That's a good question. And that's why it's a problem.
“Why couldn’t he have found out about this before he became associated with the guy?”
“That’s a good question. And that’s why it’s a problem.”
I wondered that myself. However, I read the article again and noticed that Fred has been friends with this guy only since the early 90’s. This is most likely why Fred knew nothing about what this guy did 24 years ago.