Reward Unlikely for Ranger Who Helped Nab Fugitives

(Sept. 2) -- An Arizona forest ranger whose helpful tip led to the capture of a dangerous prison escapee and his accomplice may be prevented from receiving a hefty reward for his efforts.

Officials from the U.S. Marshals Service and the privately run prison offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of John McCluskey and Casslyn Welch. Welch, who is both McCluskey's cousin and his fiancee, helped McCluskey escape from a state prison July 30 along with two others by tossing him wire-cutting equipment through a fence, The Arizona Republic reported.

Welch and McCluskey, who was serving time for attempted murder, were the subjects of an intense manhunt.

Ethics guidelines at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, may prevent the ranger from accepting a gift of more than $25.

Apache Sitgreaves National Forest spokeswoman Pam Baltimore told AOL News Friday afternoon that she hopes for a final decision from the USDA after the holiday weekend.

"If it's a negative response from them as far as federal policy dictates, there's nothing we can do," Baltimore told The Associated Press earlier this week. She said she would like to give the money to the ranger, whose name has not been made public.

The ranger spotted the couple in an Arizona campground in the Apache Sitgreaves forest Aug. 19 while on patrol and called in their license plate after deciding they were acting suspiciously. His hunch turned out to be correct; the license plate had been reported stolen from a car in New Mexico, where McCluskey is wanted for the murder of an Oklahoma couple. A SWAT team later closed in on the pair, who have repeatedly referred to themselves as "Bonnie and Clyde."

Two other tipsters helped nab the other escapees last month in Colorado and Wyoming and will split $12,500 of the reward money, Fidencio Rivera, chief deputy U.S. marshal for Arizona, told the AP. The ranger's reward would be $27,500, if he is able to receive it.

After his arrest, McCluskey told authorities he should have killed the forest ranger when he had the chance, according to multiple reports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture may make a decision later today. The agency could not be reached for comment.

"We're not trying to prevent, from the Forest Service standpoint, our employee getting it," Baltimore told the AP. "It's just a fact of life that that's who we work for, and policies are in place."

McCluskey and Welch have been charged with kidnapping, escape, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other charges. U.S. Marshal David Gonzales told CNN they are linked to a white supremacist group.