Robert Wiles, 26, FL 4/1/08 Son of local aircraft executive kidnapped presumed dead/conviction

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Son of local aircraft executive kidnapped
 
April 26, 2008

TAMPA - The 26-year-old son of a Toledo-area businessman has been missing from Lakeland, Fla., since April 1. Authorities believe he has been kidnapped.

Thomas and Pamela Wiles, of Lucas County's Springfield Township, yesterday pleaded with whomever sent them a ransom note for their son, Robert Wiles, to renew communications.

Robert Wiles was last seen at his workplace at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport at 6:30 p.m. April 1, the FBI said.

His parents received the ransom note two days later. They followed the instructions to get their son back, but they haven't heard anything since. They don't know whether the kidnappers received their response.

That's why they and the FBI yesterday appealed to the public for help and to the kidnappers to make contact again.

Authorities would not disclose the contents of the note or any details of the kidnapping because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, they said.

Agents said anyone who contacts authorities on behalf of the kidnapper should make reference to a name that was cited in the initial demand, which was not disclosed.

Thomas Wiles, speaking at an FBI news conference in Tampa yesterday, began to describe his son. "Robert was …"

"Is," Mrs. Wiles interjected, reinforcing a hope that he is still alive.

"Is," Thomas Wiles said. "He's a pilot with multiengine instrument ratings. He's a diver, athlete, and a journeyman fisherman."

Mr. and Mrs. Wiles offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to their son's safe return.

"Anyone out there who knows our son or has met our son knows the enthusiasm that he has for life because you could see it in his eyes and you can feel it in his handshake, which is firm and it's genuine," Mrs. Wiles said.

"Robert loves life, he loves nature, and he believes in God," she added.

"We are worried about Robert," Mrs. Wiles told reporters. "We love Robert, and we are terribly concerned about his safety. We want him to know that his family loves him, we care about him, and we want him to come home.

"If anyone knows where he is, we need to speak with Robert. We'll do anything we can to get our son back and bring him home safe," she said.

"Our son knows how to reach us," Mrs. Wiles said. "He has our numbers. And the only thing that matters to us is for our son to come home safely."

The Wileses have told the FBI they have no knowledge of anyone who might have reason to kidnap Robert, authorities said.

Thomas Wiles, who also is a licensed pilot, has lived in Springfield Township the last five years after residing in Florida for a while.

He has owned National Flight Services, an aircraft servicing, storage, maintenance, and repair business at Toledo Express Airport, since 1972.

The firm has branches in Lakeland - where Robert Wiles works as its business development manager - as well as San Antonio and Toronto.

The family business had $8.5 million in sales last year and has 105 employees, according to public records.

The FBI said it is pursuing leads and "persons of interest" related to the younger Mr. Wiles' business and personal associates in nine cities across Florida and in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Thailand.

Brooke Holcomb, a neighbor of Robert Wiles in an apartment complex in Lakeland, said FBI agents have been to Robert Wiles' apartment several times and have talked to her and have even brought her photo packs of people to identify.

She didn't know the nature of their interest. She said she was able to identify a couple of men in the picture packs.

Lakeland is 35 miles east of Tampa.

Kidnappings for ransom are "very rare" in the United States, said David Couvertier, an FBI spokesman.

Robert Wiles is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, and has hazel eyes and brown hair, Mr. Couvertier said.

Asked whether the FBI had any proof Robert Wiles was alive, Mr. Couvertier said the agency had no proof either way, but agents are "very optimistic" about their investigative leads.

The Blade staff contributed to this report.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080426/NEWS33/804260369/-1/NEWS

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Florida Parents Offer Reward for Clues in Missing Son's Ransom Case

April 26, 2008

TAMPA, Fla.  —  The parents of a missing central Florida man who may be held for ransom are pleading with captors for his safe return.

Tom and Pamela Wiles choked back tears during a Friday news conference in Tampa, saying their 26-year-old son, Robert Wiles, is a pilot, diver and businessman. The FBI says he went missing from an airport in Lakeland, about 30 miles east of Tampa, on April 1.

