British Man Arrested in United States for Armed Car Theft 19 Years Ago
Edward John Maher has been arrested in Ozark, Missouri 19 years after he allegedly stole an armored van with 1 million pounds in it. He is in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department (ICE).
The van contained more than one million pounds in notes and coins. Maher was a security guard and simply drove away in the van when another guard was making a delivery. The theft occurred in Lloyds Bank in Felixstowe, England in 1993.
The money was eventually transferred by Maher to a car. He drove to the airport and boarded a flight to the United States. British authorities had been unable to locate Maher since then. The police in Ozark, Missouri notified the Federal Bureau of Investigations that they believed Maher was a fugitive. Bridgette Patton, a spokeswoman for the FBI said that they contacted ICE. Authorities don’t know how long Maher has been living in Missouri.
Maher has been working for a local cable company in Missouri. The town he was living in, Ozark, has a population of only about 18,500 people. It is about ten miles from the third largest city in Missouri, which is Springfield.
The Ozark Police Department police chief said that it was a tip that led to the determination that Maher was wanted by the British authorities. Maher will stay in the custody of the ICE until removal proceedings can be carried out and he can be extradited back to England.
Maher’s son, Lee King, spoke to a local television station about the arrest. King said that he found out from his mom that he had a different last name and that he was born in England. He also found out that he was two years older than what he was originally made to believe.
