Donald Dietz, msg 9/8/07, Saranac, MI [2 MEN CHARGED]

[KittyMom]

http://www.nampn.org/cases/dietz_donald.html

http://www.nampn.org/cases/images/dietz_donald.jpg

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance



Missing Since: September 8, 2007 from Saranac, Michigan
Classification: Missing
Age: 66
Race: White
Gender: Male
Medical Conditions: He is autistic.

Details of Disappearance
Donald Dietz was last seen at his home on Eddy Road in Sarnac, Michigan on September 8, 2007. Rami Saba has been charged with mail and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, when it was discovered that he tried to withdrawl $400,000 from Mr. Dietz's bank account, the same month he went missing. The funds never went through, because the bank found it to be suspicious and called the family of Mr. Dietz. It was then he was discovered to be missing. After Saba attempted to withdrawl the money, Donalds brother got a call from a man with a heavy accent claiming to be Donald. The man said he got a girl pregnant and needed to go away with her, and wanted help wiring money. In a search of Mr. Dietzs' trailer, references to Saba were found. Saba has not been charged with any crime directly related to Dietz's disappearance. The investigation into Donald Dietz's whereabouts continues. Michigan State Police say his disappearance is suspicious.

[KittyMom]

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

Thursday, March 13, 2008By Nate ReensThe Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- 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.

Authorities, in a criminal complaint filed in December when federal agents searched Saba's house, allege Saba wrote the credit union trying to get the cash.

The U.S. Secret Service analyzed the paper turned over by the credit union, and reportedly matched it to printing characteristics found in items obtained from Saba's trash.

Dietz's brother, Marvin Dietz, said his brother was mixed up with an investment adviser who was pressuring him.

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."

Saba has not been charged with any crime related to Dietz's disappearance.

However, authorities link him to Dietz through bank activity and other circumstantial evidence. They allege a man with an accent -- Saba is a Lebanese national -- contacted one of Dietz's brothers while trying to get the money wired to Lebanon.

When the brother questioned the caller, who claimed to be Donald Dietz, about his identity and asked for their mother's middle name, the person hung up.

Saba never did obtain the money from the credit union, records show.

The criminal complaint also says Saba cashed or tried to cash two checks drawn on Dietz's accounts after the Ionia man disappeared.

Saba is free on bond, court records show. He has explained the Dietz checks he cashed were payments for a debt, records show.

Send e-mail to the author: nreens@grpress.com

[KittyMom]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=83143

Created: 11/2/2007 4:37:16 PM
Updated: 11/2/2007 4:50:37 PM

Silent Observer today announced a $10,000 reward for help finding a missing Saranac man.

Donald Dietz, 66, disappeared from his home on Eddy Road on September 8th.

Michigan State Police say his disappearance is suspicious. His family put up the reward for information leading to his safe return.

If you have any information, call the Ionia State Police or Silent Observer at 616-527-0107.

[KittyMom]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=85253

Created: 12/19/2007 4:52:54 PM
Updated: 12/19/2007 8:17:31 PM

Grand Rapids - A federal judge has ordered Rami Saba to be freed on $500,000 unsecured bond, but with an electronic tether.

Saba is accused of mail fraud, identity theft and financial institution fraud, and prosecutors believe he may also be connected with the disappearance of Don Dietz of Saranac, who has been missing since September.

Prosecutors say Saba tried to transfer $443,000 from Dietz's bank account to his own accounts in Lebanon.

In today's 2 hour court hearing, prosecutors argued that Saba is a suicide and flight risk. However, he will be released as soon as he is fitted with an electronic monitoring device and processed out of federal custody.

Also in court today, Saba waived his preliminary exam.

http://www.wzzm13.com/assetpool/images/071214222341_Rami-Saba.gif

What was this judge thinking???? This guy tries to wire money out of someone's acct into a bank in Labanon...oh,yeah...that's when LE figure out that that someone is missing and the judge thinks...hey! I'll just let him walk around with a cute little anklet. DUH!!! If ever a flight risk this guy is it. I just don't get some of these judges. Maybe we should pass a law that in situations like this, the perp gets to stay at the judges house until trial.:71541:

[Roamer]

WOW, KM. ITA!!! This guy has done all but wave a red flag and say "I killed him for his money!"

