Most Wanted Fugitive Possibly Spotted Behind Home Plate At Dodgers Game

One of the most wanted fugitives in the world might have been sitting right behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016 ... and, yet, authorities say they're still having trouble nabbing him.

U.S. Marshals claim John Ruffo -- who was convicted of swindling $350 MILLION in an elaborate bank fraud scheme in the 1990s -- was possibly the guy in a blue shirt and glasses in a prime seat at a Red Sox vs. Dodgers game in Aug. 2016.

The Marshals say the balding, older man in footage from the broadcast looks a hell of a lot like Ruffo -- a guy they say has evaded them for nearly 24 years.

According to the Marshals, after his conviction, Ruffo was "ordered to report to a federal prison in New Jersey on Nov. 9, 1998" to begin serving a 17-and-a-half year sentence, but he never showed.

Instead, the Marshals claim he rented a car, withdrew cash from an ATM (which they say they captured on video), and headed to JFK Airport -- where he then disappeared.

Authorities say, though, he could have been the man in Section 1 Dugout Club, Row EE, Seat 10 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles over 5 years ago.

The Marshals announced their suspicion in a statement Wednesday ... saying anyone who can help them find the 66-year-old -- who they believe is roughly 5 feet 5, 170 pounds -- could be given a reward of up to $25,000.

His capture would be a big deal ... Marshals have named him one of their "15 Most Wanted" and have described him as "a master manipulator."

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time cameras at Dodger Stadium have helped authorities crack a case ... remember, Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" crew aided in a murder suspect's release from jail back in the early 2000s.

In that case, Juan Catalan had been accused of murdering a 16-year-old ... but the 'Curb' cameras showed he was actually at the Dodgers' ballpark the night of the killing.