A 34-year-old man from Nigeria, Adepoju Babtunde Salako, has been sentenced to 78 months behind bars in the United States after pleading guilty to a conspiracy involving wire fraud and money laundering.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado disclosed this sentencing on March 4, 2026.
As part of his plea deal, Salako, who resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also admitted guilt to seven additional counts of wire fraud in the District of Alaska.
Moreover, he has been directed to pay $2,581,002.50 as restitution to the individuals affected by his fraudulent activities.
According to the plea agreement, throughout 2021, Salako participated in a conspiracy that embezzled more than $5 million from various programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and several state unemployment initiatives through intricate schemes.
In reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal initiatives like the PPP and EIDL were established to aid businesses and individuals economically. One of Salako's schemes involved utilizing the personal information of identity theft victims to illicitly acquire PPP loans and unemployment benefits, as well as filing fraudulent applications for EIDL loans.
In another operation, co-conspirators based mainly in Nigeria exploited stolen identities and romantic scam targets to garner government funds.
Salako's function in this criminal network was to collect money from victims of romance scams and governmental entities, laundering the fraudulent proceeds primarily to Nigeria and China, in exchange for a commission of about 25 percent.
Peter McNeilly, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, stated, "Salako and his co-conspirators took advantage of innocent individuals and defrauded American taxpayers out of millions." He added that the authorities are dedicated to prosecuting fraudsters, emphasizing that this sentencing serves as a deterrent for those engaged in fraudulent activities.
Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office, remarked, "Salako was a key figure in the U.S. for an international criminal syndicate that targeted honest business proprietors and taxpayers, compromising our national security." She noted the expertise of the IRS special agents in uncovering complex financial crimes and highlighted the successful collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.
Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Area Field Office, reaffirmed the commitment to maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service and stated that their office will persist in investigating those who betray public trust through fraudulent means. He warned that the sentencing of Salako illustrates the severe consequences facing anyone who misuses government resources for criminal activities.
The sentencing was overseen by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeny.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office, the USPS OIG, and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
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