PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH SEXUAL CRIMES
FOUND BY U.S. MARSHALS IN PANAMA

On the evening of October 12, 2006, Richard Wesley Gibbs’ run from justice ended as U.S. Marshals, working through Panamanian authorities, apprehended Gibbs at the Big Bamboo Bar and Grill in Bocas Del Toro, Panama, after a 90-day manhunt that spanned seven states.

On July 18, 2006 Gibbs, 65, fled the country with hopes that he and his crimes would be forgotten.

“Gibbs, a former professor, was on the run after skipping an extradition hearing on July 31. He was facing 14 felony counts of sexual abuse of children stemming from pornographic images found on his computers while being employed at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott of the Northern District of Ohio.

“He also was charged with molesting a child in California six years ago and faces 10 counts of gross sexual imposition in Ohio in the 1980s,” said U.S. Marshal Elliott. “His alleged acts were unspeakable and it was critical that we brought him to justice.”

Deputy U.S. Marshals determined that Gibbs had traveled to Panama where he attempted to fit into the culture. He was working at the Big Bamboo Bar and Grill under the name Wesley Alonzo, which he sculpted from his relatives’ first and middle names.

Investigative leads enabled Deputy U.S. Marshals to advise the Panamanian authorities to Gibbs location. Panamanian police officers set up surveillance at the Big Bamboo Bar and Grill, Panama, and were able to identify Gibbs. He was arrested without incident.

Gibbs is currently in custody in Miami, FL after being transported by Panamanian authorities early this morning.

The arrest of Richard Gibbs was orchestrated beautifully due to the team effort by all law enforcement agencies involved. “This case was the perfect example of the significant level of cooperation that exists between the U.S. Marshals, Bainbridge Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office” says U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott. Furthermore, international coordination between the United States Marshals Service, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Panamanian Immigration Authorities played a key role in this high profile arrest. “Richard Wesley Gibbs was made the highest priority by our assembled law enforcement team due to the heinous nature of his crimes,“ Elliott said.