A Newark man wanted in a Massapequa law firm fraud case who skipped out on his sentence resurfaced in Colorado when he tried to apply for a job as a corrections officer, prosecutors say. That job hunt ended with handcuffs. Osokam Ekufia was arrested in Colorado on March 20, 2026, and extradited to Nassau County on April 12. He is being held without bail ahead of a June 5 court appearance.
The alleged check scam
Prosecutors say the trouble began in October 2022, when a Massapequa law firm received a cashier’s check for $84,620 that later turned out to be counterfeit, as reported by Patch. The firm then transferred $77,500 from the cleared funds into an account linked to the defendant and was later told the original check had bounced, leaving the firm tens of thousands short, News 12 reported. Ekufia surrendered to Nassau police in October 2023 and was charged in the matter, authorities said.
Job application led to capture
According to prosecutors and local reporting, Ekufia later applied for a corrections job with the Colorado Department of Corrections in October 2025. A routine background check flagged his outstanding New York warrant, and Colorado authorities arrested him in late March, as reported by Daily Voice. El Paso County court records list a first appearance for "EKUFIA, OSOKAM" in March 2026, confirming the Colorado proceedings. The docket is available from the Colorado Judicial Branch.
Charges, plea and what is next
Ekufia pleaded guilty in April 2024 to fourth-degree grand larceny and agreed to pay $50,000 in restitution in exchange for a one- to three-year term. Prosecutors say he paid only $10,000 and skipped his October 2024 sentencing. After his extradition to Nassau County on April 12, he was charged with second-degree bail jumping in addition to the earlier larceny case. He is being held without bail and is due back in county court on June 5. District Attorney Anne Donnelly said, "This defendant should have been occupying a jail cell, not applying for a job to patrol them," as reported by Daily Voice.
Why it matters
The episode shows how a basic background check can catch fugitives who skip court and how restitution deals can fall apart when defendants vanish. Nassau prosecutors say the new bail jumping charge could help revive efforts to collect restitution and push for the prison term that had been expected under Ekufia’s plea.
