Kenyan Man Wanted in the US over Fraud Denied Bail Pending Extradition Proceedings

A Nairobi court has denied bail to a Kenyan man wanted in the United States over fraud.

Milimani Chief Magistrate Wendy Michieni on Tuesday directed that Abdulrahman Imran Juma alias Abdul Rahaman, be remanded at Gigiri police station pending hearing and determination of the extradition application filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji against him.

The prosecution opposed the fugitive’s plea to be released on bond or bail on the grounds that the nature of the offenses he is charged with are serious.

The court also heard that the fugitive has ties with other countries and that he has two passports, one of which is undocumented. A pre-trial on the matter is slated for January 28th, 2022.

Juma, 28, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

The DPP filed an application seeking his extradition in November 2021 following a formal request from the US government.

He was first indicted on April 29th, 2021 at the Grand Jury for the US District Court for the Central District of California. 

Juma is said to be part of a syndicate that orchestrated a scheme with his co-conspirators to defraud a victim who was seeking a lender to invest in a project to build a school.

He 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, conspired with Juma and a Nigerian Kelly Chibuzo Vincent to defraud a Qatari businessman of $1.1 million. 

The three reportedly 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.

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.