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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 12 June 2018

Air Force officer who vanished in 1983 found using fake ID

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) finement, forfeiture of all electronic surveillance air-
— An Air Force officer with pay and dishonorable dis- craft. He was supposed to
top security clearance who charge from the Air Force. be back in Albuquerque by
disappeared in New Mexi- He had been involved in August 1983.
co 35 years ago has been classified planning and An Office of Special Investi-
found in California after analysis of NATO's control, gations spokeswoman told
using a false name for de- command and commu- the Albuquerque Journal
cades, authorities said. nications surveillance sys- that there's no indication
William Howard Hughes Jr. tems during the Cold War. Hughes was involved with
was apprehended at his He specialized in radar sur- the Soviet Union or that any
home after a fraud investi- veillance. classified information was
gation, the Air Force Office Hughes, a captain at Kirt- leaked. It's unclear if he
of Special Investigations land Air Force Base, was 33 had an attorney who could
said in a statement. and single when he van- comment on his behalf.
He told authorities after his ished, according to news Several other fugitives are
capture Wednesday that reports from the time of his on the Air Force's wanted This undated photo provided by the U.S. Air Force Office of
Special Investigations shows William Howard Hughes Jr. Hughes
he was depressed about disappearance. He was list, including others who a Kirtland Air Force Base officer with top security clearance who
being in the Air Force and last seen withdrawing more have been on the run since disappeared 35 years ago who has been found in California.
decided to leave, saying than $28,000 in Albuquer- the 1980s for various rea- Associated Press
he created a fake identity que in summer 1983 after sons that stem from drug
and lived in California since returning from a two-week charges to security issues. caught a fugitive in Florida der another identity since
he vanished in 1983. vacation in Europe. Last year, investigators who had been living un- 1972.q
Hughes was charged with He had just completed a
desertion and is being held stint in the Netherlands,
at Travis Air Force Base in where he worked with
California. He could face NATO officers on the Air-
up to five years of con- borne Warning and Control

Report: Former New

Jersey Gov. Chris

Christie opens law firm

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — For- office in January after two
mer New Jersey Gov. Chris terms when he handed
Christie has started a new over state government to
chapter in his post-political Democrat Phil Murphy. He
life. soon announced he was
Christie has opened a new taking a position with ABC
law firm and returned to the News as a political analyst
trade that helped launch and legal contributor.
his career as an elected of- It's unclear exactly what
ficial. kind of law Christie will be
The Christie Law Firm was practicing at his new firm.
registered with the state Christie received his law
Office of Attorney Ethics degree from Seton Hall
in April and has an ad- University and worked on
dress registered to Christie's securities and election law
home in Mendham, ac- as a partner with a Cran-
cording to a report in The ford-based law firm before
Record . starting his political career.
State records also show He was the U.S. attorney
the Republican has an at- for New Jersey from 2002-
torney identification num- 2008 before winning the
ber and his law license is in governor's seat in 2009. He
good standing. was re-elected four years
Christie, a Republican, left later.q