[London Lass]

OMG - they might as well just hand him his passport and ticket and say nice knowing you!

:rolleye0001:

:mad:

[Nut44x4]

Feds indict man for using missing man's info

Posted: March 13, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
Updated: March 13, 2008 10:35 AM CDT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOOD) - A Grand Jury indicted Rami Saba on Wednesday for using the personal and financial information of a missing man.

Saba was arrested in December after prosecutors found evidence he tried to collect more than $400,000 from Donald Dietz. Dietz went missing in September.

Saba is accused of using Dietz's personal information to try and access his account at Lake Michigan Credit Union. He's denied any connection to the disappearance of Dietz.
http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=11452

[Faith]

Car accident clouds search for missing man

Posted: June 18, 2008 05:22 PM

Updated: June 18, 2008 05:22 PM

By Rachael Ruiz

LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) - Don Dietz has been missing since September, and his family wants closure. But the man accused of defrauding Dietz out of hundreds of thousands of dollars is in critical condition following a car accident, and everything is once again on hold.

Marv Dietz, Don's brother, is admittedly frustrated. "We want the case solved, and it just seems like we're taking a step backward every time something happens," he said.

When Rami Saba, the man accused of stealing Don's money, "got involved in that accident, we don't know if that was a planned accident or if it's something that happened. That just seems kind of convenient that that happens."

Dietz believes Saba has information "of where our missing brother is, and he can help the case. And if he's out of the picture, then we're completely lost." Dietz once again is pleading with anyone who may have information to come forward.

Saba was scheduled for a July trial date, but since the accident, the proceedings are adjourned for now.
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8521104&nav=0RceQYX8

[Faith]

http://video.woodtv.com/thumbs/thumb.php?image=12532.jpg&width=300
Video
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8521104&nav=0RceQYX8

[Nut44x4]

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=8875635&nav=0RbQ

Lowell resident charged with stealing identity of missing man

Associated Press - August 20, 2008 10:44 PM ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A Grand Rapids-area man faces four counts of stealing the identity of a retiree who's been missing nearly a year.

Rami Ikbal Saba also is charged with four counts of bank fraud. He was arraigned yesterday in U.S. District Court.

A federal indictment alleges Saba tried to steal more than $440,000 from Donald Dietz within days of the 66-year-old Saranac man's disappearance in September. The indictment alleges the 36-year-old investment adviser was pressuring Dietz to advance him money.

Saba is NOT charged in Dietz's disappearance. His trial is to begin next month.

[packy]

Took long enough to charge him it seems. Can't help but think he knows what happened to Mr. Dietz. So sad.

[sarahhod]

More charges in missing ‘Bicycle Man' case


Published: Friday, January 30, 2009 11:39 PM CST

By Sentinel-Standard staff

GRAND RAPIDS - New charges have been filed in a federal court and new information has surfaced relating to missing Saranac man Donald Dietz, missing since 2007.

Lowell resident Rami Ikbal Saba, along with newly named accomplice Raogo Ouedraogo of Philadelphia, were recently charged with allegedly trying to kidnap and incapacitate Dietz, assume his identity and illegally obtain more than $440,000 from his bank accounts and transfer it to a bank in Lebanon.

According to federal court documents unsealed Friday, Ouedraogo, a college friend of Saba's who works as a researcher in Philadelphia, allegedly made several trips from Pennsylvania to Grand Rapids, and he had made a trip to the area during the dates Dietz had gone missing.

Documents also state that the two defendants ordered a stun gun and cans of pepper spray prior to the disappearance of Dietz.


Dietz had been missing since September 2007 when he was last seen at the Meijer on M-66 in Berlin Township on Sept. 8.

According to the indictment, Dietz reported to his barber that he was “fearful for his life due to contact with an individual who was attempting to have him advance a sum of money”.

In a previous article published in the Sentinel-Standard, Dietz's barber recalled the encounter where he was discussing the issues.


