Credit: Bucks County Sheriff’s Office
Fugitive Vincent Belmont III couldn’t outrun the law.
Belmont was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia by University of Pennsylvania police. The 41 year old has been on the run since December 2013, when Middletown Detective David Strother filed a warrant for 47 charges, including corrupt organizations, obtaining a controlled substance and forgery.
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Belmont is accused of illegally obtaining more than 15,000 prescription pills. According to court papers, a tipster reported Belmont also had several people go to doctors to get prescriptions filled.
By all accounts, Belmont tried his best to avoid capture. Strother said since 2013, he has received various information indicating that Belmont may have been living in Florida and later with a possible motorcycle gang member in New Jersey. The detective said in 2014 he missed Belmont at a New Jersey location by only 48 hours.
On Thursday, Strother got information Belmont was at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia with his girlfriend. Middletown police contacted officers in the city and Belmont was taken into custody.
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According to court papers, Belmont went to 10 different doctors and had prescriptions filled at 10 different pharmacies in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
In 2013, an informant told police Belmont asked them to go to a Montgomery County doctor and get a prescription. After the informant got the prescription, they filled the order at a Trevose pharmacy and split the pills, authorities said.
Belmont used false medical records to scam pills and reportedly helped others do the same, according to court papers.
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In late September 2013, Belmont told detectives he wanted to help their investigation; he disappeared a few months later, police said.
Belmont was arraigned by District Judge Joanne Kline and sent to Bucks County prison on 10 percent of $75,000.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
