Investigators got a tip from TV show ‘America’s Most Wanted.’

Investigators got a tip from TV show ‘America’s Most Wanted.’

STAFF REPORT

CLEVELAND — An inmate who escaped from the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton eight years ago has been captured in Florida.

David Lee Green, 67, who had been on the U.S. Marshals’ “15 Most Wanted” fugitive list, was arrested Tuesday at a medical facility in Titusville, Fla., said Peter J. Elliott, U.S. marshal for Northern District of Ohio based in Cleveland. He said marshals from Ohio and the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in Orlando, acting on a tip, were able to capture Green.

Green, who escaped from prison June 19, 2000, had been serving a 235-month sentence for cocaine distribution.

He also was wanted for possession of a machine gun by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.

Before his escape, authorities believe he conditioned himself by running four to six miles a day and weaned himself off diabetic medication in anticipation of his run from justice.

The TV show “America’s Most Wanted” profiled Green three times over the years, most recently last month. Green was also profiled on WKYC as the Fugitive of the Week on several occasions. Many tips were received as a result of these airings and followed-up by U.S. Marshals investigators.

The U.S. Marshals in Cleveland developed information from a recent tip from “America’s Most Wanted” and sent a request to the marshals task force in Orlando on Monday. The tip proved to be the end of Green’s run as he was located and taken into custody, Elliott said.

Green will appear before a U.S. magistrate judge in Florida for his initial appearance to answer to the charge of escape.

“This case demonstrates how the U.S. Marshals’ capabilities to bring these fugitives to justice are enhanced when concerned citizens step up and provide valuable information,” said John F. Clark, Director of the United States Marshals Service. “Working together, we made a difference.”

Associates describe Green as a violent man, who ruled his Cleveland crime network by intimidation and viewed himself as “the general of his army.” He used family vacation trips as a cover for transporting drugs. During the 1980s and 1990s, Green flooded Cleveland with millions of dollars of cocaine.

“Daddy Dave” Green reputedly used a stun gun on his children and an iron fist with his narcotics distribution ring.

Because of the special notoriety of this case, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America posted Green’s wanted posters on highway billboards across the nation.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals “15 Most Wanted” fugitive list. During that time, 199 of 212 fugitives on the list have been found, leading to the convictions of some of the nation’s most violent felons.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at (866) 4-WANTED. Callers may remain anonymous.