Case 027: John Ruffo

In this episode of Fugitive Files, we uncover the mysterious disappearance of John Ruffo — a man behind one of the most elaborate bank fraud schemes in U.S. history.Ruffo was a Brooklyn-born computer executive who orchestrated a $350 million bank fraud scam in the 1990s. With a web of lies and forged documents, he convinced banks to fund a fictitious project supposedly backed by Philip Morris. The scam was so convincing, it fooled some of the biggest financial institutions in the country.In 1998, Ruffo was sentenced to 17 years in prison. But instead of reporting to serve his time… he vanished.He was last seen withdrawing money from an ATM in New York City. His trail went cold — until a possible sighting at a Dodgers game in Los Angeles years later sparked renewed interest in the case.John Ruffo now faces charges of:Bank fraudWire fraudMoney launderingFailure to surrender for service of sentenceHe remains on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and there’s a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.