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As fugitives, Nelson Grant Hallahan, 65, and wife Janet Hallahan,54, lived in several states in the Southwest and had used a numberof aliases, the Marshals Service said Sunday. The two were arrested by deputy marshals Saturday afternoon inTonopah, a desert community 50 miles west of Phoenix . Officials believe they hid in Arizona for the past couple years. RELATED: Five top investment strategies "The 12-year run from justice of the Hallahans, also known asthe 'Mini Madoffs,' has come to an end," US Marshal for Arizona David Gonzales said in a statement. "Theirinvestment scams involving family, friends, and the elderly, ruinedmany lives." The agency said it received a tip about their location after theywere featured on " America's Most Wanted " the previous night. The couple pleaded guilty in Illinois federal court to bank andmail fraud conspiracy charges and money laundering. They didn'tshow up for their sentencing and began life on the run. While living in Peoria , Ill., the couple promised their victims significant returns oninvestments, the Marshal Service said. They were actually running aPonzi scheme, repaying earlier investors with proceeds from newones. They also defrauded investors by selling interests in atanning salon they later sold without telling investors, thestatement said. The Marshal Service said the couple netted millions of dollars fromvictims, and maintained a lavish lifestyle, buying yachts, luxuryvehicles, designer clothes and jewelry. Teresa Allred, 63, said she and her husband went to dinner with theHallahans several times and had considered them friends. They gave the Hallahans $15,000 to buy more tanning beds for thesalon. Allred, who lives with her husband just outside Peoria inMorton, Ill., said the Hallahans promised them a 10 percentinterest rate on the investment. Allred told The Associated Press Sunday night that they never saw the money again. "When she (Janet) was borrowing money from us to buy tanningbeds, she had already sold the tanning salon," she said. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" she said. According to a profile on the AMW website, Nelson Hallahan was asuccessful life insurance salesman. Janet Hallahan was hisassistant and secretary, and the couple married in 1988. The Hallahans owed nearly $1.2 million to investors when theydisappeared just days before they were to be sentenced in January2000. Matt Hershey , a supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal, said the Hallahans were livingapart and were arrested without incident at separate homes. "I'm just glad that they've been found," Allred said."We may or may not see our money, but at least I feel likethere's a little bit of restitution." Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. RELATED: Five top investment strategies. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Body Contouring Machine , Skin Rejuvenation Machine, and more. For more , please visit Laser IPL RF today!
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