Fugitive caught applying to be Colorado correction officer, Nassau DA says

A Newark man who allegedly failed to appear at his sentencing for defrauding a Massapequa law firm was apprehended in Colorado, where he applied for a job as a correction officer, officials said.

Osokam Ekufia, 48, was arrested and charged with bail jumping after he fled Nassau County, where he was scheduled for sentencing following a plea deal, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a news release.

Ekufia’s skipped sentencing stems from his defrauding of a law firm out of tens of thousands of dollars in 2022, Donnelly said. On Oct. 5, 2022, the lawyer, whom Donnelly did not identify, was given a bank check for $84,620, enough money to cover his retainer fee and to help "an individual who identified himself as ‘Paul Gam’" complete a purchase of medical equipment.

The lawyer deposited the check into his business account and transferred $77,500 into another account for the purchase. His bank then notified him the check was fraudulent.

The funds were transferred to Ekufia, who withdrew them, according to the district attorney. An investigation led to his indictment on second-degree grand larceny on Oct. 19, 2023.

Six months later, on April 9, 2024, Ekufia pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and was ordered to pay $50,000 upfront restitution within six months or face 1 to 3 years incarceration, the release said. He was scheduled to return to Nassau County Court on Oct. 15, 2024.

Ekufia only paid $10,000 in restitution and never returned to court, which issued a warrant for his arrest, Donnelly said. A Nassau grand jury indicted him for second-degree bail jumping the following year.

Around the same time, the Colorado Department of Corrections Background Investigations Unit contacted the Nassau County Police Department regarding Ekufia, the district attorney said. Colorado authorities learned of the outstanding warrant for his arrest during a background check as part of his application to become a correction officer.

Officers in Colorado arrested him on March 20, Donnelly said. He was extradited on Sunday.

On Monday, Ekufia pleaded not guilty before acting Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty at Nassau County Court in Mineola to second-degree bail jumping, according to court records. Gugerty ordered him held without bail.

Ramy Louis, the defense attorney representing Ekufia, did not immediately return a request for comment.