The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has arrested Funke Iyanda, a Nigerian national living in Pittsburgh, for defrauding the United States.

Specifically, Ms Iyanda was indicted for defrauding the Pennsylvania Department of Labour and Industry of $40,980 in COVID-19 benefits fraud and theft of government property.

According to the Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ms Iyanda, the sole defendant in the case, was arrested after a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted her on one count of theft of government property after submitting false documents to claim unemployment benefits. 

“A Nigerian national residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property,” acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti said while announcing the indictment of the suspect on Wednesday. “The one-count Indictment named Funke Iyanda, 43, with no U.S. status, as the sole defendant.”

An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security found that between May 27, 2020, and May 24, 2021, Ms Iyanda prepared and submitted a false application by using the identity of another person to claim $40,980 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits that she was not entitled to legally. 

“From May 27, 2020, to May 24, 2021, Iyanda prepared and submitted a false application and claim for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the name of another person to the PA Department of Labor, for which Iyanda received approximately $40,980 in unemployment benefits to which Iyanda was not legally entitled,” the indictment said.

Meanwhile, Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Melucci has been assigned to prosecute the case, with Ms Iyanda now facing a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if found guilty as well as potential deportation back to Nigeria upon completion of sentence.