A man wanted for more than three decades for his involvement in a railroad drug ring was arrested Wednesday in Marion County, federal investigators said.
Howard Farley Jr., 72, described as a “drug kingpin,” was arrested in Weirsdale after officials said he’d been living under a fake identity since 1985.
According to a criminal complaint that referred to Farley as “John Doe,” he had been living under the name of a dead child since 1985, when he evaded custody after being indicted on federal narcotics conspiracy charges in Nebraska.
Records show that Farley was the only defendant, out of 73, that was not apprehended in the case. Investigators said Farley was alleged to be the “drug kingpin” of a railroad line that was used by the drug dealers to distribute narcotics throughout the U.S.
Investigators said at the time of his arrest, Farley was attempting to board his private aircraft in the hangar at his Weirsdale home. They said he flew using a fraudulent pilot’s license in the name of the deceased child.
If convicted on the charges of passport fraud for which he was arrested on Wednesday, officials said Farley faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.