BREAKING NEWS:
Nigerian citizen, Kevin Kunlay Williams alias Kunlay Sodipo indicted in Stolen Identity Fraud Refund in America…Files over 2,000 Fake Federal Income Tax Returns
* Steals public school employees’ identifications from company’s payrol
* Defrauds IRS more than $12 million in Refunds
*Undocumented Immigrant DEPORTED in 1995 returned illegally in 1999
*VOTED illegally in 2012 and 2016 elections
* If Convicted, Faces 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for identity theft, 10 years in prison for illegal reentry, five years in prison for each of the voter fraud counts, 10 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm
* “Kevin Kunlay Williams, also known as Kunlay Sodipo, is hereby charged with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, voter fraud, illegal re-entry and being a felon in possession of a firearm”-A federal grand jury in St. Louis
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF/UNITED STATES OF AMERICA & ANTONETTE JEROB/SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT IN LAGOS
HE’S A NIGERIAN, unwilling to follow legal path in any of his undertakings. In Lekki, Lagos where his mansion was located (house now on rent to unsuspecting members of the public), he was notoriously seen as an international businessman who was into ‘Clearing and Forwarding’, whereas he is the Kingpin of Advance Fee Fraud, otherwise known on the streets as ‘419’. His names are Kevin Kunlay Williams , but prefer to be called ‘Kunlay Sodipo’ due to his shady kind of business.
Kevin surround himself with unreliable, jobless friends whose sole source of livelihood in Lagos Island are crimes. Someone rightly put it that they are ‘yahoo-yahoo boys,’ that seem to be above the law in early 90’s. Having defraud several Nigerians during those periods and Nigerian police effect his arrest in company of some of his gangs, they were soon left off the hook, seen on the streets walking freely.
Kunlay felt there was need for his scam group to up their evil game to move to the next level, acquired mostly hoax documents from ‘Oluwole’, a criminal hideout in Nigeria where only FAKE documents originates. He ensured he got only few other genuine documents ready, left for the United States Embassy and was issued a B1/B2 Visitor’s visas. Without any waste of time, few days later, he used the funds he already stole from unsuspecting Nigerians in his ‘yahoo-yahoo’ to buy return tickets for himself to America, spent the remaining to relocate his gang members to Ghana, since Nigeria was gradually becoming too hot for them (the gang).
After he arrived St. Louis early 90’s, a city which has an estimated 2015 population of 315,685, being the cultural and economic center of the Greater St. Louis area (home to 2,916,447 people), making it the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the 19th-largest in the United States; he began to plot his Devilish moves to scam innocent Americans so as to live as a ‘Big Man in Yankee.’
Meanwhile, his 30 days valid stay legality as issued by Custom and Border Control (CBD) at the point of entry has expired, which automatically would show at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that he was already out-of-status as an illegal visitor or undocumented immigrants.
He was always parading Night Clubs been that he had no home. It was significant to explain that at each of those Night Clubs, he would always foment trouble by either fighting another man he met by thee bar or harassed ladies at the clubs to become his girlfriend. The police were invited, he was arrested, prosecuted, while the United States Immigration officials ensured he was deported precisely 1995 to Lagos.
Kunlay began to plan his move again to return to United States,, he convinced his gang members to fully support him financially so he could get back to Yankee, as he would not let them down this time. Barely four years later, Kunlay found his way back into United States. This time around, he fully concentrated on mail fraud, identity card scam and further acquired illegally through pawn shops a firearm. His true identity was blown open by diligent prosecutors who had been secretly trailing all his fraudulent activities for years in America, whereas he was unaware. Prosecutors say a Nigerian citizen living in St. Louis was part of a stolen identity fraud scheme that sought more than $12 million in refunds.
A federal grand jury in St. Louis returned a superseding indictment recently charging Kevin Kunlay Williams, also known as Kunlay Sodipo, with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, voter fraud, illegal re-entry and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kunlay and others allegedly used public school employees’ identifications stolen from a payroll company to file more than 2,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns. Also, he allegedly used fraudulently obtained identification numbers to obtain refund checks.
After he was illegally entry into United States in 1999, Kunlay took his criminality to the highest level as he allegedly voted illegally in 2012 and 2016 elections. Without doubt, this Nigerian has brought shame on his family, disgrace on himself and opprobrium to Nigeria.
If convicted, Kunlay faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the illegal reentry, a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the voter fraud counts, and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PRESS STATEMENT:
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Missouri Man Indicted for $12 Million Tax Refund Fraud, Voter Fraud, Illegal Reentry and Felon in Possession of Firearm
Allegedly Stole Public School Employees’ IDs
A federal grand jury sitting in St. Louis, Missouri, returned a superseding indictment today charging a St. Louis resident for his role in a sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme and other federal offenses, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Carrie A. Costantin for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The superseding indictment charges Kevin Kunlay Williams aka Kunlay Sodipo, a Nigerian citizen, with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, voter fraud, illegal reentry and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Williams and others stole public school employees’ IDs from a payroll company and used them to electronically file more than 2000 fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $12 million in refunds. He also allegedly stole several Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) that he used to secure bank products allowing him to print refund checks and direct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to send refunds to prepaid debit cards. The indictment alleges that Williams had refund checks issued in the names of the stolen IDs, and blank check stock and debit cards sent to his residence.
The indictment further alleges that Williams previously entered the United States from Nigeria under the name Kunlay Sodipo, but was deported in 1995. According to the indictment, in 1999, Williams illegally returned to the United States from Nigeria using the last name Williams. In 2012, Williams allegedly registered to vote in federal, state and local elections by falsely claiming that he was a U.S. citizen and is alleged to have voted in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. On the day of his arrest in February, Williams is alleged to have been illegally in possession of a firearm.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Williams faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the illegal reentry, a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the voter fraud counts, and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Costantin commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service as well as the Dothan Alabama Police Department and Alexander City Alabama Police Department, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Charles M. Edgar, Jr. of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Missouri and Middle District of Alabama.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/missouri-man-indicted-12-million-tax-refund-fraud-voter-fraud-illegal-reentry-and-felon
