FBI offers reward for former Arizona DPS officer charged in $9M fraud case

PHOENIX — The FBI said Tuesday it’s increasing efforts to locate a former Arizona Department of Public Safety officer who skipped bail after being charged in a $9 million fraud scheme.

The agency said in a press release that information leading to Frederick Arias’ arrest and conviction could garner a reward of up to $25,000.

Arias, 54, is on the FBI’s most-wanted list for white collar crimes.

The FBI said Arias bilked Arizona investors out of millions of dollars between December 2015 and October 2017. He allegedly offered a secure investment with guaranteed profits, but he used the money on personal expenses.

Arias allegedly wired some of the funds overseas, and he has ties to Canada, Norway, Australia, the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic, the FBI said.

He was charged in an Arizona Superior Court on multiple counts — including conspiracy, money laundering, forgery and theft — in June 2019 and arrested in Kirkland, Washington.

He was released on bond but failed to appear for his extradition hearing, the FBI said, so a warrant for his arrest was issued.

In March 2020, he was charged in a U.S. District Court in Phoenix with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, the FBI said.

Anybody with information about the case was asked to call the FBI’s Phoenix office at 623-466-1999 at or their nearest FBI office or American embassy or consulate.

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