Edward Porta escaped from a federal prison in Virginia in 2008 while serving a sentence for fraud and related charges. Tips led deputies to a SeaTac motel room he’d rented under a fake name.
An escaped federal fugitive was arrested in SeaTac Wednesday after authorities were tipped off that he might be in the area, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Edward Porta had been on the run since escaping from a federal prison in Virginia in 2008 while serving a 38-month sentence for fraud and related charges.
He was arrested without incident after the tip led police to a motel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where Porta was found renting a room under a false name. Deputies lured him out by calling from the front desk about “a problem with the room,” according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Porta was booked into the King County Jail late Wednesday. Federal marshals planned to take him into custody Thursday, according to the news release.
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Authorities are unsure why Porta was in the SeaTac area, how long he’d been there or whether he’ll face additional charges related to the escape.