An arrest warrant was issued for Brian Lawn, Gabi Pettito's fiancé

 

An arrest warrant was issued for Brian Lawn, Gabi Pettito's fiancé

The Denver FBI announced Thursday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Brian Laundry, the fiancée of Gabe Pettito's 23-year-old. Laundry is a "significant person" in the death of Pettito, whose case was recently found guilty of murder, and law enforcement has been unable to locate him.

The only indictment issued by the US District Court in Wyoming alleges that from August 30 to September 1, Laundry "intentionally and with intent to defraud, one or more unauthorized access devices, the Capital One Bank debit card [...] and proof Personal Identity Capital One Bank Account Number. The indictment alleges that through this unlawful behavior, Laundry obtained items totaling $1,000 or more.

The indictment did not name Pettito, with the FBI saying only that it relates to "Mr. Laundry's activities following the death of Gabriel Petito."

"While this warrant allows law enforcement to detain Mr. Laundry, the FBI  investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Pettito's murder," Michael Schneider, the FBI special agent in charge of Denver, said in a newspaper. Thursday release. "We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundry's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI."

The laundry family's attorney, Stephen Bertolino, confirmed to CBS News that he believes Landy's arrest warrant is "related to activities that occurred after Gabi Pettito's death and not related to her actual death."

"The FBI is focused on locating Brian, and when that happens, the details of the charges in the indictment will be taken up in the appropriate forum," Bertolino said.

According to CBS affiliate WINK, investigators are currently searching for a laundry in Carlton Reserve, Florida, where police use airboats, drones, automated transport vehicles, and a mobile command unit in Sarasota. Police searched Laundry's parents' home for eight hours on Monday, gathering clues on his whereabouts.

Laundry and Pettito got engaged when the two embarked on a cross-country trip in a white 2012 Ford Transit. On August 12, a passerby reported to police that the couple had been in a domestic dispute. Responding officers rated the event a mental health break rather than a household dispute and said no one wanted charges.

Laundry came home September 1 without Petito. On September 11, Pettito's parents reported her missing, which led to a nationwide search for her. Throughout the investigation, Condry refused to speak to the police, which investigators said obstructed the case.

On Tuesday, the Denver FBI confirmed that the body discovered in Wyoming is Gabi Petito.