“[Don] told me that somebody wanted him to invest money with them, and he wasn't taking ‘no' for an answer,” the barber said in the article. “[Don] mentioned one time when he practically had to force this guy out the door, which is just not like Don because he was a very timid man. Don said it happened quite a few times.”

Saba was arrested in December 2007 and charged with attempted bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and was subsequently released from custody on bond.

Saba was scheduled to go to trial in February, but the trial was adjourned pending new information related to the case, and other case matters were postponed last year due to him being involved in an automobile accident.


*Editor's note: Due to the nature of this case, the Sentinel-Standard is not using the name of the barber at this time.

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/articles/2009/01/31/news/02news.txt

[sarahhod]

Missing West Michigan Man Conspired Against


January 30, 2009 - 10:30 PM

http://images.onset.freedom.com/wwmt/medium/kebgfk-saba.jpg (http://www.wwmt.com/sections/article/gallery?pic=1&id=1358594&db=wwmt)

SARANAC, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - No ones seen hide nor hair of Donald Dietz now for more than a year.

He disappeared from Saranac last September while riding his bike home from a Meijer store. Investigators know his disappearance is suspicious. Friday, prosecutors released a 3rd indictment in a twisted and complicated case of fraud. It's a move no one saw coming.

Rami Saba of Lowell is tied into all this mess. He once worked as Dietz's financial advisor. Prosecutors indicted him last year on Fraud and False Identity charges related to Deitz.

Court documents show he stole Deitz's identity and tried to wire more than $440,000 back to a bank account in Lebanon but a Credit Union blocked that transaction.

However, Friday's 3rd indictment has prosecutors saying Saba did not act alone. They've now named a 2ndsuspect, Raogo Ouedraogo, of Philadelphia whom investigators call Dr. O. He's a long time friend of Saba's. The two went to school together in Belgium.

The indictment claims the two men conspired to kidnap and incapacitate their victim Donald L. Dietz, assume his identity, and to illegally obtain money and funds from various financial institutions using the identity of Donald L. Dietz.

Dr. O was arrested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday in connection to Don Dietz disappearance. This is another welcome piece to the puzzle for brother, Marvin Dietz

"We're just constantly wondering where our brother is and wondering when this case is going to be solved," said Marvin.

No convictions yet but the affidavit reveals shocking revelations of the conspiracy between Saba and Dr. O. The two were in contact constantly by phone and Dr. O made at least three trips to Grand Rapids in 2007.

He was in the area around the time Deitz disappeared for two days. The affidavit also says before the visit Saba ordered cans of pepper spray even a stun gun-on line. Marvin Dietz hopes this information means an end to the mystery is near.

"Nothing has happened in over a year and we have nothing to look forward to and now there's progress being made, hopefully more progress is being made and there will be some convictions," said Marvin.

Saba actually posed as Don Dietz himself and placed a call to brother Gene Dietz to get help to release the money.

"I can't comment on that right now other than it was a pretty strange call. He knew right away that it wasn't Don." said Marvin.

Once questioned, investigators say Saba quickly hung up. Though this evidence brings new life to the investigation the whereabouts of Don Dietz is still unknown. His family has now accepted they'll probably never see him again.

"We've come to the realization that the odds are pretty well against it but there's always a small hope," said Marvin.

Dr. O's initial court appearance was Friday in Philadelphia. While Rami Saba is expected to be arraigned in Grand Rapids in a few weeks.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/conspired_1358594___article.html/michigan_missing.html

[sarahhod]

New indictment filed in case of missing Mich. man

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jan 30, 2009 at 6:21 PM EST
Story Updated: Jan 30, 2009 at 6:21 PM EST



GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Two men who became buddies at college in Europe conspired to kidnap a Michigan retiree and get access to his $443,000 bank account, prosecutors said Friday in unsealing a third indictment in the case.

