<p class="speakable">A convicted sex offender hailed as one of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southwest/oklahoma" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Oklahoma’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives</a> has been captured after allegedly faking his own death and reportedly enrolling in a New York university.</p><p class="speakable">Anthony Lennon was taken into custody last week in Canton, New York, after nearly 13 years on the run, <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/news/press-release/us-marshals-capture-child-pornography-cold-case-fugitive" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to</a> the U.S. Marshals Service.</p><p>In 2008, Lennon was convicted on charges of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/sex-crimes" rel="noopener" target="_blank">child pornography</a> and handed a 20-year suspended sentence.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-teen-accused-faking-abduction-shooting-himself-sparking-amber-alert" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>FLORIDA TEEN ACCUSED OF FAKING ABDUCTION, SHOOTING HIMSELF AND SPARKING AMBER ALERT</strong></a></p><p>However, in 2012, authorities began searching for Lennon after learning he was allegedly in possession of additional child pornography, according to officials. Evidence found inside his home reportedly consisted of chat logs, external disks and graphic videos of children, police said.</p><p>As authorities closed in on the Super 8 Motel in Moore, Oklahoma, to arrest Lennon on additional charges, they realized that he had "staged an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/botched-crime-scene-handling-could-derail-prosecution-orleans-parish-jail-escapees-former-fbi-agent-says" rel="noopener" target="_blank">elaborate and bloody abduction</a> and robbery scene, leaving behind falsified evidence to make it appear he had been abducted," according to officials.</p><p>After successfully evading arrest, Lennon remained <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/manhunt" rel="noopener" target="_blank">on the run for 13 years</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/newly-released-video-shows-cops-cuffing-teen-linked-violent-sex-assault-scandal-that-has-families-fuming" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO SHOWS COPS CUFFING TEEN LINKED TO VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT SCANDAL THAT HAS FAMILIES FUMING</strong></a></p><p>"He went to extremes, and we did determine that the large amount of blood at the staged crime scene actually was his," Moore Poli​​ce Chief Todd Gibson said in a news conference, <a href="https://people.com/convicted-sex-offender-faked-own-death-captured-11842105" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to</a> People.</p><p>While on the run, Lennon allegedly adopted the alias "Justin Phillips," and was enrolled in college at the State University of New York at Canton at the time of his arrest, NNY360 <a href="https://www.nny360.com/top_stories/child-sex-offender-who-faked-his-abduction-13-years-ago-in-oklahoma-arrested-in-canton/article_6856b9f1-2b1d-5c39-a55c-9734325ba63a.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Lennon had previously earned a master’s degree in computer science and was working to obtain a doctorate at the time of his disappearance.</p><p>Detectives subsequently interviewed Lennon under his alias and used fingerprint analysis to confirm his identity, police said. He was taken into custody <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/northeast/new-york" rel="noopener" target="_blank">in New York</a> and is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma, People reported.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-parks-wildlife-ranger-charged-staging-fake-stabbing-incident-locked-down-schools" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong><u>COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE RANGER CHARGED WITH STAGING FAKE STABBING INCIDENT THAT LOCKED DOWN SCHOOLS</u></strong></a></p><p>Authorities are also working to determine if Lennon committed any additional crimes while on the run, <a href="https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/11/01/convicted-sex-offender-who-faked-his-death-captured-13-years-later/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to</a> 7News.</p><p><a href="https://foxnews.onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP</strong></a></p><p>"This case remains active and under investigation," the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-marshals-track-down-family-massacre-suspect-who-fled-vacation-hot-spot" rel="noopener" target="_blank">U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement</a>. "But with his capture we can now begin the process of holding Lennon accountable for the crimes he committed against children in our community."</p><p>The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. </p>