MI MI - Don Dietz, 66, Saranac, 8 Sept 2007

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7306519&nav=0Rce

Nov 3, 2007

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information in the disappearance of a Saranac man.

Don Dietz, 66, has been missing since September. He lives in a trailer on the edge of the Ionia State Game Area and is known as Bicycle Man, because he rides his bike all over the area.

Dietz' brother, Marv, told 24 Hour News 8 money may be connected to the disappearance as a potentially forged signature shows an attempt to tap into Don's bank account. Plus, some of his financial documents are missing.

If you know anything about this case, you are asked to call police.

 

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/articles/2007/11/15/news/02news.txt

15 Nov 07

According to Marv Dietz, on Sept. 20, nearly two weeks after Dietz went missing, the Lake Michigan Credit Union received a phone call from someone claiming to be Don Dietz.



The man asked why the credit union hadn't given him the money he requested via mail. The credit union withheld the withdrawal because the signature didn't match Dietz's handwriting.

“The signature looked faked,” said Marv Dietz. “That's when the credit union called our brother, Gene, who was Don's beneficiary. They contacted Gene and told him what had happened. We became more suspicious.”

Five days later on Sept. 30, Gene Dietz got a call from a man who “sounded foreign” but claimed to be his brother, Don.




“Gene talked to somebody who claimed to be Don,” Marv Dietz said. “But the man [he spoke with] had a foreign-sounding accent and couldn't have been our brother. Gene asked him what our mother's maiden name was, and the man claimed to have phone and throat problems and said he'd call back the next day. He didn't.”

more at link

 

[hoppyfrog]

Don's pic is at Project Jason:

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cach...25+don+dietz+missing&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

 

[hoppyfrog]

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7493743

13 Dec 07

At least a dozen State Police investigators scoured the grounds of a house in Lowell in what a source close to the investigation said is connected to the disappearance of a Saranac man in September.

The search at 909 Bowes Road began around 9:40 a.m. Thursday. The owner of the house, Rami Saba, is being held in the Kent County Jail on fraud charges.

The search warrants came from the Federal Financial Crimes Unit, and they are suppressed. But a source close to the investigation told 24 Hour News 8 the search is related to the September 8 disappearance of Don Dietz, an Ionia County man known affectionately as The Bicycle Man.

more at link

 

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-39/11977031574070.xml&coll=6

15 Dec 07

Donald Dietz never drank, never married, was smart with his money and led the frugal life of a conservative investor, his family said.

But authorities recently learned the 66-year-old retiree was "fearful for his life" because an aggressive individual was pressuring Dietz to advance him funds for an investment scheme, according to court records.

On Friday, Rami Ikbal Saba, a Lowell financial adviser, appeared in federal court on charges of fraud and identity theft. Saba had checks from Dietz deposited into his own account two weeks after the Ionia County man's disappearance, records show.

much more at link (may need to enter zip code to access article)

 

[Enchanted]

http://fox17.trb.com/news/121307-wxmi-lowellsearch2,0,910572.story?coll=wxmi-news-1

This doesn't look good for Mr Dietz, who was obviously a highly functioning autistic gentleman - very sad that there are folk in this world who will take advantage of a vulnerability - Hopefully his family will eventually get to the bottom of his mystery and find some peace and this man will get his just desserts, karma-wise!

 

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-40/1205414159300810.xml&coll=6

13 March 08

A Lowell man under suspicion in the September disappearance of an Ionia County retiree is accused of trying to steal $443,606 from Donald Dietz in the days after he went missing.

Rami Ikbal Saba, 35, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for using Dietz's personal information while trying to access a Lake Michigan Credit Union account, court records show.

Saba has been the subject of investigators' scrutiny since Dietz, 66, an Amway retiree, disappeared from his Saranac home in early September.

and

Marvin Dietz is resigned to the fact that his brother likely is dead since he has not been heard from and because the 66-year-old left behind his bike and glasses. He has not given up hope of finding him, and planned to resume the search today.

"It's really strange," Marvin Dietz said. "Never did I think we'd be here six months later and still with no answer on where he is.

"But, just yesterday, I felt that something good was going to happen. This is a start. We'll start looking (today) and we don't know if we'll find anything, but I've got to try."

more at link

 

[meggilyweggily]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dietz_donald.html

 

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/01/prosecutors_missing_man_donald.html

30 Jan 09

Federal authorities today unsealed an indictment against a Pennsylvania man in connection with the 2007 disappearance and attempted theft of $443,606 from Donald Dietz.

Prosecutors allege Raogo Ouedraogo of Philadelphia assisted Lowell resident Rami Saba in a scheme to "kidnap and incapacitate their victim, Donald L. Dietz, assume his identity and to illegally obtain money."

Dietz, of Saranac, has not been seen since September 2007, and authorities originally charged Saba with crimes relating to Dietz going missing.

Authorities allege Saba was pressuring Dietz to invest his money with him, and Dietz expressed concern to his barber that he was fearful for his life because of contact with a financial adviser.

Court records show Saba and Ouedraogo arranged the purchase of two cans of pepper spray and a stun gun as part of their plan to disable Dietz, 66, and access his retirement money.

The men, longtime friends who attended school together in Belgium in the mid-to-late 1990s, were both experiencing significant financial difficulty, documents show. Saba was behind on his mortgage and his credit card debt had risen to a level he could not repay, prosecutors said.

