Florida Fugitive from Justice Joseph Keenan May, Sentenced on Eight Federal Felonies

Joseph May in a 1990's manatee County Booking photo.
Joseph May in a 1990’s manatee County Booking photo.

Long-time Alaska resident and fugitive, Joseph Keenan May, who took the identity of his long-dead brother, Michael Camp, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after his plea to eight felony charges, U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced on Tuesday.

May AKA Camp, who was arrested at his Eagle River trailer-home in the early morning on June 20th, took his dead step-brother’s name and fled the state of Florida, in an attempt to outrun charges of Capital Sexual Battery filed in 1991, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution filed in 1993. He was arrested in Eagle River on two counts of Unlawful Use of a Social Security Number and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft.

In July of 2014, May was charged with three new federal offenses. He was charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearms while being a Fugitive from Justice, Unlawfully Possessing Unregistered Explosive Devices, and False Information on a Federal Firearms License. Then, in November of 2014, May was charged with Possession of Child Pornography.

These four additional charges came as a result of the search warrants carried out in his residence. The executed search warrant would uncover eight firearms, an exploding arrow and at least nine hand grenades. Investigators also uncovered child pornography on the computer that they seized from his home.

Also found in his home were “hate-filled writings authored by May. In these journals, May expressed hatred for Muslims, for the President of the United States, and other groups, and he discussed taking violent actions against those he opposed,” the Justicce Department revealed.

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At sentencing, United States District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason also ordered May to pay restitution in the amount of $8,684 to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development for Unemployment Benefits that he obtained through the use of the false name.

May, a former Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy, was arrested and accused of raping a 6-year-old girl in Manatee County, Florida on numerous occasions between 1970 and 1977. When arrested, May’s bond was set high, but, in 1990, a Florida judge lowered May’s bond to $5,000. May bailed out and fled the state.

May’s plot to avoid prosecution began to unravel after applying for Social Security benefits in 2013. That was when that agency uncovered May’s deception and notified federal authorities.

If convicted on the charges of Capital Sexual Battery in the state of Florida, May faces a sentence of life in prison and the possibility of the death sentence.