Have You Seen This Man?
John Ruffo engineered one of the most outlandish frauds in American history -- a $350 million swindle. But even after his arrest, no one really knew Ruffo. When the unassuming Brooklyn computer salesman pleaded guilty in 1998 and received a 17-year prison sentence, his story was just beginning. He turned in his ankle monitor, made a final stop at an ATM, drove to JFK Airport and vanished. In Season 2, the ABC News investigative unit joins the U.S. Marshals cold-case fugitive manhunt for Ruffo as they span the globe and uncover surprising details about his cloak-and-dagger past. The final clue may come from listeners who will once again be asked, Have You Seen This Man?
Our Editor's Take
The Have You Seen This Man? podcast explores some of the most intriguing fugitive cases in American history. One is about murder, loyalty, and how a trip to the mall led to a 45-plus-year manhunt. The other is about a computer salesman considered "one of the biggest conmen of the century." The host is Sunny Hostin, a journalist and lawyer for ABC News. She also cohosts The View.
The first podcast episode, "Outside the Half-Hour Laundromat," starts with a 1965 murder. The victim was 14-year-old student Mary Ellen Deener. The man arrested was 22-year-old Lester Eubanks. His death row conviction should have been the end of the story. The episode starts with details of Eubanks' escape. He didn't climb the prison walls or dig a tunnel underneath. Lester and a group of inmates had permission to leave prison to go to a shopping mall. The condition was that they meet in a specific location before returning to prison. Eubanks was the only man who didn't return.
The US Marshals, who track fugitives, brought Lester's case under investigation. Matthew Mosk, ABC's senior investigative reporter, started exploring the case in 2018. The podcast reveals new information and possible sightings of Lester. "Father Figure" shares an interview with a teenager mentored by Lester, who used a new identity. "Gone Too Soon" features his victim's surviving relatives. With resistance at every stage, why don't some people want Lester found?
The second season explores the cold case of another enthralling fugitive, John Ruffo. He received a conviction for a $350 million banking fraud scheme and a 17-year prison sentence in 1998. This story starts with John's escape. Once again, it didn't involve a dramatic prison breakout. He handed in his ankle tag before he was due to begin his sentence and vanished from JFK Airport. Two decades later, his case remains unsolved. As a global search commences, the podcast asks where and who John is.
The Have You Seen This Man? podcast investigates criminals running from the law. Each case explores how a fugitive can hide from justice and questions why people might protect them from discovery.
Season 2
Season 1
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