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Pinellas County, FL - A Florida sex offender who vanished 16 years ago after allegedly staging his own death has been arrested in Indiana.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, officials identified the man as 76-year-old Gary W. Howard, who was convicted in 2010 in Pinellas County on 22 counts of possessing child pornography and was on lifetime probation.
Authorities said Howard absconded from Florida State Probation shortly after his conviction and disappeared.
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His vehicle, a rental car registered under his name, was later discovered near Mauzy Lake in Kentucky.
Investigators determined that the discovery was part of a deliberate attempt by Howard to make it appear he had taken his own life to evade law enforcement.
Evidence collected at the scene suggested the suicide was staged.
Investigators later traced Howard to relatives living near Indianapolis, Indiana.
Working with the U.S. Marshals Service Western District of Kentucky and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, officers conducted surveillance and interviews that led them to a residence already under observation.
Howard was seen exiting the home and was taken into custody without incident.
During his arrest, Howard allegedly told officers he had hoped to die before being caught.
He is currently awaiting extradition to Florida, where he faces possible imprisonment for violating probation and up to 32 additional charges for failing to register as a sex offender.
Indiana prosecutors also plan to pursue related charges.