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He Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has solicited the public’s help in locating wanted criminals, especially those on its list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitivesduring its more than 100 years of history.
The FBI announced Thursday that the reward for information leading directly to the arrest of the 10 most wanted fugitives increased from up to $100,000 to up to $250,000although in some cases the reward may be higher, this federal agency reported in a statement.
The fugitives named on the list must be considered particularly dangerous to society, with a long history of committing serious crimes. The FBI is also considering whether national and international publicity would likely help apprehend fugitives.
How the list of the ten most wanted fugitives came to be
The FBI began publishing its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 1950, after a reporter asked for the names of the “tough guys” the Bureau was looking to capture.
A Washington Daily News article that followed, titled “Names of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives,” generated so much publicity that former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover decided to implement a rolling list.
The first person named on the list in 1950 was Thomas Holden, wanted for the murder of his wife, his brother and his stepbrother. He was arrested in 1961 in Oregon after the FBI received a tip from a public citizen who had read an article about Holden in The Oregonian newspaper.
Over the years, the FBI has apprehended or located 494 fugitives on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. 163 were captured as a direct result of citizen cooperation.
In the last five years alone, the FBI has apprehended eight fugitives from the list, most recently Michael James Pratt and José Rodolfo Villarreal-Hernández.
In May 2023, Donald Eugene Fields II became the 531st addition to the roster.
Fields is wanted for the alleged sex trafficking of at least one child in Missouri between approximately 2013 and 2017.
“The FBI recognizes the critical role public assistance has played in tracking fugitives over the years,” said Luis Quesada, deputy director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigation Division.
“Increased rewards for the top 10 most wanted fugitives will ideally garner additional public information that results in the capture of these dangerous criminals,” Quesada said.
“There is no question that the growing threat of violent crime affects both law enforcement and communities across the country,” Quesada said. “The reward offer of up to $250,000 is a significant increase, representing the FBI’s commitment to getting these disruptive criminals off the streets.”
To see the list of the 10 most wanted fugitives on the FBI site click here
If you have information to share about one of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or contact your local FBI office. If you are outside of the United States, you can contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.
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