Source: FBI
By Amanda Winograd | American Greed Special Correspondent
White collar crooks are on the loose all over the United States and around the world. The FBI’s current White Collar Most Wanted list contains 33 accused criminals who are on the run for alleged offenses ranging from wire fraud to mortgage schemes and money laundering. They’re accused of swindling hundreds of millions of dollars and assets from thousands of victims.
The FBI is offering rewards for eight of the people on their Most Wanted List for White Collar Crimes. If you have the right information, you could be eligible for rewards of up to $20,000. Each FBI field office investigating a particular case determines whether they’ll offer a reward and how big the reward will be. An FBI spokesperson says that they hope people will come forward with information with or without a reward, but they offer rewards when they believe it “would assist in the resolution of a case.” She also notes that in determining the reward, “it is not dependent on the type of crime committed” and “the amount offered does not necessarily correlate to how dangerous a fugitive is perceived to be.”
American Greed viewers have provided tips to law enforcement that led to the capture of fugitives on the Most Wanted list, but plenty are still out there. Depending on the information you provide, you could be eligible for the full or partial reward. It could also be split among multiple tipsters.
Here are the eight wanted fugitives with the biggest prices on their heads:
8. Baffour Edusei Opoku
Reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction: $5,000
The FBI is offering $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Baffour Edusei Opoku. He was indicted in 2014 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud after the Feds say he planned to defraud Virginia’s Medicaid program. The FBI says he has ties in New York and Michigan. Opoku is a black male, 5’11”, 260 lbs, with black hair and black eyes. If you have any information, contact your local FBI field office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or call the Norfolk FBI Office at (757) 455-0100.
7. Orit Tuil
Reward for information leading to her arrest: $10,000
Orit Tuil is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her alleged participation in a real estate scam in the notoriously pricy New York City market. She’s accused of taking advantage of New Yorkers whose homes were in foreclosure. She’d allegedly have the owners transfer the deed to her. Then, the Feds say she’d get mortgages and resell the homes to straw buyers. She used to live in Queens, New York, but the FBI believes she may also be living in Israel. Tuil is a white female, 5’5”, 125 pounds, with blonde/brown hair and hazel eyes.
6&5. John Michael Dimitrion & Julieanne Baldueza Dimitrion
Reward for information leading to their arrest: $10,000 each
This crooked couple took advantage of the housing bubble in 2008 to feed their greed. In an elaborate scheme, they’re accused of having straw buyers buy homes that were going into foreclosure. While the original owners thought they were making payments on the new mortgage to buy the homes back, the FBI says the Dimitrion’s were really pocketing the money while squeezing the equity from the homes. With disregard for the original homeowners and the straw buyers- who were sometimes their friends- the Dimitrion’s lived a luxurious lifestyle, driving his and hers Maserati’s and buying high end clothes. When one straw buyer, Laura Cristo, got a foreclosure notice because the Dimitrion’s never fulfilled the payments, she went to the FBI. In 2009, the Dimitrion’s pled guilty to operating a fraud scheme, and it seemed like they would pay the consequences. But they disappeared without a trace. One theory is they may have joined an extremist anti-government group called Sovereign Citizens. The FBI says the Sovereign Citizens may have helped them to get out of Hawaii and possibly into Alabama. There’s $10,000 on the line for each of them. They’re likely somewhere in the mainland United States. John Michael Dimitrion is a white male, 5’7”, 185-200 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. Julieanne Baldueza Dimitrion is an Asian female, 4’11”, 120-140 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.
*Greed Alert! Find out more about this couple on American Greed
Who exactly are the Sovereign Citizens? An FBI Special Agent explains:
4. John Anthony Porcaro
Reward amount undisclosed
This fugitive is one of only two on the White Collar Most Wanted list who is considered by the FBI to be armed and dangerous. The FBI says he may have connections to an organized crime family in New York. As always, submit any tips directly to the FBI. Porcaro is accused of defrauding more than 400 victims out of more than $5 million. His co-conspirators were caught, but Porcaro is still on the loose. The FBI says that he was involved in a scheme in which a telemarketing firm took investments, promised returns, and instead took the money for personal use. Porcaro may have connections in New York, but the scheme took place in South Florida. Porcaro is a white male, 5’8”, 197 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. Porcaro has an artificial right eye and a scar above his left eye.
