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‘Facebook Fugitive’ Paul Ceglia Found and Arrested in Ecuador

Paul Ceglia fled the U.S. after he faced criminal charges for doctoring a lawsuit between him and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

A 45-year-old wood pellet salesman who allegedly attempted to defraud Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been arrested in Ecuador, according to WGRZ. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick, prosecutors confirmed that Paul Ceglia was to be presented to court in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, “within 24 hours.” Reuters reports that Ceglia was a fugitive for 3 1/2 years after removing an ankle bracelet and fleeing the U.S. with his wife, two children, and dog less than two months before his trial in Manhattan on mail and wire fraud charges. In 2010, Ceglia filed a civil lawsuit claiming that Zuckerberg had “signed a 2003 contract giving [Ceglia] half of a planned social networking website.” The contract was found to be doctored by judges, and Ceglia was subsequently charged with mail fraud and wire fraud. Ceglia’s lawyer, Robert Ross Fogg, told Reuters he was “relieved” that Ceglia had been located and maintained that the contract between Zuckerberg and Ceglia was legitimate.