Ouedraogo, an employee of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, made at least three trips to the Grand Rapids area, the last being Sept. 11, 2007, the day Dietz was last seen. He left on Sept. 13 and each man has admitted lying to their spouses about their activity on those dates, authorities said.

In the following days, the pair had multiple cell phone discussions surrounding alleged attempts to access Dietz's money.

more at link

 

[Tonia]

Suspect charged in missing man case to remain jailed

A Philadelphia man charged with financial crimes in connection with the disappearance of an Amway retiree will be jailed pending his transfer here for trial, a federal judge ruled today.

Raogo Ouedraogo is accused of a scheme to incapacitate Donald Dietz, of Saranac, and steal $443,606 from the 66-year-old's bank account.

Authorities last week unsealed an indictment alleging Ouedraogo and Rami Saba, of Lowell, plotted against Dietz, who has been missing since Sept. 2007.

Saba and Ouedraogo allegedly bought a stun gun and pepper spray as part of their kidnapping plan. Ouedraogo, a researcher at Thomas Jefferson University, has been unable to explain what he was doing during a 14-hour stretch that dovetails with Dietz disappearing, authorities said.

Saba is free pending further court hearings and is expected to be arraigned later this month.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/02/suspect_charged_in_missing_man.html

 

[Tonia]

Perjury arrest in the disappearance of Ionia County man

Rami Ikbal Saba has been arrested on a four count perjury warrant relating to the investigation into the kidnapping and homicide of Donald Dietz that occurred around September 11, 2007.

Michigan State Police say that Saba was arrested at his home and arraigned in the Ionia County District Court on Friday. Saba is being lodged at the Ionia County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

The perjury charges against Saba relate to his knowingly making false statements under oath in an examination, based on reasonable belief that a homicide and/or kidnapping of Dietz had been committed. Saba faces up to life in prison if convicted.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/county_1360735___article.html/perjury_ionia.html

 

[hoppyfrog]

Crews search Saba's house for Dietz

29 June 09

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Crews_search_Sabas_house_for_Dietz

State police tell 24 Hour News 8 crews dug up a porch at a house owned by a suspect accused in connection with the disappearance of a man.

But nothing was found Monday morning.

more at link

 

[Tonia]

Two men charged with murder for hire in disappearance of Donald Dietz

Two men linked to the disappearance of a Ionia County man are now charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

The investigation has uncovered evidence, including telephone records, that indicate defendant Saba, with the help of defendant Ouedraogo, kidnapped and murdered Donald Dietz in furtherance of their conspiracy to steal his identity and to commit financial institution fraud.
Financial and telephone records demonstrate that, on July 16, 2007, defendant Saba ordered, through the internet, two cans of pepper spray from Self Defense Technologies in Forth Worth, Texas. Approximately one hour prior to placing this order, defendant Saba contacted defendant Ouedraogo by telephone.
Donald Dietz' body has never been found.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=111426&catid=48

 

[hoppyfrog]

Motel room searched in Dietz case

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Motel_room_to_be_searched_in_Dietz_case

 

[Tonia]

Mich., Pa. men indicted in missing man's case

A federal grand jury in Grand Rapids has indicted two people in a southwestern Michigan man's disappearance.

Thirty-seven-year-old Rami Saba of Lowell and 41-year-old Raogo Ouedraogo of Philadelphia are accused of abducting and killing 66-year-old Donald Dietz. The Saranac man vanished in September 2007.

Prosecutors say the defendants tried to steal the retiree's $443,000 life savings.

The grand jury indicted Saba and Ouedraogo on charges of conspiring to commit murder-for-hire, kidnapping and conspiring to commit kidnapping.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20090925_ap_michpamenindictedinmissingmanscase.html

 

[webrocket]

http://tinyurl.com/yhjpr7a


looks like the dirtbag defendants may face the death penalty for this alleged murder for hire.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/06/police_dig_up_rami_sabas_porch.html

By The Grand Rapids Press
June 29, 2009, 12:18PM

LOWELL -- State police removed a porch at the home of Rami Saba, long a suspect in the 2007 abduction and probable killing of Donald Dietz, 66.

Police did not find Dietz's body, but recovered some potential evidence when the porch was dug up at Saba's home, state police Lt. Curt Schram said.

 

[Kat]

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/saba-1391610-charges-grand.html

May 31, 2011 7:47 PM

Rami Saba was aquitted of interstate murder for hire and kidnapping resulting in death.

 

[summer_breeze]

NamUs Profile

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/8262

Case Information
Status
Missing
First name
Donald
Middle name
Leo
Last name
Dietz
Nickname/Alias
Don
Date LKA
September 10, 2007 09:16
Date entered
09/29/2010
Age LKA
66 to years old
Age now
71 years old
Race
White
Ethnicity
Sex
Male
Height (inches)
70.0
Weight (pounds)
155.0

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/2014/06/24/sentencing-missing-man-case/11328153/

A medical researcher has been sentenced to five years in prison in the case of a western Michigan man who disappeared in 2007.

Raogo Ouedraogo was a researcher at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia when he was arrested in 2009. He was convicted of conspiracy for a plot with a college pal to kidnap a 66-year-old Ionia County retiree, Donald Dietz...

Co-defendant Rami Saba is serving a 32-year prison sentence.