Ex-Lawyer Caught In Pueblo Returns To Iowa Court To Face Charges

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - After years on the run, a former Iowa lawyer has appeared in court to answer fraud charges that made him one of the FBI's most wanted white-collar fugitives.

Dennis Bjorklund was arraigned in federal court in Des Moines on Monday, pleading not guilty to a 14-count indictment that charges him with defrauding clients and evading taxes.

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Investigators say Bjorklund vanished in 2010, when a grand jury returned the indictment. He was arrested in Pueblo, Colorado on April 15 during a traffic stop, and has been in custody since then.

Bjorklund once ran a Coralville law firm, representing people charged with drunk driving. The indictment alleges he defrauded clients by recommending they make contributions to a phony charity he controlled. Bjorklund is also charged with underreporting his income to avoid taxes.

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