Alex Spirikaitis, the former credit union CEO who has been an FBI fugitive since July 16 for an embezzlement charge following the collapse of the $23.6 million Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union in Cleveland, was captured by FBI agents Monday afternoon.
The Cleveland division of the FBI said Spirkaitis was arrested at 3:15 p.m. in the Collinwood area on Cleveland's east side.
“He was actually walking down the street when they spotted him,” said FBI Special Agent Vicki D. Anderson. “He did not put up a fight.”
Anderson said Spirikaitis changed his appearance by growing out his hair on his head and shaved his goatee. He also lost a lot of weight, she said.
Through investigative techniques, the FBI developed information that led them to believe that Spirikaitis was hiding out in the Collinwood area, Anderson said.
The FBI search for Spirikaitis began on July 16 when local police thought they were in a standoff after arriving at his home in the Cleveland suburb of Solon to arrest him at around 8 p.m. However, when authorities entered the home the next morning, he was not there.
For safety's sake for the residential neighborhood, police waited until daybreak for tactical teams to move in. Additionally, the size of the large home played a part in the decision to wait until daylight before entering, according to the FBI.
The official charge the FBI has brought against Spirikaitis, making false credit institution entries, falls under the embezzlement category, and because it is one that could be quickly proven, FBI officials said, they utilized the charge so authorities could quickly execute an arrest warrant.
Anderson said Spirikaitis is expected to face additional charges. A court hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.
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