RI Fugitive Arrested after 10 Years on the Lam

After 10 years on the run, James W. Bell is in police custody and due to finally face child molestation charges for allegedly assaulting three young girls in Middletown when he was a coach at a local YMCA.

Bell, who did not show up in court in 2004, was arrested in Spokane, Washington on Wednesday.

The 61-year-old was finally tracked down thanks to a tip the Federal Bureau of Investigation received that indicated he might be in the Spokane area.

“Mr. Bell thought he could run away and hide from the law, but he underestimated the FBI’s resolve to track him down,” said Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, in a statement. “We’d like to thank everyone who had the courage to call us with their tips as well as our law enforcement partners for their outstanding cooperation.”

Bell is being held in Washington pending extradition to Rhode Island.

Bell was one of Rhode Island’s most wanted fugitives as well one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. He was originally arrested in 2003 in Allyn, Washington — his home state — and brought back to Rhode Island where he was arraigned on multiple counts of child molestation in Newport County Superior Court.

He was released on bail but never showed up for a pretrial conference on July 15 of 2004.

On July 30 of 2004, Bell was charged with probation and bail violation for the now-show and a federal warrant was issued in 2006 for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Bell has worked as a gymnastics coach, instructor, computer repair technician and volunteer fireman.