One of OK’s “Most Wanted,” Arrested After 13 Years Hiding in Upstate NY

One of Oklahoma's 10 Most Wanted

A convicted Oklahoma sex offender who faked his own abduction more than a decade ago has been arrested in Upstate New York, where officials say he was living under an alias and enrolled in college.

Anthony Lennon, 44, was one of Oklahoma’s Ten Most Wanted before being captured recently by U.S. Marshals and New York authorities.

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Faked His Abduction

According to sources, Lennon allegedly staged a bloody kidnapping scene in 2012 to dodge new child-pornography charges, emptied his bank accounts, and vanished. Investigators later determined the abduction was fake.

He was arrested at the end of October, after fingerprints confirmed his true identity.

Lennon, according to sources, was first convicted in 2010 after police found roughly 50 gigabytes of child sexual-abuse images on his computer. When more evidence was discovered in 2012, including chat logs, CDs, and explicit material, he disappeared before his arrest.

Enrolled in College in Upstate New York

For years, only faint traces surfaced.

Police discovered an Amazon purchase in North Carolina in 2020 and a possible sighting in Dallas in 2022. According to federal court filings, Lennon later obtained false identification and enrolled at SUNY Canton in northern New York under the name “Justin Phillips,” studying engineering science and living off campus.

Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond said Lennon “evaded justice for far too long but will now face the consequences of his actions.”

It’s unclear where Lennon is currently being held as state and federal authorities coordinate extradition to Oklahoma.