A former Colorado Springs man on the run from the law for 14 years has been captured and returned to Colorado.
Ronald K. Thrasher, 48, pleaded guilty in June 1995 to a series of crimes related to drug trafficking and possession of a gun by a convicted felon.
Before he could be sentenced, he fled the country.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Denver, Thrasher went to Canada, where he lived for 10 years on a stolen identity.
He moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he lived under the same stolen identity.
Recently, the U.S. Marshals Service developed information about his whereabouts, leading to his arrest.
Thrasher originally was stopped by Fountain police on July 31, 1994. During the stop, police recovered a sawed-off 20-gauge shotgun.
Police recovered additional firearms, including a Norinco SKS rifle, and several packages of methamphetamine from his car.
Thrasher appeared in federal court in Denver on Tuesday and was ordered held without bail by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Watanabe.
Thrasher faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy.
He also faces up to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
