A Russian fugitive evaded arrest and became a minor celebrity by masquerading as a U.S. citizen hitch-hiking across the country for a record attempt, the state security service said Monday.
Unsuspecting national television stations broadcast reports on an attempt by the man, who spoke only in English and wore an orange bandana, to claim a place in the record books by crossing Russia with no money or travel documents.
But despite the publicity, he was not recognized.
He was finally picked up by police after being spotted loitering at a university in the Volga river city of Samara, over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) from his native Primorye region, on Russia's Pacific coast.
Managing to get 5,000 miles and still getting picked up? Bad luck, eh?
