FUGITIVE
CAPTURED
Fugitive Donald Leroy Johnson was
arrested February 16, 2007, by Deputy United States Marshals in
Miami, Florida. Johnson was originally charged with two counts of
Child Molestation in Benton County, Missouri in 2004. He was
released on bond in Benton County and the case was later transferred
to Hickory County on a change of venue. Johnson subsequently failed
to appear in court in Hickory County and an arrest warrant was
issued to bring him to Justice.
On February 14, 2007, the United States Marshal Service
International Investigations Branch received information from Agents
of the United States Diplomatic Security Service placing Johnson in
David, Panama. The United States Marshal Service Southern Missouri
Fugitive Task Force was contacted to determine if Benton County
still had an active case and Hickory County would extradite Johnson
from Florida if he were located. The Benton County Prosecuting
Attorney’s office confirmed the case was still active and provided
documents necessary for the arrest. The Hickory County Sheriff’s
office advised that if Johnson were located and returned to Miami
they would extradite him.
On February 16, 2007, after an intensive investigation by all
agencies involved, Johnson was arrested by Panamanian Immigration
Officers in coordination with United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Officers in Panama as he attempted to illegally
cross the Panamanian border into Costa Rica. Johnson was ordered
deported from Panama and was escorted on his flight from Panama to
Miami by two Deputy United States Marshals from the Southern
District of Florida. When the flight arrived in Miami, Johnson was
arrested by the Deputies and booked in the Dade County Florida jail
to await extradition to Hickory County, Missouri. This arrest was
made possible by excellent cooperation between the United States
Marshals Service International Investigations Branch, Western
District of Missouri, Southern District of Florida, United States
State Department Diplomatic Security Service, Benton County
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Hickory County Sheriff’s Department,
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Panamanian
Immigration Service. “The apprehension of Donald Johnson was truly a
cooperative effort, and speaks volumes of what is possible when
federal, state and local authorities work together,” said U. S.
Marshal Mauri Sheer.
Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in
the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal fugitives. More
federal fugitives are arrested by the Marshals than all other
federal agencies combined.
The Southern Missouri Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of law
enforcement officers from U.S. Marshal Service, Missouri Department
of Corrections, and Greene County Sheriff’s Department. The task
force objective is to seek out and arrest violent felons. Last year,
U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local
fugitives on felony charges.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at
http://www.usmarshals.gov.
|