Alvordton residents were likely surprised to learn that the man they knew as John Wolford was really Bennie Roberts, a fugitive for 36 years.
Roberts, now age 60, was arrested at 2:25 PM Thursday, October 29 at 203 S. Michigan Street in Alvordton, where he had lived for several years. Authorities eventually tracked him down there.
Roberts had originally been charged with armed robbery in 1980 by the Tampa Police Department, who allege that Roberts used a sawed-off shot gun to steal a kilo of cocaine from undercover officers posing as drug dealers. Roberts posted bond after the initial arrest but then skipped town. He had been on the run ever since.
Reports indicate that Roberts went peacefully. After his arrest, he was booked into the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio by the Williams County Sheriff’s office. He was scheduled to appear in Williams County Common Pleas court on Monday, October 3 to begin the process of extraditing him back to Florida.
Chelsie Firestone can be reached at chelsie@thevillagereporter.com