Minn. Tax Fugitive Arrested in Florida

Robert B. Beale appeared Friday before a Florida judge and is expected to be extradited to Minnesota, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis.

Beale, 64, was founder and chief executive of Comtrol Corp. of Maple Grove, a computer parts company now under new ownership. He was indicted in January 2006 on one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and five counts of tax evasion, for allegedly failing to pay personal income tax on more than $5.6 million.

Prosecutors said Beale engaged in a concerted effort to conceal his salary from the IRS and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. A former Comtrol executive, Lee Stagni, was convicted in September 2006 for assisting Beale's efforts.

A warrant was issued for Beale's arrest after he failed to appear for the start of his federal trial on Aug. 14, 2006.

The U.S. attorney's office said he was taken into custody in Orlando, but had no other details of the arrest or his activities during the last year.