Category: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Abingdon, VA – The United States Marshal in the Western District of Virginia is pleased to announce the arrest of fugitive Corey Parton in Mexico and his subsequent deportation to the United States on May 26, 2025. Parton is charged with violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, resulting from alleged interstate or foreign travel after having been convicted as a sex offender and being required to register pursuant to the law.

On March 12, 2024, 36 year old Corey Parton, Bristol, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia, for violations of the Adam Walsh Act, or Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, pursuant to an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. He remained a fugitive, presumably in Mexico, since said time. On May 25, 2025, members of the Federal Police of Mexico, acting on information provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested Parton, an American citizen, and promptly deported him to the United States. On arrival back on American soil, members of the U.S. Marshals Service assumed custody of Parton and he is currently awaiting initial appearance and arraignment. He is presumed innocent until the resolution of his case.

United State Marshal Thomas Foster stated, “This case is not only proof of the dedication of members of the U.S. Marshals Service to investigate and prosecute persons in violation of federal law, but an example to all that regardless of how far one may flee, the U.S. Marshals Service, with our partners, will apprehend them. I express appreciation to all participating branches of the U.S. Marshals Service and to the Mexican Federal Police in bringing this person back to face his crimes.”

Source: US Marshals Service

Baltimore, MD – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and the Prince George’s County Police Department May 12 arrested a gang member wanted for multiple violent felonies.

Jose Guardado-Orellana, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of an individual who was found deceased on the side of a road in Riverdale, Maryland, in October 2024.  

Guardado-Orellana was also charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm during a violent crime, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple weapons violations. 

Guardado-Orellana, a member of the 18th Street Revolutionary Gang, also has existing warrants in El Salvador charging him in a separate homicide and association to a terrorist organization. 

CARFTF investigators developed information May 12 that Guardado-Orellana was in a residence on Liberty Road in Windsor Mill.  On the same day, Guardado-Orellana was taken into custody without incident and turned over to Prince George’s County Police Department.  

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed an immigration detainer for Guardado-Orellana.

Since 2004, the USMS Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force has focused resources and efforts on the enhancement of public safety and the reduction of violence within the Capital Region, through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community, while ensuring the equal application of Justice, Integrity, and Service for all.

Source: US Marshals Service

Cleveland, OH – U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Pete Elliott is releasing new information in the cold case fugitive investigation into one of the agency’s 15 Most Wanted fugitives.

Lester Eubanks, 81, who escaped from an Ohio prison in 1973, was added to the USMS 15 Most Wanted fugitives list in 2016.  

While investigating this fugitive case, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on an age progression photo of Eubanks.  The original age progression photo was completed in August 2019. Over the past several months the USMS Cold Case Unit has again been working alongside NCMEC on meticulously updating age progression pictures of what Eubanks may look like today.

The USMS is hopeful that an updated age progression photo may lead to new tips from the public.

On Nov. 14, 1965, 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener was walking to the laundromat to help her family with laundry when she was brutally murdered by Eubanks.  When Eubanks committed the horrific offense against Deneer, he was out on bond for an attempted rape which had occurred only three months prior.  On May 25, 1966, a jury found Eubanks guilty of murder while perpetrating a rape, and two days later he was sentenced to death for his crimes. 

In 1972, while Eubanks was serving his time at the Ohio State Penitentiary, his sentence was commuted to life in prison rather than the original sentence of death.  Less than two years after the sentence modification, Eubanks was placed in the Ohio Corrections Medical Center and given the privilege of an honor assignment which allowed him outside the prison walls.  During that assignment, on Dec. 7, 1973, Eubanks escaped and has not been seen by authorities since. 

The USMS Cold Case Unit in northern Ohio has been diligently working to locate Eubanks since 2016 when the case was turned over for investigation.  Since then, the USMS has followed up on hundreds of leads and conducted dozens of interviews not only throughout the country, but internationally as well.  On Dec. 7, 2018, exactly 45 years after his escape, Eubanks was officially listed as a USMS 15 Most Wanted Fugitive with a reward available of up to $50,000 for information leading to his location.  

Eubanks was last seen in southern California in the 1970s and was using the alias of “Victor Young.” Eubanks was known to be in the areas of Gardena, South Central, Long Beach and North Hollywood. It is also believed that Eubanks was working as a janitor at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, in the late 80s or early 90s.  

A reward of up to $50,000 is available to anyone who provides information that leads to the location of Eubanks and the closure of this decades-long case.

“Fifty-nine years ago Lester Eubanks was sentenced to death for the vicious murder of Mary Ellen Deener,” Elliott said, “and even after 59 years the U.S. Marshals Service will not give up on this case until Eubanks is found, justice can finally be served, and Mary Ellen’s family can rest.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4-WANTED (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 X (formerly Twitter) @USMSCleveland. 

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force Teams & Specialized Units– Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Lorain, Mansfield, Painesville, Toledo, Youngstown, Sex Offender Investigations, Missing Child Unit and Cold Case Unit. 

