Court Hands Down Prison Sentence
A Nigerian-American man, Adepoju Salako, has received an 18-month prison sentence in the United States for attempting to steal funds through dividend fraud.
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud before a federal court in Anchorage, Alaska.
U.S. authorities announced the sentence in a statement released on Friday.
Fraud Targeted Alaska Dividend Programme
According to court documents, Salako targeted Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend programme.
The annual payment supports eligible residents through the state’s oil revenue savings.
Investigators said he tried to divert funds from legitimate beneficiaries.
Suspect Hijacked Seven Online Accounts
Between January and February 2022, Salako obtained personal details of seven Alaska residents.
He then used the information to access their “myAlaska” online accounts.
After gaining entry, he changed the email addresses linked to each profile.
He also redirected payment details to bank accounts under his control.
As a result, he attempted to collect funds meant for the victims.
Fraud Attempt Reached Over $22,000
Authorities said the scheme could have delivered $22,988 to Salako.
That amount represented the 2022 dividend payment across seven hijacked accounts.
However, the Alaska Department of Revenue detected the fraud early.
Officials then blocked all seven applications.
VPN Used to Hide Location
Investigators said Salako used a Virtual Private Network to conceal his location.
This made six applications appear to come from Alaska-based internet addresses.
However, the seventh application came from his Philadelphia IP address.
Authorities linked the same address to his personal email activity.
That evidence helped investigators trace the fraud attempt.
US Officials Praise Investigation
U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said Salako carefully planned the scheme.
However, he praised the Alaska Department of Revenue and the FBI for stopping the fraud.
He warned that authorities would not tolerate attempts to exploit the dividend programme.
FBI Issues Strong Warning
FBI Anchorage Field Office officials said the programme exists for eligible Alaskans.
They stressed that criminals must not exploit it through fraud or identity theft.
Investigators also said strong security systems helped uncover the scheme.
Sentence Runs With Separate Federal Case
Salako’s 18-month prison term will run alongside another federal sentence.
He is already serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence in Colorado.
That case involved COVID-19 relief fund fraud and international money laundering.
In addition, the court ordered him to pay $2.5 million in restitution.
Broader Warning Against Financial Fraud
Authorities said the case sends a strong message against identity theft and financial fraud.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to protecting public funds and holding offenders accountable.
