Palm Beach DUI Manslaughter Results in Arrest of Defendant After More Than a Decade

A man who fled from a Palm Beach DUI Manslaughter conviction more than a decade ago has been captured in Israel, the Post reported.

The 37-year-old has been arrested in Tel Aviv and his father also faces charges of helping him flee the country. He had been convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison for killing a father of two in a drunk driving accident in 1998. He now faces both the DUI sentence and a federal count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Our Palm Beach DUI lawyers recently reported that local warrants for DUI are dismissed after eight years. But a defendant does himself no favors by hiding from a charge. Visiting an experienced attorney and clearing an old warrant is typically the best course of action. In this case, the charges were much more serious, of course. And the conviction means no warrant dismissal or statute of limitations would have ever cleared the defendant’s name.

Instead, he fled for Israel under an assumed name and became a citizen in 2000. He had been profiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and featured on America’s Most Wanted.

It’s believed his fake passport ultimately led to his capture; his father was arrested while on board a plane preparing to depart for Israel.

The defendant was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on Feb. 19, 1998. Police say he was racing down Linton Boulevard in Boca Raton when he slammed into the back of the victim’s Ford Ranger. The victim died and the defendant drove away. The judge cited a previous history of DUI in issuing the lengthy prison sentence.

Upon conviction, he was outfitted with an ankle monitor and posted $50,000 bond. He failed to appear on June 16 to start his sentence.

If you are facing criminal charges in Broward or Palm Beach counties, contact the Law Offices of Leifert & Leifert, a Partnership of Former Prosecutors, for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1.888.5.DEFEND.