In a twist worthy of a Hollywood thriller, three notorious Nigerian internet fraudsters—each with considerable social media clout and political connections—are now serving time together in the same U.S. prison. Bidemi Rufai is scheduled for release on Valentine’s Day 2025.
Ray ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, 41, Jacob Olalekan Ponle, known as Mr. Woodberry, 33, and Mr. Rufai, 46, are all incarcerated at Fort Dix, a low-security facility near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, where they will presumably finish their sentences.
Mr. Rufai, a close associate of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, was apprehended in May 2021 at John F. Kennedy Airport while attempting to flee to Nigeria. FBI Special Agent Heidi Hawkins led the operation that uncovered Rufai’s elaborate scheme to steal identities of U.S. citizens and claim over $500,000 in COVID-19 benefits. The stolen money funded his luxurious lifestyle, including purchases of high-end cars and watches.
Having pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, Mr. Rufai was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $604,000 in restitution. His victims included several government institutions such as the Washington Employment Security Department and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. Now identified as inmate 83912-053, Rufai was transferred from a facility near Seattle to Fort Dix, with his release date set for February 14, 2025.
Joining him at Fort Dix is Mr. Woodberry, who was transferred from the Danbury Correctional Center in Connecticut. The 33-year-old, with prison number 54314-424, is slated for release on October 17, 2027, after which he will be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Convicted on one count of fraud in a plea deal that dismissed seven other charges, Mr. Woodberry must repay $8 million to his victims and forfeit luxury items including a diamond-studded necklace and gold jewelry.
The third member of this infamous trio is Hushpuppi, a social media sensation known for flaunting his wealth online. Arrested in Dubai in June 2020 and extradited to the U.S., he was convicted of internet fraud and sentenced to 11 years in prison by Judge Otis D. Wright II. Now inmate 54313-424, Hushpuppi was moved from a facility near Los Angeles to Fort Dix, where he will remain until his release on August 6, 2029.
It remains unclear if U.S. prison officials realized they were housing these three interconnected fraudsters together. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has not responded to requests for comment.
