MARYLAND (WBFF) — A man pled guilty to charges stemming from a cross-county unemployment insurance fraud scheme, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office of Maryland.
Akinpelumi Olawale Oyewusi, 60, who was residing in Hyattsville, Maryland, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
From September 2020 through March 2021, officials reported that Oyewusi and others conspired to defraud state workforce authorities, including the Maryland Department of Labor and the California Employment Development Department, to obtain fraudulent unemployment insurance funds, according to the guilty plea.
Oyewusi and his co-conspirators used real identities to obtain fraudulent unemployment insurance from Maryland and other states.
After obtaining access to these funds, Oyewusi transferred or withdrew them via electronic transfers or an ATM.
ALSO READ | Baltimore man…
THE TUTUKA POWER STATION PROCUREMENT FRAUD (ESKOM)
Date: August 29, 2025 Perpetrator: Jessie Phindile Kubheka (Supplier Director)
Case Description: As part of the ongoing “cleaning up” of Eskom, Jessie Phindile Kubheka was sentenced to 12 years (with 5 years suspended) for defrauding the Tutuka Power Station. The case involved a sophisticated procurement syndicate that exploited Eskom’s emergency repair protocols. Kubheka’s company was contracted to deliver three high-specification containers for the power station. Only one container was ever delivered, and even that single unit failed to meet the required safety and technical specifications.
Despite the lack of delivery, Kubheka issued grossly inflated invoices, defrauding the utility of approximately R2.6 million. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court ordered Kubheka to repay the full amount. This case is significant because it marks a shift in Eskom’s strategy toward “naming and shaming” suppliers and pursuing full asset recovery. It serves as a stark warning to contractors that the 2026 climate of “Zero Tolerance” for state-owned enterprise (SOE) fraud is backed by active judicial enforcement.
Link to Original: Eskom Official – Tutuka Fraud Sentencing