OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — It had been more than 33 years since Anthony Rackley was behind bars in Maryland. Rackley escaped from custody in July of 1980, assumed the identity ‘Jack Watson’ and made his way to Oklahoma according to FOX affiliate KOKH. The TV station reports he was a free man until earlier this week when he called police to report his business partner for extortion.
In the process, Rackley told police that he was being extorted by his partner because he had come clean about his escape from prison sometime in 2003. KOKH says that he told police he, “Didn’t care if he went back to prison, he didn’t want anyone blackmailing him.”
He and his business partner ran a murky scheme that on the surface raised funds for the Belle Isle Lions Club, but only about 20 percent of the funds went to the club. Rackley kept a majority of the money, but after initially not caring about Rackley’s checkered past, his partner started asking for a bigger cut of the cash in 2004 and threatened to turn him in if he didn’t comply.
Rackley was reportedly done with the extortion plot after his partner demanded another 10 percent last Monday and he made his call to police. He was arrested for the outstanding warrant affixed to his real name and is awaiting extradition back to Maryland.