Donald Dietz disappeared in September 2007, his glasses next to his bed, and still has not been found. He lived in Saranac, 30 miles east of Grand Rapids, in Ionia County.
Rami Saba of Lowell was twice indicted last year on fraud and false-identity charges related to Dietz.
The latest indictment adds a new defendant, a conspiracy charge and a bushel of details on their alleged plot to kidnap Dietz, 66.
"The principal object of the conspiracy was to kidnap and incapacitate their victim, Donald L. Dietz, assume his identity and to illegally obtain money and funds from various financial institutions," the indictment says.
Saba's alleged accomplice is Raogo Ouedraogo, a native of Africa who is a medical researcher in Philadelphia.
Ouedraogo, who went to college with Saba in Belgium in the 1990s, made at least three trips to Grand Rapids in 2007, including a 48-hour visit at the time Dietz disappeared, according to the indictment.
The men are accused of using the Internet to acquire a stun gun and cans of pepper spray.
Eight days after Dietz disappeared, Saba sent a letter bearing Dietz' forged signature to a credit union seeking to close an account and transfer $443,000 to a bank in Lebanon, the indictment says. The money was not sent.
Saba's attorney, Sharon Turek, declined to comment on the new indictment.
"We're preparing for trial," she said.
Ouedraogo was in custody in Philadelphia awaiting a detention hearing Monday in federal court there. The identity of his lawyer was not known Friday.
The indictment says Saba and Ouedraogo had financial problems.
Saba worked in financial services but missed performance quotas and had fallen behind on his mortgage and credit card payments, according to the government.
A week before his disappearance, Dietz "reported to his barber that he was fearful for his life due to contact with an individual who was attempting to have him advance a sum of money," the indictment says.


http://www.wsbt.com/news/regional/38722807.html

[sarahhod]

Prosecutors: Missing man, Donald Dietz, was target of a kidnapping, theft plot

by Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press Friday January 30, 2009, 3:47 PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- 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.
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/01/small_saba.jpgRami Saba
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.
Ouedraogo was arrested Thursday and was to appear in a Philadelphia court today on multiple charges of bank fraud. Federal prosecutors were asking a judge to order his detention.
Saba, who is free on bond, has been considered a suicide threat by prosecutors since he was charged in the case. He has had two accidents, including one that left him with significant burns, a head injury and broken bones when he drove his sport utility vehicle in to a dump truck while on his way to court last June.
Police said Saba crossed into the path of the truck for no apparent reason on the day he was to be arraigned. The other crash happened three weeks after he wrote a letter to his wife advising her of his wishes if he were to die and the details of a $1 million life insurance policy.


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

[Faith]

Suspect charged in missing man case to remain jailed
by The Grand Rapids Press
Monday February 02, 2009, 8:43 PM

GRAND RAPIDS -- 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

[sarahhod]

Not guilty plea in man's disappearance

[/URL]
February 26, 2009 - 8:04 AM



(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - We're learning about new developments in the case of a missing West Michigan man.

News reports say Raogo Ouedraogo pleaded not guilty Wednesday to bank fraud and identity theft.

He and Rami Saba both face charges connected to the disappearance of Donald Dietz.

He went missing in 2007 and his body has never been found.

Investigators believe Ouedraogo and Saba worked together to kidnap Dietz, steal his identity and drain his bank accounts.


[url]http://www.wwmt.com/articles/west_1359604___article.html/michigan_case.html (http://www.wwmt.com/articles/west_1359604___article.html/michigan_case.html#slComments)

[sarahhod]

Philadelphia man linked to missing retiree pleads not guilty to federal charges

by The Grand Rapids Press Wednesday February 25, 2009, 9:05 PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- A Philadelphia man allegedly tied to the disappearance and attempted theft of $443,606 from Amway retiree Donald Dietz pleaded not guilty today to charges of bank fraud and identity theft.
Raogo Ouedraogo, 31, is accused of a scheme to incapacitate the 66-year-old Saranac man, who has been missing since September 2007. Ouedraogo is jailed pending further court hearings.
Authorities say he and Rami Saba, of Lowell, bought a stun gun and pepper spray as part of their alleged kidnapping plan. Saba is free on bond and is expected to be arraigned on March 5.
The two men attended school together in Belgium in the 1990s.
Ouedraogo has appeared to testify before a grand jury four times before being charged in the case.
Federal authorities seized computer equipment, financial records and other records from Ouedraogo's home and office at Thomas Jefferson University. Prosecutors allege Ouedraogo flew to West Michigan at the time Dietz disappeared, and the suspect has been unable to account for his whereabouts.

