Fake migrant pleads guilty to possessing false passports in PUP fraud

A 35-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to four fraud offences following a Garda investigation into people falsely claiming Pandemic Unemployment Payments from the Department of Social Protection.

Oluwagbewikeke Lewis with an address at Brookdale, Midleton, Co Cork confirmed a signed plea of guilty to the four charges when he appeared before Judge Sean O Donnabhain at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today.

Lewis pleaded guilty to possessing a false passport in the name of Faez Ayodele Akanbi at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false instrument or document.

Lewis also pleaded guilty to a second charge of possessing a false passport in the name of Bim Tijani Akinwale at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, also knowing it to be a false document.

And Lewis also pleaded guilty to another charge of possessing a false Permanent TSB Statement in the name of Akinwale Tijani at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false document.

And Lewis also pleaded guilty to a fourth count of possessing a false Permanent TSB statement in the name of Nosakhare Igbingle at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false document.

All four charges to which Lewis pleaded were contrary to Section 29 (2) and (6) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud offences Act) 2001 and followed a garda investigation into pandemic unemployment payment fraud.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain noted the guilty pleas to all four charges and he remanded Lewis on continuing bail to appear again at Cork Circuit Criminal Court again on May 19th for sentence.

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