Tucson, AZ – On the heels of the
conclusion of Operation FALCON, U.S. Marshals announce the arrest of
Oliver Michael Pryor, wanted for the sexual abuse of his two step
granddaughters. Pryor, 56, was arrested Saturday, August 25, 2007 in
Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Mexico by the Sonora State
Investigative Police (PEI) based on information developed by
investigators of the U.S. Marshals Mexican Investigative Liaison (USMS-MIL)
in Tucson. After Pryor’s
profile on a local news broadcast, the Pima County Attorney’s 88
CRIME Program received calls indicating Pryor may be living in Rocky
Point. The Pima County Sheriffs Fugitive Investigative Strike Team
(FIST) provided this information to USMS-MIL investigators and
requested assistance on August 20, 2007. USMS-MIL investigators
contacted Mexican authorities who opened their investigation on
Pryor, leading to his arrest on Saturday afternoon, August 25th.
Pryor, a United States citizen, was
turned over to the Mexico National Institute of Immigration (INM)
for deportation processing. Pryor was ordered expelled from Mexico
and returned to the United States through the Lukeville Port of
Entry early Saturday evening. Pryor was taken into custody at the
Lukeville POE by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Pima
County Sheriff. Currently, Pryor sits in the Pima County Jail in Ajo
pending a court appearance on the charges.
Pryor is accused of sexually abusing
his step granddaughters over a two year period from 2004-2006. Pryor
was interviewed by Tucson Police in February 2006 but fled before he
was indicted. Pryor was indicted by a Pima County Grand Jury in June
2006 for two counts of Continual Sexual Abuse of a Child and two
counts of Furnishing Obscene and Harmful Items to Minors.
“Cases like this demonstrate the
efficacy of operations like FALCON and the more general cooperation
enjoyed between law enforcement agencies both in Arizona and
internationally,” said David Gonzales, United States Marshal for the
District of Arizona. “Due to the efforts of many, justice may now be
served for the victims in this case.”
A photo of Pryor is available by
contacting Deputy Dawn Hanke of the Pima County Sheriffs Department
at 520-351-6480. |