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

[sarahhod]

Man headed to court for another's disappearance

March 5, 2009 - 8:48 AM


IONIA, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - One of the suspects under investigation in an Ionia County man's disappearance is back in court Thursday.

Rami Saba will be arraigned on several charges for bank fraud and identity theft.

Investigators say he and another man worked together to kidnap Don Dietz, steal his identity and drain his bank accounts.

Dietz went missing near his home in Saranac back in 2007. He hasn't been heard from since.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/ionia_1359867___article.html/court_disappearance.html

[sarahhod]

Man accused of fraud linked to missing man now faces conspiracy charge

by The Grand Rapids Press Thursday March 05, 2009, 8:58 PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- Federal prosecutors have added a conspiracy charge to several counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for Rami Saba, accused of trying to get $443,000 from a now-missing Saranac man.
Rami Saba
Saba was arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids on a new indictment that includes the conspiracy charge. Donald Dietz, 66, known as the "bicycle man" around Saranac, went missing in September 2007.
Prosecutors claim Saba plotted with Raogo Ouedraogo of Philadelphia to "kidnap and incapacitate" Dietz and assume his identity. Saba, 36, is free on bond.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/man_accused_of_fraud_linked_to.html

[sarahhod]

Federal court records show men from Lowell, Philadelphia are targets in Donald Dietz murder investigation

by Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press
Friday March 27, 2009, 9:59 PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- Although not charged with murder or kidnapping, state and federal prosecutors leave little doubt who they think abducted and likely killed Donald Dietz, a 66-year-old Saranac man who disappeared in 2007.
And those suspects -- Lowell man Rami Saba and Philadelphia resident Raogo Ouedraogo -- on Friday headed in different directions. A federal judge ordered Ouedraogo free on bond while Saba headed to jail charged with perjury.

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/03/small_Saba.JPGCourtesy PhotoRami Saba

"At the heart of this case is the disappearance and probable murder of Donald L. Dietz," federal prosecutors wrote in recently filed court records. "The targets of that investigation being both defendants Ouedraogo and Saba.
"Given the nature of the defendants' scheme, Mr. Dietz had to be eliminated. While the indictment conservatively refers only to the kidnapping and incapacitation of Mr. Dietz, the reality is that Mr. Dietz is dead."
Ouedraogo and Saba face federal bank fraud, identity theft and conspiracy allegations for trying to gain access to Dietz's $450,000 life savings. The men, former schoolmates in Belgium, are accused of a plot to withdraw the money from a bank account.
Saba was arrested Friday after Ionia County Prosecutor Ron Schafer authorized a four-count warrant charging the 36-year-old with lying under oath during an investigative subpoena.
Saba is held on a $1 million bond on the allegation he lied during testimony taken March 2008 as state police probed what happened to Dietz, Schafer said.
The charges accuse Saba of falsely answering four queries while being investigated for homicide and kidnapping, state police said.
Schafer could not elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/03/small_raogo.jpgCourtesy PhotoRaogo Ouedraogo

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Janet Neff ordered Ouedraogo released on a $500,000 bond. The suspect requested to be freed pending trial, noting he is the sole wage-earner for his family and proceedings are expected to be at least six months off.
Ouedraogo, a native of Burkina Faso, already has surrendered his passport and his family must do the same, the judge ruled. He also was ordered to serve home detention.
Dietz, affectionately known as the "bicycle man," disappeared Sept. 11, 2007, shortly after he reported being fearful for his life due to contact with a person who was pressuring him to invest money.
Saba, authorities say, was working as an investment adviser and had all of Dietz's personal and financial records on his home computer.
Prosecutors also contend Ouedraogo made several trips to Grand Rapids before Dietz disappeared, including arriving the night before he vanished. It is alleged the pair purchased a stun gun and a chemical spray to incapacitate Dietz.
Ouedraogo, 31, has been unable to account for the 14 hours between his arrival in Grand Rapids and when he checked into a hotel, investigators said.
Marvin Dietz, the victim's brother, said Friday he was galvanized by the continuing investigation despite the apparent slaying. He remains hopeful his brother's body will be located.
"We're still hopeful. The police and prosecutors are my heroes, my family's heroes," Marvin Dietz said. "The power of prayer is the most powerful thing on this earth, and we're encouraged by all that's happening."


