Former FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive Donald Eugene Fields II, 61, has admitted to child sex trafficking in federal court, bringing a high-profile Franklin County case one step closer to sentencing.
Fields pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a single count of child sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he acknowledged accepting items of value in exchange for sexual access to a victim who was 14 when the alleged abuse began.
As reported by the Washington Missourian, Fields entered the plea in the Eastern District of Missouri and admitted the conduct during a brief change-of-plea hearing. Prosecutors allege the exchanges stretched over several years and that Fields accepted gifts and cash in return for access to the underage victim.
Fields was federally indicted in December 2022 and spent more than two years on the run. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, he remained a fugitive until a Jan. 26, 2025, traffic stop in Lady Lake, Florida, where he was arrested after having been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. He initially pleaded not guilty at his first court appearance but reversed course this week as the case moved toward trial and sentencing.
Prosecutors have previously identified Theodore “Ted” John Sartori Sr. as a friend and co-defendant who supplied cash, cars, motorcycles, vacations and other items in exchange for access to the same victim. Sartori pleaded guilty in August and later received a 10-year sentence in federal court. At the time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated, "Because of the trauma the victim had to endure since she was a minor, we will never stop pursuing co‑defendant Donald Eugene Fields II."
Legal implications
Under federal law, sex trafficking of children under 18 is a serious felony with stiff mandatory minimum penalties that hinge on the victim’s age. Conduct involving a 14- to 17-year-old carries a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, while offenses involving a child under 14 trigger even higher minimums, as laid out in 18 U.S.C. § 1591. The statute, detailed by Cornell Law School, is the primary federal tool for prosecuting cases of this kind.
Once a defendant pleads guilty, the court typically orders a presentence investigation and report by the probation office. A judge then decides the final sentence after reviewing the federal Sentencing Guidelines and any victim impact statements. The federal rules governing presentence reports explain that they are prepared to assist the court before a sentence is imposed, as outlined by Cornell Law School.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI led the investigation that resulted in the federal indictment and Fields’ eventual arrest. With the guilty plea now entered, the case shifts formally into the sentencing phase, and additional details are expected to surface in future filings on the Eastern District of Missouri docket. The Washington Missourian has continued to report on the plea and its aftermath.
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