Wanted charity con-man arrested in Portland

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A man accused of stealing millions of dollars intended for veterans has been caught after nearly two years on the run.

Authorities say he has lived in Albuquerque, but was found hundreds of miles from here.

U.S. marshals caught the man who goes by the name Bobby Thompson Monday night, in Portland, Oregon.

They say Thompson is an alias and they do not know his real name.

Now that he is in custody police intend to find out who he is.

The feds say Thompson started a phony organization called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association.

It raised about $100 million which he promised would be used to help veterans, but investigators say he contributed some of it to high profile politicians and pocketed the rest.

Thompson vanished in June 2010 just before he was indicted in Ohio on charges of fraud and money laundering.

Authorities say he had a chapter there and took a good deal of money from people there.

U.S. marshals say Thompson has also lived in Albuquerque and knows the area well.

They say he is known for his ability to change his appearance and thought he might be hiding out here.

Authorities do believe he spent at least some time here after he fled.

They also tracked him through Massachusetts, Arizona, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida and Washington.

Authorities say tips did lead them to Portland, where they found Thompson Monday night around 10:30.

Thompson has used several aliases.

At one time he had actually assumed the identity of a New Mexico man who ran a legitimate veterans group.