A Nigerian fugitive charged with fraud has been on the run since 1998, and U.S. marshals are asking readers of The Washington Examiner for help in finally bringing him to justice.
U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Olatunji “Tony” Shanu in Memphis, Tenn., on fraud charges. He posted bond and has not been heard from since.
In 2000, deputies got close to Shanu in Maryland but could not catch him, and the trail went cold after that. Marshals believe Shanu is still in the D.C. area.
“The U.S. Marshals Service never stops looking for fugitives, and we want all the fugitives out there to know that,” said Matt Burke, supervisory inspector for the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Shanu’s other arrest was for sneaking contraband into a prison.
Shanu, 39, has friends and family in Hyattsville, Capital Heights, Silver Spring and Odenton. He also has ties to Alexandria and Northeast D.C.
Shanu is listed as 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. He has a small scar in the middle of his forehead.
“Fraud cases are often more difficult cases because these fugitives often generate new identities, and they are not always given the same level of attention as violent offense,” Burke said. “We’d like The Examiner’s readers to help us generate new leads on this fugitive who has been out there too long.”
The Examiner features a “Most Wanted” fugitive each week. Information provided by readers of The Examiner has helped capture 20 fugitives — including three in one week earlier this month. One of them was a woman who had been on the run for 12 years who was found in Fredericksburg.
Anyone with information regarding Shanu should call the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force at 301-489-1717. The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, run by the U.S. Marshals Service, is composed of 30 federal, state and local agencies from Baltimore to Norfolk. The unit has captured more than 29,000 wanted fugitives since its creation in 2004.
