A man who tried to fake his suicide six years ago was found, and arrested, in Montana, according to a press release from the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office.

Charles Matthew Early, 34, formerly of Fairmount, is currently being held in the Gallatin County Jail in Montana awaiting extradition.

Early was originally arrested by the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office in February 2002 on cocaine trafficking and weapons charges.

In March 2003, Early was reported missing to Gilmer County, Georgia authorities and to the Geor-gia Bureau of Investigation after his vehicle and what appeared to be a suicide note was found at an abandoned campsite near Carter’s Lake. GBI and Gilmer County detectives investigated the case, but no body was found. Early subsequently failed to appear in Gordon County Superior Court in July, 2003. A warrant for his arrest was issued & has remained active since that time. Since Early’s disappearance in 2003, Gordon County authorities had developed no leads or other information regarding his whereabouts.

He was caught after an unidentified Oakman man reported to the sheriff’s office that someone us-ing his name had applied for and received a Montana driver’s license. When the man attempted to renew his Georgia license, he discovered that someone in Montana had used his name to obtain a license.

The Sheriff’s Office in turn notified the authorities in Montana and the United States Marshal’s Service with the relevant information concerning Early’S whereabouts. Fingerprints were used to verify Early’s correct identity.

At approximately 7 p.m (Mountain Time) Saturday evening, Early was arrested without incident in Bozeman, Montana by the Bozeman Police. He is being held in the Gallatin County, Montana jail pending extradition to Georgia.

Montana authorities believe that Early lived quietly in the Bozeman area. The arresting officer told a Gordon County Sheriff’s lieutenant that Early was cooking a roast at a barbeque when he was arrested Saturday night.

Early’S family has been notified of his reappearance, and investigating officers do not have any evidence to believe that anyone in this jurisdiction has had knowledge of his whereabouts since he was reported missing.