SUBJECT OF DAYTON MILITARY CONTRACTING FRAUD INDICTMENT FLEES HOME DETENTION IN LAS VEGAS

Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; Richard Zott, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Central Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS); and Gregory G. Lockhart, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Ohio, announce that on June 14, 2008 Metin Atilan, age 48, who holds dual U.S. and Turkish citizenship, fled home detention imposed as a condition of his release after his arrest by FBI agents on May 27 in Las Vegas.

Atilan was arrested as the result of a complaint filed May 14 in U.S. District Court in Dayton alleging that he attempted to bribe a U.S. military contracting official. A federal grand jury indicted Atilan on June 10, 2008 charging him with two counts of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud arising out of a scheme to secure U.S. military contracts through kickbacks.

After his May 27 arrest, Atilan appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Las Vegas. Federal prosecutors in Nevada requested that Atilan be detained until his removal to Ohio to face the federal charges. Atilan was released to home detention secured by an electronic monitoring device. Atilan surrendered his U.S. and Turkish passports. Atilan cut off the monitoring device late on June 14 and has not been seen since.

Photographs of Atilan are below. Anyone with any information on the current whereabouts of Atilan are requested to contact the FBI office in Dayton at 937 222-7485 or their nearest FBI office.

THE PUBLIC IS REMINDED THAT AN INDICTMENT IS MERELY AN ALLEGATION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. ALL SUBJECTS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL CONVICTED IN A COURT OF LAW.