Jackson, Miss. – A Texas man pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in COVID-19 economic assistance loans.
According to court documents, Ganiyu Abayomi Jimoh, 30, of Houston, Texas, conspired with others to commit wire fraud by opening numerous bank accounts in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties using other individuals’ personal identifying information, then fraudulently applying for multiple Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration (SBA). In August and September 2020, Jimoh received four direct deposits from the SBA totaling $439,500.
At the time of the instant offense, Jimoh was on federal bond out of the Southern District of Texas. Although Jimoh was from Houston, Texas, he traveled to Mississippi on multiple occasions to visit different banks. Jimoh could be seen on video surveillance of many of the bank transactions.
Jimoh pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.