As the search for Brian Laundrie continues, a warrant for his arrest has been issued. In addition to the federal arrest warrant, a Florida law firm has offered a $20,000 reward for info leading to the capture of Laundrie.
As far as it is known, Laundrie, who was engaged to Gabby Petito, has been missing since September 14. His parents reported that he disappeared to the police on September 17.
As Fox News reports, the federal warrant is “pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment for violation of federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(i): ‘Use of Unauthorized Devices’ related to Mr. Laundrie’s activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito.” It’s unclear if this recent development means Laundrie is being looked at as a suspect or if he is still being looked at only as a person of interest.
In a statement issued on Thursday, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said, “While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito’s homicide.”
“We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie’s role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.”
Why an arrest warrant now?
The decision to issue the warrant against Laundrie comes after it was revealed he fraudulently used Gabby Petito’s bank card. As Reuters reports, “a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Wyoming indicted him on a single count of unlawfully using the bank debit card.”
The date, time, and place in which Brian Laundrie used the bank card has not been reported.
On September 19, following a search for Gabby Petito, her body was discovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Moose, Wyoming. This is less than 1,000 feet from where the YouTubers and TikToker saw Laundrie and Petito’s van parked off the side of the road.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about Brian Laundrie to submit those tips to http://tips.fbi.gov or contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or 303-629-7171.
It was reported earlier today that the Laundrie’s neighbors saw Brian and his parents preparing for a camping trip after he returned to Florida following his cross-country trip with Gabby. The neighbors revealed that they saw Brian Laundrie with the white Ford van.
“We didn’t know it was Gabby’s, we just assumed it was [Brian’s] van. We just thought they had come back from wherever. We didn’t know they were on a trip. We assumed they went back to their house or wherever they got a house … We didn’t know much about them at all.”
Gabby Petito last had contact with her parents on August 25. Authorities believed Petito died sometime between August 27 and August 30. Her death has been ruled a homicide.
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