Following allegations by the United States Department of Justice that the surety provided by Mr. Abidemi Rufai is a suspected fraudster, the court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma, on Wednesday, gave an order that Mr. Rufai should remain in detention. In the order, granted by U.S. District Judge, Benjamin Settle on Tuesday, titled “Nigerian national indicted for conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for fraud on Employment Security benefits,” the acting U. S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman, announced that Abidemi Rufai aka Sandy Tang, 42, of Lekki, Nigeria remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. This is because Mr. Rufai a top aide of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State now face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors have asked U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle to order Rufai detained and transported to the Western District of Washington for arraignment on the indictment as he is now indicted for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft of his scheme to steal over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.
Mr. Rufai, who was arrested at JFK Airport in New York while trying to get out of the U.S. on May 14 is accused of being involved in $350,000 COVID-19 unemployment fraud in the United States. It was said he allegedly used the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to steal more than $350,000 in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
He was supposed to be released on Wednesday but the court granted a motion by the US government for “a stay of the release order.”
His bail was denied following a move by the government for “a stay of the release order.”
“The release order is stayed, and the defendant shall remain in custody pending this Court’s decision on the government’s motion for review,” Mr Settle was quoted to have said.
Mr. Rufai has since been suspended by Governor Abiodun.
