The FBI is searching for a Virginia man who disappeared after being ordered to report to prison for a multimillion-dollar investment fraud involving fake automated trading bots and unpaid payroll taxes.
Federal authorities say Rick Tariq Rahim, 57, failed to surrender to begin serving a 78-month prison sentence for wire fraud, along with a concurrent 60-month sentence for willful failure to pay over trust-fund taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks.
According to the FBI, Rahim ran a series of investment schemes in which he promoted automated trading “bots” and his supposed track record as a financial trader, luring investors with promises of high returns and low risk. Investigators say those promises were false and that investors lost at least $5.8 million. Rahim was never licensed as an investment adviser and held no brokerage licenses, despite the image he presented to clients.
Rahim was sentenced on March 14, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, in Alexandria. He was ordered to report to prison on September 9, 2025, but never showed up. A federal arrest warrant for Pretrial Release Violation was issued two days later, on September 11, 2025.
Description and Aliases
The FBI describes Rahim as:
- Date of birth: March 24, 1968
- Sex: Male
- Height: 5’10” to 6’0″
- Weight: 150 to 180 pounds
- Hair: Black
- Eyes: Brown
He is believed to have used multiple aliases, including:
- Rick Rahim
- Tariq Afzal Rahim
- Richard Ernest Rahim
- Rick R. Afzal
- Tarig Afzal Rahim
- Tariq Rick Rahim
- Rick A. Rahim
- Tariq Rahim
- Tariq Ranin
A photograph released by the FBI is dated 2022.
Public Asked for Tips
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is leading the search and is asking for the public’s help. Anyone with information on Rahim’s whereabouts is urged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or to submit a tip online.
Authorities warn that Rahim is considered a fugitive after violating the terms of his pretrial release and failing to report to federal prison as ordered.
