CHICAGO'S MOST WANTED
Fugitives Beware
01/22/07
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Latin
Kings gang member and fugitive
Jaime Rios is the subject of Chicago's
latest
profile.
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A
wanted sex felon. Caught. Two gang
fugitives. Caught. A federal narcotics
suspect. Caught. And eight other FBI
fugitives besides.
All
through an effective partnership launched
nearly a year ago between our field office
in Chicago and a local television station.
"It's
exceeded our wildest expectations," says
Ross Rice, our Chicago media representative.
"The public response has been phenomenal."
How
the partnership came to pass. Last January,
the FBI tracked down wanted Mafioso Joseph
"The Clown" Lombardo, who had
been on the run for nine months after being
indicted in a murder conspiracy case. A local
Fox television reporter asked Rice, "So
who's the next fugitive you need to find?"
One
thing led to another…and soon Rice had
agreed to provide the TV station one FBI fugitive
a week for a regular Saturday evening broadcast.
The segment has become one of the station's
most popular and, thanks to the public, has
helped capture a dozen dangerous suspects.
"Violent
crime is up in Chicago—we've had a record
number of bank robberies the past two years,
for example. With more of our agents focused
on terrorism since 9/11, this partnership
is a great way for us to do more with less,"
explains Rice. Local banks have been robbed
by everyone from a 79-year-old woman using
a toy gun…to the "Hardhat Bandit"
who wears a yellow construction hat…to
the "Wheaton Bandit," who is well
armed and thought to have military or law
enforcement training, Rice says.
Catching
criminals by combining the reach and power
of the media with the watchful eyes of concerned
citizens is a formula that has worked for
decades—including through our Ten
Most Wanted Fugitive program launched
in 1950. In 2006, national and local publicity
led to the capture of 1,900 FBI fugitives, including
five through this website.
What
Chicago has done is localize the initiative,
bringing fugitives of the Windy City not only
to area citizens but also to audiences across
the nation and even around the world through
the television website. Several fugitives
were found on the east coast; one was caught
in southeastern Europe.
"To
me, it's the ultimate form of community policing,"
says Rice. "When people take an interest
in protecting their own neighborhoods, that's
a tremendous force multiplier."
The
following are the dozen individuals who have
been captured so far thanks to tips from viewers:
