Canadian fugitive wanted for sexual assault arrested by ICE after 30 years on the run

A Canadian man who has been wanted since 1991 for allegedly sexually assaulting a child has been arrested by ICE in the United States after 30 years on the run.

Charles Peter Billone, 64, was arrested in Santa Cruz, Calif., earlier this month. According to ICE records, he is currently in custody at the Golden State Annex detention facility pending removal proceedings.

On Aug. 4, following Billone’s arrest, San Francisco’s Enforcement and Removal Operations X account shared a post detailing his crimes.

“ICE San Francisco arrested Charles Peter Billone, 64, in Santa Cruz,” the post read. “A fugitive from Canada since 1991, he has stolen property, assault, and drug convictions, and is wanted in Canada for sexual assault involving a child. He is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

ICE San Francisco arrested Charles Peter Billone, 64, in Santa Cruz. A fugitive from Canada since 1991, he has stolen property, assault, and drug convictions, and is wanted in Canada for sexual assault involving a child. He is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. pic.twitter.com/dgViEQelwO

Billone, who was living in Hamilton, Ont., when he was accused in Canada, was arrested in 1991 for two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference. However, he failed to appear in court after being released on a recognizance, as reported by CBC .

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Under Section 151 of the Criminal Code of Canada, sexual interference is defined as touching any part of the body of a person under age 16 for a sexual purpose.

Toronto Sun previously reported that Billone is accused of sexually assaulting his nine-year old stepdaughter for three years, and that Hamilton police also believe he sexually assaulted his stepdaughter’s friend.

In 2014, Hamilton police renewed efforts to track Billone down. “Charles Billone no longer exists,” Det. Paul Henderson of Hamilton police’s fugitive apprehension unit said at the time. “We can’t find him through any traditional means.”

They said Billone may have assumed another identity to evade capture and believed at the time that he could have been living in Manitoba or New Brunswick, where he has family connections.

His arrest in Santa Cruz marks the end of a three-decade-long manhunt. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also shared news of his capture on X , writing: “Foreign criminals cannot hide in the shadows — we will do whatever it takes to find them and remove them from our nation.”