One of The FBIs Most Wanted

L.A. born, Mormon, snowboarder, skier, golfer, business owner… he had it all.

So how does this Golden Boy get to the FBI’s Most Wanted List?

Well, financial struggles are not uncommon in America.

Robbing an armored truck driver in order to fill your pockets, though, is not something that happens every day.

And a robbery and murder that is committed by someone who looks like Spicoli of Fast Times at Ridgemont High is even more unusual.

The Golden Boy

Jason Derek Brown was born in Los Angeles, California in 1969.

He had a privileged upbringing and was accustomed to having nice things.

Lavish parties and expensive cars were a staple in Brown’s life.

He enjoyed outdoor sports like snowboarding, skiing, golfing and dirt bike riding. Brown enjoyed being the center of attention and showing off his high-priced toys.

Brown was raised in the Church for Latter-Day Saints and had even traveled to France to serve his mission. He spoke fluent French and had earned his master’s degree in international business.

He set up two businesses that were based in Salt Lake City, Utah. One, an advertising firm called “On the Doorstep Advertising,” and the other “Toys Unlimited.”

Brown loved to portray himself as a successful, wealthy business owner; however he was far from it. He was what authorities call a “$30,000 millionaire.”

The Fall

Authorities say that Brown’s Salt Lake City businesses were nothing more than store-front scams. Acquaintances of the alleged robber believe that Brown had not worked an actual job his entire life. Law enforcement islooking into the possibility that he has committed other crimes, including bank and check frauds and petty thefts in the area he lived.

Brown was running low on money and he needed to find a way to keep up appearances.

On November 29, 2004, police believe that Jason Derek Brown robbed a 24-year-old armored truck driver outside of the AMC Theater near his Arizona apartment after shooting the driver in the head 5 times, taking off with $56,000 on a bicycle.

The Chase

After fleeing the scene, it is believed that Brown ditched his bicycle on the side of the road.

He then took his BMW to Henderson, Nevada, where he had a black Cadillac Escalade in storage.

Brown swapped vehicles before driving to Orange County, California to lay low with family before disappearing again.

The last trace of Brown was in Portland, Oregon, where he mailed a package of clothing and golf equipment to his brother in San Diego. After that, he seems to have completely fallen off the planet.

There have been many calls to the FBI to report sightings, but Brown’s common looks have led to many mistaken identities.

His similar appearance to actor Sean Penn has even lead authorities to question one of the actor’s body doubles.

Authorities now believe that Brown is laying low, changing his party boy ways in order to blend in, and possibly living among a Mormon community under another identity.

The reward for information leading to the arrest of Jason Derek Brown has been doubled by the FBI and is now $200,000. He is facing charges of First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery and Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.