Source: US Marshals Service

Concord, NH –  On Thursday morning, four Rochester children were reunited with their legal guardian after the United States Marshals Service (USMS), in coordination with the Rochester Police Department and several California law enforcement partners, safely recovered them on Wednesday, bringing a months-long investigation to a hopeful resolution.

On February 4, the Rochester Family Court awarded legal custody of the four children to their maternal aunt, Shayntel Cormier. The children’s biological mother, Kristyanna Hall (31), was ordered to relinquish custody on February 10 by facilitating a transfer after school. Hall failed to follow the court’s directive and instead is believed to have fled the state with all four children.

The Rochester Police Department initiated a criminal investigation after receiving credible information that Hall and the children may be in Murrieta, California, and on May 13 they solicited the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service District of New Hampshire (USMS D/NH) to locate the children and apprehend Hall. After corroborating Hall’s location, the USMS D/NH alerted the U.S. Marshals Service Central District of California (USMS C/CA), providing investigative leads and intelligence.

The USMS C/CA—along with investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, and the Murrieta Police Department—successfully located and recovered the children at a motel in Ontario, California, on Wednesday. That same evening, the children were flown from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Logan International Airport in Boston, where they were reunited with their legal guardian, Ms. Cormier, this morning.  

“This case underscores the critical importance of interagency collaboration in protecting vulnerable children,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service. “We are grateful for the swift actions of our law enforcement partners in California and commend the Rochester Police Department for their persistence and dedication to this case.”

“We value the partnerships this department has with our regional and federal agencies,” stated Rochester Police Chief Gary Boudreau.  “We are pleased to see the results of these partnerships positively influencing the Rochester community.”

Kristyanna Hall remains a fugitive, and the investigation into her whereabouts is ongoing. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ms. Hall is urged to contact local law enforcement or the U.S. Marshals Service.

The USMS New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force was formed in the fall of 2002 and is headquartered in the USMS office in Concord. The task force coordinates federal, state, county, and local resources to develop leads, gather intelligence, track and apprehend targeted fugitives. The Task Force receives vital support from Strafford, Merrimack and Rockingham Counties, as well as the cities of Manchester, Nashua and Concord. 

Source: US Marshals Service

Greenwood, MS – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Eastern District of Missouri May 16 arrested a man wanted on multiple felonies out of Mississippi.

Earl G. Blue, 47, was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri, on multiple violent charges.  Blue is accused of robbing the Regions Bank in Greenwood on May 15 and getting away with thousands of dollars.  The day of the armed robbery, Greenwood Police requested assistance from the USMS.  The next day, Marshals were able to determine that Blue was on a bus bound for Chicago.  During a layover in St. Louis Investigators were able to take Blue into custody after a brief struggle.

During the arrest, Blue was found to be in possession of a significant amount of U.S. currency believed to be evidence of the bank robbery.  Blue was also wanted on a parole violation warrant for cutting off an ankle monitor in the days leading up to the bank robbery.  Blue had recently been released from prison for multiple counts of armed robbery.  

Blue was transported to a local medical facility to be evaluated and ultimately to the St. Louis County Jail for booking on the active warrants and to begin extradition proceedings back to Mississippi.

Since 2006, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force has focused resources and efforts on the enhancement of public safety and the reduction of violence within the Gulf Coast Region, through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community, while ensuring the equal application of Justice, Integrity, and Service for all.

Source: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Scranton, PA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Middle District of Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Malachi Allah Darden, 20. 

On May 17, 2024, a warrant for Homicide and related charges was issued by the Scranton Police Department for Darden’s role in the shooting of a man on the 1800 block of Jackson Street in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to a $2,500 reward for information leading to Darden’s arrest.

Darden stands 5 feet 11 inches and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He is known to frequent the Bronx, New York. He is also associated with addresses in Northeastern Pennsylvania, specifically Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

Tips can be called in to the USMS tip line at 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or by using the USMS Tips App.

The USMS Middle Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force comprises 22 state, county, and local police agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Kingston Police Department, the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.

Source: US Marshals Service

Washington, DC – Deputies from the District Court for the District of Columbia arrested a woman wanted for assault on a federal official following an incident May 8.

Emily Sommer, 32, is alleged to have spat on Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Edward R. Martin Jr. as he was conducting an interview outside of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington.

Deputies and analysts with the U.S. Marshals identified Sommer being involved in this incident and a warrant was issued for her arrest. 

On May 22, members of the U.S. Marshals Judicial Security Unit and Warrant Squad arrested Sommer at a residence in Southwest Washington.

Acting U.S. Marshal Ronald Carter stated, “The U.S. Marshals Service takes the security of our protected persons and all members of the court family extremely seriously. Any individual who threatens or compromises that security will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for investigating threats against the federal judiciary, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Main Department of Justice.

