A Cincinnati man, formerly a respected local doctor, has admitted to federal charges after DNA evidence linked him to a decades-old rape case. Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, of Sycamore Township, entered a guilty plea for making false statements to federal agents regarding the brutal rape that took place in 1989. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, each count of the crime for which Tanzer was convicted could lead to up to five years in prison.
Documents from the plea unravel the case that began over three decades ago; on August 1, 1989, Tanzer, attired in black Lycra and concealing his identity with a mask, perpetrated a prolonged and savage assault on a victim, which lasted five and a half hours, this occurring after breaking into her home. Despite his initial denials, the conclusive DNA match in 2024 by the FBI, in coordination with the Cincinnati Police Department, cornered Tanzer; the semen found at the crime scene matched his own genetic blueprint. Tanzer compounded his legal troubles when he denied ever seeing or interacting with the victim on that grim day. The FBI and Cincinnati police detectives were led astray by his deceitful claims.
Tanzer was taken into custody in December of last year and will remain so until his sentencing. The guilt admission took place before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. According to a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney's Office and local officials, the announcement of Tanzer's plea was jointly made by authorities at the top echelons – including United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Dominick S. Gerace II, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola, and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office also played a role in bringing the investigation to this pivotal point, with Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia representing the government in the prosecution.
