Archdiocese of Philly Cancels Public Masses Effective at 12 noon Wednesday

Today, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez has

suspended all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia effective at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th and until further notice.

Last week, the Archbishop dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. Both decisions were made in response to the growing concern over the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the directives provided by government and health department officials at the local, state, and national levels. These measures will be re-evaluated pending future developments.

Archbishop Pérez said, “As the Archbishop of Philadelphia, my first priority is to ensure the health and welfare of those entrusted to the pastoral and temporal care of our Church. So, in light of the developing Coronavirus pandemic, a decision has been made to suspend the public celebration of all Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the time being.

All of us need to do our part to slow the spread of this illness. Like you, we are monitoring coronavirus developments and look forward to continuing our lives on a more normal basis.

While things may look and feel different during these uncertain times, I want to be very clear that the Catholic Church in Philadelphia is not closing down. It is not disappearing and it will not abandon you. Time and again as our history has proven the Church has risen to meet great challenges and provide a beacon of hope and light.

As your Shepherd, I promise that the Church remains steadfast and is prepared to walk with you and serve you. Neither the Church nor its charitable works will stop. God is always by our side. He never abandons us. I invite you to join me in prayerful solidarity for the intentions of the sick, suffering, and their caregivers as well as government and health officials. With God’s grace and blessing, we will navigate the difficult waters of this challenge as a united human family, for after all is said and done, we are people of Hope!”

Though public Masses are suspended in all churches in the Archdiocese, the right and need of the faithful to hear the Word of God and celebrate the Sacraments is not put aside. Pastors, along with all those who work with them, will be as attentive as possible to all the spiritual, pastoral, and charitable needs of the people they serve.

Priests will continue to offer the sacrifice of the Holy Mass during this period and to honor all requested Mass intentions.

Churches can remain open as a location for private prayer at the discretion of the pastor. Baptisms, Confessions, Marriages, and Funerals will take place as usual but with due regard for the limitation of participants and reasonable social distancing.

In conjunction with directives already in force in hospitals and institutions, all visits to the sick with Holy Communion, including in private homes, by priests, deacons, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are suspended. In such instances, only priests will be available to celebrate the Sacraments for those in immediate danger of death. In all circumstances, government and health agency directives for group size and social distancing are to be observed as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia strives to meet the pastoral and temporal needs of all those in need.

On Sunday, March 15th, the Archdiocese featured a live streaming broadcast of the 11:00 a.m. Mass on its website and Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page for the benefit of those wishing to participate in the liturgy remotely. This broadcast will continue each Sunday on an ongoing basis.

Additional information regarding opportunities for prayer and devotions are available on the Archdiocesan website.

CBD Oil Regulations in Philadelphia and New Jersey

Gloucestercitynews.net (March 18, 2020)–Cannabidiol or CBD oil has long been known to have many health benefits. This therapeutic substance has a worldwide fan base with millions of people using it for its wide range of health-related advantages. Despite its health benefits, the distribution and use of CBD oil in the United States are strictly regulated.

Regardless of its health benefits, the extraction process has made the legalization of CBD oil a hot topic for a long time. Laws regarding its use are different in each state and are applied to both people who want to use CBD oil and pet owners who want to administer it to their pets. So, here is what you need to know about CBD oil regulations in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

CBD Oil Regulations in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city. CBD regulations in this part of the US align with federal laws. CBD can be derived from both hemp and marijuana plants, with different laws for each variety. Federal law and laws applying in the state of Pennsylvania only allow the purchase, sale, and use of CBD oil extracted from hemp, as stated in

the Farm Bill of 2018

. That enables citizens to buy and use the oil without a doctor’s prescription.

Oil extracted from marijuana, on the other hand, is legal only for qualified patients. Selling or

purchasing of oil extracted from marijuana for recreational purposes is illegal

and classified as a misdemeanor.

CBD Oil Regulations in New Jersey

The use of CBD oil needs to align with in-state laws. Just like in Philadelphia, whether the CBD oil is legal or not depends on its derivation. Now, you may be wondering why CBD oil extracted from marijuana is different and deemed illegal compared to its hemp counterpart. That is because oil extracted from marijuana is likely to contain

tetrahydrocannabinol

(THC), a substance known to have psychoactive effects on people. Unauthorized usage of this substance is illegal.

According to the Farm Bill, only CBD oil extracted from hemp that contains little to no THC is legal to be distributed and used without a doctor’s prescription. It has no psychoactive effects, hence can be used in a wide range of products. Just like in Philadelphia, marijuana-derived CBD is illegal for retail sale and use and is only authorized for patients in the Medical Marijuana Program.

CBD Oil for People and Pets

While regulations related to the possession and use of CBD oil are strict at the state and federal level, the product is still very much in demand. While a lot of its health benefits are yet to be scientifically proven, what makes CBD oil such a sought after product for both people and their

beloved four-legged friends

is explained below.

Natural Pain Reliever

Some studies have shown that CBD oil can be used to relieve joint pain in people and animals. It is believed that the effect of cannabis on the brain receptors of humans and some animals helps relieve and manage pain in the body.

CBD Oil for Seizures

Seizures are the most studied application of CBD oil in people. Even though there is limited research on pets, the substance is said to reduce the risk of epileptic seizures in

dogs and cats

as well. Research is not yet definitive, but studies have shown that CBD oil reduces the likelihood of seizures and strokes in pets, children, and adults alike.

CBD Oil for Anxiety

While research is still in its infancy, CBD oil has also been known to help people deal with anxiety and other related disorders like PTSD, social anxiety, and panic disorder. Researchers attribute this to CBD\’s effect on the way our brain receptors react to serotonin. It has also been used to relieve anxiety in pets, but research on that is inconclusive.

Conclusion

CBD oil has been proven beneficial to both people and animals. Despite this, federal and state laws remain strict regarding their use. Both Philadelphia and New Jersey only authorize the use of CBD oil extracted from hemp while those extracted from marijuana are illegal. Therefore, before purchasing or using CBD oil in Philadelphia, New Jersey or anywhere else in the US, make sure everything is in compliance with the law.

Officer Down: Police Officer Christopher Walsh, Shot and Killed, Suspect Commits Suicide

Police Officer Christopher Walsh

Springfield Police Department, Missouri

End of Watch

Monday, March 16, 2020

Police Officer Chris Walsh, age 32, was shot and killed as he and another officer confronted an active shooter at a convenience store at 2885 E Chestnut Expressway.

Dispatchers had received numerous calls about shootings at various locations throughout the city between 11:24 pm and 11:43 pm, including one reporting a vehicle crash and shooting at the convenience store. Officer Walsh and another officer arrived at the scene and immediately engaged the shooter.

Both officers were shot in the ensuing exchange of gunfire. Additional officers who arrived at the scene extricated both officers and transported them to the hospital where Officer Walsh passed away.

The subject committed suicide before being taken into custody. Prior to exchanging shots with the officers, the man shot four citizens inside of the store, killing three of them.

Officer Walsh was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Springfield Police Department for 3-1/2 years. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Via

Officer Down Memorial page

CNB Crime

Blue Line

CNBNews Tips and Snippets

CNBNews Point of View

BREAKING NEWS

published Gloucestercitynews.net | March 17, 2020

Children’s National to Make March Matter for Children in the Hospital

(NAPSI)—This month, kids across the region will enjoy playing sports, spending time with friends or traveling for family vacation on spring break. Sadly, hundreds of other children will remain in the hospital fighting to get stronger, coping with

life-altering diagnoses and enduring treatment.

But thanks to dedicated doctors, nurses, child life specialists and more, pediatric hospitals, like premier pediatric hospital Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., make treatment and coping with conditions as positive an experience as possible for patients and their families. Hospitals like Children’s National focus on addressing more than just the underlying illness, injury or condition. They provide critical education, support and encouragement to prepare not only their young patients, but their parents, siblings and families for recovery or coping with a chronic condition. This way, patients can feel informed, empowered and confident to heal or manage their own condition over time. Hospitals also work to treat the whole child and help improve their experience through creative programming like art, music, games and pet therapy.

One Child’s Ability to Take Control

Reese was 5 years old when she had her first seizure and dropped to the ground during a school fire drill. That day, neurologists at Children’s National in nearby Washington, D.C. diagnosed her with epilepsy.

However, with her diagnosis came education, knowledge and power. Not just for her, but for her entire family, allowing her to grow up stronger and enjoy life to the fullest. “My doctors have helped me control my seizures ever since,” says Reese. “They taught me how to limit them, how to trust my instincts when one’s coming on and how to handle a seizure even if I’m by myself.” With this knowledge, Reese, now 9 years old, says she has a lot of confidence to live with her condition, as does her family.

Reese had a seizure on the school bus this year and her friend yelled to the bus driver to get her little brother, John. He’s only 7 but knew what to do thanks to the care and support Reese and her whole family received at Children’s National.

“Some people who have seizures feel like they can’t do anything, but not me,” says Reese. “I have a plan and I know my limits, thanks to my doctors.” Last year, Reese even traveled to Costa Rica with her family where she swam in waterfalls, crossed hanging bridges and climbed cliffs.

Make March Matter

This exceptional level of care can make a big difference in a child and their family’s experience, however, child life and specialty programming as well as research is not often covered by insurance. Rather it is funded through the generous philanthropic support of the local community.

To ensure children like Reese have the programs, resources and exceptional care they need to enjoy stronger futures, Children’s National Hospital Foundation is celebrating its third-annual Make March Matter fundraising campaign all month long. The campaign invites community members to shop, dine and donate at businesses and restaurants in the DC area to help ensure exceptional care for patients and their families, both now and in the future.

Visit

MakeMarchMatterDC.org

to learn more.

GUEST OPINION: Give FERC a chance

By Rea S. Hederman Jr

The Center Square

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – or FERC – recently

ruled

that wholesale electricity grid operator, PJM, must set a new price floor for bids to supply electric capacity to PJM’s 13-state mid-Atlantic/Midwest region. State utility regulators in the region are unimpressed by the rule and Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have even

threatened

to leave the PJM market altogether. Such threats are premature.

Motivated by recent power plant subsidies in Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio, FERC’s new pricing rule aims to prevent subsidized power plants from bidding artificially low prices and distorting the electricity-supply market – and to deter neighboring states from following suit. The new rule and subsequent regulator overreaction has broad implications for other electricity markets from New England to California.

Special interests poised to benefit from hard-won subsidies understandably oppose FERC’s effort to curb state-sponsored favoritism. And those same special interests are now pressuring states to leave PJM in order to save their subsidized revenues. During a February earnings call, executives of a Chicago-based electric utility

opined

that “states are right in looking at what their alternatives are to continued participation in [the markets].” Another utility CEO

said

that as state legislators review energy policy this year, “we’ll be at the table helping where they want help.” Expect utility executives in other states to be similarly “helpful” in the coming months.

The stubborn fact is that state power plant bailouts were escalating out of control and risked a dangerous market distortion. Several PJM states directly or indirectly

subsidize

various forms of renewable energy to the tune of nearly $1 billion per year, and taxpayer subsidies for nuclear and coal plants in New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois will annually cost about $735 million. Proponents often tout such subsidy schemes as saving local jobs, preserving carbon-free power sources, and raising local tax revenue. But state-backed subsidies made it increasingly difficult to find true market prices at auction, and the schemes’ inherent unfairness pressured other states to adopt their own subsidies.

Enter FERC, which took action designed to maintain some semblance of market efficiency. FERC’s attempt may or may not work, but before state regulators storm out of PJM in a huff, they should keep a few things in mind.

First, consumers benefit from participating in PJM. The regional market helps keep electricity supply reliable and affordable. Access to power across state lines makes for a more dependable grid, and allowing customers to get electricity from the lowest-cost providers across a broad region keeps a lid on utility prices. A

joint academic study

found that market competition reduced electricity prices in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio by about 16 percent from 2009 to 2014 versus their vertically integrated neighbors – Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Ohio alone saw roughly $3 billion per year in total savings.

Second, exiting the regional market will require states to replace PJM’s infrastructure for power plant procurement. And replacement costs aren’t cheap. PJM’s independent market monitor

estimated

that replacing PJM’s infrastructure in Illinois’ ComEd region, for instance, would likely cost customers at least an additional $414 million per year.

Third, electricity prices significantly affect state economies. Electricity is critical to production, and especially to energy-intensive manufacturing. The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center

found

that if Ohio’s renewable energy mandates raise electricity prices by just two percent, the state’s industrial sector employment would drop by more than 10,000 jobs and output would decline by up to $1.4 billion by 2026.

Finally, the new FERC rule allows power plants to apply for an exemption. In a nutshell, if a subsidized plant shows that it would be competitive even without the taxpayer-funded subsidy, it may bid below the rule’s price floor. Thus, power providers have the opportunity to demonstrate that they can provide cheap energy even on a level playing field. They should take it.

FERC’s approach may or may not be perfect. It is simply too soon to tell. And that makes any rush to exit PJM and the regional market a premature move. States and their utility regulators should give the new rule a chance, and avoid a messy, costly divorce that will undoubtedly harm consumers, state economies, and taxpayers.

Rea S. Hederman Jr. is the executive director of the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute in Columbus, Ohio and vice president of policy.

published by Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of

The Center Square

Pharmacist Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Steal More than $4.5 Million in Prescription Reimbursements

And for Unlawful Opioid Distribution and Agrees to Pay $300,000 to Settle False Claims Act Litigation

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Charles F. Kohlerman, IV, 50, of Media, PA, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and two

years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 14 counts of distributing and dispensing oxycodone outside the course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. The Court further ordered the defendant to pay a special assessment of $1,500 and a forfeiture of $1.7 million. Kohlerman pleaded guilty to these criminal charges in September 2019.

The charges stem from Kohlerman’s role as a licensed pharmacist and the owner of Kohlerman Pharmacy. Kohlerman’s patients sought to fill prescriptions of brand-name Lipitor® and its generic equivalent, atorvastatin calcium. Regardless of their need, and often without their knowledge, Kohlerman enrolled the vast majority of these patients in Manufacturer One’s Lipitor Savings Card coupon program (the “Program”). Under the Program, Kohlerman billed a patient’s private insurance and then submitted a secondary claim to Manufacturer One for payment to his pharmacy in a scheme to defraud the Program.

In order to carry out his scheme, Kohlerman purchased a negligible quantity of brand-name Lipitor® for his pharmacy and significant quantities of its much cheaper generic equivalent. Kohlerman dispensed the generic equivalent in bottles with brand-name Lipitor® on the labels and then submitted claims to Manufacturer One for reimbursement for the brand-name drug that he neither purchased nor dispensed. To maximize his fraudulent returns, Kohlerman created fake prescriptions for Lipitor®—that neither he nor his pharmacy dispensed—and submitted claims for those fake prescriptions to the Program. Kohlerman also changed physician-issued, one-month supply prescriptions of Lipitor® to a three-month supply prescription to triple the fraudulent refund he would receive from Manufacturer One. Additionally, Kohlerman altered legitimate prescriptions that permitted generic substitution to require distribution of the brand name drug, all while he filled actual brand-only prescriptions with the generic equivalent. Kohlerman submitted false and fraudulent claims to Manufacturer One of $4,562,834.97 and was paid $1,696,566.22.

As part of his scheme, Kohlerman also submitted approximately 126 false and fraudulent Lipitor® claims to the Medicare program, approximately two false and fraudulent Lipitor® claims to the Medicaid program, and approximately 18 false and fraudulent Lipitor® claims to federal employee health benefits programs paid for by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Kohlerman was reimbursed $106,986.70 from Medicare, $2,686.60 from Medicaid, and $5,600.31 from OPM.

In addition to the wire fraud scheme, Kohlerman also ignored suspicious activity on 14 separate occasions and, in each instance, distributed or caused to be distributed 120 oxycodone 30 mg tablets to a purported pharmacy customer. The customer, however, was not the individual for whom the oxycodone was prescribed. Additional warning signs that Kohlerman ignored included: (1) the quantity of narcotics exceeded Center for Disease Control recommendations for standard medical usage; (2) both the customer and the purported patient lived over 45 minutes away from the pharmacy; (3) the purported patient’s prescribing physician practiced a similar distance away; (4) the purported patient never picked up his/her prescriptions in person and did not visit the pharmacy in person; and (5) the customer filled prescriptions on behalf of the purported patient before they were eligible for refills.

Finally, as part of a civil resolution, Kohlerman and Kohlerman Pharmacy have agreed to pay the United States $300,000.00 to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., that both Kohlerman and the pharmacy submitted or caused the submission of approximately 146 false claims for Lipitor® when they had, in fact, substituted the generic equivalent for those claims. The civil allegations against Kohlerman Pharmacy are allegations only and there has been no finding of liability as to the pharmacy.

“Kohlerman put his own greed above his patients’ well-being,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “By changing patients’ legitimately prescribed medications, unbeknownst to them, Kohlerman pumped up the amount of money he could steal. By doing so, he ripped off the American taxpayer and private industry alike. Kohlerman’s self-interest is also reflected in his wanton distribution of illegal painkillers. This criminal sentence and civil resolution demonstrate the coordination between My Office’s Criminal and Civil Divisions and our Health Care Fraud Strike Force. We will use every weapon in our arsenal—criminal and civil—to prosecute medical professionals who put profits over the well-being of patients.”

Thomas W. South, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, OPM OIG, said: “In addition to unethically changing patients’ prescriptions without their knowledge or consent, Mr. Kohlerman’s greed also endangered patients’ health through the careless prescription of opioids. The opioid crisis is fueled by corrupt providers that dispense and distribute narcotics outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. OPM OIG will not tolerate those who put profits above the well-being of patients.”

“As a pharmacist, Kohlerman has a corresponding responsibility, similar to that of a doctor, to insure that prescriptions for controlled substances are filled for a legitimate medical purpose and within the course of professional practice,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Kohlerman repeatedly ignored that responsibility by dispensing multiple prescriptions for powerful prescription painkillers such as oxycodone to people other than the patient named on the prescription, dispensed before they were eligible for refills, and for patients that lived over 45 minutes away from his pharmacy—all of which are indicative of illegal diversion activity.”

“Chuck Kohlerman used pharmacy patrons as pawns in his money-making scheme, soon adding phony prescriptions into the mix,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “All told, his litany of fraudulent claims netted nearly $2 million to which he wasn’t entitled. Add to that his reckless dispensing of addictive opioids, and it’s clear that the guiding principle here was greed. One of these days, medical professionals will get the message that health care fraud is a high priority for the FBI and we’re working every day to hold perpetrators accountable.”

“Kohlerman chose himself over his patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who chose to enrich themselves at the expense of patients.”

The case was investigated by the Office of Personnel Management, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Marshals, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Koob and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie. Deputy Chief for Affirmative Litigation Charlene Keller Fullmer of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is handling the parallel civil case.

Philadelphia Bar Association Statement on Temporary Hold Order

PHILADELPHIA, PA –

In response to the

temporary hold order

involving real property in response to COVID-19, Chancellor Hon. A. Michael Snyder (ret.) of the

Philadelphia Bar Association

, the nation’s oldest metropolitan Bar Association, issued the following statement:

“The Philadelphia Bar Association commends and applauds the action of the President Judge and the Administrative Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the First Judicial District of Philadelphia in ordering a temporary hold on certain actions involving the involuntary sale of real property in consideration of public health and safety issues relative to controlling the spread of COVID-19. While speedy access to the Courts is a fundamental requirement of our system, the safety of the public must always take precedence. We thank the Court for its leadership in taking this action.”

Click here to read the full temporary order

# # #

The Philadelphia Bar Association, founded in 1802, is the preeminent metropolitan association of lawyers in the United States. It is a keystone in the ongoing developments of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania legal systems.

With more than 200 years of dedicated service to stand on, the Philadelphia Bar Association is firmly rooted in the Philadelphia community as a steady and reliable bellwether. To learn more about the association,

visit here

Philadelphia CBP Seizes Testosterone from Hong Kong, Steroids from United Kingdom

March , 2020

PHILADELPHIA

– U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized testosterone and steroids in separate express delivery shipments last week at Philadelphia International Airport.

On March 9, CBP officers seized 100 tablets of Oxandrolone that arrived from the U.K. and was destined to an address in Burlington County, N.J. The parcel arrived on March 5.

CBP officers found nearly five pounds

of testosterone 17 heptanoate in these

two bags of cat food from Hong Kong.

Also on March 9, CBP officers inspected a parcel that contained two bags of cat food. Inside the two bags, CBP officers discovered a white powdery substance and identified it as Testosterone 17 Heptanoate, a Schedule III Controlled Substance. The shipment weighed 2.15 kilograms, or about four pounds, 12 ounces. The parcel arrived that same day from Hong Kong and was destined to an address in Philadelphia.

CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

“Customs and Border Protection will continue to examine express delivery parcels and seize illicit products, such as these steroids and testosterone, when we encounter it,” said Joseph Martella, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “CBP officers remain vigilant in enforcing our nation’s laws and in intercepting dangerous products that are likely manufactured in unregulated and unsanitary facilities that may potentially harm American consumers.”

CBP seized an average of 3,707 pounds of narcotics every day across the United States last year. Learn more about what CBP accomplished during \”

A Typical Day

\” in 2019.

CBP\’s

border security mission

is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit

CBP Ports of Entry

to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at

www.CBP.gov

Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on Twitter at

@DFOBaltimore

and on Instagram at

@dfobaltimore

for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation\’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

FBI Top Ten List Turns 70

The FBI looks back at seven decades of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program—from the creation of the famous list in 1950 to the modern-day ways we’re reaching out to the public about dangerous offenders.

The seeds of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list were planted on February 7, 1949, after

The Washington Daily News

published the article “FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives Named.” The FBI’s public affairs function at the time had given the reporter—who’d asked for a list of the “toughest guys” the Bureau wanted to arrest—the names of 10 dangerous individuals.

The resulting news story became so popular that the FBI created the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on March 14, 1950.

This week marks the 70

anniversary of the list, which is commonly called the Top Ten. The program uses public outreach to capture offenders wanted for serious crimes.

Over the years, 523 fugitives have been placed on the list, with 488 of them having been caught. As a testament to the effectiveness of the program, 162 of those captures were made with the public’s direct assistance.

The early Bureau used identification orders as a way to get the word out about wanted fugitives. The first identification order was issued in December 1919 seeking escaped U.S. Army prisoner William N. Bishop, who was captured in April 1920.

“The FBI has been in the business of seeking fugitives from the law really since its beginning,” says FBI Historian John Fox. “We started issuing, as early as 1919, our first identification orders—basically, fliers we would send out to law enforcement notifying them of criminals we were looking for. That’s what eventually evolves into the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program.”

Historically, the Top Ten list has reflected the concerns of the time. In the 1950s, bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves populated the list. The 1960s saw fugitives wanted for kidnapping, sabotage, and destruction of government property. Members of organized crime groups and murderers were present on the lists of the 1970s. Drug kingpins and serial killers were a priority in the 1980s. And in the 1990s, the list reflected the increasing threat of international criminal activity.

Over the past two decades, the Top Ten list has focused on the most violent of fugitives sought for homicides, armed robberies, gang activities, and mass shootings.

In the earliest days, wanted posters would be placed in local post offices, and information on offenders was provided to newspapers. This quickly was supplemented with radio shows and television programs. As media has changed over the years, so have the FBI’s outreach methods.

“We still do the traditional stuff—the press conference, posters, sending out a press release—but we now add in the more modern aspects,” says Chris Allen, head of the FBI’s Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit. “Now folks are on their smartphones, so we have a

Wanted mobile app

. We have social media we use to publicize fugitives—we tweet, run Facebook ads, use Instagram.”

The FBI also works with

digital billboard companies

to publicize wanted fugitives, Allen added.

The front page cover of The Washington Daily News, published February 7, 1949, with the story “FBI\’s ‘Most-Wanted Fugitives’ Named,” was the very first instance of the FBI releasing a Top Ten list of wanted offenders.

There are two main criteria for adding an individual to the list. First, they have to be considered dangerous—based on crimes already committed—or likely to continue committing crimes. Second, a fugitive may be added if investigators believe publicity will help lead to the fugitive’s arrest. Not all fugitives meet both criteria.

Criminals who appear on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list are not ranked. Instead, their position on the FBI website changes randomly every week, regardless of their length of time on the Top Ten, how dangerous they are, or the crimes they’re accused of.

While the Top Ten is usually just that, in 70 years, there have been 13 special additions—instances where the list has expanded past 10 individuals. These include the additions of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ramzi Yousef for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The most on the list at one time was 16, when six members of the Weather Underground militant organization were added in 1970 for acts of domestic terrorism.

All fugitives on the list are considered armed and dangerous. If you come across one of the Top Ten fugitives, contact the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or

submit a tip online

. Additionally, you can contact your local FBI field office or nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Thanks to the public’s help, our Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program continues to apprehend some of the world’s most dangerous criminals—while reminding fugitives on the run that the FBI never forgets.

source The United States Department of Justice

Resources

Ten Most Wanted Fugitives