An arrest warrant has been issued for Brian Laundrie.
The U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie following the death of Gabby Petito, FBI Denver revealed on Twitter on Thursday.
On September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr. Laundrie’s activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito. pic.twitter.com/SSrBVbAeBs
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021
“While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito’s homicide. We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie’s role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a statement.
Laundrie is being accused of fraudulently using a Capital One Bank debit card, according to the indictment shared by the FBI.
Today’s official #FBIDenver statement and the relevant charging documents are attached. pic.twitter.com/KMEIMOuqKH
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021
Laundrie’s attorney issued a statement about the arrest warrant to NBC News on Thursday.
“It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise. The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum,” the statement reads.
Laundrie is currently missing. The North Port Police Department has been conducting searches in a 25,000-acre wildlife refuge where they believe he might be located, according to NBC News.
The update comes after it the FBI confirmed on Tuesday that Gabby Petito’s body had been recovered.
Petito’s death has been initially determined a homicide, according to a press release from the FBI Denver field office. An official cause of death is pending autopsy results.
The 22-year-old influencer vanished during a months-long cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Her family reported her missing on Sept. 11, more than a week after Laundrie returned home without her.
Authorities are now searching for Laundrie. His family told police last week that they had not seen him for days after he left with a backpack on Sept. 14. On Monday morning, police and FBI investigators executed a search warrant on the home where Laundrie, 23, and his parents were living in North Port, Fla., and declared it a “crime scene.”
The Laundrie family’s lawyer, Steven P. Bertolino, said in a statement last week that Laundrie had been advised not to speak on the case.
“In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this, and the warning that ‘any statement will be used against you’ is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito’s disappearance,” the statement reads in part.
As the case continues to unfold, the Petito family has asked to be given space during this difficult time, per their attorney Richard Stafford.
— Stephanie Swaim