Rufai Abidemi, Ogun governor’s aide pleads guilty to over $350,000 fraud in US

Former senior special assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, Abidemi Rufai has pleaded guilty to allegations of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft worth $350,763.

According to reports, the 45-year-old Rufai pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in US District Court in Tacoma to charges that he used stolen Social Security numbers and other personal data to file $350,763 in fake claims for pandemic unemployment benefits in 2020.

It was also gathered that the former Abiodun’s aide pleaded guilty to stealing benefits from other states, as well as another $250,000 from other federal programmes.

Recall that Rufai who is currently in custody in the U.S was arrested at New York’s JFK Airport on his way to Nigeria in May, 2021 over an alleged unemployment benefits fraud. The development made Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state to relieve Rufai as his senior special assistant. 

According to the plea agreement, since 2017, Rufai unlawfully obtained the personal identifying information of more than 20,000 Americans to submit more than $2 million in claims for federally funded benefits under a variety of relief programmes while the various agencies involved paid out more than $600,000.

A statement from the U.S. Department of Justice stated that: “The largest amount of fraud was committed against the Washington State Employment Security Department, which paid out $350,763 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims to accounts controlled by Rufai."

“Rufai also submitted fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims in at least 17 other states.

“Rufai also defrauded the Small Business Administration (SBA) by attempting to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between April 8, 2020, and June 26, 2020, he submitted 19 fraudulent EIDL applications. SBA paid out $10,000 based on the applications,” the statement read.

The U.S. authorities said Rufai attempted to obtain more than $1.7 million in IRS tax refunds by submitting 675 false claims between 2017 and 2020 out of which IRS paid out $90,877.

However, according to the U.S authorities, Rufai has agreed to repay the stolen funds, though it wasn’t clear how he would make payments or whether his agreement meant he still had access to the stolen funds.

Attorney’s Office spokesperson Emily Langlie said: “He has agreed to disclose all of his assets and to cooperate in US government efforts to recover on those assets.

“At this point we don’t know what kind of recovery will result,” she said.

It is said that if Rufai is found culpable of the wire fraud, the U.S will slam him with 30 years imprisonment and another two years in custody for aggregated identity theft.