$350,000 Benefit Fraud: US Orders Indefinite Detention Of Abidemi Rufai

Abidemi Rufai is to remain in US detention until further notice.

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.

CityNews recalls Rufai is accused of being involved in $350,000 COVID-19 unemployment fraud in the United States. He was supposed to he released on Wednesday but the court granted a motion by the US government for “a stay of the release order.”

The order was granted by U.S. District Judge, Benjamin Settle.

“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.

CityNews had reported that Mr Rufai was arrested at the airport on May 14 when he was try to sneak out of the country to Amsterdam.

The U.S. said he used the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to steal more than $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

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