Olabanji Otufale, 41, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Otufale, a former fraud investigator with the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), exploited his position to steal the personal information of vulnerable individuals seeking homeless services.
At the time of his crimes, Otufale was tasked with verifying the eligibility of individuals applying for services like shelter housing. Instead of performing his duties, he used his access to the DHS database to gather sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth, from individuals who had applied for assistance.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Otufale conspired to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims using the stolen identities, benefiting financially from his illicit actions.
U.S. Attorney John J. Durham emphasized the betrayal of public trust: “Otufale betrayed the public trust and conspired to use his access for illicit financial gain.”
FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy further condemned Otufale’s actions, noting that the FBI would not tolerate public service employees who exploit vulnerable populations for personal gain.
As part of his sentence, Otufale is expected to serve time for his role in a scheme that took advantage of those already facing hardship, making his actions all the more egregious.
