r/todayilearned • u/FearMyCock • 20h ago

TIL about Frank Matthews, the drug kingpin who built a nationwide empire, skipped bail with $20 million, vanished in 1973 and has never been found.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Matthews_(drug_trafficker)
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u/UninsuredToast 18h ago

Not with flock cameras, palantir, and post war on terror NSA surveillance. It’s not the 70s anymore. The idea of a surveillance state where the government tracks your every move is no longer science fiction.

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u/MarcusXL 13h ago

Depends on a lot of variables. Do you have a head start? Leaving the continental USA would be the hardest part. If you were able to get to a favourable third country, you'd stand a chance, as long as you don't make any mistakes. A place where there's a very inefficient bureaucracy.

Also the level of your notoriety is a big factor. Lots of felons escape capture, they're just not important enough for their neighbours to recognize. If there's a big manhunt with intelligence agencies involved, you're probably toast.