Category: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Charleston, WV – The U.S. Marshals Southern District of West Virginia CUFFED Task Force is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a Charleston man wanted by the U.S. Marshals and Huntington Police Department for a first-degree murder warrant.

Matthew Jaquez Dauhtery, aka Doobie, 24, along with three other men, is believed to have conspired to murder a Huntington man in November 2022. While the other three men were taken into custody in January, Daughtery remains at large.

The U.S. Marshals Service and Crime Stoppers are offering a combined reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Daughtery’s arrest.

Investigators have learned additional details about Daughtery that might help lead to his location: 

• Daughtery has multiple tattoos on his neck, chest, and arms, to include a distinct “M” tattoo on his right arm and a “D” on his left arm, as well as a “WV.” On his neck Daughtery has tattoos of a marijuana leaf, lips and smoke.
• Daughtery remains involved in criminal activity while on the run. Investigators believe Daughtery may continue to commit crimes in order to aid his evasion from law enforcement by continuing to sell dangerous drugs.
• Investigators believe Daughtery remains in close contact with his family and other criminal associates while on the run.
• Prior to the murder, Daughtery was attempting to obtain his Commercial Driving License. It is possible he may be trying to use those connections to hide.
• Daughtery is a habitual marijuana user and frequently visited “smoke shops” in West Virginia. It is unlikely he has stopped his marijuana use and may continue to frequent those establishments.
• Investigators have learned that Daughtery has a pet French Bull Dog named “Chapo” or “Chapos” that is dark in color.
• Daughtery has strong connections to the Charleston and Beckley areas, as well as ties in Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina.

On November 30, 2022, the Huntington Police Department responded to a shooting in the 1800 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington and discovered Christopher Johnson, 40, of Huntington with gunshot wounds. Johnson was transported to St. Mary’s Medical center where he died from his wounds.

Through the investigation, it has been alleged that Daughtery, along with Malik Hawk, Lawrence Foye and Demarquis Patterson, conspired to murder Johnson.

On Jan. 24, arrest warrants were obtained by the Huntington Police Department for all four men for the first-degree murder charge.

On Jan. 27, Hawk, Foye and Patterson were taken into custody. Since their arrests, Daughtery has been evading apprehension from law enforcement, but law enforcement authorities believe Daughtery is aware he is wanted and is actively evading apprehension.

Daughtery is a Black male, standing 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 125 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about Daughtery’s location is urged to call the USMS Tip Hotline at 1 (877) 926-8332 or the USMS Southern District of West Virginia at (304) 347-5136. Tips can also be submitted online via the USMS Tips App. All tips are kept confidential.

Source: US Marshals Service

Columbus, OH – The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) located and arrested fugitive Sir Robert Martin-Sydnor with the assistance of multiple SWAT teams late in the evening of June 21, 2023. Martin-Sydnor was wanted by the Columbus Division of Police in connection with a shooting that occurred in East Linden.

On June 9, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued by the Franklin County Municipal Court for Martin- Sydnor charging him with Murder based on an investigation by the Columbus Division of Police. Martin-Sydnor is alleged to have shot and killed Raphael Jones in the 1900 block of Denune Ave. on that date. The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team adopted the case, and their investigation led them to an apartment on Catalpa Drive in Dayton, Ohio. Martin Sydnor was located and arrested after an eight hour-long standoff with U.S. Marshals, Dayton SWAT, Montgomery County SWAT, and the Ohio State Patrol Special Response Team. Martin-Sydnor was transported to the Montgomery County Jail where we will remain pending extradition back to Columbus.

“This arrest is the result of the teamwork and collaboration between the United States Marshals Service and its law enforcement partners across the state. In this case, our investigators were able to determine the location of this dangerous fugitive and then turn over the scene to the SWAT professionals who were able to safely take him into custody.” – Michael D. Black, United States Marshal, Southern District of Ohio.

Columbus SOFAST is a fugitive-focused, U.S. Marshals Service-led task force consisting of local, state and federal authorities including the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bexley Police Department, Cambridge Police Department, Capital University Police Department, Delaware County Probation Office, Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, Lancaster Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal, Office of Inspector General Social Security Administration, United States Secret Service, United States Attorney’s Office, Utica Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Whitehall Police Department, and Zanesville Police Department.

Dayton SOFAST is a multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of the Dayton Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police Department, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Miami County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, Perry Township Police Department, Springboro Police Department, Franklin Police Department, United States Secret Service, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, West Carrollton Police Department, and the Xenia Police Department.

Source: US Marshals Service

WASHINGTON – An Indiana man who was placed on the U.S. Marshals Service 15 Most Wanted list seven days ago was arrested Tuesday at approximately 1:30 p.m. at a residence in Avon, a Hendricks County suburb of Indianapolis.

Joshua Smiley, 26, is the suspect in an August 2021 shooting death of a 30-year-old man on Amsterdam Street in Mobile, Alabama. U.S. Marshals also want Smiley for federal bond violation on a federal drug charge in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Investigators with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force developed information over the weekend that led them to Smiley’s location.  Early Tuesday task force members observed Smiley at a residence in Avon and called additional Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force members for assistance. Indiana State Police SWAT was also notified, and a search warrant for the address was obtained.  

