Former Atlantic City dealer brought back from Ghana to face robbery charges

It's a different kind of homecoming for Edmund Osei.

The former Atlantic City casino poker dealer was brought back from Ghana to face charges in connection with armed robberies at six casinos and a bank.

Osei, who also used the name Jamal Michaels, was first arrested July 29, 1999, for armed robbery in Atlantic City. A subsequent investigation linked him to six other robberies dating to May 19, 1999. A grand jury handed up a 25-count indictment against him that October. But instead of appearing for his arraignment in January 2000, he fled.

He was arrested in his native Ghana on Oct. 5 of last year, and - thanks to funding from "Project Welcome Home" - he has been brought back to New Jersey to finally face the charges.

The FBI-funded program assists in the transportation to bring fugitives arrested abroad back to the United States.

"Were it not for Project Welcome Home, Mr. Osei might have been a free man in his home country right now," acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Cruise said.

"But this initiative sends a clear message to criminals everywhere that there are few places you can hide where the FBI can't reach you."