Police: Buffalo Grove man, 83, charged in $2.35 million fraud scheme

An 83-year-old Buffalo Grove man has been arrested in connection with a Florida investigation into a multimillion fraud case whose victims included the City of Tallahassee.

Richard N. Golding is charged with money laundering, grand theft, attempted grand theft, and two counts of wire fraud, according to Tallahassee police.

Golding was arrested Friday and transported to the Cook County jail, where he remains in custody pending a court appearance Tuesday, jail records indicate.

Media reports from Florida indicate Golding is a practicing attorney with a law firm based in Chicago.

Tallahassee police allege that a 2024 investigation found that Golding unlawfully received $2.35 million in stolen funds and transferred the money to a bank in Mexico for a criminal network.

The investigation revealed a coordinated effort that crossed state and international lines to thwart law enforcement, according to police.

Investigators recovered $1.4 million of the funds that was the property of Tallahassee, according to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.

“No crime is faceless. Someone sought to harm each member of this community by stealing public dollars,” Revell said in a news release. “Thanks to the expertise, tireless dedication and persistence of our investigators, $1.4 million dollars was recovered for the citizens of Tallahassee, and justice will be served.”

The United States Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service were involved in the investigation, authorities said.