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Q Link Wireless LLC and CEO Issa Asad pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government program
The owner of a Florida telecommunications firm was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing from the federal program once unofficially dubbed "Obama phone" that provides discounted phone services to low-income customers.
Q Link Wireless LLC and its 51-year-old CEO Issa Asad both pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to steal government money from the Lifeline program, the Department of Justice announced. The program, begun in 1985 and expanded under Obama, provides subsidized cellphone services to the poor. It was heavily criticized during the 2012 election, when a viral video emerged featuring a woman in Cleveland claiming she and all her friends were given "Obama phones." Some telecommunications companies with LIfeline contracts embraced the term, although the government did not.
Asad was sentenced to five years in prison and both he and the company were ordered to pay financial penalties and restitution totaling more than $128 million, according to the agency.
Separately, Asad pleaded guilty to laundering from a government loan program meant to support struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the plea deals, Asad and Q Link agreed to pay nearly $110 million in restitution to the Federal Communications Commission. Asad also paid a criminal penalty of nearly $17.5 million for income received from Q Link’s phone services scheme.
This was one of the largest financial penalties in the FCC's history, according to the DOJ.
Asad also paid more than $1.7 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration for laundering loan proceeds that his company received from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the pandemic.
The DOJ said he admitted to using PPP money for construction on his home, a Land Rover payment, his personal American Express card, property taxes, jewelry and donations to a university. --->READ MORE HERE
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| Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Image |
The Brief
- A McKinney man was sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for a COVID-19 fraud conspiracy.
- Olamide Olatayo Bello was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Bello orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently acquire government loans meant for small businesses, using the funds for personal gain and enrichment.
McKINNEY, Texas - A McKinney man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for a COVID-fraud conspiracy.
COVID-Fraud Conspiracy
The backstory
Olamide Olatayo Bello was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 293 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on July 24, 2025.
Judge Mazzant sentenced Bello to the statutory maximum allowed by federal guidelines. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
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