A former Nigerian Official Gets 5 Years for Pandemic Fraud in US
CASE NUMBER 10959:
A former Nigerian Official Gets 5 Years for Pandemic Fraud in US

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Alleged Perpetrators(s)
Abidemi Rufai

Location (Town / State)
Wahington, USA, n/a

Date of Event
26 Sep 2022

Date of republication
26 September every year


Case category (Choose all that apply)
fraud

Case Summary
Abidemi Rufai, a former aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, was sentenced to 5 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for attempting to steal nearly $2.4 million from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

Full story
When Abidemi Rufai was arrested at JFK International Airport in New York on his way to Nigeria in May 2021, he was wearing a $10,000 watch and a $35,000 gold chain. He pleaded guilty in May to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, and Judge Benjamin Settle handed down the sentence on Monday. Rufai was also ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution by the judge.
Prosecutors said the 45-year-old had a history of defrauding the US government, including filing for emergency relief after hurricanes in Texas and Florida using stolen identities.

Photo credit: https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2022/09/27/us-jails-ex-ogun-govs-aide-abidemi-rufai-five-years-for-massive-covid-relief-fraud/

External links/URLs
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/nigerian-state-official-sentenced-5-years-prison-stealing-us-disaster-aid-and-taxpayer#:~:text=At%20the%20time%20of%20his,file%20fraudulent%20U.S.%20tax%20returns.
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-09-26/ex-nigerian-official-gets-5-years-for-pandemic-fraud-in-us



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Abidemi Rufai, a former aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, was sentenced to 5 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for attempting to steal nearly $2.4 million from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits. . more >>