FBI arrest Nigerian wey 'defraud' Washington state of more dan $350,000

Di Federal Bureau of Investigation for Seattle, USA don arrest one Nigerian citizen, Abidemi Rufai on top accuse of wire fraud for im plan to tiff over over $350,000 wey be unemployment benefits from di Washington State Employment Security Department.

Di Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman wey announce am say Abidemi Rufai don make im first appearance on Saturday May 15, 2021 for New York.

E dey scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday, 18 May.

How FBI take arrest Abidemi Rufai?

Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman say dem gbab Rufai for Friday evening for di JFK Airport for New York on top criminal complaint wey link am wit wire fraud of over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from di Washington State Employment Security Department.

Goman tok say since di first fraud report come dia office for April 2020, dem begin dey work wit one federal law enforcement team to track down di criminals wey tiff di money goment arrange for pandemic relief.

Who be Abidemi Rufai?

Di FBI report say e be Nigerian citizen wey dey also go by di nickname Sandy Tang.

Di criminal complaint claim say Rufai tiff di identities of more dan 100 Washington residents to file fake claims wit ESD to get pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

Rufai also file fraudulent unemployment claims wit Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Rufai use different single e-mail address to defraud ESD in a manner wey fraud systems no go detect am. By using dis method, Rufai make am appear like say each claim na from different email account.

E do am for in a way wey be say money from di mago-mago go dey paid into online payment accounts like 'Green Dot' accounts, or e go dey wired to bank accounts wey dey controlled by "money mules."

Dem go later mail some of di money to Jamaica, New York address of Rufai relative. Law enforcement sure say more dan $288,000 dey deposited into one American bank account wey Rufai dey control between March and August 2020.

Wetin be di punishment for Wire fraud?

Pesin wey court find guilty of Wire fraud fit gbab up to thirty years in prison wen e relate to benefits wey dem pay in connection wit a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, like COVID-19 pandemic.

Di charges for di complaint na still allegations.

Federal Bureau of Investigation na im torchlight di Washington Employment Security Department case wit assistance from di Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

Social Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, di United States Postal Inspection Service, and di Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations also dey epp wit di investigation.

Di Washington Employment Security Department dey cooperate wit di investigation.