FBI Searching for Calif. Fugitive Last Seen in Suffolk

The FBI is asking for the public's help in tracking down a fugitive who was last known to be in Suffolk County. 

Robert T. Rodriguez, 26, is facing federal tax fraud charges in southern California. He is believed to have family in the Patchogue-area, the FBI said in a statement released Thursday. 

Rodriguez, who the FBI said has ties to a Eurasian criminal organization, is one of 18 people across the country charged in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. 

"Rodriguez and his co-conspirators allegedly opened seed accounts under fictitious business at national banks and then funded a bust-out account at Bank of America with funds from the seed accounts," the FBI said.

"They allegedly transferred funds between the accounts to induce BoA to reduce the length of hold placed on funds. With that, the co-conspirators wrote bad checks from the seed accounts to deposit in the bust-out account and withdrew the funds before the bank within minutes or hours after BoA lifted the hold on the check but before determining the issuing account had insufficient funds," the FBI statement reads.

Rodriguez, who is not considered to be violent, and his co-conspirators are accused of defrauding Bank of America of more than $680,000, according to the FBI.

Rodriguez is 5-foot-8 and approximately 160 pounds. He has hazel eyes and is bald. He has a tattoo on his left forearm.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts to Rodriguez is urged to contact law enforcement immediately. The FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at 212-384-1000.