Former Premier League defender Richard Rufus has been handed a 12-year prison sentence for masterminding a £5 million investment fraud scheme. The 48-year-old ex-footballer, who played for Charlton Athletic, deceived friends, family, and fellow church members with false promises of high returns.
The Rise and Fall of a Football Star
Once a respected centre-back making over 300 appearances for Charlton between 1993-2004, Rufus exploited his sporting reputation to lure victims into his fraudulent foreign currency exchange scheme. Southwark Crown Court heard how he fabricated financial statements and used new investors' money to pay earlier victims - a classic Ponzi scheme structure.
Devastating Impact on Victims
Prosecutors revealed heartbreaking victim impact statements, including one individual who lost £750,000 - their entire life savings. Many victims were from Rufus's religious community who trusted him implicitly. Judge Gregory Perrins described the fraud as "a gross abuse of trust" that caused "life-changing" losses.
Sophisticated Financial Deception
The court heard how Rufus:
- Falsely claimed to have made £50m profit for investors
- Fabricated HSBC bank statements showing £28m balance
- Used just £200,000 of the £15m invested for actual trading
Detective Constable Piers Stringer of the City of London Police's Fraud Squad called it "one of the most callous frauds we've investigated," noting Rufus showed "no remorse" for his actions.
