Podcast
Fugitive Files
Hosted by SAM N · EN
Every weekday, Fugitive Files uncovers the chilling real-life stories of fugitives still on the run — from the FBI’s Most Wanted list and beyond.
Each episode dives into official court indictments, arrest warrants, and federal documents to reveal exactly why these individuals are wanted — and how they’ve managed to vanish. We explore the crimes they’ve been accused of, the trails they left behind, and the global manhunts still underway.
From arms traffickers to white-collar masterminds, rogue spies to cartel enforcers — these are the true crime stories the government desperately wants solved
10episodes
Episodes
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Case 097: Guan Tianfeng | The Silent Hacker
Oct 2900:22:38Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we dive into the shadowy digital underworld behind one of the most dangerous cyber campaigns ever directed at U.S. critical infrastructure. At the center of it all is Guan Tianfeng, a Chinese national accused of unleashing a global wave of cyberattacks that compromised more than 80,000 Sophos firewalls — the very devices meant to keep networks safe.According to federal prosecutors, Guan conspired to develop and deploy sophisticated malware exploiting a zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2020-12271, granting him and his co-conspirators unprecedented access to sensitive systems worldwide. Working under the banner of Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co. Ltd., a company later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for its alleged ties to Chinese intelligence, Guan’s operation went far beyond simple data theft. Investigators say the group attempted to deploy Ragnarok ransomware, potentially threatening hospitals, energy providers, and government networks.The Department of Justice has charged Guan with multiple counts of computer fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States. The FBI has placed him among its most wanted cyber fugitives, and the U.S. State Department is offering up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest — a reflection of just how seriously Washington views his alleged crimes.A zero-day exploit turned weapon, a company accused of fronting for foreign intelligence, and a hacker who vanished into the digital ether — this is the story of Guan Tianfeng.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 096: Dagoberto Ramirez-Soto | Blueprint for Betrayal
Oct 2700:29:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we examine the rise of Dagoberto Ramirez-Soto — the alleged leader of a violent criminal enterprise responsible for a string of armed robberies and burglaries targeting Asian American small-business owners between 2017 and 2022. Now one of the FBI’s Most Wanted fugitives, Ramirez-Soto is accused of making false statements, committing identity theft, and obstructing justice to conceal the scope of his operation — a nationwide network built on intimidation, corruption, and cash.According to federal prosecutors, Ramirez-Soto’s crew operated with the help of inside information from a surprising source: a former NYPD detective, Saul Arismendy De La Cruz, who pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in 2025 after admitting he accepted bribes in exchange for leaking confidential police data to the crew. Court records trace Ramirez-Soto’s criminal history back more than a decade — including a 2011 prison sentence for gold burglaries — but the latest indictment paints a far darker picture, detailing a web of fraud, robbery, and money laundering that extended across state lines.A trusted cop turned accomplice, a network of thieves targeting the vulnerable, and a fugitive leader still on the run — this is the story of Dagoberto Ramirez-Soto.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 095: Sajid Mir | The Ghost of Mumbai
Oct 2400:31:10Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we investigate Sajid Mir — one of the world’s most elusive terrorists and a key architect behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, a three-day siege that left 166 people dead, including six Americans. A senior operative of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Mir is accused of directing the assault from afar, guiding gunmen through phone and internet communications as they targeted hotels, a train station, and a Jewish center in coordinated strikes that paralyzed an entire city.According to U.S. prosecutors, Mir’s reach extended far beyond Mumbai — linking him to a separate LeT plot to attack the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten for publishing controversial cartoons, and to extensive recruitment and reconnaissance operations carried out with convicted terrorist David Coleman Headley. Charged with conspiracy to murder, aiding and abetting the killing of U.S. citizens abroad, and providing material support to terrorism, Mir remains a Most Wanted Terrorist, with a $5 million reward offered for information leading to his capture.A handler turned phantom, a global network built on ideology and deception, and a trail of violence that spans continents — this is the story of Sajid Mir.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 096: Pavel Frolov | Guess Who? GRU
Oct 2300:30:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we track Pavel Valeryevich Frolov — one of six Russian military intelligence officers indicted for a global cyberattack campaign that left a trail of chaos and nearly $1 billion in damages.A member of the GRU’s elite hacking unit, Frolov stands accused of unleashing NotPetya, one of the most destructive pieces of malware ever deployed — crippling businesses, hospitals, and governments worldwide. Prosecutors say his operations also targeted the 2017 French elections, the 2018 Winter Olympics, and even U.S. critical infrastructure, including Pennsylvania’s Heritage Valley Health System.Charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, Frolov faces decades behind bars — but he’s nowhere to be found. The FBI and Rewards for Justice program are offering up to $10 million for information leading to his capture.A shadow war fought through keyboards, a network of operatives hidden behind screens, and a fugitive hacker wanted by the United States government — this is the story of Pavel Frolov.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 095: Izmir Ali Koch | Convicted, Sentenced… Gone
