A career fraudster who had escaped from a federal prison in Colorado nearly five years ago was apprehended this week.
He was arrested while he was settling into a luxurious $1.5 million house, near the ocean on Florida's Gold Coast.
Federal marshals arrested 58-year-old Alan Todd May, alias "Jacob Turner," at the Fort Lauderdale house on Tuesday as he was unloading a U-Haul truck.
During the arrest, investigators noticed that he was wearing a Rolex watch and had been driving a high-end Mercedes.
It was an anonymous tipster who led the authorities to May after spotting a published photo of him at a posh fundraiser, which had been featured on the website of the Palm Beach Daily News.
May, who has a long history of convictions for various fraudulent activities dating back to 1983, had been on the run since December 2018.
At that time, he stole a U.S. Bureau of Prisons truck and escaped from a federal lockup in Englewood, Colorado, while serving a 20-year prison sentence for mail fraud related to a $7 million Ponzi scheme.
During his time in custody, he continued his fraudulent activities by stealing unclaimed oil and gas royalties owed to various companies, resulting in a total sum of $700,000.
The U.S. Marshals Service had been searching for May, and their breakthrough came when the tipster recognized him in the newspaper photo and alerted the marshals.
Following the lead, investigators tracked May to a penthouse apartment in Palm Beach before eventually arresting him in Fort Lauderdale.
Now that May is back in custody, authorities are investigating the source of his apparent riches and whether he victimized others while on the run.
The trail is not entirely clear, as May is known for his ability to deceive and fool people.
The focus now turns to unraveling the details of May's time on the run, and the possibility of any accomplices or beneficiaries of his fraudulent activities.
In another news, a former teacher is facing up to 600 years in prison after she was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14 year old student. See detailed story here
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