FORT LAUDERDALE, Flor. — A man who had been on the run for five years after escaping the Federal Correctional Institute in Englewood was arrested in Florida, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) announced Wednesday.
In February 2012, Allen Todd May, 58, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after he was convicted of mail fraud in the Northern District of Texas.
In January 2018, May was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institute in Englewood. During a prisoner count on Dec. 21, 2018, prison officials discovered May was missing and issued an escape notice, according to the USMS.
Authorities have been searching for May since December 2018.
On June 22, 2022, a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court of Colorado indicted May for his prison escape. He was also indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud and seven counts of mail fraud, the USMS said.
While he was in prison from at least mid-2016 to late 2018, May identified several businesses that were owed unclaimed oil and gas royalties, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The agency claims May filed fraudulent documents to act as the representative of those companies in order to claim the royalties for himself.
May is accused of collecting more than $700,000 in royalties, the USMS said.
Authorities in September announced a $5,000 reward for information about May's whereabouts. Since then, the U.S. Marshals Service has received "numerous tips" about May, the agency said. Investigators followed those leads to California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas and Florida.
Crime
Fugitive escapee accused of fraudulently collecting oil, gas royalties
An anonymous tipster told authorities about potential online profiles and websites May was allegedly using under the alias "Cary Bailey." Despite the information, investigators were not able to pin down a location.
On July 25, the same tipster sent in a photo of May that had been published on the Palm Beach Daily News website, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Investigators learned of a previously unknown alias and a possible location for May at a penthouse apartment in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force sent the lead to the U.S. Marshals in the Southern District of Florida on July 28. Three days later, Florida investigators set up surveillance on the apartment, but found no signs of May, according to the USMS.
On August 1, May's suspected partner was spotted leaving the Palm Beach apartment in a U-Haul rental truck. Investigators followed them almost 50 miles to a home near East Cypress Creek Road and Northeast 18th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. A large number of homes in the area — which is less than two miles from the ocean — are valued above $1 million, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Investigators finally saw a man come out of the home, who they believed to be May. While movers were unloading the U-Haul, authorities contacted the man and placed him in custody. Investigators later confirmed his identity as Allen Todd May, the USMS.
May was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail and will be transported back to Colorado to face charges.
“I’d like to recognize and thank the anonymous tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this unorthodox fugitive,” said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor in a statement. “I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible tenacity of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who pursued every lead over the years in the District of Colorado, culminating in the arrest in the Southern District of Florida last night. Their relentless pursuit of this fugitive and the coordination of the agencies involved is a true testament to the U.S. Marshals Service’s mission.”
