ABIDEMI Rufai, a former Ijebu Central Federal Constituency aspirant in Ogun State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, for wire fraud totaling about $350,000.
Rufai also a real estate merchant, popularly known as Ruffy, was arrested on Friday, May 14, at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, the United States of America while attempting to leave the country.
Information obtained on the website of the United States Department of Justice showed that the Nigerian politician was arrested for stealing over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from Washington State Employment Security Department.
Tessa M. Gorman, acting United States attorney said: “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. “This is the first, but will not be the last, significant arrest in our ongoing investigation of ESD fraud.”
Allegedly, “Rufai used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits. He also filed fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania, and 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 causing the fraud proceeds to be paid out to online payment accounts such as ‘Green Dot’ accounts, or wired to bank accounts controlled by “money mules.
“Some of the proceeds were then mailed to the Jamaica, New York address of Rufai’s relative. Law enforcement determined more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020.
“Greed is a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, the greed alleged to this defendant affects all taxpayers,” said Donald Voiret, special agent in charge of FBI Seattle. “The FBI and our partners will not stand idly by while individuals attempt to defraud programs meant to assist American workers and families suffering the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic,” stated the report.
“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.
Prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Benjamin Diggs of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Jane Lee of DOJ’s Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Rufai made his initial appearance on Saturday, May 15, in New York He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Labour Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). The fraud on ESD is being investigated cooperatively by the FBI, DOL-OIG, Social Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. The Washington Employment Security Department is cooperating in the investigation.
