Richard Raymond Rufus (born 12 January 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back, spending his entire career with one club, Charlton Athletic.
Born in Lewisham, London,[1] Rufus progressed through the youth system at The Valley, making his debut for the club as a teenager in 1994 at the age of 19.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, Charlton were losing 3-2 before Rufus scored his first ever senior goal from a corner, forcing the game into extra-time.
[3] Starting the 1998–99 season, despite being sent off in his first Premier League game against Newcastle United, Rufus developed into a key player in Charlton's ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation.
He underwent a series of knee operations in 2003 and at one stage looked to have returned to first time reckoning, having appeared on the bench for a League Cup game against Luton Town.
[14] At the end of November, he left his roles with Charlton Athletic in the club's academy and the Community Trust following the fraud investigation.
[17] On 12 January 2023, his 48th birthday, Rufus was sentenced to 7+1⁄2 years in prison after being found guilty of fraud, money laundering and carrying out a regulated activity without authorisation at Southwark Crown Court.
[18] The judgement stated that Rufus claimed to be a successful foreign exchange trader and convinced people to invest in a "low-risk" scheme.