Bristol County ‘Most Wanted’ Man Captured in Vermont

WOODSTOCK, VT — A man recently featured on the newly created Bristol County Most Wanted Fugitives List has been captured in Vermont.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III's Office says Anthony Schmitka, 58, formerly of Norton, Ma, was tracked down and apprehended in Woodstock, Vermont.

Prosecutors say Schmitka had been evading law enforcement since early 2016 when he failed to appear for a jury trial in Attleboro District Court. As a result of his failure to appear, Schmitka was indicted on two Superior Court charges of larceny over $250 from a person over the age of 60.

Schmitka was charged for allegedly systematically stealing more than $100,000 from his elderly father, a U.S. Military veteran. Prosecutors say Schmitka's father receive a retroactive benefits check in February 2013 for over $100,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Over the next year, Schmitka allegedly stole the money and used it to gamble in the lottery and at a local casino.

Norton Police received a tip in late February that Schmitka was hiding out in Vermont. The tip was received about a week after Schmitka's name and photo was released to the public as part of the launch of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office's Bristol County Most Wanted Fugitives List. The tip was passed along to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office State Police Unit and the Massachusetts Violent Apprehension Section.

Schmitka was arrested on Wednesday with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals. He has waived rendition and will be transported to Massachusetts to face the multiple charges against him in Fall River Superior Court sometime next week.

“I am very pleased this fugitive was arrested in Vermont through the cooperation of a number of law enforcement agencies.  This case highlights the efforts that we will undertake to locate and apprehend fugitives who skip court or who are wanted for serious crimes,” District Attorney Quinn said. “I want to sincerely thank all the agencies for their cooperative efforts in this case.”