http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/federal_court_records_show_men.html

[sarahhod]

Perjury arrest in the disappearance of Ionia County man

March 27, 2009 - 8:34 PM


IONIA COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - 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.

Donald Dietz disappeared from his home in Berlin Township in September of 2007 and was reported missing by a family member who had been notified that someone was attempting to access Dietz's bank account. The subsequent investigation into Dietz's disappearance has led to a joint investigation with the United States Secret Service and federal charges have been brought against Saba and co-defendant, Raogo Ouedraogo for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

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

[Nut44x4]

UPDATE: Police clear scene at Lowell home; no body found

Updated:6/29/2009 12:42:17 PM
LOWELL, Mich. (WZZM) - We have a developing story out of Lowell where crime scene investigators from Michigan State Police have roped off a home, apparently searching for a body.

Police have cleared the scene at Bowes Road and Center Avenue. They have recovered some evidence, but not a body.

Michigan State Police and other departments began digging Monday morning behind Rami Saba's house in Lowell. The home is for sale and Saba is currently in jail.

Donald Dietz has been missing since September 8, 2007. The 66-year-old disappeared from his home on Eddy Road in Saranac. Silent Observer offered a $10,000 reward in 2008.

A Lowell man, Rami Saba, has been linked to the disappearance of a Saranac man. Investigators had found Dietz's Social Security Number and bank account passwords on Saba's computer.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/most_popular_story.aspx?storyid=110817&provider=top

[Faith]

Police say they found more evidence in the case of a missing man

June 29, 2009 - 6:17 PM

LOWELL, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Investigators say they have dug up some more evidence in the case of a missing man.



Police tore up the front porch of the former home of Rami Saba in Lowell Monday. They were acting on a tip that the porch was built around the same time that Donald Dietz of Saranac went missing.



Police did not find Dietz, but say they did recover some more evidence for their case.



Dietz was known as the bicycle man, he was last seen riding his bike in September of 2007. He lived a very modest life, but did manage to save and had around a half a million dollars in the bank when he disappeared.



Saba and another man are charged in Dietz's disappearance.



Saba was once Dietz's financial advisor. Investigators believe he and the other man worked together to kidnap Dietz, steal his identity, and drain his bank accounts.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/case-1364148-missing-evidence.html

[Faith]

Prosecutors: Missing man, Donald Dietz, was target of a kidnapping, theft plot
by Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press
Friday January 30, 2009, 3:47 PM

GRAND RAPIDS -- 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.

Ouedraogo was arrested Thursday and was to appear in a Philadelphia court today on multiple charges of bank fraud. Federal prosecutors were asking a judge to order his detention.

Saba, who is free on bond, has been considered a suicide threat by prosecutors since he was charged in the case. He has had two accidents, including one that left him with significant burns, a head injury and broken bones when he drove his sport utility vehicle in to a dump truck while on his way to court last June.

Police said Saba crossed into the path of the truck for no apparent reason on the day he was to be arraigned. The other crash happened three weeks after he wrote a letter to his wife advising her of his wishes if he were to die and the details of a $1 million life insurance policy.

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

[Faith]

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/03/medium_dietz.jpg
Marvin Dietz holds a flier of his brother, Donald Dietz, a wealthy 66-year-old man who has been missing since September.

[nomadpatti]

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/03/medium_dietz.jpg
Marvin Dietz holds a flier of his brother, Donald Dietz, a wealthy 66-year-old man who has been missing since September.