Source: US Marshals Service

Corpus Christi, TX – On May 16, 2025, the Cold Case Unit of the U.S. Marshals Service, Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force – Corpus Christi Division and the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) joined to arrest Olga Escamilla for Failure to Appear on a Money Laundering charge originating in Kenedy County, Texas.

On September 19, 2012, Escamilla was indicted for Money Laundering, involving a sum between $20,000 and $100,000, by a Grand Jury in Kleberg County, Texas. While on bond, Escamilla fled to Mexico.

On June 19, 2015, the 105th Judicial District Court for Kenedy County, Texas issued a fully extraditable arrest warrant for Failure to Appear, involving the Money Laundering charge.

Utilizing various investigative methods, along with working with multiple law enforcement partners, the Cold Case Unit was able to determine Escamilla’s location. Investigators collaborated with senior inspectors assigned to the FCRFTF, who arrested Escamilla in Florida.

The Cold Case Unit was formed to devote specialized investigative efforts to capturing fugitives who have been on the run for several years. The United States Marshals Service is committed to expediently investigating the locations of, and ultimately apprehending, fugitives regardless of how many years they have been on the run.

The U.S. Marshals led Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force with base in Corpus Christi, Texas, is integrated by remarkable agents from Texas Department of Public Safety, Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, Aransas County Sheriff, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Corpus Christi Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Kleberg County Attorney Office and other partner federal agencies that work together for the protection of our communities.

Source: US Marshals Service

The United States Marshals Service (USMS) has a long history of families standing up to serve. While the bond formed by the Agency’s Deputy United States Marshals (DUSM) creates family units, there are also blood connections running throughout the service as well.

The most recent Basic Deputy United States Marshal Integrated (BDUSMI) graduating class made those connections stronger with multiple new DUSMs extending the legacy of their individual families when they graduated April 17, 2025.

Forty-six DUSMs graduated from the grueling 18-week course and received the badge they’d earned after months of work. As part of the graduation ceremony, new DUSMs receive the USMS badge just as all the DUSMs who graduated before them. It is a longstanding tradition that current and retired DUSMs who have close relatives graduating as DUSMs be allowed to present the new DUSM with their credentials.  

For DUSM Trey Heffner, it was the ultimate honor to have his father, United States Marshal (USM) Brendan Heffner, USM of the Central District of Illinois, present him the badge.

“I have been able to be there for all of my father’s endless accomplishments, so for him to be there for my greatest and be able to hand me my badge meant the absolute world,” DUSM Heffner said. “The moment left me speechless because of the deep personal connection to the legacy I was stepping into. I would not have gotten to where I am today without my father and family continuing to support and love through this long journey.”

USM Heffner has served 37 years in law enforcement, including 7 years as the USM for the Central District of Illinois. He said the ability to present the badge to his son, who chose this career field for himself, was so special. He offered some words of advice to his son.

“I advised Trey that this isn’t an easy job and that he will see and experience some terrible things. However, he will also see many good things,” USM Heffner said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than keeping our citizens safe and knowing that everyone can’t do this job. I also told him to perform his job with integrity as that’s vital for him and law enforcement in general.”

USM Heffner also mentioned how special USMS ceremonies are and how proud he was for their family to continue service with the Agency. 

Another family with a long history of service, retired DUSM Greg Hite, District of North Dakota, proudly served for more than 25 years and also presented his son, DUSM George Hite, the badge at the recent graduation. 

“Being able to present George with his badge at graduation was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Hite Sr. said. “Thinking of him continuing on with his service to our country makes me so proud.”

DUSM Hite, who is now assigned to the Northern District of Iowa, continues a long line of law enforcement service as the third generation in his family to serve and is proud to become a deputy with the USMS. 

“Being able to be a part of this historic agency is something state and local LEO’s dream of, and I can finally say I am a part of it,” DUSM Hite said. “What this means to me is, I am now representing the USMS every time I put my badge on. I have pride in doing so and am ready to accept the responsibilities that come with the badge.”

DUSM Jadniel Pimentel, District of New Jersey, joined the USMS in 2018 and had the privilege of presenting America’s star to his brother, DUSM Noel Pimentel, at the graduation. 

“It felt great presenting the badge to my brother because I know he earned it. He now knows that this badge is earned and not given,” DUSM Jadniel said. “Seeing him graduate brought back memories from my academy and how hard every DUSM works to earn America’s Star and carry the tradition.” 

Both brothers are honored to serve and appreciate the way they were able to incorporate their family ties into the ceremony. Noel, who will serve in the District of New Jersey, had a long journey and overcame challenges to get to the finish line. 

“It felt great graduating the BDUSMI Academy. I have attended numerous law enforcement academies in the past, and this one was by far the most challenging, mentally, and physically,” Noel said. “The badge means a lot to me and it’s difficult to put into words.” 

While this story highlights the unique stories within the USMS family, each and every DUSM who has earned their badge forges their own new story within the Agency, serving the people of the United States with justice, integrity, and service.