(NewsNation) — After nearly five years on the run, U.S. marshals captured a Colorado fugitive who they say was living a lavish lifestyle in Florida.
Deputy U.S. marshals arrested Allen Todd May, 58, on Tuesday in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood less than two miles from the ocean in an area where a large number of homes are valued at more than $1 million. Prior to his capture, authorities searched across the country for May, who was wanted for fraud and escape since 2018.
“This was huge. This was a very long, extensive investigation. This gentleman, because of his fraud background, was very good at eluding capture,” Katrina Crouse, chief deputy U.S. marshal for Colorado, told NewsNation affiliate KDVR.
In 2012, May was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted of mail fraud in Texas. In January 2018, he was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institute in Englewood, Colorado. Nearly a year later, in December, May was discovered to be missing during a prisoner count, sparking the search by U.S. marshals.
When he escaped prison, May had nine years left of his 20-year sentence. While he was in prison, authorities say he managed to steal $700,000.
Investigators say May identified several businesses that were owed unclaimed oil and gas royalties and then acted as a representative of those companies to claim the royalties for himself. He’s believed to have gathered more than $700,000 in fraudulent claims. An indictment connected to these allegations dropped while May was on the run.
As the charges continued to stack up against the escapee, U.S. marshals said they started receiving more tips about him, which led investigators to chase leads in California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas and Florida.
U.S. marshals say one anonymous tipster helped them track down May after seeing his picture at a high society fundraiser on a website for the Palm Beach Daily News. Investigators set up surveillance on a penthouse apartment in Palm Beach but saw no signs of May. That’s until they noticed May’s suspected partner leaving the apartment in a U-Haul truck.
U.S. marshals followed the U-Haul almost 50 miles from Palm Beach to the home in Fort Lauderdale, where they eventually saw May come out of the house. As movers unloaded the U-Haul, authorities placed May into custody.
U.S. marshals say when May was arrested, he was wearing a Rolex watch and driving a Mercedes.
“Very flashy. He was flaunting his wealth. Whether he obtained that wealth legitimately or not is another question. But he was very good at flaunting his wealth while still trying to remain hidden,” Crouse told KDVR.
May is detained and is expected to be taken back to Colorado by the end of the month to face 10 counts of wire fraud, seven counts of mail fraud and escape charges. He could potentially face additional charges related to possible fraudulent activity while he was on the run.