Nigerian Socialite Abiola Femi Quadri Jailed in U.S. for $1.3M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

Nigerian socialite Abiola Femi Quadri has been sentenced to 11 years and 3 months (135 months) in a U.S. federal prison for orchestrating a $1.3 million COVID-19 unemployment and disability fraud scheme.

The 43-year-old, who lived in Pasadena, California, was found guilty of filing more than 100 fake claims using stolen identities through the unemployment systems in California and Nevada during the pandemic. Quadri used the proceeds to fund the construction of a luxury resort in Nigeria.

He was sentenced on Thursday, July 10, 2025, by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $1.35 million in restitution and a $35,000 fine.

Court documents revealed that Quadri admitted to gaining U.S. permanent residency through a sham marriage, a fact he disclosed in private messages to a woman who was not his legal spouse.

Between 2021 and his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport in September 2024—while attempting to flee to Nigeria—Quadri withdrew stolen funds from ATMs across California. Investigators said he wired at least $500,000 overseas during this period.

Authorities also uncovered that he had used part of the stolen money to build a massive 120-room hotel and shopping complex in Nigeria, known as Oyins International, which includes a nightclub and other luxury features. He failed to disclose ownership of the property in financial declarations submitted to the court.

Forensic analysis of his phone turned up 17 counterfeit checks totaling over $3.3 million, along with conversations discussing plans to launder the funds through shell companies linked to aliases he controlled.

Quadri also ran a business in Altadena called Rock of Peace, which received state payments to care for developmentally disabled children. During a search of his home, agents found misused food-aid debit cards intended for those children.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Employment Development Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section.