Abiola Femi Quadri EDD benefits fraud case — U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.

Case summary

Abiola Femi Quadri was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:24-cr-00617, over unemployment and disability benefit claims filed with the California Employment Development Department. The criminal complaint filed September 19, 2024 states that Quadri is associated with at least 72 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and 19 fraudulent disability insurance claims submitted to EDD beginning since 2020, using the personal identifying information of at least 91 suspected victims, and that investigators identified actual losses to the State of California of over $800,000 on the unemployment claims and over $200,000 on the disability claims. Quadri pleaded guilty to count 1 of the information, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. On July 10, 2025 the court sentenced him to 135 months' imprisonment, five years of supervised release, restitution of $1,356,229.54 and a fine of $350,000.

Case at a glance

What was Quadri sentenced to?

135 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on count 1 of the information, five years of supervised release, restitution of $1,356,229.54 to victims on a list adopted by the court, a $350,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.

What did the government ask for?

The government's sentencing position, filed July 3, 2025, calculates a guideline range of 262 to 327 months and recommends a low-end sentence of 262 months.

How did the scheme work, according to the complaint?

The complaint states that Quadri and co-conspirators stole victims' personal identifying information, applied for disability and unemployment benefits in their names through EDD, counterfeited disability certifications in the names of real doctors, and withdrew the benefits in cash from EDD debit cards issued through Bank of America.