A former U.S. Marshals most wanted fugitive was extradited back to Phoenix from Buenos Aires, Argentina, late Tuesday.
Paul Eischeid, 46, had been in the custody of Argentinean authorities since his arrest in the country in 2011, which ended his eight-year run from justice after being indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for drug trafficking and RICO violations, including counts of kidnapping and homicide, stemming from the 2001 murder of Cynthia Garcia.
After his arrest in Phoenix in 2003, Eischeid was released on his own recognizance and placed on federal pretrial release with electronic monitoring.
Eischeid subsequently removed his monitoring bracelet and fled the country.
While on the run, Eischeid allegedly obtained a fake passport and a new identity that he used to travel, work and avoid detection.
(One of the most wanted fugitives in the United States is now behind bars in Maricopa County after being extradited from Argentina. Courtesy of ABC15 Arizona and YouTube. Posted on Jul 18, 2018.)
He also changed his appearance, including having a tattoo of his last name across his abdomen altered.
The search for Eischeid led investigators to Buenos Aires, where he was apprehended in 2011.
Since his arrest in Buenos Aires, Eischeid has fought extradition back to the U.S., but in June, the Argentinian government notified the DOJ Office of International Affairs that Eischeid had exhausted all of his appeals in the Argentinian legal system.
His extradition was approved and he was returned to the U.S. Tuesday.
“Paul Eischeid, the Charles Schwab stockbroker during the day, and a Hell’s Angel gang member at night, is now in the Maricopa County Jail,15 years after he fled to Argentina,” said U.S. Marshal for the District of Arizona David Gonzales.
“Eischeid and fellow Hell’s Angel Kevin J. Augustiniak were charged in the horrific murder of Cynthia Garcia, a 44-year-old mother of six.”
“Ms. Garcia was severely beaten, thrown in the trunk of a car, taken to the desert, stabbed 27 times and was partially decapitated.”
“Eischeid’s arrest in Buenos Aires and seven- year extradition process would not have been successful without the coordination and cooperation of our local, state, federal, and international partners.”
“I hope that the children of Cynthia Garcia are able to close this chapter of the nightmare they have been living since their mother was murdered and Eischeid cut off his ankle monitor and fled the country.”
Eischeid was added to the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted list in 2007.
Investigative efforts made by the following agencies were essential in the capture and return of Eischeild to the U.S.:
- The U.S. Marshals Service
- INTERPOL
- The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- The Diplomatic Security Service
- The Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office
- The Arizona Department of Public Safety, and
- The Argentine Federal Police
Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined.
To Learn More about the U.S. Marshals Service please visit http://www.usmarshals.gov.
