A Nigerian-born Gwinnett County resident had his U.S. citizenship revoked after a conviction on immigration fraud charges.
Olu Kanni Sanyaolu, also known as Kunle Sanya Olukanni, was convicted by a federal jury on July 20, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. Sanyaolu had applied for naturalization in 2009 and was later granted citizenship.
Sanyaolu, 54, of Lawrenceville, had previously applied for asylum and permanent resident status in 1998 under the name Kunle Sanya Olukanni. That application was denied and he was ordered deported, the Justice Department said.
He then assumed his current identity, Olu Kanni Sanyaolu. He applied again for political asylum in 2005, claiming he was a member of the Nigerian Air Force and that he had been “persecuted and tortured after a coup,” a Justice Department press release said. He was granted asylum with that application.
In 2009, Sanyaolu applied for naturalization. During an interview with an immigration officer in July of that year, Sanyaolu said he had never used another identity and had never been ordered deported, the Justice Department said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly K. Connors used Sanyaolu’s fingerprints to prove in court that Sanyaolu and Kunle Sanya Olukanni were the same person.
“Identity fraud by those seeking to enter the United States poses a serious potential threat to national security and is one of the most important investigative focuses of Homeland Security Investigations,” said Nick S. Annan, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta, in a Justice Department release. “HSI is firmly committed to stopping criminals who seek to exploit our nation’s welcoming policy toward legal immigrants by engaging in fraud or deceit, and this case highlights the serious consequences awaiting anyone considering an attempt to cheat the system.”
The conviction automatically revokes Sanyaolu’s U.S. citizenship. He will be sentenced on Oct. 5.
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