USAID Official Charged for COVID Relief Fraud

Federal prosecutors announced that Yusuf Akoll, a senior USAID contract specialist, fraudulently obtained $16,666 in COVID relief funds by creating a fake company, Naagode Consulting LLC, and lying on PPP loan applications. He falsely claimed the company earned $40,000 in 2019 and was founded in January 2020—despite records showing it didn’t exist until late 2020.

The case highlights failures in the government’s pandemic relief oversight, with agencies like the SBA failing to verify basic information. This type of fraud spurred the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts and led to the shutdown of USAID, whose duties were absorbed by the State Department due to concerns about mismanagement.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for abandoning efforts to recover fraudulent loans under $100,000, citing “equity” concerns. Meanwhile, watchdogs warn that winding down oversight offices like the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) would let massive fraud go unchecked. Estimates suggest over $1 trillion in COVID funds were stolen, much of it ending up overseas.