A fugitive wanted for multiple murders has been captured after more than 25 years on the run.
Valentin Ftoni, 52, was arrested on Thursday (8 Oct) by the US Marshals Service (USMS), in coordination with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He is wanted in connection with three murders – including that of a husband and wife – and is the primary suspect in a fourth case.
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In August, acting on information provided by INTERPOL Tirana, the USMS launched an investigation to locate him in the US.
Investigators determined Ftoni, from Albania, had been residing unlawfully in the US under multiple aliases since the early 2000s.
He was believed to be in the New York metropolitan area.
The USMS referred a lead to its representative on the Homeland Security Task Force in New York, where investigators identified Ftoni’s location and arrested him.
Daniel Vizzi, acting director of INTERPOL Washington, said: “This case demonstrates exactly why international law enforcement information sharing matters.
“Information provided by our partners in Albania was rapidly operationalized in the United States and placed in the hands of investigators who could act on it.
“More than 25 years after this fugitive fled, cooperation between INTERPOL Washington, INTERPOL Tirana, and our law enforcement partners resulted in his capture.”
Ricky J. Patel, US Marshal for the Southern District of New York, said: “This arrest is a testament to the persistence and professionalism of our investigators and law enforcement partners.
“When our team received information that a fugitive wanted for multiple murders may have been living in the New York area under assumed identities, our investigators acted quickly to locate and apprehend him.
“No matter how much time has passed or how far a fugitive travels, we remain committed to ensuring they are held accountable.”
Ftoni was taken into federal custody following his arrest and will remain pending further immigration proceedings.
In a separate statement, the Albanian State Police said he was sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Shkodra Judicial District Court in 2001.
The sentence came after he killed two people in Ças, Velipojë, on 19 September 2000, “for blood feud reasons”, police said.
The same court handed him a second 25-year sentence in 2008 for the killing of a third person in August 2001.
Police said he is suspected of using “at least two false identities to illegally enter the territory of the United States”, and another “obtained from a Central American country”.
They are working with US law enforcement agencies “to complete the procedures for his extradition to Albania”.
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