United States authorities have auctioned a luxury Cartier wristwatch and a gold chain necklace belonging to a former Ogun State Government official, Abidemi Rufai, convicted of wire fraud and identity theft....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
Rufai was sentenced on September 26, 2022, by the United States District Court for Western Tacoma in Washington for defrauding U.S. government agencies, including stealing approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits. Court documents revealed that he successfully defrauded 12 agencies of $600,000 and attempted to steal nearly $2.4 million using stolen identities.
Luxury Items Auctioned
As part of his plea agreement, Rufai agreed to pay restitution of $604,260 to the defrauded agencies. To recover part of the debt, U.S. authorities sold a Cartier watch and a gold chain necklace seized during his arrest, Premium Times reports.
According to Nicholas Brown, a U.S. Attorney, the items were sold via an online auction conducted by Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers. The wristwatch and necklace fetched $4,720.00 and $3,160.00, respectively.
After deducting shipping expenses and sales commissions totaling $793.31, the net proceeds amounted to $7,086.69. The proceeds were applied toward Rufai’s restitution balance, leaving him indebted to the U.S. government for $597,573.31.
Restitution Details
A breakdown of the payment showed $200.00 was allocated to Rufai’s special assessment fee, while $6,886.69 was applied to his restitution balance.
Rufai, a former aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun who served his sentence and was released from prison in mid-November 2024, is expected to be deported to Nigeria. His current whereabouts remain unknown. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
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