Agents say his parents received a ransom note two days later.

The Wiles family complied with the note's demands, but no one has seen Robert Wiles since. They are offering a $10,000 reward for tips, and pleaded Friday with the kidnappers to contact them again.

The FBI says it is investigating leads throughout Florida, as well as Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Thailand, but declined to discuss the case further.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352714,00.html

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Tips received on missing man
Call ensuring return of Springfield pair's son still awaited, FBI says

April 27, 2008

>>>SNIP
Calls are coming in to a tip line, but the FBI is still waiting for the "golden telephone call" that results in the safe return of a Toledo-area businessman's 26-year-old son, an agency spokesman said last evening.

>>>>SNIP
On Friday, Thomas and Pamela Wiles of Lucas County's Springfield Township pleaded with the person who sent them a ransom note for their son to renew communications. Robert was last seen at his workplace at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport at 6:30 p.m. April 1, the FBI said. The primary goal is to locate Robert Wiles and bring him home, Dave Couvertier, an FBI special agent and spokesman for the Tampa office, said yesterday. Lakeland is 35 miles east of Tampa.

>>>>the complete article
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/NEWS03/804270374/-1/NEWS

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Toledo Man Still Missing

April 28, 2008
Despite a public plea for help and the announcement of a $10-thousand reward, there's still no word tonight on the whereabouts of a missing central Florida man with ties to Toledo. Tom and Pamela Wiles pleaded with captors for the safe return of their 26-year-old son, Robert.

Wiles owns the National Flight Services Aviation company which is based in Toledo. Robert worked at the company's Lakeland, Florida site. He was last seen at the Lakeland airport April 1st.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6108465

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Abducted Son Still Missing Weeks After Ransom Paid

April 28, 2008
 The FBI is investigating the alleged kidnapping for ransom of a 26-year-old Florida private pilot who has been missing since April 1, a spokesman.

The bureau identified the man as Robert Arthur Wiles of Lakeland, Florida. He runs his family's aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

Wiles' parents suspected something was wrong when they couldn't reach their son, whom they had visited a few days before he was reported missing, said Dave Couvertier, spokesman for the FBI in Tampa, Florida.

"They were sent a ransom note," he said. "A threat was made. His parents were told to follow directions, but they heard nothing back."

The bureau won't elaborate on exactly what the note said or how much money was demanded -- only that the note was signed in a "unique" way, Couvertier said. It is not clear why Wiles would have been targeted, he said.

Agents believe that revealing specifics might compromise the investigation, he said.

Couvertier said that although the bureau has no evidence to indicate that the kidnapping could have been staged, "we're exploring every lead, every possibility." But, he added, "We're treating this as the real thing."

Investigators won't explain why they waited so long to go public with the case except to say the parents hope that talking about it now might generate new leads, he said.

>>>>the complete article
http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-ransom,0,3083073.story

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FBI Pleads for Help in Search For Missing Man

May 2, 2008
Officials investigating the disappearance of Robert Arthur Wiles, a 26-year-old Lakeland man who the FBI said was kidnapped while working at the family's business at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, made a nationwide appeal for help Friday morning.

Wiles' parents, Pamela and Thomas Wiles, were shown on the "Today" show and other morning entertainment programs on the major broadcast and cable channels.

No new information was presented.

The FBI previously had said the case has taken investigators to nine cities in Florida and to Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Thailand, but with no success. While Wiles worked at the airport, no planes were reported missing.

Wiles' parents have increased the reward offer to $50,000 for information leading to the return of their son, and $200,000 for information leading to the arrest of the kidnappers.

>>>the complete article
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080502/NEWS/805020498/1134

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Ohio Couple Posts $250G Reward for Information on Missing Son

May 02, 2008
 TOLEDO, Ohio  —  A Toledo-area couple whose son has been missing for a month and may be held for ransom announced a $250,000 reward for information regarding his disappearance.

