Man missing 30 years, declared dead, found working in Vegas casino

(CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - Police say a man who's been missing for over 30 years was found living under an alias and working as a bookie in a Las Vegas casino

Arthur Gerald Jones, now 72, was arrested Tuesday on four felony counts related to identity theft and fraud after a report that he fraudulently used a Social Security number led to an investigation.

Court records paint a picture of Arthur Gerald Jones as a former Chicago commodities broker who was tormented by snowballing gambling debts and a troubled marriage, when he left home to run an errand in the spring of 1979 and never returned.

FBI agents investigated his disappearance, focusing on a possible Mafia connection, but never solved the case, and an Illinois court declared the husband and father of three dead in 1986.

Jones' wife, Joanne Esplin, and children received $47,000 in survivor benefits from Social Security.

The 72-year-old told investigators, according to a criminal complaint, that he needed a "fresh start" and never spoke to his family and friends in Illinois after his disappearance.

Authorities say Jones has spent the past 10 years working as a bookie under the name Joseph Richard Sandelli.

Before disappearing, Jones paid a friend in Chicago $800 for fake documents and a Social Security number belonging to another man, authorities said.

Jones' lawyer, Stephen Stein, says the Nevada attorney general is offering his client a plea deal that would allow him to plead guilty to just one of the charges and face probation. Jones posted bail $20,000 bail Thursday and has not discussed the plea deal with Stein.

Stein said his client has friends in Las Vegas who "consider him family" and who sprang to his defense after the arrest.

He is set for an Aug. 23 court hearing.