Who’s the Newest Member of the Most Wanted Club?

The nominations are already coming for the fugitive who will be added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List.  The arrest in Las Vegas of accused child molester and polygamist Warren Jeffs created an opening that the FBI expects to fill soon. "There are 2 primary criteria, the fugitive first has to be very dangerous, a menace to society, a long record of committing serious crimes," says Neal Schiff, spokesman for the FBI fugitive office.  "Another thing is nation-wide publicity might be able to help in catching these criminals." Schiff says whenever there’s an opening on the list, the FBI asks its 56 field offices around the country to nominate their top "candidates." The director of the bureau then makes the final decision. In a world of exclusivity, it’s the one club you don’t want to be a part of. The nine who remain on the list include those accused of serial child molestation, murder and armed robbery. Some have been on the run more than 20 years. Victor Gerena is wanted for an armed robbery of $7 million from a security company in Connecticut in 1983. Gerena allegedly took employees hostage and injected them with a drug, allowing his escape with the money. He hasn’t been seen since. Robert Fisher of Arizona is accused of murdering his wife and two children and then blowing up the family home. He’s been a fugitive since 2001. The FBI believes many of these men have left the country. But Schiff says that the 10 Most Wanted List is enforced internationally and that law enforcement agencies around the world work together to catch the fugitives. He’s confident these men, like Jeffs, will eventually be caught. "The FBI’s top ten list has been a tremendous success over the years," says Schiff. "About a 94 percent success rate." The FBI says the top 10 list isn’t ranked, but it does offer rewards for any information leading to the arrest and capture of any of the fugitives. The rewards start at $100,000. The biggest reward, $25 million, belongs to the most notorious name on the list — Osama bin Laden. See the FBI’s current 10 Most Wanted List.