Photo: FBI
A routine traffic stop in Lady Lake, Florida, led to the arrest of Donald Eugene Fields II, one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Sgt. Michelle Bilbrey of the Lady Lake Police Department apprehended Fields, 60, after discovering that the license plate on his vehicle was not registered to the car he was driving. Fields was wanted on federal charges of child sex trafficking and state charges of child rape.
Fields had been on the run since March 2022 after failing to appear for a court hearing in Franklin County, Missouri. He was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list in May 2023. During the traffic stop, officers used a portable fingerprint device to confirm Fields' identity, as he was carrying a driver's license with a different name.
Lady Lake Police Chief Steve Hunt praised Sgt. Bilbrey and the department for their vigilance. "Every traffic stop is an opportunity for justice," Hunt said. "What starts as a routine encounter can quickly turn into a pivotal moment."
The FBI also commended the local police for their proactive policing efforts.
Fields is accused of attempting to recruit and exploit a minor for commercial sex acts between January 2013 and June 2017. Following his arrest, Fields will make his first court appearance in federal court in Florida. Franklin County Sheriff Steven Pelton expressed gratitude for the capture, stating, "The victims deserve justice."