PADUCAH, Ky. (WSIL) -- A Paducah man missing since late 2018 has been found in South Carolina and arrested on theft charges.
Paducah Police say David G. Boggs, Jr., 50, was discovered in a mobile home park in Columbia, South Carolina Thursday and arrested on a warrant charging him with theft by unlawful taking of more than $10,000.
Boggs Jr., the former executive director of Paducah's annual Barbecue on the River festival, is accused of stealing nearly $25,000 from the organization's operating fund.
Boggs was reported missing by a friend in early November 2018. His disappearance came as Barbecue on the River posted a statement on its Facebook page reading, in part:
"We have recently discovered that David Boggs, an employee of BBQ on the River has stolen money from the 2018 festival operating expenses. The investigation thus far has revealed that the theft(s) took place over a short amount of time and have recently occurred."
Paducah Police say, during the investigation, they discovered Boggs was being blackmailed for thousands of dollars as part of a social media scam.
Investigators say Boggs had been writing checks to himself from the Barbecue on the River operating account for about six weeks to pay the blackmailer.
According to police, new information this April led to several search warrants and the connection to South Carolina.
