Lady Lake

LADY LAKE, Fla.—One of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted is behind bars thanks to proactive policing by a Lady Lake Police Department sergeant.

LLPD Sgt. Michelle Bilbrey spotted a car with the wrong license plate around 9:15 a.m. Saturday, and performed a traffic stop at the intersection of U.S. Highway 441/27 and Rolling Acres Road. She identified the driver as Donald Eugene Fields II, 60, who has been on the run for nearly three years since missing a court appearance in Franklin County, Missouri in March 2022.

Fields was indicted in federal court in St. Louis in December 2023 for attempting to recruit and exploit a minor for commercial sex acts for four and a half years, beginning in January 2013. He is also facing state charges in Missouri, including statutory rape, statutory sodomy, child molestation, and witness tampering.

“Sometimes, an everyday traffic stop turns into a real game-changer. This is a reminder that every officer, every day, is out there making a real difference,” LLPD Chief Steve Hunt said. “Every traffic stop is an opportunity for justice. What starts as a routine encounter can quickly turn into a pivotal moment, where an officer’s sharp instincts and dedication to service lead to a significant arrest—keeping our community and in this case, the nation, safer.”

The FBI also praised Bilbrey’s actions, “Thanks to proactive policing by the Lady Lake Police Department, one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives has been captured,” Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson said.

Fields is being held in the Lake County Jail and will make his first appearance in a Florida federal court.