Peoria Ponzi Couple Arrested

A Peoria couple who fled a conviction for running a Ponzi scheme has been captured in a small town west of Phoenix after a dozen years on the run, the U.S. Marshals Service said. 

The arrests of 65-year-old Nelson Grant Hallahan and his 54-year-old wife, Janet Hallahan, Saturday came after they were featured on America's Most Wanted the previous night. A tip led deputy U.S. marshals to the couple in the community of Tonopah.

The Hallahans lived in Peoria and targeted family, friends and elderly victims by promising significant returns on investments. They used the millions they netted to live a lavish lifestyle.

The Hallahans further defrauded investors by selling interest in a tanning salon, deputy U.S. marshals said. The tanning business was subsequently sold without telling investors, investigators said. During this time, the Hallahans maintained a lavish lifestyle to include owning yachts, luxury vehicles, designer clothes and jewelry, the U.S. Marshals Service said. 

The Hallahans pleaded guilty to these charges in an Illinois Federal Court, but failed to appear for sentencing, owing investors nearly $1.2 million. The decade-long run from the law began in January 2000, when arrests warrants were issued for the Hallahans. Over the past 12 years, the Hallahans reportedly have been in several states in the southwestern United States using numerous aliases to avoid apprehension.

The Hallahans were taken into custody without incident. It is believed that they have been hiding in Arizona for the past couple of years.