A federal grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, has indicted Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, of Sycamore Township. He faces charges related to false statements and documents connected to a 1989 rape case. The indictment includes four counts of making false statements to U.S. agencies or officers and two counts involving false documents or writings. Each charge carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
Tanzer's arrest on December 11 followed DNA evidence linking him to the crime scene where the victim was assaulted for over five hours at her Cincinnati condominium on Creighton Place. Despite the passage of time since the incident, these federal charges remain prosecutable.
Court documents indicate that Tanzer denied any interaction with the victim when questioned by federal investigators last week. Additionally, a search warrant executed at his home uncovered restraints and other items potentially linked to criminal activity.
The investigation also revealed two additional victims allegedly drugged and raped by Tanzer, including incidents as recent as two and a half years ago in Kansas. These findings suggest Tanzer used illicit means to engage with sex workers during his travels for work.
Federal officials urge anyone with information regarding similar incidents in locations where Tanzer resided—Ohio, Kansas, and Colorado—to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The announcement came from Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola of the FBI's Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in this investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia representing the United States.
It is important to note that an indictment contains allegations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.