₦airaland Forum

U.S. govt transfers Mr Woodberry, Hushpuppi, Bidemi Rufai to same prison facility ahead of Valentine’s Day release

The triad of notorious Nigerian Internet fraudsters has been languishing in U.S. prisons for a couple of years.

Three infamous Nigerian Internet fraudsters with strong social media and political influence are currently serving out their sentences at the same prison facility in the United States, with Bidemi Rufai set to be released on Valentine’s Day in 2025, Peoples Gazette can report.

Ray ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, 41, Jacob Olalekan Ponle, or Mr Woodberry, 33, and Mr Rufai, 46, are all being held at Fort Dix low-security prison near Joint Base McGuire Burlington County, New Jersey, where they will presumably serve out the rest of their jail terms.

Mr Rufai, a close ally of Governor Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), was arrested in May 2021 at the John F. Kennedy airport, where he had booked a Royal Dutch ticket to flee the U.S. to Nigeria.

FBI special agent Heidi Hawkins coordinated the arrest after uncovering a scheme showing how Mr Rufai stole the identities of thousands of U.S. citizens to claim their COVID-19 benefits running into half a million dollars. He lavished the stolen funds on luxury cars and watches to shore up his extravagant lifestyle.

He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. The U.S. government ordered him to pay $604,000 as restitution to victims of the scam, majorly government institutions like the Washington Employment Security Department ($350,763), Arkansas Division of Workforce Services ($10,166), Maine Department of Labour ($8,205), Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency ($44,216), among others.

Mr Rufai, with prison number 83912-053, was moved from a facility outside Seattle, Washington, to Fort Dix in Burlington County ahead of his release on Valentines’ Day in 2025.

His compatriot and comrade-in-crime, Mr Woodberry, had also been moved from the notorious Danbury correctional centre in Connecticut to Fort Dix. Mr Woodberry, 33, with prison registration number 54314-424, is set to be released on October 17, 2027, and would, after that, be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Judge Robert Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago convicted and sentenced Mr Woodberry to eight years and three months in jail over one count of fraud in July 2023. He was handed a lighter sentence that shaved off seven other counts in a plea bargain.

Mr Woodberry, a socialite with over a million followers on his now-deactivated Instagram page, was arrested on June 10 2020, alongside fellow fraudster Hushpuppi, at a Dubai apartment. The court ordered him to return $8 million to seven victims, and prosecutors recommend he forfeit his diamond-studded necklace and rings and all gold jewellery.

The last crook of the triad, the sensational Hushpuppi and serial Internet fraudster who once enjoyed uploading pictures and videos of his designer wearing posh rides and luxury parties on Instagram, has also been shipped to Fort Dix detention facility.

Hushpuppi, 41, with prison number 54313-424, was moved from a facility outside Los Angeles to Fort Dix, where he is expected to serve the rest of his sentence until August 6, 2029.

Arrested in June 2020 in Dubai and extradited to the U.S. to defend himself against Internet scam charges, Hushpuppi was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022 by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II.

It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. prison officials were aware that the Nigerian trio they transferred to the same facility were allies from Nigeria and Dubai.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons did not return requests for comments.

https://gazettengr.com/u-s-govt-transfers-mr-woodberry-hushpuppi-bidemi-rufai-to-same-prison-facility-ahead-of-valentines-day-release/

I believe it’s for synergy and the US Government wants to make good use of them

Aiit

Hushpuppi just use his noise making koba Woodberry. Anything you are doing in this life, always avoid attention seekers like Hushpuppi because they will surely koba you.

Stop committing crime say no to fraud I can't defraud anybody the only thing I can do is to work hard or travel to USA and get a job stop committing crime because of money dollars if you want money go to USA

Hmm

All Afonjas. Sad. Giving Nigeria a bad name as usual

Under the current Tinubulation, many Nigerians will choose US prison over Nigeria.

Hushpuppi -2029.
Woodberry - 2027
Rufai - 2025.

They better talk less there, d gov want make dem mouth begin run loosely.

Dem go record everything inside dem cell, even pin drop.

Their problem

The Democrats (The US version of APC) led by Sleepy Joe (The US version of Sleepy and confused BAT) are assembling top scammers and hackers to hack the US elections in favour of Joe Biden...

As it stands now, that's their only option to defeat Trump... So let's watch and see how it pans out..

I blame Tinubu for his misfortune

They aint releasing anybody.

Its information gathering. A technique that always works. CIA and FBI are the real criminals

Nine years aren't beans!

They will have regular parapo in jail.

E remain thi€fnubu

3 Yoruba Musketeers. Ole in the blood.

Almighty USA. Weldon for breeding next governor of Ogun state for us. Rufai is coming to contest under APC and win. Lol. Nigeria......

. But I'm still upset dat Baba El Sudan nor allowed FBI carry that TAILOR join huzz 🐶 in US PRISON

If u are mentally lazy and corrupt minded u will only think that stealing is the only way to make good money

oldguyman:
Hushpuppi just use his noise making koba Woodberry. Anything you are doing in this life, always avoid attention seekers like Hushpuppi because they will surely koba you.

true

Thought they said a particular region are known for fraud??
How come we are seeing different people

We supply and install a wide of Artificial Grass Turf in Lagos Nigeria.

saintjimos:
I believe it’s for synergy and the US Government wants to make good use of them

This seems the most probable reason

Islie:
U.S. govt transfers Mr Woodberry, Hushpuppi, Bidemi Rufai to same prison facility ahead of Valentine’s Day release

The triad of notorious Nigerian Internet fraudsters has been languishing in U.S. prisons for a couple of years.



https://gazettengr.com/u-s-govt-transfers-mr-woodberry-hushpuppi-bidemi-rufai-to-same-prison-facility-ahead-of-valentines-day-release/

Useless, criminal minded ronu idiots giving nigeria a bad name. May God punish tinubu and all the criminal ronu idiats!!

Hushpuppy, the guy chop life sha. no Nigerian celebrity come close to his designer's and outfit matches