U.S. MARSHALS CRESCENT STAR FUGITIVE TASK FORCE LEAD RESULTS IN ARREST OF JEFFERSON PARISH MURDER SUSPECT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

On the evening of September 26, 2007, the Southern District of Texas U.S. Marshals Service arrested Steven Conerly, 23 years old, at an apartment in the 6200 block of Antoine Dr. Houston, Texas. Conerly was wanted on a warrant out of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana charging him with second degree murder. He denied his identity to deputy U.S. Marshals at first by claiming that he was Steven’s brother. Deputies were able to confirm his identity and he was arrested without incident. He has prior convictions in Jefferson Parish for burglary and possession of narcotics and had recently been released from parole supervision.

On July 01, 2007, deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 1000 block of Tallowtree Lane in Harvey, LA. in reference to a shooting. A deceased Hispanic male identified as J. Guadalupe Porillo was found on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the back. Conerly, Justin Whitley, and Keith Lewis were identified as suspects in the murder. Investigators from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office believe that the three had been targeting Hispanic workers and robbing them and that Porillo was trying to get away from the suspects during a robbery attempt. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is a member of the U.S. Marshals EDLA Crescent Star Fugitive Task Force (CSFTF), and the case was referred to the task force for assistance in locating Conerly. A lead was developed by the group that Conerly was in Houston, Texas and the S/TX U.S. Marshals office was contacted for assistance in locating and arresting him. The other two suspects are already in custody.

Michael Credo, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana stated, “I am very proud of the task force’s continuing efforts to fight violent crime in the metro area. I would also like to thank all of the state and local law enforcement agencies for their support of the task force. That support is why the task force is such a success.”

CSFTF, in response to the post Hurricane Katrina crime spike in the New Orleans metro area, was given additional resources by the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2006. That support, dubbed “Operation Debris Removal” by the district, has led to the arrest of almost 600 fugitives. As part of those numbers the task force has cleared 18 murder warrants, 17 attempted murder warrants, 26 rape cases, 113 sex offender cases, two America’s Most Wanted fugitives, 27 New Orleans Police Department top priority cases, and several Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office priority cases.

Besides tracking and arresting federal, state, and local fugitives, the U.S. Marshals Service is also responsible for security of federal court complexes, protection of the federal judiciary, court, security for high threat trials, productions of federal inmates, housing and care of federal pre-sentence inmates, witness security, managing seized assets, service of federal process, and other special projects for the U.S. Department of Justice. The U.S. Marshals Service also operates the Special Operations Group (S.O.G.) which recently performed missions in Iraq related to judicial security and instructing Iraqi officials on upgrading security for their judicial system. On September 24th the U.S. Marshals Service celebrated its 218th birthday.