CAPTURE REPORT

July 9, 2001

Two Crowe’s who flew the coop are finally behind bars tonight. United States Marshals in Key West, Florida arrested David and Martha Crowe, who were wanted for operating a pyramid scheme that bilked 96,000 people out of 48 million dollars, today. The arrests are a direct result of their July 9, 2001 profile on the Fox television show, “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back.

During the broadcast tipsters called the AMW hotline to say the Crowe’s were renting a cottage in a private community at Mile Marker 66 along the Overseas Highway in Key West. The tipsters said the Crowes were going by the names Allie and Clint Jackson and that they also had a boat that they used to travel back and forth between the Cayman Islands. When authorities arrived at the Jackson’s residence today, they positively identified the two individuals as David and Martha Crowe. Authorities also recovered firearms, books on how to change one's identity and bags full of gold coins.

Postal Service agents say the Crowes had been operating Gold Unlimited in Madisonville, Kentucky, which they claimed was a multi-level marketing company. Authorities say Gold Unlimited recruited thousands of investors because it marketed itself as a gold investment company. Recruits would invest a minimum of $200 and when they recruited two more individuals they would be rewarded with a gold coin worth about $400. Investors were actually encouraged to invest more than the initial $200 so their return would be greater. U.S. Postal Inspectors began investigating Gold Unlimited after they received consumer complaints that the company was actually a pyramid scheme.

By the time Gold Unlimited was closed down in March of 1995 it is estimated that 96,000 people joined Gold Unlimited, investing nearly 48 million dollars. Government officials seized much of the money but they believe nearly 10 million dollars is still missing.

In January of 1996, David and Martha Crowe were convicted of Money Laundering and Mail Fraud in Owensboro, Kentucky. David had been sentenced to eleven years and Martha was given ten years. The judge allowed the husband and wife to go home and get their affairs in order. They were allowed to “voluntarily” turn themselves over to prison authorities, however, neither David nor Martha showed up for their first day in prison.