Oct 2200:29:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we track Izmir Ali Koch — a convicted hate criminal who vanished before serving a single day behind bars. Sentenced to 30 months for a brutal, anti-Semitic attack outside a Cincinnati restaurant in 2017, Koch was also found guilty of lying to the FBI. But when the time came to report to prison, he disappeared.According to the Department of Justice, Koch has deep ties to both Russia and Turkey — and he may have had help. His brother, Baris Koch, now faces federal charges for allegedly handing over a passport and misleading investigators to aid in the escape. With an FBI Most Wanted poster, an outstanding indictment, and a reward on the table, the manhunt is far from over.A hate crime, a cover-up, and an international flight from justice — this is the story of Izmir Koch.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 094: Guochun He | The Bitcoin Bribe: China’s Spy Games Go Digital
Oct 2100:24:41Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fugitive Files, we track Guochun He — a Chinese intelligence officer turned fugitive — accused of playing a high-stakes game inside America’s justice system. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, He and fellow agent Zheng Wang tried to bribe a supposed U.S. insider with $61,000 in Bitcoin for secret information about the Huawei case. What they didn’t know? Their “insider” was working for the FBI. From digital payments to double agents, this episode unravels how a covert operation went sideways — and why the U.S. now calls Guochun He a wanted man.This is Fugitive Files. Let's get into it.
Transcribe →Case 093: Nicolas Maduro | The Cocaine President
Oct 2000:32:11Tap to summarizeHe runs a country—and, according to U.S. prosecutors, a cartel. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a sweeping indictment against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro Moros, accusing him of transforming his government into a criminal enterprise. The charges? Narco-terrorism, corruption, money laundering, and conspiracy to “flood” the United States with cocaine—using drugs as a weapon of war.Prosecutors allege Maduro and his allies led the Cártel de Los Soles, working with Colombia’s FARC rebels to move tons of cocaine through Venezuela with military protection. The U.S. doesn’t even recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate president—and has offered up to $50 million for information leading to his capture.From the presidential palace to the DEA’s most-wanted list, this is the story of power, politics, and powder—where international law meets one of the world’s boldest indictments.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 092: Julian Assange | The Hacker, the Whistle, and the Deal: Th Final Leak
Oct 1700:26:46Tap to summarizeHe called it transparency—the world called it treason. Julian Assange, the polarizing founder of WikiLeaks, spent more than a decade fighting governments, extradition, and the weight of a digital revolution he helped ignite. Accused of conspiring with former Army analyst Chelsea Manning to steal and publish classified U.S. documents, Assange became one of the most controversial figures of the 21st century—hailed by some as a truth-teller, condemned by others as a reckless hacker.After years of court battles and asylum drama, his story ended not with a trial but a deal: in 2024, Assange pleaded guilty to a single felony under the Espionage Act and was sentenced to time served—the 62 months he’d already spent behind bars in the U.K.Hero, hacker, or something in between? You decide.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 091: Adam Gadahn | From Garage Bands to al Qaeda
Oct 1600:23:17Tap to summarizeHe grew up in California—listening to death metal, surfing message boards, and clashing with his family. But somewhere along the way, Adam Gadahn traded his suburban rebellion for something far darker. Rebranding himself as “Azzam the American,” Gadahn became al Qaeda’s English-speaking mouthpiece, appearing in propaganda videos that threatened the very country he once called home.In 2006, the U.S. charged him with treason—the first American in over 50 years to face that accusation—and offered a reward for his capture. His story became a case study in modern extremism: how online radicalization, identity crises, and ideology can intertwine with terrifying results. Gadahn’s life ended in 2015 during a U.S. counterterrorism operation in Pakistan, but his path from fanboy to fugitive remains a haunting chapter in America’s post-9/11 history.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
Transcribe →Case 090: Christoper W. Burns | Cashed Out and Vanished
Oct 1400:23:09Tap to summarizeHe promised safe returns. What his investors got instead was a vanishing act. Christopher W. Burns, a former financial advisor turned fugitive, is wanted by the FBI for allegedly running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme disguised as a “peer-to-peer lending program.” According to federal prosecutors, Burns defrauded dozens of clients—friends, retirees, and longtime investors—out of more than $10 million, using their money to fund his luxury lifestyle and pay off earlier victims.Indicted on sixteen counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering, Burns disappeared in 2020—just one day before he was due to surrender documents to the SEC. His abandoned SUV was found near the Georgia border, filled with personal belongings. He hasn’t been seen since.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.
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