Duluth Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud

MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in March 2022, Gale Allen Rachuy, 73, defrauded Victim A (victim), by falsely representing that Rachuy was an attorney who could handle the victim’s legal proceedings. As part of the scheme, Rachuy told the victim that he would be able to get former federal and state court judges to work on the victim’s case. In order to retain the alleged judges, Rachuy would need the victim to pay a retainer fee of $10,000, with the first payment of $2,500 due on March 15, 2022. Rachuy and the victim each signed a retainer agreement, which specified that both judges would be assisting in the victim’s legal representation. On March 15, 2022, the victim paid the $2,500 retainer fee via wire from his account in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Rachuy’s bank account in Minneapolis. The victim was scheduled to wire another $2,500 installment to Rachuy on April 1, 2022, but became suspicious of Rachuy after not seeing any drafts or filings in his case. After the victim realized that Rachuy was fraudulently representing these services, he ceased making future payments. Despite assuring the victim that the funds would be returned, Rachuy never returned the funds.

Rachuy pleaded guilty on May 10, 2023, to one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea A. Walcker and Harry M. Jacobs prosecuted the case.