Category: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force conducted multiple violent fugitive and sex offender fugitive operations during fiscal year (FY) 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023—Sept. 30, 2024) along with several USMS Missing Endangered Children operations. The task force also participated in the FBI New Orleans Field Office’s Operation Clean House. The USMS New Orleans Task Force fugitive operations included Boo Dat, New Orleans Saints and Sinners, and Baseline. The fugitives arrested by the task force included 107 persons arrested on murder related offenses, 41 suspects arrested on rape/sex assault related cases, nine individuals for kidnapping, 41 persons for robbery, 100 individuals for assault/battery, 32 for sex offender registration violations, and 20 suspects on felony narcotics offenses. In total 531 fugitives were arrested and over 150 firearms were recovered during FY 2024 as a direct result of USMS New Orleans Task Force investigations across E/LA. The USMS New Orleans Task Force also worked 95 collateral lead requests from USMS offices outside of the Eastern District of Louisiana (E/LA).  

Missing Child Unit (MCU) operations Fresh Start, Crawfish Boil, and other MCU work done during FY 2024 resulted in the recovery of 24 missing/endangered children, with five persons arrested related to recoveries.

Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans (GNO) provided support for several of the arrests made during the year and helped to sponsor Operation Boo Dat with a fugitive photo spread sent out to New Orleans metro area media outlets.

Highlights of FY 2024 cases worked across E/LA include: 

• In Tangipahoa Parish two children, 3 and 6, were abducted allegedly abducted by Daniel Callihan. Callihan is believed to have murdered the children’s mother and kidnapped the children from her residence before fleeing the state. USMS along with FBI, state police, and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office started a manhunt in attempts to locate/apprehend Callihan. USMS E/LA was able to identify Callihan’s whereabouts in Jackson, Mississippi, and a collateral lead request was sent by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and USMS S/MS Jackson Office. Members of the GCRFTF observed Callihan near an abandoned house on Boozier Drive in Jackson. As members of the GCRFTF approached the house, Callihan ran from the house and was taken into custody. Members of the GCRFTF located a hole on the back side of the house where both missing girls were located, one of whom was deceased.
• A teen girl was one of several runaway juveniles associating in a suspected human trafficking ring orchestrated by local gangs in the greater New Orleans metro. During the investigation, another teen girl was also identified as a missing/endangered runaway. USMS, along with Homeland Security Investigations, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the NOPD Special Victims Division – Child Abuse Unit began working these cases together and identified two additional missing juveniles.   All four girls were believed to be involved in a sex trafficking and prostitution ring. During the course of the investigation, the four girls were recovered, one arrest was made on scene and two men were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation. By the end of the investigation another arrest was made of a man charged with raping one of the juveniles and the individual responsible for setting up the juveniles’ appointments for sex was deported.
• A teen girl was recovered after running away from her foster parent in Ouachita Parish.  She was alleged to have been a previous victim of sex trafficking and sexual assault/rape. USMS, along with HIS, located her in New Orleans and recovered her. During an interview with the teen, she disclosed that a high school teacher in New Orleans picked her up from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and transported her to New Orleans approximately one week prior to her recovery. HSI after a several months investigation obtained an E/LA federal arrest warrant for Aaron Johnson for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution and coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. The USMS New Orleans Task Force with HSI located Johnson at a New Orleans East apartment complex and arrested him on the warrant Aug. 15.  At the time of his arrest, Johnson was working as a teacher at a local New Orleans high school.
• Ernest Cortney Dixon III was arrested May 22 for an alleged rape that occurred in May 2024 in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  Dixon is alleged to have gone into a French Quarter business with a firearm and raped an adult female employee of that business.  At the time of the alleged rape, he was already wanted on an April 2024 NOPD warrant for domestic violence assault with a firearm stemming from an incident where he was alleged to have fired a handgun at an ex-girlfriend.  During Dixon’s arrest at a French Quarter business, the USMS New Orleans Task Force recovered a loaded stolen firearm alleged to have belonged to Dixon.
• Wayne D. Bennett was arrested Sept. 23 by USMS Northern District of Florida and USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in Altha, Florida.  Investigators with the USMS New Orleans Task Force and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office tracked Bennett to the Altha area before sending a request to the USMS FCRFTF, who were able to locate and arrest him.  Bennett was wanted by the TPSO for first-degree rape, third-degree rape, five counts of trafficking of children for sexual purposes and three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
• Marrio Haynes was arrested Feb. 28 on a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for second-degree murder.  On Dec. 26, 2023, Haynes allegedly murdered a Lacombe man at a gas station using an AR-15 style rifle.  Later that night officers located his vehicle and arrested his girlfriend in connection with the murder, but Haynes was able to flee on foot avoiding arrest. He went on the run and was featured in multiple Crimestoppers GNO news reports. After a two-month investigation he was arrested by the USMS New Orleans Task Force at a home in Kentwood.  His girlfriend, who was present at the residence, was rearrested for harboring a fugitive during his arrest.
• Fugitives Davonn Davis and Carlos Taylor were arrested Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge by the USMS Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force.   Davis was wanted on a NOPD charge of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting outside of The Shamrock Bar in New Orleans.  Taylor escaped from the Orleans Juvenile Justice Center, and then is alleged to have carjacked a woman, almost running her over.  He was featured across the state of Louisiana in news outlets as a dangerous fugitive with a previous violent history.   He and Davis were located together in Baton Rouge where Taylor initially attempted to flee on foot.
• Leon Ruffin was arrested Feb. 27 on a JPSO warrant for escape. During the escape Ruffin assaulted a JPSO deputy during a medical transport and stole her police vehicle. Ruffin was awaiting trial on a murder related charge.  He was tracked by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to a motel in New Orleans East and arrested. 