The Indiana State Police SWAT initiated a surround and callout with Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force members maintaining the perimeter.  Smiley eventually came out peacefully and was safely placed in custody.

Smiley was convicted in 2019 for his role in a 2018 fatal shooting in Fort Wayne, receiving a five-year sentence in prison, with two years suspended. 

“I commend the Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers who worked tirelessly to get a dangerous fugitive off the street.  A special thanks is due to the attentive public who played a part in the arrest of Joshua Smiley,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service.  “We truly appreciate those who take it upon themselves to provide information that helps us make our communities safer.”

The U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted fugitive program draws attention to some of the country’s most dangerous fugitives. These fugitives tend to be career criminals with histories of violence, and they pose a significant threat to public safety.  Considered the “worst of the worst,” 15MW fugitives include murderers, sex offenders, major drug kingpins, organized crime figures and individuals wanted for high-profile financial crimes. Since the program began in 1983, more than 250 15MW fugitive cases have been closed. 

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) has a long history of providing assistance and expertise to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. Working with authorities at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels, USMS-led fugitive task forces arrested more than 75,000 fugitives and cleared nearly 89,000 warrants in Fiscal Year 2022. 

Source: US Marshals Service

Eau Claire, WI – On June 28th, 2023, members of the U.S. Marshals Service’s North Star Fugitive Task Force (NSFTF) in the District of Minnesota arrested a “most wanted sex offender absconder” following a traffic stop on a U-Haul truck.

Hajji McReynolds, 45, was wanted on multiple warrants out of Eau Claire County including two counts of 1st degree child sexual assault – contact with a child under age 13 (as a repeater), felon in possession of a firearm, felony bail jumping (repeater), failure to update sex offender registry information (repeater), and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

McReynolds also had a warrant from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for violating his rules of community supervision. McReynolds is on extended supervision (parole) for two counts of Manufacture/Deliver Cocaine (<=1g).

McReynolds is currently required to register with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program (SORP) following a 2005 conviction for three counts of solicitation of prostitutes in Eau Claire County in which he used a combination of verbal coercion, threats, and hands-on force towards a female adult acquaintance.

Due to his noncompliance with Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ supervision as well as SORP, McReynolds had been identified as a “Most Wanted Sex Offender Absconder” for the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force (GLRFTF) – Madison after they adopted the McReynolds case from Eau Claire County on March 21, 2023.

In April 2023, investigative efforts by GLRFTF-Madison determined McReynolds was likely in Minnesota and requested assistance from the North Star Fugitive Task Force (NSFTF).

On June 28th, 2023, the NSFTF conducted an operation to attempt to locate and apprehend McReynolds at his suspected residence. After observing McReynolds leave with a known female associate and two female children (between the ages of eight to twelve), Task Force Officers maintained visual on the vehicle as they drove to a local U-Haul Dealer.

Soon after, McReynolds was observed entering a U-Haul truck with one of the young females and proceeded to drive away. The NSFTF conducted a traffic stop on the U-Haul and took McReynolds into custody without incident.

McReynolds affirmed his knowledge of his Wisconsin warrants at the time of his arrest before being transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center in Minneapolis, MN to face extradition on his Wisconsin charges.

The United States Marshals Service is the nation’s first federal law enforcement agency and is federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations.

Anyone with information on wanted fugitives is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a USMS Web Tip.

Source: US Marshals Service

Charlotte, NC – The U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force is asking for the public’s assistance with locating a Conover man wanted by the U.S. Marshals and Conover Police Department for first-degree murder.

Donald Ray Hodges, aka Tyrone Evans, aka Unique Hodges, 49, is alleged to have murdered his wife in May 2022. Hodges is believed to have fled the area shortly after the murder and was last seen in Charlotte on May 4, 2022.

The U.S. Marshals Service are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Hodges’ arrest.

On May 4, 2022, the Conover Police Department responded to a shooting in the 700 block of 2nd Street SW in Conover and discovered Tinikia Danayale Hodges, of Conover, with gunshot wounds. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

On May 10, 2022, an arrest warrant was obtained by the Conover Police Department for Donald Ray Hodges for first-degree murder. Hodges has not been seen since the date of the homicide, and it is believed that Hodges is aware of his charges and is actively evading law enforcement.

Hodges is a black male, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 273 pounds with a muscular build. He is bald, has brown eyes, and usually has a beard. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

“I urge any citizen who knows anything about Mr. Hodge’s location to please take a second and make that information known to us or any local law enforcement officer or agency,” said Terry Burgin, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of North Carolina.

Investigators have learned additional details about Hodges that might help lead to his location: 

• Hodges has multiple tattoos on his chest and arms, to include a dog on his right shoulder, “TNT Hardcore” on his left shoulder and “Love Shirley” on his left arm.
• Investigators believe Hodges remains in close contact with his family and other criminal associates while on the run to evade capture.
• Hodges is known to befriend and use people in order to obtain money and stay on the run.
• Hodges has strong connections to eastern North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and New York.

Additional photos of Hodges:

Anyone with information about Hodges’ location is urged to call the USMS Tip Hotline at 1-877-926-8332.

