It was announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Marshal Service that it captured one of the country’s most wanted fugitives who was accused of starting a fake charity for veterans of the Navy. The charity funneled a large portion of the $100 million raised to Republican candidates. The man in question, using the alias of ‘Bobby Thompson,’ made millions of dollars from the early 2000s to 2010. He took the money from unsuspecting donors for his fake charity called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The charity allegedly provided support for people in the U.S. Armed Forces. Authorities think that very little, if any of the money raised was used for its intended purposes.
In an effort to make sure his charity was legitimate, Thompson would donate some of the money to Republican candidates such as former president George W. Bush, former candidate John McCain and House Speaker John Boehner. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, pleaded with Thompson for a donation, receiving $55,000. He eventually had to hand in the illegally raised money and it was given to legitimate support groups for veterans.
In 2010, Thompson fled after he learned that a criminal investigation was underway involving him in a handful of states. Thompson was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, identity theft, fraud and money laundering. Thompson was captured by a team of Deputy U.S. Marshals in Portland, Oregon around 10:30 p.m. on Monday night. At the time of his capture, authorities still did not know his name and he refused to issue a statement.
“This was one of our most challenging fugitive investigations to date,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. “Our investigators followed up leads all over the nation. Their diligence and dedication directly led to the arrest in Portland. I am proud of everyone that worked on this investigation and their efforts have brought this scam artist to justice.”
Thompson is in Multnomah County Jail as he awaits extradition to Northern Ohio.