“The U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Task Force successfully apprehended over 500 fugitives and recovered 24 missing and endangered children in 2024,” said Enix Smith III, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These significant accomplishments underscore the critical importance of vigilance and collaboration between law enforcement and the community.  Together, we can create a safer environment where justice is upheld, and our neighborhoods can thrive.”      

The USMS New Orleans Task Force is sponsored by USMS E/LA and includes the following law enforcement agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Kenner Police Department, LA Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, LA Probation and Parole, LA State Police, New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The task force also frequently works with the local ATF, DEA, and FBI field offices.   

Any information about wanted felony fugitives can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service at (504) 589-6872 or via email at usms.wanted@usdoj.gov.  Crimestoppers GNO may also be contacted with tips at (504) 822-1111.

Source: US Marshals Service

San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) – Orlando Office and members of the Middle District of Florida, in collaboration with the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offenders Task Force (PRVOTF), today apprehended a Puerto Rico woman wanted on charges of illegal deprivation of custody and parental kidnapping.

Aleishka Marie Martinez-Rios, 27, was arrested without incident in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Arecibo District Court in Puerto Rico issued an arrest warrant Aug. 23 against Martinez-Rios after a prosecutor filed charges against her in violation of Art. 121 of the Penal Code (Illegal Deprivation of Custody – Parental Kidnapping), a felony offense.

The Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice requested assistance from the USMS District of Puerto Rico to locate and arrest Martinez-Rios, who took her child without the father’s consent, triggering a missing minor alert. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Martinez-Rioz traveled to the state of Florida with the child.

After locating Martinez-Rioz Oct. 1, the PRVOTF requested the assistance of the FCRFTF to arrest her and recover the child. After the recovery, the Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the child. Prior coordination had been made between the USMS, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, and the Florida Department of Children and Families to ensure that custody of the minor would be granted to the father.

“I want to recognize the members of the United States Marshals Service Missing Children Unit in Puerto Rico for their prompt response to return this child to his legal custody guardian,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “The USMS district of Puerto Rico will continue, along with our law enforcement partners, to be vigilant of anyone who wants to bypass the justice system process without consequences. Fortunately, an innocent victim was recovered. We will not stop in our effort to pursue those who believe they can evade the law. They may try to hide but they should know that the U.S. Marshals Service will not stop until we find you, and bring you to justice.”

The USMS encourages the community to continue to collaborate with our deputies on tips that help find the whereabouts of a fugitive by contacting our local office at (787) 766-6297, calling the U.S. Marshals Service Communication Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submitting tips using the USMS Tips app.

The FCRFTF has experience in conducting complex, long- and short-term investigations utilizing all resources made available through partnerships with multiple law enforcement agencies. The task force’s longstanding success in the apprehension and prosecution of violent organized crime/gang members by FCRFTF personnel further enforces the positive relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice Office commitment to combat organized crime gang related violence in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The mission of the FCRFTF is to locate and apprehend fugitives, with priority given to fugitives wanted for violent crime.  Founded July 1, 2008, the task force is supported by eight federal and 101 state and local agencies and operates within the southern, northern and middle districts of Florida, as well as the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands.   

