Written by :
Published on :
A man declared legally dead after disappearing amid gambling and marital problems 32 years ago has turned up alive in Las Vegas.
Arthur Gerald Jones, a husband and father of three, was reported missing May 11, 1979, and declared dead by an Illinois court in 1986.
FBI agents investigating the disappearance had initially believed that Jones disappearance was a possible mob hit.
The 72-year-old was arrested on Tuesday on four felony counts related to identity theft and fraud.
Authorities say before Jones disappeared, he paid a friend in Chicago $800 for fake documents and a Social Security number belonging to another man.
He is set for an Aug. 23 court hearing.
A criminal complaint filed Monday in Las Vegas Justice Court paints the picture of a powerful Chicago financier tormented by snowballing gambling debts.
Jones told investigators he held a seat with the Chicago Board of Trade and lived with his wife, Joanne Esplin, and three young children in Highland Park, Ill.
But Jones said he was forced to sell his board seat to pay debts, according to the affidavit.
Esplin said she suspected her husband was delivering money or running errands for the Chicago mob.
His marriage troubled and finances in shambles, Jones told investigators he decided to leave to get a "fresh start," the affidavit said.
- Gambling911.com Staff and The Associated Press
