GOV. ABIODUN'S FMR AIDE, IS SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS PRISONMENT IN U.S

Abidemi Rufai, Gov. Abiodun's Fmr aide, is sentenced to five years in prison in the United States for pandemic fraud

Abidemi Rufai, a former aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, was sentenced to five years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for attempting to steal nearly $2.4 million from the US government, including $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

According to The Associated Press, the convict was wearing a $10,000 watch and a $35,000 gold chain when he was arrested at JFK International Airport in New York on his way to Nigeria in May 2021.

A federal judge in Tacoma, Washington, sentenced the 45-year-old resident of Lekki, Lagos, on Monday, September 26, 2022.

Rufai pleaded guilty in May to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, and was sentenced to 36 months in prison for wire fraud and 24 months for aggravated identity theft.

Rufai was also ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution by Judge Benjamin Settle, who handed down the sentence on Monday. The sentences will be served consecutively at the United States correctional facilities in Fort Dix, New Jersey, or the Northeastern Regional.

According to U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, "Mr. Rufai was relentless in his scheme to use the stelen identities of Americans for fraud.

He orchestrated 'mystery shopper' scams, business email compromise attempts, and filed fake tax returns to financially harm individuals and businesses. But when disaster struck, so did Mr. Rufai.

Whether it was hurricane disaster relief, small business loans, or COVID unemployment benefits, he stole aid that should have gone to disaster victims in the United States.