Jackson, MS – Following a four-year tradition of success in its national efforts, the U.S. Marshals Service locally conducted another week-long fugitive sweep known as Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally). Led by the U.S. Marshals Service, Operation FALCON is a large-scale law enforcement effort focused on locating and arresting fugitives.

From June 15- 21, Deputy U.S. Marshals teamed up with their counterparts from other state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and conducted Operation FALCON in various counties that make up the federal Southern District of Mississippi, with a focus on the Jackson, Hattiesburg, and coastal Mississippi areas. This collective effort was one of the area’s largest-ever fugitive initiatives; focusing on capturing individuals wanted on felony charges with a priority on sexual predators, fugitives wanted for crimes of violence and those with ties to gangs.

Over the course of the seven-day operation, Operation FALCON teams located or arrested approximately 90 fugitives and cleared over 100 felony warrants. In some instances, investigators in the field determined several subjects were deceased and some were incarcerated in other jails on unrelated charges. Locating these individuals helps to clear agency backlogs and assist in the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

More than just a typical warrant sweep, Operation FALCON focused on “the worst of the worst” and those who have managed to avoid arrest on their charges. The emphasis was not to arrest as many people as possible, but instead to target a group of people who have demonstrated their propensity to repeatedly commit crimes or to commit violent crimes.

“The goal of Operation FALCON is simple – to make communities safer,” said John F. Clark, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “Each time we wrap up a FALCON operation in any location, there are less dangerous individuals – and fewer threats to the community – than there were when we got there. That is very gratifying.”

Some of the more notable arrests include the arrest of Christopher Law, who was wanted by the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as a sex offender and the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for violating his probation. Law was arrested by a FALCON team at a place of employment in the Hattiesburg area. Also, Jackson County fugitive Charles Ferguson was arrested in Houston, Texas after being expelled from the country of Mexico. Ferguson was wanted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for possession of child pornography and weapons charges. Deputy U.S. Marshals developed information on his hideout and forwarded it to Mexican Authorities who located and expelled Ferguson for immigration violations. Finally, a FALCON team found Madison County fugitive Brian Reynolds in a closet at a residence in Jackson. Reynolds was wanted for exploitation of a vulnerable adult and is accused of allegedly defrauding an 86-year-old woman out of several thousand dollars. He was also considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL) from the U. S. Army.

What makes Operation FALCON such a success is the partnership between the agencies. Prior to the Operation, officers from local and some state and Federal agencies are sworn in as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals. This deputation allows these officers to operate across jurisdictional boundaries which can ordinarily hamper an investigation. During FALCON, arrest teams worked in over 20 different counties in search of fugitives.

“The cooperation and enthusiasm of law enforcement agencies in the Southern District of Mississippi has always been incredible,” said U.S. Marshal Nehemiah Flowers, Jr. “We are facing new challenges in law enforcement and must always adapt to overcome sometimes overwhelming odds when faced with the criminal element that places our communities in danger. With our law enforcement partners, law enforcement at all levels is dedicated to a safer Mississippi, nation and world and it shows in this tremendous success.”

On any given day during FALCON, an average of 50 officers from approximately 20 different agencies was on the street as a part of Operation FALCON in the Southern District of Mississippi. Agencies contributing to Operation FALCON were the Hattiesburg Police Department, Gulfport Police Department, Biloxi Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Hinds County Sheriffs Department, Madison County Sheriffs Department, Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Harrison County Sheriffs Department, Walthall County Sheriffs Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of inspector General, U. S. Secret Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON has made over 36,500 arrests and cleared over 45,300 warrants. It continues to be the largest and most successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S. Marshals history.

For more information about Operation FALCON and media art, please visit the FALCON 2008 web page at http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08/media.htm.
 

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