Gov. Abiodun's Aide Arrested
By: Biyi Orilabawaye
8/7/2021
Picture uploaded from the Google website.
Abidemi Rufai, a senior special assistant (SSA) to Governor of Ogun State, South-West Nigeria, Dapo Abiodun has been arrested in the United States of America for defrauding the States in the region of $350,000 through its COVID-19 Unemployment Benefit Fund.
Rufai who was a House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections was apprehended on Friday at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, by US federal agents as he attempted to leave the country.
The information provided on the website of the United States Department of Justice on Friday on the former aspirant for Ijebu Central Federal Constituency of Ogun State read thus:
"A Nigerian citizen was arrested Friday evening at JFK Airport in New York on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud for his scheme to steal over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Abidemi Rufai, aka Sandy Tang, 42, of Lekki, Nigeria, made his initial appearance Saturday, May 15, 2021 in New York. He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday."
*How he was nabbed*
"Since the first fraud reports to our office in April 2020, we have worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman.
The criminal complaint alleges that Rufai used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
Rufai also filed fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania. He used variations of a single e-mail address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems. By using this practice, Rufai made it appear that each claim was connected with a different email account.
Although the Gmail account used his fake name, the recovery phone number was the one he used in his 2019 US application. Also, a Google drive account associated with the Gmail account included the picture he used in the visa application and other government documents.
It also contained purchase confirmation emails for production that listed his brother’s address in Jamaica, New York as the billing address. Investigators found a massive cache of tax returns and evidence that Rufai was allegedly involved in other numerous fraud schemes.
Law enforcement determined more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020.
Donald Voiret, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Seattle said:
“Greed is a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, the greed alleged to this defendant affects all taxpayers.
“The FBI and our partners will not stand idly while individuals attempt to defraud programs meant to assist American workers and families suffering the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
*Implication of his arrest*
Wire fraud is punishable by up to thirty years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
If found guilty, Rufai will spend up to 30 years in prison for the alleged crime. He has also been suspended by his boss, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun over the allegation.
See video of one of the victims of the COVID-19 unemployment scam speak out, and also a US TV host, give details of how Abidemi Rufai pulled off the benefit scam he was arrested for.
https://twitter.com/TheVyralTrendz/status/1394964003076677633?s=19
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