Nairobi Court to Rule on Extradition of a Kenyan Fugitive Wanted in the US for Fraud, Money Laundering

A Nairobi court is on Tuesday next week scheduled to rule on the extradition of a fugitive wanted in the United States for various crimes.

Abdulrahman Imran Juma, alias Abdul/Rahaman, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji filed an application seeking his extradition in November 2021. This followed a formal request from the US government seeking the arrest and extradition of the fugitive.

Juma was first indicted on April 29th, 2021 at the Grand Jury for the US District Court for the Central District of California. He is said to be part of a syndicate that orchestrated a scheme with his co-conspirators, who are already before the US District Court for the Central District of California, to defraud a victim who was seeking a lender to invest in a project to build a school.

Juma was charged alongside Nigerian Instagram influencer Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges before a California court last year. Hushpuppi, who was arrested in Dubai in June 2020, pleaded guilty to money laundering on April 20th, 2021. 

The 37-year-old is alleged to have conspired with Juma, 28, and a Nigerian Kelly Chibuzo Vincent to defraud a Qatari businessman of $1.1 million. The three allegedly posed as consultants and bankers who could facilitate a loan to finance the construction of a planned school in Qatar, according to court documents. 

While Juma posed as a facilitator and consultant for the false bank loans, Hushpuppi played the role of “Malik”, a Wells Fargo banker in New York.  On the other hand, Vincent allegedly provided support for the victim’s false narratives by creating bogus documents and arranging for the creation of a bogus bank website and phone banking line.

Acting US Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said Hushpuppi and his accomplices falsified school finance by impersonating bank officials, creating a fraudulent website, and bribing a foreign official to keep the deception continuing after the victim was tipped off.

The monies stolen from the businessman were used to purchase a Richard Mille RM11-03 watch, which was physically delivered to Hushpuppi in Dubai and later displayed on his social media posts.