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 Office in Denver, Thrasher fled to Canada, where he lived for 10 years using a stolen identity.
He then returned to the United States and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he lived using the same stolen identity.
Recently, the U.S. Marshals Service developed information about Thrasher’s whereabouts, leading to his arrest.
Thrasher was originally stopped by Fountain police on July 31, 1994. During the traffic stop, police recovered a sawed-off, 20-gauge shotgun as well as two shotgun shells in Thrasher’s pocket.
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.
Prior to his guilty pleas in federal court in June 1995, Thrasher had pleaded guilty to felony theft in El Paso County District Court.
The original investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fountain Police Department.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
