The FBI's Most Wanted Fugitive was captured in Nicaragua recently and his custody was officially given to the United States on Monday. Eric Justin Toth, 31, of Maryland, was a schoolteacher at the Beauvoir Elementary School, located at the Washington National Cathedral in Woodley Park, D.C.
Eric Justin Toth was charged in 2008 with filming child pornography and accused of the distribution of porn, after a fellow teacher at the Northwest D.C. private school allegedly found images of pornography on his computer. He was escorted off the National Cathedral property and promptly disappeared by the time school officials notified police.
The Washington Post reported that in addition to his alleged taping and distribution of pornography via his computer, Toth had allegedly installed a video camera in the boys' bathroom at the school as well as had babysat some of the children at the school, often long-term. He also was accused by some parents of meeting his students in the classroom closet to "hold them on his lap."
Arrest warrants were issued in Maryland and the District of Columbia but Eric Toth had reportedly already left the area. He reportedly withdrew money at an Arlington, Va. banknear his home of Fairfax, Va. and spent a day at his family's home in Indiana. His car was later found at the Minneapolis airport, having authorities thinking he had either committed suicide from a questionable note, or left the United States. He later became the 495th person to be added to the FBI's Most Wanted list in April 2012 after the killing of terrorist Osama bin Laden as well as the capture of Boston criminal James "Whitey" Bulger.
However, he was found in 2008 at an Arizona homeless shelter using the alias David Bussone, reportedly the name of someone he had met in Phoenix. After someone allegedly saw his story on "America's Most Wanted," they called authorities to give his new whereabouts, but Toth/Bussone had disappeared again.
A noted "computer expert", Eric Justin Toth allegedly counterfeited various customs documents including a bogus passport and credit cards. Over the weekend, Toth was found to be living in Esteli, Nicaragua, near the border with Honduras.
Nicaraguan Police Chief Aminta Granera said authorities in the Latin American country were originally notified that Toth was living in Nicaragua in February and began to track him down. She could not say whether he was continuing his illicit practices in Nicaragua while he was living there. Because Toth had been using a third alias, Robert Shaw Walker, Nicaraguan authorities issued "immediate deportation" orders due to his false identity. He was given to American authorities Monday at Managua International Airport.
Beauvoir Elementary School officials released the following statement on the capture of Eric Justin Toth: "We commend the work of the Office of the U.S. Attorney and the FBI for their ongoing efforts to apprehend Mr. Toth. They have been tenacious and resolute in their quest to bring this case to justice."
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