TURNER — A wanted fugitive in Texas was arrested in Turner after being stopped in his commercial vehicle for a safety inspection.
Troopers from the Commercial Vehicle Unit stopped the vehicle, which had New Hampshire plates, Friday afternoon along Route 4 to run a safety inspection, according to officials.
The driver of the box truck claimed he was from out of state and was driving without a license. He then gave police multiple different social security numbers, addresses, and dates of birth, which police say were all invalid.
When contacted, the driver’s wife and boss were also not willing to provide accurate information.
He was identified as 40-year-old Joshua Keith Darby of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Darby is wanted in Texas on money laundering charges.
He was arrested for failing to provide a correct name and date of birth, operating without a license, and possessing marijuana in a commercial vehicle.
Darby ran out of the cruiser to the woods while police were interviewing a passenger in the vehicle, starting a foot chase, officials said. He was caught a short time later in an icy bog.
Darby is being held at the Androscoggin County Jail pending his extradition along with the new Maine charges. Police say he has an extensive criminal history.
The circumstances leading to Darby’s presence in Maine are still under investigation.