Kentucky theft suspect on the run since 2018 found in SC

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - A Kentucky man accused of stealing around $25,000 from a nonprofit to pay off social media scammers was found in South Carolina, after being on the run since November 2018, authorities said.

David Boggs Jr. was arrested Thursday, more than 570 days after his disappearance, news outlets reported. The former executive director of Paducah’s annual Barbecue on the River festival was charged with theft by unlawful taking of more than $10,000.

Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird said Boggs, 50, sent an inappropriate image to someone and was later led to believe the person was underage. Laird said the incident was a “common social media scam.”

Boggs sent the scammers thousands of dollars of his own money and then began using funds from barbecue organization, stealing around $25,000, Laird said.

Boggs was reported missing in early November 2018, around the time the organization realized Boggs was stealing the money.

In April, authorities tracked Boggs to South Carolina where he was seen in videos and photos helping the homeless through an outreach organization.

Boggs told police Thursday that he stole the money and spent six months living in the woods before moving to a mobile home park in Columbia, South Carolina.

It’s unclear when or if Boggs will be extradited to Kentucky. It’s also unclear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.