Fugitive Sanford Resident Apprehended in Limerick Following Five-Year Flight From Child Sexual Assault Charges

Cody Smart, 33, was arrested in Limerick, Maine, on Wednesday after fleeing 2021 charges of gross sexual assault and solicitation of a nine-year-old.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 11:20 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from WABI

The Conclusion of a Multi-Year Manhunt in York County

A Sanford man who successfully evaded law enforcement for approximately five years is now in custody following a coordinated operation in the town of Limerick. Cody Smart, 33, was apprehended Wednesday by a team composed of York County Sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Marshals. The arrest marks the end of a long-standing fugitive investigation that began when Smart failed to appear for judicial proceedings related to severe felony allegations involving a minor, leaving local authorities to track his movements across the region for half a decade.

Origins of the 2021 Criminal Investigation

The case against Smart first materialized in 2021 when the York County Sheriff’s Office received a formal complaint regarding the welfare of a child. Following an initial investigation, deputies charged Smart with gross sexual assault and solicitation of a child. The victim in the case was identified as a nine-year-old. Shortly after the charges were filed and the legal process was initiated, investigators report that Smart abandoned his court obligations and went into hiding, effectively stalling the judicial process for several years.

Strategic Coordination Leads to a Break in the Case

The breakthrough that led to Wednesday's arrest resulted from a fresh set of leads developed by federal and local partners. By combining the local jurisdictional knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office with the investigative resources of the U.S. Marshals, task force members were able to pin down a specific location in Limerick. This inter-agency cooperation is often utilized in Maine to track high-priority fugitives who have managed to cross town lines or utilize rural hiding spots to avoid detection by standard patrol units.