Category: US Marshals Service

Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) arrested three murder suspects in a five-day span from May 9 -14.

The Austin Police Department requested assistance from the LSFTF to locate and apprehend three suspects sought in a homicide, following an investigation conducted by the Austin Police-Homicide Unit.

On Apr. 28 Austin police responded to the 1700 block of Rutland Drive after reports that someone was dead and shot. Emergency personnel responding to the scene provided medical aid but were unsuccessful and the victim was ultimately pronounced deceased. 

Jairo Velasquez-Lopez, 22, was identified as the getaway driver who fled the scene and was arrested May 9 in the 800 block of East Rundberg Lane. 

Giovany Perdomo, aka “Pero,” 20, was identified as the alleged shooter and was arrested May 13 in the 6500 block of Bluff Springs Road.

Nixon Marquez-Martinez, 32, who is alleged to have ordered the murder, was arrested May 14 in the 2800 block of Wells Branch Parkway. Marquez-Martinez had an additional administrative warrant with the Department of Homeland Security.  

All three men were arrested, transported, and booked into the Travis County Jail and have been identified by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Honduran Immigrants. 

According to the Austin Police Department, this is documented as the 18th homicide investigation this year in Austin.        

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin:

• Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
• Georgetown and Round Rock Police Departments
• Travis, Caldwell, Hays, Williamson, and Bastrop County Sheriff’s Offices
• Texas Attorney General’s Office
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
• Texas Department of Public Safety
• U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
• U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

Memphis, TN – On May 10, 2024, U.S. Marshals captured Markavis Sanders, 20, of Fayette County, Tennessee, who was wanted for a homicide in Mississippi.

The incident occurred on April 19, 2024, when 21-year-old Jaquavion Markell-Ball was shot to death on College Street and North Boundary at the city park in Holly Springs, MS. Subsequently, an arrest warrant for First Degree Murder was issued for Markavis Sanders on April 24. On May 1, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) in MS took on the case for a fugitive apprehension.

After a thorough investigation, the GCRFTF narrowed down Sanders’ location to Memphis, TN. The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis was called upon to assist in locating Sanders. On May 10, investigators from both task forces tracked Sanders to a residence in the 5700 block of Winter Tree in Memphis.

The U.S. Marshals GCRFTF and TRVFTF, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department Fugitive Apprehension Teams joined together to successfully apprehend Sanders at the specified residence. He was taken into custody without incident and is awaiting extradition back to Mississippi.

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, the Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent offenders and sexual predators.

Columbus, OH –  The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF), with the assistance of the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) announces the arrest of wanted fugitive Zaa Von Hameed, 26. Hameed was wanted by the Warren Police Department for aggravated murder.

According to the Warren Police Department, on May 13, officers responded to a Warren business around 2 a.m. and found the body of Nathaniel Bradley, 21, deceased on the floor. It is alleged that Hameed shot and killed Bradley. Police say Bradley and Hameed were fighting prior to the shooting.

In a joint effort with the Warren Police Department, officers from the NOVFTF developed information that Hameed had fled the Warren area to Columbus, Ohio. Late last night, Hameed was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team at an address near the 400 block of Shadow Run Dr., Groveport, OH. Hameed was booked into the Jackson Pike Corrections Center in Franklin County while he awaits extradition back to Warren.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Outstanding investigative work by the Warren Police Department led to the identification and arrest of this fugitive less than 24 hours after the incident. Our counterparts with the U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team activated late last night in a quick response to take this violent fugitive off the street.”

U.S. Marshal Michael D. Black, Southern District of Ohio stated, “The U.S. Marshals in the Northern District of Ohio and Southern District of Ohio collaborate daily to bring those accused of violent crimes to justice. The arrest of this suspect in Columbus happened just hours after the alleged murder in Warren because of the strong relationship between our fugitive task forces.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

Baltimore, MD – The U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), District of Maryland, and Anne Arundel County Police Department collaborated with the Baltimore City Police Department to recover a critically missing juvenile in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. The female minor, 14, was located and recovered on the evening of May 6 as part of any ongoing interagency public safety initiative. 

The goal of Operation Silver Shield, which runs from May through August, is to protect the community by prioritizing the recovery of critically missing children and arresting those offenders who pose the greatest risk to public safety. 

During the first week of Operation Silver Shield, the U.S. Marshals Service received information indicating a critically missing child had left North Carolina and traveled to Maryland. Due to the interstate travel and risk factors associated with the case, the U.S. Marshals Service agreed to assist with the case. Within hours of receiving the case file materials, Deputy U.S. Marshals tracked down and recovered the female child, who was turned over to the custody of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. 

