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U.S. Citizen Aaron Dillard Extradited to Lithuania

May 27, 2004

On 25 May 2004 the United States extradited American citizen Aaron Dillard to Lithuania pursuant to a Lithuanian request for his extradition.   This was the first request that Lithuanian made for an American citizen. The Lithuanian request for extradition was made on June 4, 2003.

Dillard is wanted in Lithuania for fraud, and in September 2001 he fled to Latvia.  He was arrested in December 2001, returned to Lithuania, and placed under house arrest pending his trial.  

In February 2002 Dillard fled Lithuania to the United States.  In September 2002 the Lithuanian Police asked the U.S. Embassy’s assistance to locate Dillard in the United States who was also a fugitive in the United States at that time. He was arrested in December 2002.  When Lithuania made the extradition request for Dillard, he was in prison in Wisconsin serving time for fraud.  It was necessary for him to first complete that prison sentence before proceeding with the extradition request.

Dillard is the first American citizen extradited by the United States under the new extradition treaty.  Article 3 of the new treaty states that extradition shall not be refused based on the nationality of the person sought. The previous treaty did not allow for the extradition of each country’s citizens.  

The Extradition Treaty Between the United States of America and the Republic of Lithuania was signed on October 23, 2001 and entered into force on March 31, 2003.