Former Charlton Athletic footballer found guilty of £15m scam sentenced to jail

Article summary

After a four-week trial, a former Charlton Athletic footballer was found guilty of four counts of fraud and one count of carrying out regulated activity without authorisation. At Southwark Crown Court on 12 January 2023, Richard Rufus received a sentence of seven and a half years imprisonment. Rufus convinced up to 100 friends and family members to invest over £15m in total in a foreign currency exchange scheme. With this investment, Rufus paid back individuals who paid into the pyramid scheme, spent £300,000 on his own leisure activities and only £7.6m of this amount was received by investors. The prosecution was supported greatly by the Financial Conduct Authority with information, technical support and disclosures.