3. Spiro Edward Germenis
Reward for information leading to his arrest: $20,000
Spiro Edward Germenis is accused of setting up a Ponzi scheme in which he lured people into his investment company, Oracle Evolution LLC, but then spent their contributions on his own lavish lifestyle. He’s also accused of sending his clients false information about the returns on their investments. Overall, he allegedly lost $8 million for more than 25 victims. His investors aren’t all wealthy, seasoned investors; he allegedly took almost the entire retirement savings from one victim. Another investor, a quadriplegic, was hoping to use his returns on clinical trials in the hopes of walking again. It seems that after one major investor asked for his money back, Germenis realized the jig was up. The FBI says he boarded a plane to Greece and hasn’t been heard from since. The FBI has high hopes that an American Greed viewer might recognize him and be able to pinpoint his location. That person would be eligible for up to $20,000 as a reward. Germenis is a white male, 5’10”, 200-220 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. Germenis has scars on his arm and may also have facial hair.
*Greed Alert! Check this guy out on American Greed
Hear from one of Germenis’s victims:
2. Farhad “Fred” Monem
Reward for information leading to his arrest: $20,000
This one’s a doozy. The US Attorney’s Office alleges that Monem pocketed at least $1.2 million in a money laundering and bribery scheme during his employment as a prison food buyer and salesman for the Oregon Department of Corrections. Monem was indicted on twenty counts including conspiracy, bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering charges. The Feds say he also may be a marijuana user as well as a drinker. He’s also known to gamble. Monem speaks both Farsi and English. The FBI says he has connections in California, Canada, and Iran. He’s known to have travelled to Buffalo, NY in July of 2007. Monem is a white, Persian male, 5’10”, 210 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.
*Greed Alert! Check Fred out on American Greed
1. Afzal “Bobby” Khan
Reward for information leading to his arrest: $20,000
Khan is wanted by the FBI for an alleged fraud scheme that took place while he was running a New Jersey car dealership called Emporio Motor Group. Allegedly, part of his business was selling luxury cars on consignment; he set up agreements with luxury car owners to sell the cars on their behalf and share the profit. But the car owners claim that they never received payment for cars they sold through Khan, and the buyers claim that they never received the titles to cars they purchased. It seems like Khan may have gotten greedy and tried to keep the full profit for himself. According to the victims’ accounts, the alleged scheme came to a head when the owners came knocking to find out where their money was, and the buyers came to demand their titles. “A lot of dealers might perpetrate fraud when they know their business is circling the drain and going out of business. In this case it looks like it was his business plan from the get-go,” said the victims’ attorney, Anthony Bush. When the case against him started mounting, Khan disappeared without a trace. The FBI says that Khan has ties to Pakistan, Dubai, Scotland, and Canada. If you have information that leads to his capture, you could be eligible for the FBI’s $20,000 reward. Khan is a white male, 5’10”, 180 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. He has a scar on his right arm.
*Greed Alert! Watch Khan’s full story on this week’s all-new American Greed
Have you seen any of these fugitives? They could be hiding in plain sight. Keep your eyes open, and watch premiere episodes of American Greed to see if you recognize any of the featured fugitives.
Keep in mind that the FBI is only looking for information. They do not encourage anyone to put themselves in danger to find any wanted fugitives. You can also keep your information anonymous (but you won’t be eligible for the reward).
Remember, withholding information or helping to hide a fugitive can also land you behind bars. Come forward as soon as possible with any tips. Contact your local FBI field office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or visit www.tips.fbi.gov. For the full White Collar Most Wanted list, go to www.fbi.gov/wanted/wcc.
Don’t miss an all-new episode of American Greed on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 10p ET/PT on CNBC.