US Court Jails Pro-Tinubu Supporter Over Alaska Fraud Scheme

Adepoju Babatunde Salako, the Philadelphia coordinator of the Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria group, has been handed an 18-month prison sentence by a US court. This sentence comes after Salako pleaded guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud related to a 2022 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend scam. According to court documents, Salako orchestrated a scheme to illegally obtain funds meant for Alaska residents through identity theft and online fraud. The 33-year-old resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used stolen personal identifying information to file seven fraudulent applications for Permanent Fund Dividend payments. These applications were submitted between January and February 2022, with the aim of diverting the payments into bank accounts under Salako's control. Authorities noted that Salako had never lived in Alaska and had never visited the state until his appearance for sentencing. Court records show that Salako created multiple fake email accounts tied to the identities of his victims. He then used this stolen information to gain unauthorized access to at least seven existing 'myAlaska' online accounts, which are used by Alaska residents to apply for Permanent Fund Dividend benefits. Once he had access, Salako altered the account details to redirect official communications to email addresses he controlled. He also changed the beneficiaries' banking details to ensure any approved payments would be transferred into accounts linked to him. Investigators found that Salako attempted to conceal his real identity and location by using a Virtual Private Network to make it seem like six of the seven fraudulent applications came from Alaska. However, one application was submitted using an IP address traced to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This eventually led to Salako's downfall, as records from his personal email account showed login activity connected to the same Philadelphia IP address. The Alaska Department of Revenue detected irregularities in the applications and flagged them as fraudulent before any payments could be made. Each eligible Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend recipient was entitled to $3,284 in 2022. If Salako's scheme had been successful, it would have resulted in the fraudulent diversion of approximately $22,988 from the State of Alaska and the identity theft victims. Salako's 18-month prison sentence will run concurrently with an existing six and a half years sentence imposed in a separate case in the District of Colorado. In the Colorado case, Salako was sentenced for a COVID-19 relief fraud and international money laundering scheme. He was also ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution to the victims. US Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska stated that Salako put considerable effort into planning and executing the fraud scheme. 'Mr. Salako spent considerable time planning and perpetrating his scheme to defraud the Alaska PFD,' Heyman said. 'Thanks to the great work of the Alaska Department of Revenue and FBI, he didn’t succeed; but even attempting to defraud the PFD will not be tolerated and could result in federal prison.' Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office said the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend program is meant to benefit qualified residents, not fraudsters seeking to exploit public funds. 'The Alaska PFD program is intended to benefit current and future generations of eligible Alaskans, not criminals like Salako who seek to exploit the program through fraud and identity theft,' Schlegel said. 'Despite efforts to mask his identity, Salako was identified through strong program safeguards and diligent investigative work in partnership with the Alaska Department of Revenue. This sentence reflects our commitment to safeguarding the integrity of government programs and holding fraudsters accountable for their crimes, regardless of where they reside.' Scott Stair, Department Investigations Manager of the Alaska Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Unit, warned against identity theft and financial fraud targeting the Permanent Fund Dividend scheme. 'This case should send a clear message that stealing an identity to exploit the Permanent Fund Dividend will not be tolerated,' Stair stated. 'The Department of Revenue remains committed to protecting Alaskans from financial fraud and holding accountable anyone who seeks to profit through deception.' The investigation was carried out by the FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Alaska Department of Revenue, with Assistant US Attorney Ainsley McNerney prosecuting the case.