Source: US Marshals Service

Henderson County, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Western District of Tennessee and the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force in California joined to capture a fugitive, Blake Allen Troutman, 26, who was wanted for Second Degree Murder in Tennessee. 

On July 30th, 2024, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Blake Troutman out of Henderson County Circuit Court in Tennessee. It is alleged that Troutman sold narcotics laced with fentanyl resulting in the death of a 21-year-old woman. The USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Jackson adopted the  case the same day. Deputy marshals determined that Troutman had fled Tennessee to California and provided investigative leads to the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force in Los Angeles.

On October 2nd, Deputy marshals from the task force tracked Troutman to a gas station in Orange City near Anaheim and took him into custody. He will be held at a detention facility pending extradition back to Tennessee.

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.

Source: US Marshals Service

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A U.S. Marshals Southern District of West Virginia CUFFED (Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division) Task Force three-week warrant operation has resulted in 69 felony arrests.

During Operation Mattock, conducted from Sept.9 to Oct. 1, law enforcement officers also recovered 3.8 pounds of methamphetamine, 76.6 grams fentanyl, 33 grams crack cocaine and seven firearms. The wanted subjects had a wide range of felony warrants to include conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, delivery and sale of controlled substances, weapons offenses, burglary, assault on law enforcement, and malicious wounding and assault.

Significant arrests include:

Jamie Ray Jones, 32, of Marion County, who was arrested Sept. 23 in the Kelly’s Creek area of Kanawha County. Jones was wanted by the Fairmont Police Department for kidnapping and attempted first-degree murder. Jones was also wanted in a separate case for accessory after the fact of murder. Xavier Perkins, 36, of Richmond, Virginia, who was taken into custody on Sept. 19. Perkins was wanted out of Richmond for absconding from home electric monitoring and failing to appear in circuit court for narcotics and probation violation. Perkins is also a person of interest in a double homicide investigation.

Two sex offenders were also federally indicted on Oct. 1 for violations of the Adam Walsh Act. One critically missing child was also recovered during the operation.

“I would like to thank our partner agencies across Southern West Virginia for dedicating officers to the CUFFED (Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division) Task Force,” said U.S. Marshal Michael T. Baylous, Southern District of West Virginia. “Their commitment and dedication have allowed the CUFFED Task Force to become one of the most efficient and effective in the country at apprehending fugitives.”

With Each Operation the CUFFED (Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division) Task Force conducts, we honor and recognize a law enforcement officer that has inspired the CUFFED Task Force with their service and dedication to accomplish the mission. In keeping with that tradition, we dedicate Operation Mattock to Retired West Virginia State Police Captain and former Sheriff of Putnam County, Mark Smith. His service and leadership have personally impacted each of us here today. If you look up the word role model in the dictionary, his picture belongs next to the definition.

Agencies involved in operation included:

• U.S. Marshals CUFFED Task Force
• West Virginia State Police
• Cabell County Sheriff’s Office
• Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
• Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office
• Mason County Sheriff’s Office
• Mingo County Sheriff’s Office
• Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
• Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office
• Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office
• Barboursville Police Department Beckley Police Department
• Parkersburg Police Department
• Saint Albans Police Department
• South Charleston Police Department

Source: US Marshals Service

Memphis, TN – A murder fugitive, Emmanuel Sampson, 27, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Memphis Police Department. 

On September 11, 2024, Amareus Henderson was shot to death at a residence in the 1400 block of Kansas Street in Memphis, TN. On September 19, an arrest warrant was issued charging Emmanuel Sampson with first degree murder. 

On September 27, the Memphis Police Department Fugitive Apprehension Team found Sampson at a residence in the 1700 block of Kansas Street in Memphis. He refused to come out of the residence. 

Memphis Police Department requested assistance from the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force who responded to the scene. When Sampson still refused to submit to lawful authority, the front door was forced open. The task force found Sampson inside and took him into custody without further incident. Latonya Livingston, 33, who was inside the residence with Sampson, was also arrested and charged by MPD with accessory after the fact: to wit first degree murder. Both were transported to the Shelby County Jail. 

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force 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 Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force has captured over 2,600 violent offenders and sexual predators.

