DAPHNE, Ala. - The Daphne Police Department today announced the arrest of Michael Hagan, a prolific con artist whose latest scam was creating and selling ads for a faux news website with a URL address similar to that of Gulf Coast Newspapers, the parent company of The Bulletin, The Fairhope Courier, The Independent, The Times, The Onlooker and The Islander.

Hagan was arrested this morning in Scott County, Ky., according to a news release, and will be transferred to Baldwin County within a week. Agents with the US Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force facilitated the arrest.

Hagan was wanted in Daphne for taking nearly $2,000 from businessman David Braud for an advertisement for the website www.baldwinnewsnow.com. Baldwinnewsnow.com is not or has never been affiliated with Gulf Coast Newspapers or its website, www.baldwincountynow.com. Instead of providing unique, locally-produced news and content, Hagan's site primarily republishes the work of other news outlets and rarely features any news specific to Baldwin County.

Corporal Jason Vannoy of the DPD said that in addition to the second-degree theft of property charge in Daphne, Hagan is facing charges of theft in Robertsdale and Fairhope.

“He has an extensive history in Baldwin County,” Vannoy said, adding that Hagan “has been at this for a long time.”

Hagan was arrested in 1993 on as many as 20 counts of negotiating a worthless instrument and theft by deception . In 1996 he was booked for a probation violation and in 2003 he was charged with solicitation of a prostitute and sexual abuse.

“I was concerned Hagan was no longer in the area,” Vannoy said of getting the task force involved. “They did some surveillance, verified he was there and made the arrest around 11 a.m. today.”

Vannoy said Hagan is being held without bond and extradition will be handled by the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office.

Vannoy said there could potentially be additional charges in the case, although he would not elaborate.

“We deeply appreciate the task force work in this case,” Vannoy said. “I don’t think we could’ve made an arrest without their assistance.”