Two U.S.-based Nigerians, Christopher Falade, his son, Emmanuel Falade, and six others have been charged with wire fraud in Minnesota housing stabilisation programme.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges against the eight defendants for “their roles in a massive housing stabilization fraud scheme” in a statement on Thursday.

According to the DoJ, the Falades worked together to run Faladcare Inc. as a provider in the HSS Programme and were supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need.

However, Mr Falade, 62, his son Emmanuel, 32, alongside their conspirators, fraudulently inflated reimbursement claims receiving $2.2 million, which they diverted into their private pockets.

“Over the course of years, the Falades and their conspirators created and submitted Program reimbursement claims that were inflated and fraudulent. By doing so, Faladcare received Program payments far exceeding the HSS services they had actually provided,” the DoJ said.

In all, the Falades claimed to service about 100 different beneficiaries and for such services claimed to be entitled to over $2.2 million and diverted much of their fraud proceeds to their conspirators, including to their Faladcare employees, the statement revealed.

Moktar Hassan Aden, 30, Mustafa Dayib Ali, 29, Khalid Ahmed Dayib, 26, Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed, 27, Asad Ahmed Adow, 26, and Anwar Ahmed Adow, 25 are the alleged fraudsters.

Speaking about the charges, the acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson, said “Today we announce the first wave of charges in a massive fraud in Minnesota’s housing stabilisation programme.”

Mr Thompson noted that the schemes were “stacked upon schemes”, draining resources meant for those in need.  

“It feels never ending.  I have spent my career as a fraud prosecutor and the depth of the fraud in Minnesota takes my breath away,” Mr Thompson explained. “The fraud must be stopped.”