S2 | Ep. 2: Project Star

Have You Seen This Man?

ABC News

True Crime

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2021

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The crime was audacious –- the biggest swindle of its time –- falsely trading on the name and clout of American’s tobacco giant, Phillip Morris. Getting access to millions, John Ruffo transformed himself into a Wall Street high roller. He spun fantastical tales of secret government missions. And when it all started to unravel, he ripped a page from a John Grisham thriller, leaving U.S. Marshal criminal profilers to make sense of a cryptic farewell note. To see photos of John Ruffo, including an age progression image provided by the U.S. Marshals, visit https://abcn.ws/37tRIK2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before we begin, a quick note.
0:02.5	This episode touches on the difficult subject of self-harm.
0:08.5	Last time, on Have You Seeing This Man,
0:12.5	John Rufo had been handcuffed and was on his way to prison.
0:16.2	And I was walking him out of the courtroom,
0:19.7	and all of a sudden I heard in Judge Williams
0:23.0	very distinct voice, hold on Marshall Kevin.
0:27.2	To everyone's surprise, the judge let him go,
0:30.8	trusting him to show up for the start of a 17-year sentence.
0:35.2	The next thing I know, I get a phone call, where's Rufo?
0:40.3	Rufo had vanished, and it turns out this was not the first time
0:45.9	people underestimated him.
0:50.4	I'm Sunny Austin from ABC News.
0:53.1	This is Have You Seen This Man.
0:57.2	I'm Sunny Austin.
0:59.2	I'm Sunny Austin.
1:01.2	I'm Sunny Austin.
1:03.2	I'm Sunny Austin.
1:05.2	St. Patrick's Day in New York, 1996.
1:09.2	It's a day of parade, revelry, and drinking.
1:13.2	But for John Rufo, this was a day of quiet desperation.
1:21.2	He was on the brink of being exposed as a fraud,
	...

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