Tips can also be submitted online via the USMS Tips App. All tips are kept confidential.

Source: US Marshals Service

Madison, WI – The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force for the Western District of Wisconsin arrested 11 fugitives, including seven non-compliant sex offenders, during a 10-day warrant sweep named “Operation Northern Exposure” from June 19-June 30.

“Operation Northern Exposure” targeted sex offenders and dangerous fugitives located in Dane, Sauk, Rock, and Juneau Counties. This was the second phase of the operation; 26 sex offender compliance checks were completed with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry in Dane County, identifying 23 compliant and three non-compliant sex offenders. These non-compliant sex offenders could face new felony charges for sex registry violations.

Based on investigative efforts by task force members, the operation resulted in the notable arrests of:

John C. Johnson, 37, was arrested on June 22nd, 2023, in Beloit, Wis. on a felony warrant for failing to maintain compliance with Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program and a parole violation. Johnson is currently on parole following a conviction for possession of child pornography.

Task Force Officers located Johnson at a relative’s residence and took him into custody without incident. This residence had previously been denied as a viable residence for Johnson due to the presence of children.

Abraham J. Simmons, 28, was arrested on June 23rd, 2023, in Madison, Wis. on a parole violation which included failing to maintain compliance with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program. Simmons parole stems from a previous child enticement (sexual contact) conviction.

During the arrest operation, Simmons was observed in the underground parking of the apartment building and fled from Task Force Officers as they attempted to make contact. The Task Force Officers pursued Simmons on foot up several flights of stairs to an apartment where Simmons subsequently surrendered.

David Henderson, 48, was arrested on June 21st, 2023, in Fitchburg, Wis. on a felony warrant for failure to maintain sex offender registration. Henderson also had an active warrant for a similar charge out of Chesapeake, Virginia.

Martize A. Sulton, 41, was arrested on June 23rd, 2023, in Madison, Wis. on a felony warrant for violating terms of his parole after he left his DOC placement without permission. In addition to not reporting to his agent, Sulton failed to stay compliant with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program. Sulton is currently on parole for 1st Degree Sexual Assault (Use of a Dangerous Weapon).

The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in this operation was comprised of Officers from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, the Verona Police Department, the Beloit Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations and has the broadest arrest authority among federal law enforcement agencies.

Anyone with information on wanted fugitives is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a USMS Web Tip.

Source: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Cleveland, OH – Early this morning, members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) Akron Division traveled to Parkersburg, West Virginia and arrested Christopher Johnson, 30. 

Akron Police and the U.S. Marshals Service have been looking for Johnson since September 2017. Johnson is wanted for the September 19, 2017, shooting death of Brandon Belleville.  Johnson and three accomplices broke into the victim’s home in the 600 block of Minerva Place and shot and killed Belleville.  The three accomplices, Quincy Chatman, Harold Burros and Lamarr Jackson, were all arrested and have been convicted in Belleville’s death. Over the past 5 years the NOVFTF, Akron Police and FBI have worked to gather information on Johnson’s whereabouts.  This morning, acting on new information, the task force traveled to Parkersburg and arrested Johnson at an apartment building in the 1900 block of 27th St. A firearm was also recovered during the arrest.  Johnson will remain in custody in Parkersburg until he can be extradited back to Summit County. 

Additionally, members of the Cleveland Division of the NOVFTF arrested Christian West, 27.  West was wanted by Garfield Heights Police Department for the April 15th shooting death of Devonte Brown.  Brown was shot outside of a Dollar General on Turney Rd. in Garfield Heights.  West and an accomplice, who has already been taken into custody, shot the victim and then stole his vehicle.  Today, members of the task force were able to locate West and take him into custody without incident.  West was arrested in a home in the 4600 block of Donovan Dr. in Garfield Heights, only a mile away from where the homicide occurred. 

Later in the morning, members of the task force arrested Shaniqua Menefee, 34.  Menefee was wanted by Cleveland Division of Police for a homicide.  According to police, in the early hours of Sunday morning Menefee ran over a man with her vehicle.  When police and EMS responded, the male victim was still pinned under the car.  The incident occurred in the area of East 155th St. and Glendale Ave.  Menefee was arrested without incident at an apartment in the 7000 block of Broadway Ave. in Cleveland. 

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “These three senseless acts of violence have left members of our community without their family.  Hopefully the healing process starts for all these families knowing these suspects are now behind bars.”

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.  

The NOVFTF Akron Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies: the United States Marshals Service, Akron Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Bath Township Police Department, Copley Township Police Department, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, Fairlawn Police Department, Hudson Police Department, Kent Police Department, New Franklin Police Department, Norton Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Reminderville Police Department, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Tallmadge Police Department, United States Secret Service, University of Akron Police Department, Wayne County Court of Common Pleas.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Cleveland Division is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies:  U.S. Marshals Service, Cleveland Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, Euclid Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Independence Police Department, Parma Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Solon Police Department, Cleveland RTA Police Department, Westlake Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Middleburg Heights Police Department, Newburgh Heights Police Department and the Metrohealth Police Department.

Source: US Marshals Service