A Nigerian, Onoriode Ezewu, has been named among 16 fugitives on the United States Department of Labour’s first-ever Most Wanted List over alleged offences involving more than $55m in taxpayer funds.
Ezewu is wanted over allegations of concealment money laundering linked to fraudulent unemployment benefit claims worth more than $1m, according to the department’s Office of Inspector General.
The agency said in a statement on its website that Ezewu was charged in January 2021 with 15 counts of concealment money laundering involving fraudulent Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims filed with stolen identities.
The alleged scheme also involved the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, the department said, adding that Ezewu was believed to be residing in Nigeria.
“Following his arrest and initial appearance, Ezewu violated the conditions of his pre-trial release and an arrest warrant was issued,” the agency said.
The list, unveiled on Wednesday, features 16 people wanted over alleged offences including healthcare fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, theft of government funds, money laundering and labour trafficking.
Announcing the initiative, the department’s Inspector General, Anthony P. D’Esposito, said the agency was working with the White House Fraud Task Force to track down the suspects and recover the funds.
“Today we are introducing our first-ever Most Wanted List, targeting 16 fraudsters who stole more than $55 million from hardworking American taxpayers,” he said.
He added, “We are using every resource possible and will not stop until every one of these criminals is in handcuffs and every stolen dollar is accounted for.”
The department said the list was designed to enlist the support of the public, media organisations, online platforms and international partners in locating the wanted individuals.
It also announced the arrest of another person on the list, Leslie Kaciban, in Hungary. Kaciban is awaiting extradition to the US over an alleged labour racketeering scheme involving about $4m in illegal kickbacks.
The agency urged anyone with information about suspected wrongdoing involving its programmes or operations to contact its Office of Inspector General.
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