A Nigerian woman, Funke Iyanda, based in the United States, is facing up to 10 years in prison after being indicted for a $40,980 unemployment benefit fraud.
According to a statement by the US Department of Justice on Thursday, Iyanda, 43, an illegal resident in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, fraudulently applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance between May 2020 and May 2021 using another person’s identity.
The statement noted that she received $40,980 in benefits she was not entitled to. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
However, she is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Authorities say cases like Iyanda’s highlight the widespread fraud that plagued the US unemployment system during the COVID-19 pandemic, as government agencies continue efforts to recover lost funds and prosecute offenders.