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Anthony Lennon, Fugitive Who Faked Death, Arrested in New York After 13 Years

Prosecutors must decide which jurisdiction proceeds first once New York finalizes his extradition.

Overview

  • U.S. Marshals, the Moore Police Department, and the NY–NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Lennon in Canton, New York, ending a 13-year manhunt.
  • Authorities confirmed his identity by fingerprints after he had been living under the alias Justin Phillips while enrolled at a local university.
  • Investigators say he staged his death in 2012 at a Super 8 Motel in Moore, leaving blood later identified as his, before disappearing.
  • He faces a federal charge for failing to register as a sex offender and eight Oklahoma felony counts from 2012 tied to child pornography.
  • Search warrants were executed in New York on devices and residences to assess possible additional crimes as extradition decisions are coordinated.