Man Wanted by FBI Denies 'Avoiding Arrest' After Being Found Living in Australia for Years Under His Real Name

A man who is wanted by the FBI denied he was "avoiding arrest" after he had been located after spending years in Australia, living under his real name.

Geoffrey John Busch was indicted by a grand jury in Florida in 2007 for allegedly taking part in a $19 million scheme from 2002 to 2006 in which he recommended investors who were told their funds were placed in "high-yielding trading programs." In reality, they were siphoned into personal bank accounts, according to reporting by ABC News.

Busch went on the run after he was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. The Australian government was alerted to his criminal record in 2007. Then, in 2015, the U.S. deemed the 79-year-old a fugitive.

The FBI added Busch to its most-wanted list in 2018. The bureau most recently issued a plea for his arrest via social media in December 2023.

The ABC recently located the fugitive in a quiet suburb in southern Sydney. He denied his involvement in the scheme, claiming he "didn't rip off any investors at all. I was implicated in something I didn't have any involvement in."

Busch has allegedly continued racking up debt. The ABC reported the Australian Tax Office (ATO) tried to bankrupt the failed businessman for $3.5 million in unpaid taxes in 2017. Although his assets were not seized, he was deemed an undischarged bankrupt, meaning he cannot be a company director in Australia.

Busch's lawyer, however, claimed the taxes were not paid due to "an accountant's error."

Although U.S. authorities are seemingly aware of the con man's whereabouts, they have not yet made an extradition request, according to multiple sources close to the case. A former senior political figure told the ABC it would be "highly unusual" for Australia not to agree to a request if one was made since the U.S. is a "friendly" nation.

Other experts said it is a costly process, which may be why one has not yet been filed. In the meantime, Busch remains a free man.