Source: US Marshals Service

Cleveland, Ohio – On Wednesday members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested this week’s fugitive of the week as well as two homicide suspects wanted by Cleveland Division of Police and East Cleveland Police Department.

Jermaine Mittman, 18, was arrested by the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) at an address in the 16200 block of Throckley Ave. in Cleveland. Mittman was wanted by the East Cleveland Police Department for the March 20 shooting death of a 17-year-old male victim. The shooting took place in the 13000 block of 6th Ave. in East Cleveland. Police responded to a shot spotter notification and later found the victim at the hospital where the victim subsequently died.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) also arrested Ja’Moneae Bowen, 21, at an address in the 7100 block of Garden Valley Ave in Cleveland. Bowen was wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for the July 7 shooting death of Jaycobe Mynatt, 21. Bowen and Mynatt were involved in a verbal altercation at a car meet up in the Steelyard Commons when the argument turned deadly and Mynatt was shot. The victim later died at the hospital.

Lastly, fugitive of the week, Shamonte Allen, 33, was also arrested by the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF). Allen was featured as the fugitive of the week earlier this week after a warrant for aggravated vehicular assault was issued for her arrest. Allen is accused of driving while under the influence and crashing into another vehicle. The victim in that case is now paralyzed. Allen was arrested at a home in the 12200 block of Holborn Ave. in Cleveland.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Members of our task force worked diligently to find and arrest all three of these fugitives whose violence and disregard for life has devastated the families of their victims.”

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 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

235 years ago, George Washington signed the Judiciary Act which defined the U.S. Marshals as officers of the court and charged them with aiding federal courts in their law enforcement functions.

Just days after signing the act into law, President Washington then appointed the very first 13 U.S. Marshals, one for each federal district or territory.

Today, more than two centuries later, 94 Marshals and their numerous deputies are responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects, handling the administration of fugitive operations and managing criminal assets across states, territories and tribal lands. 

As we look back on 235 years of U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), let us remember the ways in which this agency has served our country and the history it has made.

The U.S. Marshals Service has continually protected our federal judges alongside American citizens while simultaneously carrying out the law to benefit all.  

One of the earlier historical examples in which the U.S. Marshals Service was able to accomplish their many missions occurred during the Civil War.

U.S. Marshals supported the Union home front by rooting out Confederate spies and seizing property being used to support the Confederacy. Their work ensured the formation of a more perfect union.

In 1875, Bass Reeves was assigned the position of Deputy U.S. Marshal, one of the first African Americans to serve in this capacity. He served for 32 years, until 1907, in dangerous Indian Territory. Reeves’ bravery allowed him to bring justice to some of the most ruthless outlaws in the West. Through his service, he not only made the American West a safer place but created opportunities for more people of color to serve our country.

In 1887, a new trailblazer came onto the scene. Phoebe Couzins, the first female U.S. Marshal, was temporarily appointed to the position after the death of her father, U.S. Marshal John Couzins. Marshal Phoebe Couzins accomplished what no other woman had done before and created the initial opportunities for operational female employees with the USMS for decades to come. 

The work for equal opportunity did not end there. Deputy U.S. Marshals were asked to enforce the integration of educational institutions, including those in New Orleans, Boston and Oxford, MS. Deputies escorted students into their respective schools, provided protective details and enforced integrated bus routes despite heavy opposition.

USMS involvement in upholding federal rulings for the integration of educational institutions allowed our nation to move towards a more egalitarian nation with equal opportunities, regardless of one’s race.

The USMS continued their protective mission in 1971, as the Witness Security Program was established as a divisional program within the Marshals Service. This Program has protected thousands of American witnesses and victims along with their immediate families as they in turn assisted the American legal system in the cases of drug traffickers, terrorists, organized crime members and other major criminals. 

Not only has the USMS protected members of discriminated communities and provided opportunities for minorities, but most importantly, it has also worked to apprehend fugitives threatening American safety.

In 2005, Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) began, and through its implementation, Deputies and their law enforcement partners conducted national fugitive operations to apprehend felons. By its close in 2009, FALCON had completed 91,086 arrests and cleared 117,874 warrants. 

On July 27, 2006, Congress authorized the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which provided the USMS three principle responsibilities under the law including: assisting state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigating violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act for federal prosecution; and assisting in the identification and location of sex offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act has allowed for the protection of the most vulnerable members of American society and granted them the justice they deserve. 