Wow!
The flier Marvin is holding up sure has a much better picture of Donald than we had at the begining of this thread!
:shrug1:
My prayers are with family that they find answers, although it appears some of the questions have already been answered. So sad.

[Nut44x4]

UPDATE: Two men charged with murder for hire in disappearance of Donald Dietz
Updated:7/17/2009 2:15:09 PM


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM)- Two men linked to the disappearance of a Ionia County man are now charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

Donald Dietz vanished in September of 2007 and is believed to have been killed. Tonight Kay Hooker, a spokesperson with the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, tells WZZM 13 News, Rami Saba and another man, Raogo Ouedraogo are charged in connection with Dietz's death. Saba was already being held for stealing Dietz's identity and was to stand trial on those charges in August. That trial is now adjourned.

Ouedraogo is in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition.

Both men are also charged with kidnapping and because the case is considered an interstate crime, Saba and Ouedraogo could face the death penalty.

Federal Court documents include the following information about Saba's and Ouedraogo's alleged involvement.

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

[Nut44x4]

Federal judge orders Philadelphia man held in Donald Dietz's death
[Posted by The Grand Rapids Press July 28, 2009, 08:06AM]
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/07/small_Raogo-Ouedraogo-mug.jpg
Raogo Ouedraogo
GRAND RAPIDS -- A federal judge has ordered a Philadelphia man suspected in a murder-for-hire conspiracy and kidnapping plot in the presumed death of Ionia County man Donald Dietz be jailed pending further court hearings.

Raogo Ouedraogo, 37, is accused along with Rami Saba, a 41-year-old from Lowell, of the capital offenses. Authorities say the pair attempted to steal Dietz's $450,000 life savings.

Dietz disappeared in September 2007, and state and federal investigators have yet to find his body.

Court records show authorities have circumstantial evidence linking the men to the alleged crimes.

Ouedraogo will be held in Pennsylvania, and it's not clear when he will be returned to Michigan.

http://www.mlive.com/mobile/news/grandrapids/

[sarahhod]

Investigators get search warrants for Grand Rapids hotel seeking clues to 2007 disappearance of Saranac's Donald Dietz

by Jacob Carpenter | The Grand Rapids Press
Wednesday August 12, 2009, 7:14 PM


GRAND RAPIDS -- Federal authorities have obtained a search warrant to look through a Motel 6 room for evidence in the September 2007 disappearance of Ionia County resident Donald Dietz.
The search warrant filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court seeks permission to search the Motel 6, 3524 28th St. SE, where records indicate Raogo Ouedraogo stayed Sept. 12, 2007.
Ouedraogo, 37, of Philadelphia, and Rami Saba, 41, of Lowell, are accused of trying to steal Dietz's $450,000 life savings.
Dietz, 66, of Saranac, was last seen alive two days before Ouedraogo arrived in Grand Rapids. Presumed dead, his body has not been found.
Circumstantial evidence apparently links Dietz and Ouedraogo to Dietz's disappearance, court records show.
Both Ouedraogo and Saba have been charged with federal felonies of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and kidnapping resulting in death, which could be punishable by death penalty.
Investigators are searching for "latent fingerprints and trace evidence, including but not limited to, hair, fibers, blood and other bodily fluids, skin and particles of skin," according to the probable-cause affidavit.
Motel 6 officials told investigators that Room 245, where Ouedraogo reportedly stayed, hasn't been significantly changed in the nearly two years since, according to court documents.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/08/federal_investigators_gain_sea.html

[sarahhod]

Motel room to be searched in Dietz case

Looking for evidence in murder case

Updated: Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 6:10 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 6:07 PM EDT


http://media2.woodtv.com//photo/2009/01/30/Donald-Dietz-320_20090130160101_320_240.JPG
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A search warrant has been authorized for a Grand Rapids motel to look for evidence in the disappearance and suspected death of Donald Dietz in September 2007.
The search warrant was filed in US District court at 3:59 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities want to look at a room at the Motel 6 at 3524 28th Street SE.
In the warrant, authorities are looking for "evidence of conspiracy to commit interstate murder for hire and kidnapping resulting in death." Among other items, they're searching for "latent fingerprints and trace evidence, including but not limited to, hair, fibers, blood and other bodily fluids, skin and particles of skin, and any item that may contain human DNA."
24 Hour News 8 will have more information as soon as possible.

