New Orleans Lawyer Indicted for Wire Fraud

Tanzanika Ruffin, who runs a criminal defense firm and previously ran for a judgeship, is accused of defrauding the family of her client, Kai Hansen, by fabricating a settlement agreement. Ruffin allegedly requested $250,000 through wire transfers and Venmo payments, falsely claiming the funds would resolve Hansen’s charges, including payments for medical treatment for a New Orleans Police Department officer.

The District Attorney’s office learned of the alleged fraud when the family hired another attorney to review the agreement. The family provided records showing $250,000 in payments to Ruffin. Federal investigators are now scrutinizing the case, with Hansen providing documents and recordings to the FBI.

This case has had repercussions for Ruffin, including the reassignment of one of her high-profile clients, one of the New Orleans jail escapees. Ruffin also has a history of disciplinary issues, including a 2011 reprimand for threatening to prosecute someone who wrote a bad check to a friend.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, David Courcelle, is personally involved in the case, signaling the seriousness with which the office is treating the allegations of corruption and fraud.

She is accused of stealing $250,000 from a client’s family by claiming it was for a settlement and other legal fees.

The family hired another attorney who discovered irregularities in the settlement agreement and alerted the District Attorney’s Office.

Ruffin faces federal wire fraud charges and has been ordered to surrender any property purchased with the stolen funds.

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