Nigerian in Houston charged with Orlando-related Irma fraud

Officials: Man applied for loan to buy Orlando property using someone else's ID

HOUSTON – Prosecutors in Texas say a Nigerian who's in the U.S. illegally has been charged with Hurricane Irma-related fraud for trying to obtain a nearly $119,000 home disaster loan in Florida.

Records show Oluseyi Jeremiah Olagoke Adebayo was indicted March 8 and faced a federal court hearing Thursday in Houston. He's charged with fraud in connection with a major disaster, forgery or false use of a passport and aggravated identity theft.

Irma struck Florida last September.

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Investigators say Adebayo used another man's ID to apply online for a Small Business Administration loan for property in Orlando, Florida, that he does not own. Adebayo was arrested after trying to pick up the check last month at a post office in Houston.

[RELATED: Brevard County requests $2 million from state to help remove Hurricane Irma debris]

A lawyer for Adebayo didn't immediately return a message Thursday.


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