Nigerian man convicted of aggravated identity theft, misusing Social Security numbers

A federal jury convicted a Nigerian man Tuesday who falsely claimed being a U.S. citizen to gain employment and used his childrens' Social Security numbers to obtain a checking account and loan.

Oluwaseyi Ademola Sadipe, 39, who was living in Mason City, was convicted of one count of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of making false claims of United States citizenship following a one day trial.

The jury deliberated for about two hours.

According to evidence at trial, Sadipe, a lawful permanent resident, falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen when filling out required employment eligibility verification forms to gain employment with three different employers between December 2013 and June 2014. Sadipe used his valid Social Security number on the employment forms.

In December 2013, Sadipe unlawfully used his five-month-old son's Social Security number to obtain a checking account, according to trial testimony. He spent more than he deposited into the checking account, resulting in a loss of $1,175 to the bank by March 2014.

Sadipe also unlawfully used his seven-year-old's Social Security number on a car loan application in February 2014. The fraudulent use of multiple Social Security numbers was discovered when the car loan application was processed by the bank where Sadipe had opened the checking account.

U.S. District Judge Mark W. Bennett will sentence Sadipe after a presentence report is prepared.

Sadipe faces up to three years on each of the making false claims to United States citizenship charges and up to five years for the misuse of a Social Security number conviction. On the aggravated identity theft, Sadipe faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison. In addition, Sadipe faces fines of up to $1.2 million and three years of supervised release following any prison time.