Is one of the most wanted men in the U.S. casually attending Major League Baseball games?
Is one of the most wanted fugitives in the world casually attending major league baseball games — and sitting feet behind home plate.
The U.S. Marshals office strongly suggested the possibility, and on Oct. 5 released photos of a man at a 2016 baseball game who resembles a suspect on the agency’s “15 Most Wanted” list.
John Ruffo, 66, was convicted of a $350 million bank fraud scheme in the late 1990s and sentenced to 17-and-a-half years in prison, according to the U.S. Marshals. About $13 million of the money was not found.
In September 2016, Marshals received a tup that Ruffo attended a Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game on Aug. 5, 2016. He was sitting behind home plate and wore a home plate. A video clip confirmed the possible sighting.
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The fan sat in Section 1 of the Dugout Club, row EE, seat 10, at the Dodger Stadium in the Los Angeles area, according to the U.S. Marshals. Investigators have identified the people who bought the seats but not the fan who sat in them.
The last confirmed sighting of Ruffo was at an ATM in 1998 in New York.
Ruffo failed to report for his federal prison sentence in 1998 and an arrest warrant was issued the next day. A rental car driven by Ruffo went to long-term parking at JFK Airport in New York City. Marshals have followed hundreds of leads but have not found Ruffo.
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
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