Tom and Pamela Wiles said at a news conference Thursday that $50,000 of the reward money is for information about the whereabouts of their son, 26-year-old Robert Wiles, while $200,000 is for information leading to the arrest of any kidnappers.

Tom Wiles owns the National Flight Services aviation service company with a location at Toledo Express Airport in Ohio.

>>>>the complete article
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353948,00.html

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Kidnap victim added to Tampa FBI Most Wanted list

May 8, 2008
Tampa, Florida – The Tampa FBI today added the kidnapping of Lakeland pilot Robert Wiles to its “Most Wanted” list.

Wiles, 26, was apparently kidnapped April 1st from the Lakeland-Lindner Regional Airport where he worked, the FBI said.

He was last seen about 6:30 p.m. that evening, and his parents later received a ransom note. They have heard nothing further since, the FBI said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the FBI at the toll-free number of 1-866-838-1153, or the nearest FBI office.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=79962

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http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/wiles_ra.htm

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Few Leads In Search for Abducted Lakeland Man

May 15, 2008
LAKELAND | The search for missing Lakeland man Robert Wiles continues without any significant leads, said FBI spokesman Dave Couvertier.

Wiles' parents have offered $50,000 for any information leading to his return, and $200,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

"We figured that's a pretty good motivator," Couvertier said.

But since April 25, when the FBI went public with the case, investigators have received only a couple of leads and are still hoping for new information, Couvertier said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 866-838-1153.

Wiles was last seen about 6:30 p.m. April 1 working at National Flight Services, his family's business, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Couvertier has said.

>>>>the complete article
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080515/NEWS/805150439/1039

[FoolsGold]

It is unfortunate that the parents paid the ransom, apparently without first notifying the police/fbi. Now the kidnappers have the entire world to roam in and have no need to make contact with the family.

Some countries have kidnapping as an industry and prompt payment of a ransom only raises the price.

I would think anyone kidnapping an executive from an airport-area business would need to know the layout: location, numbers of personnel around, access. So I'd look for prior visitors to the airport and probably to that business. In order to "case the joing" in Florida one would need air conditioning, so look for vacant offices that provide vantage points, check local parking citations, check the airport cafe. Even if its a disgruntled worker who knew alot about the building and the offices and the routines involved, his coconspirators would still want to take a look at the target first.

Hate to say this but ofcourse its likely he is dead. Might have been killed before the ransom was paid. Certainly killed after it. Its hard to investigate a crime like this because the disgruntled employee might be from a geographically remote location such as their Ohio facility and merely treked to Florida because that is where the son worked.

Might well have been someone from the world of sports who simply spotted someone who was wealthy and would be a good victim. The key is recent spending. These types who kidnap often can't hold onto the money for long without wives and girlfriends and drinking buddies noticing the sudden wealth.

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Might he have staged this himself?

[FoolsGold]

Might he have staged this himself?

  Unlikely. Friends and family all say he is not the type. He had no known financial problems and enjoyed leading a very active life. If he had faked this he would have to stay hidden. Besides, he was kinda rich to begin with.

Note:  FBI is now searching a 70 acre site not far from where he worked to see "if any evidence had been overlooked in earlier searches".

[bleachedblack]

Might he have staged this himself?

  Unlikely. Friends and family all say he is not the type. He had no known financial problems and enjoyed leading a very active life. If he had faked this he would have to stay hidden. Besides, he was kinda rich to begin with.

Note:  FBI is now searching a 70 acre site not far from where he worked to see "if any evidence had been overlooked in earlier searches".

I suppose you are right, it isn't likely. But then I have to remind myself what the Menendez brothers did all for money that would eventually have been theirs but they couldn't wait.... Thanks for sharing your thoughts FG.

[FoolsGold]

I suppose you are right, it isn't likely. But then I have to remind myself what the Menendez brothers did all for money that would eventually have been theirs but they couldn't wait....

