Pasadena Man Who Ran Altadena Business Sentenced to Over 11 Years for $1.3 Million COVID Fraud Scheme

A Pasadena resident who fraudulently obtained more than $1.3 million in pandemic-related unemployment and disability benefits was sentenced Thursday to 135 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $1.3 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Abiola Femi Quadri, 43, used stolen identities to submit more than 100 false claims to California’s Employment Development Department and its Nevada counterpart, federal prosecutors said. Quadri withdrew the ill-gotten funds at ATMs throughout the region and funneled at least $500,000 abroad to finance construction of a luxury resort hotel in Nigeria.

U.S. District Judge George H. Wu also imposed a $35,000 fine and ordered Quadri to pay $1,356,229 in restitution.

Quadri, a Nigerian citizen and permanent U.S. resident, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Court filings reveal he had acquired residency through a sham marriage, as described in personal messages uncovered by investigators.

The Oyins International resort funded by Quadri includes a nightclub, shopping mall and other upscale amenities. Prosecutors said he failed to disclose his ownership of the property on court financial forms.

At the time of his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, Quadri was preparing to board a flight to Nigeria.

Images recovered from Quadri’s cellphone showed 17 counterfeit checks totaling more than $3.3 million, some made out to shell companies using aliases, authorities said. Agents also found misappropriated food-aid debit cards assigned to children enrolled in Quadri’s Altadena-based business, Rock of Peace, which had been contracted by the state to provide daycare services for developmentally disabled children.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California EDD Investigation Division.

Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section.