Ex-wife of longtime fugitive admits lying to authorities

The ex-wife of a man who evaded authorities for 20 years has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his whereabouts.

Federal officials say 70-year-old Cecily Sturge, of Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty in Boston's federal court Tuesday to making a materially false statement to a federal agent.

Prosecutors say Sturge was lying when she told investigators in 2016 she hadn't been in contact with her ex-husband, Scott Wolas, for about 15 years.

Wolas is accused of cheating 19 investors out of $1.7 million in a pair of abandoned beachfront real estate deals in Massachusetts. He was arrested at a Florida condo last year and has pleaded not guilty.

Investigators say Sturge helped Wolas rent the condo under a false name and had been in regular contact with him.