In the beginning of the case, you have to invest your resources in what is likely to prove useful. Some very complex and unlikely scheme to defraud his parents via a fake "ransom" demand is something that can be investigated later. Its unlikely since he was already rich and the 'ransom' amount is but a small drop in the bucket compared to the entire company he is slated to inherit. He had an active lifestyle but did not lead a particularly ostentatious or extravagent lifestyle. So it seems a bit extreme to compare him to the Menendez brothers who killed for their inheritance and were so impatient about it that they didn't wait for the life insurance policy to become effective! And so incompetent that after wailing almost incoherently to the 911 operator, they calmly answered the phone and said 'hello' when the 911 operator called back.

It is ofcourse unlikely that he is still alive and quite likely that he was killed promptly. Its unfortunate.

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Still No Leads On Man Missing From Airport

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
FBI investigators are still searching for Robert Wiles of Lakeland, who officials say has been missing for months.

>>>>the complete article
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060402/1134&title=Still_No_Leads_On_Man_Missing_From_Airport

[Bearlyhere]

Thanks, BB.

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It is unfortunate that the parents paid the ransom, apparently without first notifying the police/fbi. Now the kidnappers have the entire world to roam in and have no need to make contact with the family.

Some countries have kidnapping as an industry and prompt payment of a ransom only raises the price.

I would think anyone kidnapping an executive from an airport-area business would need to know the layout: location, numbers of personnel around, access. So I'd look for prior visitors to the airport and probably to that business. In order to "case the joing" in Florida one would need air conditioning, so look for vacant offices that provide vantage points, check local parking citations, check the airport cafe. Even if its a disgruntled worker who knew alot about the building and the offices and the routines involved, his coconspirators would still want to take a look at the target first.

Hate to say this but ofcourse its likely he is dead. Might have been killed before the ransom was paid. Certainly killed after it. Its hard to investigate a crime like this because the disgruntled employee might be from a geographically remote location such as their Ohio facility and merely treked to Florida because that is where the son worked.

Might well have been someone from the world of sports who simply spotted someone who was wealthy and would be a good victim. The key is recent spending. These types who kidnap often can't hold onto the money for long without wives and girlfriends and drinking buddies noticing the sudden wealth.

This place,if it is the one I am thinking of in or around winter haven, is used for many other things. One being a storage/staging area for furniture and other items for the needy to pick up as well as other things. I live in Lakeland and have made calls for young couples,elderly people in need to find assistance and have heard of the hangers being used for various things. Thought I would throw that out there.

[Searching]

It is unfortunate that the parents paid the ransom, apparently without first notifying the police/fbi. Now the kidnappers have the entire world to roam in and have no need to make contact with the family.

Some countries have kidnapping as an industry and prompt payment of a ransom only raises the price.

I would think anyone kidnapping an executive from an airport-area business would need to know the layout: location, numbers of personnel around, access. So I'd look for prior visitors to the airport and probably to that business. In order to "case the joing" in Florida one would need air conditioning, so look for vacant offices that provide vantage points, check local parking citations, check the airport cafe. Even if its a disgruntled worker who knew alot about the building and the offices and the routines involved, his coconspirators would still want to take a look at the target first.

Hate to say this but ofcourse its likely he is dead. Might have been killed before the ransom was paid. Certainly killed after it. Its hard to investigate a crime like this because the disgruntled employee might be from a geographically remote location such as their Ohio facility and merely treked to Florida because that is where the son worked.

Might well have been someone from the world of sports who simply spotted someone who was wealthy and would be a good victim. The key is recent spending. These types who kidnap often can't hold onto the money for long without wives and girlfriends and drinking buddies noticing the sudden wealth.

This place,if it is the one I am thinking of in or around winter haven, is used for many other things. One being a storage/staging area for furniture and other items for the needy to pick up as well as other things. I live in Lakeland and have made calls for young couples,elderly people in need to find assistance and have heard of the hangers being used for various things. Thought I would throw that out there.

Ok,just looked..not the same airport..Gilbert is the one I was thinking of...as far as i know,airports here are not really "airports"..thats why family has to fly in to Tampa or Orlando when they come to visit.. The whole story struck me as odd when I read it when it broke.. LOTS of mistakes made by the family as well as investigators in this case IMO