“Juvenile-runaway cases can be extremely dangerous because critically missing children are often vulnerable to exploitation,” stated acting U.S. Marshal Mathew Silverman. “As part of Operation Silver Shield, the U.S. Marshals Service is going to do all we can to protect our children.”

Anyone with information on a non-compliant/wanted sex offender, violent fugitive, or critically missing child is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office at 1-866-4WANTED or submit a USMS Web Tip.

The USMS CARFTF began operations in June 2004. The CARFTF has partnership agreements with more than 133 federal, state, and local agencies and operates in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The CARFTF has apprehended more than 78,000 fugitives since its inception and is always striving to make communities safer.

Portland, ME – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF) announce the arrest of Robert Clark, 36, in Winthrop, ME.

Clark was arrested on a warrant for federal charges originating from the District of Oregon. The charges included Felon in possession of a firearm and theft of a firearm from a licensee.

The USMS, District of Oregon, Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) provided investigative leads to the USMS MVOTF requesting assistance in locating and apprehending Clark in Maine.

Through a collaborative law enforcement effort, authorities developed information which led investigators to Winthrop, ME. Task Force members were able to identify Clark operating a motor vehicle and were able to safely apprehend him without incident. The USMS MVOTF was assisted by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department.

Clark’s initial appearance will be in the District of Maine, pending extradition back to Oregon.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any State or Federal Fugitive please contact the United States Marshals Service, District of Maine at med.tipline@usdoj.gov.

Humboldt, TN – A coordinated fugitive investigation by U.S. Marshals in Florida and Tennessee has led to the arrest of Lawrence LaPlante, 68, in Humboldt, Tennessee who wanted for violating sex offender laws in Florida.

In February 2002, LaPlante was convicted in Rensselaer County, New York for sexual abuse and contact with a four-year-old minor. He was sentenced to jail time and required to register as a sex offender in the state of New York upon his release from jail.

In 2020, LaPlante left New York and moved to Kissimmee, Florida in Osceola County without registering as a sex offender as required by Florida law. On May 13, 2021, a circuit court in Osceola County issued a warrant for LaPlante’s arrest for Failure of Sexual Offender to Make Initial Report to Sheriff and Failure of Sexual Offender to report within 48 Hours of Vacating Permanent, Temporary, or Transient Residence.

The case was adopted by the U.S. Marshals Office in the Middle District of Florida who developed information that LaPlante was in West Tennessee. The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Jackson, Tennessee was contacted for assistance.

On May 7th, 2024, the U.S. Marshals TRVFTF arrested LaPlante at a residence on Sunset Street in Humboldt. He was transported to the Gibson County where he will await the extradition process back to Florida.

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, the Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent offenders and sexual predators

Atlanta, GA –  The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) announces the arrest of wanted fugitive Kaylon Adams, 32. Adams was wanted by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office for aggravated murder, felonious assault, improperly discharging a firearm into a habilitation and having a weapon under disability.

According to the Youngstown Police Department, on November 19, 2023, officers responded to Zents Avenue and found the body of Christian Allan Oliver, 29, in the middle of the road. Police say he had been shot several times. Kaylon Adams was later identified as being involved in this fatal incident and warrants were issued for his arrest.

This week, the NOVFTF developed information that Adams had fled Ohio to the Atlanta, Georgia area. Today, Adams was arrested by the US Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force with the assistance of the Fulton County Police SWAT Team and the Atlanta Police Department at an address near the 2000 block of Sandtown Rd, Atlanta. In addition to the arrest, three (3) firearms were located within the residence. Adams was booked in to the Fulton County Jail while he awaits his extradition back to Ohio.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “This violent fugitive attempted to evade arrest by fleeing hundreds of miles from Youngstown, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia but the collaborative efforts of our task force and our state and local partners in Mahoning County led to the arrest.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland. 

Memphis, TN – Vontabious Echols was apprehended earlier today by U.S. Marshals on charges of First Degree Murder.

The arrest stems from an investigation conducted by the Memphis Police Department on April 19, 2024, following a shooting incident in the 2100 block of Alcy Road in Memphis.

The shooting resulted in the death of Vidal McAdory and left another victim injured. Subsequently, on April 22, a warrant was issued for Echols on charges of First Degree Murder, Possession of a Firearm during a Dangerous Felony, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Handgun in connection with the incident. The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Task Force (TRVFTF) adopted the case for a fugitive investigation.

This afternoon, investigators from the U.S. Marshals TRVFTF successfully located Echols at a motel in the 3200 block of S. Third Street in Memphis. Working in collaboration with the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Teams, Echols was taken into custody without any resistance.

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent fugitives and sexual predators.