An Arizona fugitive who faked his own cartel kidnapping to cover gambling losses has been apprehended, police said Wednesday.
Mark Ellis, 33, was arrested Tuesday night after Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Prescott Police Department officers discovered him hiding in the back of a vehicle in Prescott.
According to YCSO, Ellis fled midway through his trial on counts of fraud and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The charges come from a complex fraud scheme in early 2025. Prosecutors said Ellis texted his boss, alleging the Sinaloa cartel had kidnapped him and threatened to kill him unless he paid a $17,000 ransom.
According to the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office, Ellis also called his employer via FaceTime from what he described as a basement, appealing for the money and alleging the cartel was holding him captive.
His company notified YCSO, and officers soon discovered Ellis at home with his girlfriend, who police claimed was ignorant of the scam.
According to investigators, Ellis admitted to staging the kidnapping to recover his online gambling losses.
According to prosecutors, the “basement” where Ellis recorded the FaceTime session was actually his garage.
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