DOYLESTOWN, PA – Abigail Tuttle O’Keeffe, a fugitive wanted on over 100 counts of animal cruelty in Bucks County, has been returned to the United States following her arrest and deportation from Belize.
According to the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, O’Keeffe was met by law enforcement at Philadelphia International Airport on September 20, 2025, around 10:30 p.m., and turned over to the Newtown Township Police Department. The extradition marks a major international coordination effort between multiple U.S. agencies and Belizean authorities.
O’Keeffe was originally charged in January 2025 after an investigation by the Bucks County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, described as the largest farm animal cruelty case in county history. She fled the country shortly after charges were filed.
On April 25, O’Keeffe was arrested in Benque Viejo, Belize, on an unrelated firearm charge. Following the resolution of her case in Belize on September 18, authorities coordinated her deportation to the U.S.
The complex operation involved the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations, U.S. Department of State, INTERPOL, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, and the Newtown Township Police Department.
“This case proves fugitives cannot escape accountability by crossing a border,” said Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran. “Thanks to our partnerships and coordinated efforts, she is back in Bucks County to face justice.”
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized the role of their embedded deputy in the U.S. Marshals Task Force, which was instrumental in tracking and facilitating O’Keeffe’s return.
