Metro Messenger Publisher Still at Large

The U.S. Marshals are involved in the search for a local newspaper publisher.David Rose financed the Metro Messenger—a free publication focused on good news—through loans from his former girlfriend and business partner, who now says Rose bilked her out of some $20,000. She is suing him."As far as I knew, the money was going towards stuff that he was telling her it was going to," says Michael Carver, who wrote for the paper and says he came up with the idea for the publication. "I started to figure out that I think he was paying off other bills that he had with that money, then telling her he needed more to pay this."Rose also used loans to finance his business, the D&R Group.Rose has been on the run for more than a month and hasn't appeared in court. Two issues of the Metro Messenger were released before Rose left town. Carver says he hasn't heard from Rose in weeks, though he did receive a call from an unknown number recently, shortly after U.S. Marshals questioned him on Rose's whereabouts."I'm sure I'll hear from him again," says Carver. "But, I mean, as soon as I do I have to turn it over. I can't do anything with him because I don't want to be labeled as an accomplice."Carver says he expected Rose to continue financing the paper from out of town, but that hasn't happened."He owes me money," he says. "There's another woman that worked there, he owes her money. He owes the  old secretary of D&R a whole paycheck. He just decided not to give her a paycheck at all—her last paycheck, because he actually fired her over Facebook."Rose's former business partner/ex-girlfriend has opted to stay anonymous. Her attorney believes Carver drove Rose to the airport when he left town and says Carver provided her with verifiable information about Rose's criminal history. Authorities say Rose's record includes writing bad checks and theft by deception.