CANTON, New York (WWNY) – The Canton community knew him as Justin Phillips, a college student and someone who worked the front desk at an inn.
Then came the news that he was really Anthony Lennon, a convicted sex offender who was one of Oklahoma’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.
Lennon was on the run from the law for 13 years. That ended last Thursday in the Canton Price Chopper parking lot.
“Many, many individual deputy U.S Marshals worked on this case for various sightings, various leads, made trips to Nevada, Texas, and Tennessee chasing leads on him,” said Johnny Kuhlman, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Oklahoma.
Lennon was convicted of aggravated child pornography in 2008.
Years later, in 2012, he was wanted again on multiple counts of possessing child pornography, when he faked his own death at a motel where he worked and went on the run for 13 years.
Then, last week, Kuhlman says his office got a tip.
“I’m not going to divulge where that information came from or what it was, but that led us to send a couple of deputy U.S. Marshals to upstate New York,” he said.
Authorities don’t know how long Lennon was in Canton.
Going by the name Justin Phillips, he was working the front desk at the Holiday Inn Express and taking classes at SUNY Canton, enrolling in 2024 in the engineering science program.
“People have had contact with him in our community. There’s no doubt he’s been here for whatever length of time. There are people in our community at times that are questionable, and that’s what good police work does: find these things,” said Canton Mayor Michael Dalton.
Kuhlman is asking those who knew him or may believe they are a victim of Lennon to reach out to either them or the New York State Police, who are leading the local investigation.
“We know what his past is like, but we have no idea what he may have done over the last 13 years,” said Kuhlman.
Police say they knew Justin Phillips was actually Anthony Lennon once they fingerprinted him. Now, state police are analyzing things found at his Canton area home.
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