A British man who spent almost 20 years as a fugitive in the US has been jailed for five years after admitting the theft of a security van containing £1.2 million.
Eddie Maher – known as “Fast Eddie” – had been wanted by Suffolk Police after the Securicor van he was driving disappeared from outside a Lloyds Bank branch in Felixstowe on January 22, 1993.
The 57-year-old, originally from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was arrested by US authorities in February last year.
He had been due to stand trial for theft after being deported from the UK but changed his plea to guilty.
Jailing him at Southwark Crown Court, Mr Justice Nicol said: “You made a very substantial gain even if, as you say, the money has now gone.”
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