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A Nigerian-born man, Oladapo Olalekan Fadugba, 40, has been indicted in the United States for allegedly stealing over $690,000 in government healthcare funds and lying under oath during his U.S. naturalization process.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Gregory W. Kehoe, announced the charges on Wednesday, detailing a federal indictment that includes wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements in a naturalization application.
If convicted on all counts, Fadugba faces up to 27 years in federal prison. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $400,000, allegedly representing the criminal proceeds of the scheme.
Fraud Scheme Involving Veterans Affairs FundsAccording to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Fadugba executed the scheme between October 30, 2020, and July 11, 2023, during which time he fraudulently redirected more than $690,000 in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funds.
The money, originally intended as reimbursement to a large healthcare provider, was allegedly transferred into bank accounts controlled by Fadugba.
Prosecutors say he then wrote checks to himself or to businesses he was associated with, laundering the stolen funds through multiple accounts.
The indictment further alleges that Fadugba used the identity of another individual to facilitate the unauthorized transfers.
Citizenship Fraud AllegationIn addition to the financial crimes, Fadugba is accused of making false statements during his U.S. naturalization process.
He reportedly declared, under oath, that he had never committed any offense for which he had not been arrested — a claim federal investigators now say was untrue.
Multi-Agency InvestigationThe case was investigated by several U.S. federal agencies, including:
The Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
The U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General
The U.S. Secret ServiceAssistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Lasry will be prosecuting the case.
Fadugba, who is now in federal custody, has not yet entered a plea. If found guilty, he could also lose his U.S. citizenship as a consequence of the fraud allegations tied to his naturalization.
The case underscores increasing scrutiny on financial crimes tied to federal benefit programs and the strict penalties for misrepresenting facts during citizenship proceedings.
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