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

[sarahhod]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeERpyAEb9o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fmore% 3Fum%3D1%26ned%3Duk%26cf%3Dall%26ncl%3Ddc1VDAC6cIN g-kM-ceJzJea6R8ODM&feature=player_embedded

[sarahhod]

Motel searched in connection to 2007 disappearance

August 12, 2009 9:59 PM


WYOMING, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Wednesday saw developing news surrounding the disappearance of a Saranac man in 2007.

Donald Dietz disappeared back in September of 2007. He had lived modestly, but prosecutors believe that Dietz had tucked away quite a fortune by the time he vanished.

Prosecutors say two men, Rami Saba and Rago Ouedraogo, worked together to kidnap Dietz, steal his identity and drain his bank accounts.

Now, investigators think that a motel in Wyoming may have played a role in the whole thing.

The Secret Service was granted a search warrant on Wednesday afternoon to search a room at the Motel 6 on 28th Street SE.

Officials think both Saba and Ouedraogo stayed at that motel back in September 2007, and that some evidence, including DNA is still in one of the rooms.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/style-1365757-margin-0in.html

[sarahhod]

Possible new evidence in 2007 disappearance

August 18, 2009 6:44 PM


KENT COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – New evidence appears to have been found in a tangled murder investigation.

We're learning what police found after searching a local motel thought to be connected to the murder of Donald Dietz.

The 66-year-old man from Saranac has not been seen since September of 2007. Though his body has never been found, investigators believe Dietz is dead.

Investigators now say a recent search of a Motel 6 in Grand Rapids has yielded some possible evidence. Specifically, red-brown stains that were found on a door frame in a hallway, and in an upper stairwell. One of the stains was ten inches long, the other 31 inches.

Investigators say they believe Dietz was kidnapped, held in a room, and later killed. However, those stains have yet to be linked to Dietz.

Police have made two arrests in connection with the case. They believe Rami Saba and Raogo Ouedraogao kidnapped and killed Dietz to steal his money.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/newschannel-1365977-evidence-0in.html

[sarahhod]

Authorities search Motel 6 room in disappearance of Donald Dietz, find red-brown stains

by The Grand Rapids Press Tuesday August 18, 2009, 5:31 PM


http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/08/large_DIETZINVESTIGATION.jpg
Press Photo/Rex D. LarsenCrime scene technicians walk past a maintenance worker last week to a state police mobile crime laboratory at Motel 6 in Grand Rapids.


GRAND RAPIDS -- The search of a Motel 6 for evidence in the 2007 disappearance (http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/03/brother_of_donald_dietz_seeks.html) of Ionia County resident Donald Dietz, 66, turned up several "red-brown" stains in the north interior stairwell, federal authorities said Tuesday.
One of the stains, found on the wall on an interior stairwell, was around 30 inches long, investigators said.
A search warrant, filed in U.S. District Court, sought permission to search the motel, 3524 28th St. SE, where records indicate suspect Raogo Ouedraogo (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/01/prosecutors_missing_man_donald.html) stayed Sept. 12, 2007.
Ouedraogo, 37, of Philadelphia, and Rami Saba, 41, of Lowell, are accused of trying to steal Dietz's $450,000 life savings.
According to the affidavit, investigators were searching for "evidence of conspiracy to commit murder for hire" and "latent fingerprints and trace evidence, including but not limited to, hair, fibers, blood and other bodily fluids."

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/08/authorities_search_motel_6_roo.html

[Nut44x4]

Posted on Fri, Sep. 25, 2009


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

The Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - 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.

A conviction on any of the charges is punishable by up to life in prison.

Phone messages seeking comment were left Friday at the offices of Sharon Turek and Michael Bartish, the attorneys representing Saba and Ouedraogo.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20090925_ap_michpamenindictedinmissingmanscase.htm l