Bail jumper extradited from Colorado after he was caught while applying for corrections job
“This defendant should have been occupying a jail cell, not applying for a job to patrol them,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
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A New Jersey man has been extradited back to Nassau County from Colorado to face bail jumping charges after fleeing to avoid a court date.
Osokam Ekufia, did not appear for his sentencing on a grand larceny case in 2024, but was discovered in Colorado a year after when he applied for a job as a corrections officer, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Ekufia, 48, was arraigned Monday and faced 1 1/3 to four years in prison.
“This defendant should have been occupying a jail cell, not applying for a job to patrol them,” Donnelly said.
According to Donnelly, in 2022, a Massapequa lawyer was hired by someone using the name “Paul Gam” to help purchase medical equipment. The lawyer received an $84,620 cashier’s check that was meant to cover the purchase and his fee. After depositing the check, the lawyer sent $77,500 to another account as directed.
The bank later informed the lawyer that the cashier’s check was fake, leaving him at a $77,500 loss.
Financial records found the money had been transferred to Ekufia’s account, where it had been withdrawn.
Ekufia was indicted in October 2023 on a grand larceny charge.
In April 2024, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was ordered to repay $50,000 within six months or face incarceration, Donnelly said.
He only paid $10,000 of the restitution in that time and was expected to be sentenced one to three years in prison, but he failed to appear for sentencing, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The warrant was found during a background check and he was arrested by Colorado law enforcement on March 20.
He was extradited back to Nassau County on Sunday.
