Andover Man Who Faked His Death To Avoid Charges Arrested In Georgia
ANDOVER (CBS) – An Andover man who faked his own death to avoid prosecution in Rhode Island has been arrested by U.S. Marshals.
U.S. Marshals found David Staveley, of Andover, living in Georgia under a false identity. He was arrested Thursday in Alpharetta, Georgia. Officials said Staveley had multiple forms of identification with different names when they arrested him.
Staveley and David Butziger, of Warwick, Rhode Island, are accused of trying to secure $543,959 in loans meant for small businesses struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. They are the first in the nation to be charged with fraudulently seeking loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Both were charged in May.
Staveley was released to his home with a GPS monitor. The monitor was removed on May 26, and U.S. Marshals in Rhode Island began a fugitive investigation.
Stavely's vehicle was found near a beach in Quincy. The vehicle was unlocked with the key in the ignition and contained Staveley's credit cards and driver's license and a suicide note. Massachusetts State Police searched for Staveley's body, but it was never found. U.S. Marshals determined he faked his death.
Staveley, who also goes by Kurt D. Sanborn, allegedly claimed he had employees working at two restaurants in Rhode Island and one in Berlin, Massachusetts while seeking more than $438,500. But the former Remington House in Warwick and On The Trax in Berlin have been closed since before the COVID-19 pandemic began. And he has no connection to Rhode Island's Top Of The Bay restaurant that was also in his claim, according to the U.S. attorney.