Man Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Stimulus Check Fraud in Houston

Ndem Oduu, aged 50, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for committing fraud related to stimulus checks, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani today.

Oduu pleaded guilty on March 14 for appropriating an Economic Impact Payment of $1,200, meant to aid individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and depositing it into his own account.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge also ordered Oduu to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and to pay restitution of $1,867. During the sentencing hearing, evidence revealed that Oduu possessed extensive documentation in his apartment aimed at defrauding the government through fraudulent loans and tax credits.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Eskridge expressed hope that Oduu would turn his life around upon release.

Oduu, who has been in custody since his plea, will soon be transferred to a facility operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.