PA fugitive, wanted since 2018, arrested in Brigantine, NJ

A fugitive from Pennsylvania who has been on the run for over half a decade has been taken into custody at the Jersey Shore.

The Brigantine Police Department says just before 3 AM on March 23rd, their officers stopped a vehicle that was driving without rear lights on.

According to their account,

When Officer Stambaugh asked for the driver’s license, the driver began attempting to change the subject of the conversation. He did not provide a driver’s license, but instead gave a name and other biographical information that Officer Stambaugh checked through dispatch.

Nyieem Ruff of Philadelphia, PA, Arrested

That information turned out to be false and while conducting a roadside investigation, the driver's true identity was determined — 44-year-old Nyieem Ruff of Philadelphia.

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Once they figured out who the driver was, a search of law enforcement databases revealed he was a fugitive from justice from Pennsylvania, being wanted by both the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office.

Ruff has been wanted by those agencies and a fugitive since 2018.

Ruff was arrested and charged with hindering apprehension, identity theft, and being a fugitive from justice. He was also issued traffic summonses for improper lighting on a vehicle, driving while suspended, and driving without a license.

He was transferred to the custody of the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending court proceedings regarding his new charges and extradition for the Pennsylvania warrant.