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$10M Bronx Fraudster Brought to Justice
A Bronx man who fled to Ghana after being sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a $10 million business email compromise and romance scam has been extradited to the United States to serve his sentence.
Tourey Ahmed Rufai, a Ghanaian national who was residing in the Bronx, New York, was a member of the Enterprise, a criminal organization based in Ghana that defrauded more than 100 American businesses and individuals of over $10 million between 2014 and 2018.
According to court filings in Manhattan Federal Court, Rufai and his co-conspirators received or directed the receipt of millions of dollars in fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in bank accounts controlled in the Bronx. Some of these bank accounts were opened using fake names, stolen identities, or shell companies to avoid detection and hide the true identities of the Enterprise members controlling those accounts.
Rufai was released on bail shortly after his arrest on January 9, 2018, on conditions including a $150,000 bond co-signed by three individuals, surrender of all travel documents, and home detention with electronic monitoring through an ankle bracelet. However, he cut off his ankle bracelet and fled the country prior to surrendering to serve his sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said, "When a defendant released on bail like Tourey Ahmed Rufai cuts his ankle bracelet and flees the country, it is an affront to the victims of his crimes and the Court. Thanks to the extraordinary work of the FBI, IRS-CI, and our law enforcement partners both in the United States and in Ghana, this fugitive was apprehended in Ghana and has been returned to the United States to serve his four-year sentence."
FBI Acting Assistant Director Jacqueline Maguire said, "Justice will now rightfully be delivered – both to Mr. Rufai as he serves his prison sentence, and to the innocent victims from whom he stole millions of dollars. When Mr. Rufai decided to cut off his ankle bracelet and flee the United States, he did not understand the FBI’s ability to find fugitives in foreign nations through our extraordinary international law enforcement partnerships."
Rufai’s sentence of four years was imposed by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote on April 12, 2019, in connection with his participation in the fraud scheme. He will now serve his original sentence for his role in the $10 million scheme.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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