry out these transfers.

“The indictment further alleges that Fadugba, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, made a false statement under oath during his naturalization proceeding. Fadugba allegedly falsely stated he had not committed any crime or offense for which he had not been arrested.

“An indictment is merely a formal charge that the defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”