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LONDON — A former Premier League soccer player has been handed a 7½-year prison sentence for defrauding his family and friends of $18.2 million. Richard Rufus played in England's top division with Charlton Athletic from 1998-2004 and also was an England under-21 international. He claimed he was a successful foreign exchange trader and convinced his victims to invest in what he said was a "low-risk" scheme with promises of returns of 60% a year. The 47-year-old Rufus was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of fraud, money laundering and carrying out a regulated activity without authorization.
