Tag: United States Marshals Service

Cleveland, OH ? Late last night, the United States Marshals Service
captured one of America’s Most Wanted and elusive fugitives who is accused of
stealing millions of dollars that had been donated for the sole purpose of
aiding U.S. veterans. ?Bobby Thompson?, which was an alias, was on the run for
over the last two years where he assumed numerous fictitious names and was known
to alter his appearance. He was charged with Unlawful Flight to Avoid
Prosecution, Identity Theft, Fraud, and Money Laundering.

In the early 2000s, the subject, using the alias ?Bobby Thompson?, founded the
U.S. Navy Veterans Association (USNVA), a charitable organization whose stated
mission was to provide assistance to veterans and members of the U.S. Armed
Forces. The USNVA claimed to have a national headquarters in Washington D.C.,
but its base of operations was the Tampa, FL, area. From its inception to the
summer of 2010, it is estimated the USNVA received close to $100 million dollars
in nationwide donations. Officials in several states are investigating the USNVA
and it is believed little, if any, of the money actually benefited veterans or
current service members. In August 2010, ?Thompson? was charged in Ohio with
various offenses relating to this fraudulent activity. A co-conspirator is
currently serving a five year prison sentence in Ohio for her role in this scam
after pleading guilty in June 2011.

?Thompson?, the alleged mastermind of this plot, fled in June 2010, when he
learned of the criminal investigation. ?Thompson? was featured on America?s Most
Wanted on two separate occasions, with the most recent being March 2011.

In November 2011, the United States Marshals in the Northern District of Ohio
were called on to spearhead the apprehension of ?Thompson? who was indicted out
of Cuyahoga County.

In November 2011, United States Marshal Pete Elliott for the Northern District
of Ohio was contacted by former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and asked
for his assistance in locating ?Thompson?. Marshal Elliott immediately formed a
task force in Cleveland, Ohio that has diligently pursued ?Thompson? for over
the last six months. Numerous leads were followed up while Ohio investigators
tracked ?Thompson? through several states to include Massachusetts, Arizona, New
Mexico Rhode Island, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida and Washington.

?Thompson?s? fictitious and fraudulent life on the run came to an abrupt end
last night in Portland, Oregon. After conducting an intense and thorough
investigation, a team of Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from the
Northern District of Ohio traveled to Portland, Oregon and coordinated efforts
with the U.S. Marshals in the District of Oregon.

At approximately 10:30 pm (PST), the team apprehended ?Thompson? outside a
residence on 72nd St., NE in Portland where he has been living under one of his
new fictitious names. Upon arrest, ?Thompson? refused to make any statements. He
appeared to be in poor physical condition and was walking with a cane. He was in
possession of several false identification cards from Canada along with a
backpack containing an undisclosed amount of cash. All of his possessions were
taken as evidence and search warrants are being obtained for his residence. The
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is traveling to Portland to conduct
further investigation. Investigators are still unsure of the true identity of
?Thompson? and will be working on that as well as identifying his ongoing
criminal activity. ?Thompson? was transported to the Multnomah County Jail where
he will await extradition to Northern Ohio.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, ?This was one of our most challenging fugitive
investigations to date. 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.?

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine stated, ?We are relieved Bobby Thompson is now
in federal custody after a nationwide manhunt and years of work within the
Attorney General?s Office to track him down. We believe he stole between $1.5
million and $2 million which came from generous people in our state who thought
they were helping U.S. Navy veterans.?

Anyone with information regarding the identity or whereabouts of this fugitive
is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service at:
1-866-4-WANTED or text keyword WANTED and
the tip to 847411 (tip411). Tipsters may remain
anonymous and a cash reward may be available.

Additional information about the
U.S. Marshals Service can be found at

http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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America?s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency