“They didn’t just take the money. They paraded it around the country.” FBI Director Kash Patel said that on Thursday, June 4, standing in front of luxury vehicles the bureau says were bought with stolen funds.
The occasion was an Ohio fraud case the FBI calls Operation Playground Therapy. Patel said tens of millions of dollars meant for children and vulnerable families was diverted, allegedly by people working in government and the private sector. “Literally tens of millions of dollars that was supposed to go to kids was stolen, allegedly,” he said.
Criminal charges have been filed, and investigators seized assets. Patel said the suspects had treated taxpayer-funded programs as a chance to enrich themselves. “Well, they got caught,” he said. “And not only did they get caught, so many others got caught.”
A list for fraudsters
The Ohio announcement came with a second one. Patel said the FBI has launched a “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, modeled on the bureau’s long-running lists for violent criminals. It is live on the FBI website, and he urged Americans to look through it and help identify anyone accused of major fraud.
He gave Vice President JD Vance credit for the idea. According to Patel, Vance asked why the FBI keeps public lists for violent offenders but none for people accused of stealing billions of dollars. “How about we have a top ten list for most wanted fraudsters?” Patel recalled Vance saying.
The bureau’s own account of its approach was short. “WE FOLLOW THE MONEY,” the FBI’s Rapid Response account posted that day.
Patel thanked the investigators, prosecutors and partner agencies on the Ohio case. He said it showed what can be done when agencies care about results instead of credit.
Sources
- 'Paraded it around the country': Patel busts massive Ohio fraud ring, millions in kids' funds stolen
