For Immediate Release
June 7, 1999

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis J. Freeh today placed James Charles Kopp on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list. James Charles Kopp has been charged in the Western District of New York with the use of deadly force to prevent a doctor from providing reproductive health services in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

On October 23, 1998, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Dr. Barnett Slepian was killed as he stood in the kitchen of his home in Amherst, New York. A single gunshot, which entered the Slepian home through a rear window, was fired from a wooded area behind the residence. Dr. Slepian was a well-known obstetrician-gynecologist who performed legal abortions at a women's clinic in Buffalo, New York. He also maintained a private medical practice in an office in Amherst, New York.

Kopp's vehicle was spotted in the Slepian neighborhood several days prior to the shooting. Kopp himself has not been seen since November 3, 1998, and is considered to be a fugitive. His vehicle, a black 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier, was discovered abandoned at Newark International Airport on December 18, 1998. The vehicle's Vermont license plate, reading BPE216, had been removed. Kopp also owns a green 1977 Dodge Aspen bearing a Vermont license plate, BFN595. This vehicle has not yet been recovered.

James Charles Kopp is described as a white male, 5' 11", 150 to 175 pounds, with red/brown hair and blue/gray eyes. He was born in Pasadena, California, on August 2, 1954. He has a scar on the top of his left hand near his thumb. Kopp wears eyeglasses, walks with a slight limp, and may have back problems. He has also been known to have a beard and moustache.

Kopp has used the following aliases or nicknames: James Kopp, Jim Kopp, John Doe, James Charles Copp, John Kapp, Clyde Swenson, Clyde Swanson, Jack Cotty, Jack Crotty, John Kopp, Jacob Koch, Charles Cooper, John Capp, Jim Cobb, James Cobb, Samuel E. Weinstein, Jacob I. Croninger, Enoch A. Guettler, Jonathan H. Henderson, Samuel E. Blanton, Soloman E. Aranburg, Aaron A. Bernstein, Eli A. Hochenleit, Dwight Hanson, K. Jawes Gavin, P. Anastation, B. James Milton, "Atomic Dog," and "Catfish."

James Charles Kopp has no permanent address and has traveled extensively both throughout the United States and internationally, to include South America, Scotland, India, Italy, Poland, England, The Philippines, Mexico, Canada, China and Kenya. Kopp purports to be a devout Roman Catholic who is very active in the Pro-Life Movement. He allegedly works only when he needs money, and the majority of the jobs which he has held over the past twenty years have been related to the Pro-Life Movement. He has skills in carpentry, light construction, telephone installation, masonry, welding, locksmithing, computers, and typing.

James Charles Kopp is the 455th person to be placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list, which began in 1950. Since then, 427 fugitives have been apprehended or located, 133 of them as a result of citizen assistance.

A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for any information leading directly to the arrest of James Charles Kopp. Individuals with information concerning James Charles Kopp should take no action themselves, but instead immediately contact the nearest FBI office or local law enforcement agency. For any possible sighting outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.