The U.S. Marshals Service continues to prioritize the safety of minors. This year alone, the USMS recovered over 200 missing children across the country during Operation “We Will Find You” as an effort to bring displaced minors to safety.

Looking back on 235 years of operation, the USMS has continued to uphold its original intended purpose of protecting the U.S. Federal Judiciary. In addition, the role of the USMS has expanded to include: locating and arresting federal escapees, administrating fugitive operations, managing criminal assets, operating the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) and protecting senior government officials through the Office of Protective Operations. 

Because of the United States Marshals Service, people in America and its territories and tribal lands have lived in a safer nation for the past 235 years.

Source: US Marshals Service

Trenton, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Western District of Tennessee and the Eastern District of Michigan coordinated to capture a fugitive, Cedric Joseph Howell, who was wanted for sex crimes in Tennessee.

Following an investigation by the Trenton (TN) Police Department and the TN Department of Children’s Services, arrest warrants were issued on September 12, 2024, charging Cedric Howell, 39, of Trenton, with rape and incest. Trenton police requested assistance from the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Jackson, Tennessee, to locate and apprehend Howell.

The TRVFTF developed information that Howell had fled to the Detroit, Michigan area and provided investigative leads to the USMS. On September 20, deputy marshals from the fugitive task force tracked Howell to a store in Pontiac, Michigan. He was taken into custody on the parking lot and will be held at a detention facility pending extradition back to Tennessee.

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.

Source: US Marshals Service

San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals Service District of Puerto Rico has added to its 10 Most Wanted fugitives list a man wanted by the Irondequoit, New York, Police Department on four charges of second-degree murder and charges of narcotics.

Luis Francisco Soriano, aka Jefry Yeyo, 31, of Dominican Republic, is suspected to have been involved in a quadruple homicide Aug. 31 near Rochester, New York. Two of the victims were children, 2 and 4. Soriano is believed to have fled to Puerto Rico, where authorities are actively searching for him.

The U.S. Marshals in Puerto Rico request the public’s assistance in capturing dangerous fugitives, such as Soriano. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact local law enforcement or the U.S. Marshals directly.

“Given the nature of Soriano’s alleged crimes, his danger to the community at large and ability to elude law enforcement, the U.S. Marshals in Puerto Rico have added him our 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “Soriano and his co-conspirators committed a horrendous crime against a family, whose children were innocent victims and did not deserve a cruel death. We will not allow terror, violence and impunity to take over our communities. That is why we are seeking the public’s assistance in getting this dangerous individual in custody so that he can face justice.”

Soriano is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs approximately 150 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. He has four moles under his right eye and tattoos on both arms. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) encourages the community to continue to collaborate with our deputies on tips that help find the whereabouts of a fugitive by contacting our local office at (787) 766-6297, calling the U.S. Marshals Service Communication Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submitting tips using the USMS Tips App. You can also contact the case agents at (787) 306-9411 or (787) 412-1462.

Source: US Marshals Service

Youngstown, OH – Late this afternoon, members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF), New York Police Department Detectives, U.S. Secret Service, and the Youngstown Police Department arrested Jose Feliciano, 49.  Feliciano was wanted by New York Police Department for murder.

On February 10, a bouncer inside the Garden Bar and Grill, located at 140 Graham Ave. in Brooklyn, NY, was stabbed in the neck.  The victim, Laurence Hopkins, 61, was attempting to assist his female coworker who was involved in an altercation with patrons of the bar when he was stabbed.

Members of the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJRFTF) began searching for Feliciano immediately after the warrant was issued in June of this year.  Law enforcement believed that the suspect had fled the state shortly after the murder.  Today, law enforcement was able to track down Feliciano to the Youngstown, Ohio area.  Feliciano was arrested without incident at a home in the 1900 block of Wolosyn Circle in Youngstown.  Feliciano will remain in custody in Ohio until he can be extradited back to New York to face the charges against him.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Criminals will not find a place to hide in northern Ohio.  Members of our task force will work with law enforcement across the country to ensure that those wanted for violent crimes are caught and held accountable for their actions.”

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 Youngstown Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies: Boardman Township Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty Township Police Department, Lordstown Village Police Department, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Mercy Health Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Salem Police Department, Trumbull County Adult Probation Department, Warren Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, and United States Marshals Service.