Black Man Arrested After Faking Death to Avoid Sex Offender Registry: Authorities

A Black man, Benjamin Hollins, was finally taken into police custody after nearly a year on the run to avoid being listed as a sex offender. Hollins, a 50-year-old behavioral health counselor in Arizona City, had previously been registered as a sex offender in California over 20 years ago.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office accused Hollins of kidnapping a 16-year-old client and attempting to molest her, to which he pleaded guilty. However, he managed to avoid prison time by agreeing to supervised probation and the requirement to register as a sex offender annually.

In a shocking turn of events, Hollins allegedly convinced a woman to file a false report claiming he had died in 2023, leading authorities on a wild goose chase for his body. But on Tuesday, Chandler Police detectives tracked him down to a home in Mesa, Arizona, where he was living under a fake name with a family who had no knowledge of his past.

SWAT team members arrested Hollins, who appeared surprised to see the officers corner him. Sheriff Mark Lamb expressed satisfaction in capturing Hollins, stating, “Nice try, Benjamin. We found you: you’re not dead. We’re gonna hold you accountable.”

Hollins is set to appear in court on Tuesday, with his legal representation still unknown. The community is left shocked by the elaborate lengths Hollins went to in order to evade justice, but ultimately, the law caught up with him.