SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A fugitive from England is now charged in U.S. federal court with illegal possession of firearms. Law enforcement officers arrested Edward Maher, 56, on Wednesday after he and his home had been under surveillance by the Ozark Police Department and the FBI. Maher worked for a cable TV company.
Maher told FBI agents that he began working in the United States in 1998, and was using the name Michael Maher, which is his brother who lives in England.
Maher is wanted in England on a charge of stealing about 1 million pounds (English currency) while working as a security guard in 1993. That was worth about $1.6 million in 1993, a little less than it would be at today's international monetary exchange rates.
The U.S. attorney's office says Maher is an illegal alien. They found firearms in his home in Ozark and in a storage unit. It is against the law for an illegal alien to possess guns or ammunition.
The criminal complaint issued on Thursdays says Maher had a Hi-Point .45-caliber pistol, a Jennings .380 pistol, a Mauser 7.62x39 rifle, and a Mossberg .22-caliber rifle.
