Brian Laundrie's Parents May Get Charged First In Gabby Petito Case Before Him
The search is getting intense for one of the FBI's most wanted men, Brian Laundrie.
On Thursday, Gabby Petito's fiancé was charged with unauthorized use of a debit card.
In Wyoming, a grand jury indicted him after determining he used more than one authorized device for two bank accounts to obtain more than $1,000 fraudulently.
However, amid his disappearance, it seems like he's not the only one in trouble, but his parents as well.
A national security expert claims that Brian Laundrie's parents may even be charged first before him.
After Gabby Petito's family reported her missing on Sept. 11, her fiancé didn't want to cooperate with investigators on the advice of his lawyer.
A couple of days later, he told his parents he would hike in the Carlton Reserve, 25,000-acre wetlands in Sarasota County. However, Brian Laundrie hasn't returned since then.
On Thursday, investigators spent another unsuccessful day looking for Brian to where he was reported to be last seen.
But a former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI is speculating that the grand jury would soon call Brian's parents if they wouldn't cooperate as well.
Frank Figliuzzi told CNBC, "I would expect that to happen momentarily, see them in front of a grand jury, and then if they are not going to cooperate, they can get charged with contempt or obstruction."
Unlike the spousal privilege, the expert claims there is no such thing as a parental-child privilege.
"I actually thought, by now, we would see them summoned to the grand jury. We now have an indictment, it's a federal case."
However, it's still possible that Brian lied to his parents and that they really don't know where their son is.
According to Chris Boyer, executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue, "People that are trying not to get caught for something sometimes use people, right? So he may have told his parents that's where he's going."
He further told Insider, "They may be telling the authorities that in all honesty, but he lied to them."
On September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr. Laundrie’s activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito. pic.twitter.com/SSrBVbAeBs
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021
READ ALSO : Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie's Relationship Behind Closed Doors Explained By Close Friends
Where is Brian Laundrie Now?
A source close to Brian Laundrie's family toldCNNon Thursday that he reportedly left his Florida home without bringing his cell phone and wallet.
Per the source, his parents are concerned that he might hurt himself.
According to reports, the family told investigators that he left home with his backpack on Sept. 14 and told them he would be going to the reserve near their house.
On Thursday, a viral pic of what looked like Gabby Petito's fiancé went viral on social media, and internet users thought it was him.
They speculate that Brian Laundrie is hiding in Mexico as he currently remains at large, and his whereabouts are still unknown.
However, the man in the picture is reportedly not him.
