FBI Seeks Public’s Assistance in Manhunt for Fugitive Couple

Charlene Thornton, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Honolulu Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is seeking the public’s help in providing information leading to the location and arrest of fugitive husband and wife, PERRY and RACHELLE GRIGGS.

On October 28, 2010, PERRY and RACHELLE GRIGGS were indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu on 13 counts of wire and mail fraud relating to an alleged Ponzi scheme they operated from 2005 through 2009 primarily targeting Hawaii residents.

According to the indictment, PERRY and RACHELLE GRIGGS operated Aloha Trading, a company purporting to be in the business of commodities trading on behalf of clients. The indictment alleges that the Aloha Trading investment program was actually a Ponzi scheme in which investors’ returns were derived from their own principal investments and money from later investors.

At the time the alleged scheme was active, RACHELLE GRIGGS resided in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meanwhile, PERRY GRIGGS was incarcerated in federal prisons in Nevada, Texas, and California. While incarcerated in Nevada, PERRY GRIGGS was housed with a large number of inmates from Hawaii. The indictment alleges that PERRY and RACHELLE GRIGGS marketed the Aloha Trading investment program to inmates and their families.

According to the indictment, investors obtained mortgage loans or liquidated their retirement and personal savings to invest in the Aloha Trading program. Between September 2005 and June 2009, Aloha Trading allegedly received approximately $3 million from 12 separate investors, nine of whom resided in Hawaii.

In September 2008, PERRY GRIGGS was released from federal prison, and he resided in Las Vegas with RACHELLE GRIGGS until they both disappeared in January 2010. The FBI considers this to be a national fugitive manhunt with a primary focus on the states of Nevada, Washington, and California.

PERRY JAY GRIGGS is 49 years old, 5’10” tall, 180 pounds, with grey hair and blue eyes. He is known to have expensive tastes in sports cars, high-end clothing, cigars, and golf.

RACHELLE LOUISE GRIGGS, also known as RACHELLE RUTLEDGE, is 42 years old, 5’4” tall, 150 pounds with blonde hair and green eyes.

Anyone recognizing PERRY and RACHELLE GRIGGS or having information as to their current location is asked to call the Honolulu FBI at 808-566-4300.

This investigation was conducted under the collaborative investigative model set forth by U.S. President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In this case, participating agencies included the FBI, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Securities Enforcement Branch.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Photos of the fugitives and a copy of the indictment are available upon request from the Honolulu FBI Press Office at 808-566-4356.