Syracuse fugitive of the week arrested after tip, sheriff says

A viewer’s tip led the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit to arrest William Eason at an apartment on South Crouse Avenue in Syracuse, ending a search that had put his face in the agency’s Fugitive of the Week lineup.

Eason, 38, had been wanted on a charge of third-degree felony grand larceny. In the notice circulated by local media, the sheriff’s office said the Syracuse man was being sought by the Warrant Unit, the division responsible for arresting people with outstanding warrants.

The case drew attention because investigators tied the warrant to allegations involving more than $73,000 in cash. A transcript from the Fugitive of the Week segment said detectives believed Eason made the money in a month, and that he was accused of stealing it from BJ’s Wholesale Club in DeWitt, where he worked.

The sheriff’s office confirmed the arrest after the tip came in. Local reporting identified the arresting unit as the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit, which used the public notice and the viewer’s lead to locate Eason.

For Onondaga County residents, the result offers a clear example of how the Fugitive of the Week system is intended to work: the sheriff’s office puts a wanted person’s name and details in front of the public, then depends on tips to narrow the search. In this case, the process moved from notice to arrest without a lengthy public chase, and the arrest suggests the system can produce results when someone recognizes a suspect and passes along information quickly.

The sheriff’s office wants that tip pipeline to stay focused and safe. Residents with information about a fugitive’s whereabouts are told to contact the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit at 315-435-3032. Officials also want the public to stay out of direct contact, making clear that callers should not chase, confront or try to engage a fugitive in person.

Eason’s arrest sends the case back into the court system on the felony grand larceny charge, where the allegations tied to the warrant will be handled through the criminal process.