Portland, OR – The U.S. Marshals Service Oregon Fugitive Task Force (OFTF) coordinated the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement for a four-day fugitive apprehension effort last week, June 24 – 27. FALCON, the acronym for Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally, soared into the Tri County Metro area and reached all the way to Umatilla County. FALCON 2008 was the shortest week as compared to previous FALCON missions but it packed a punch with 93 total arrests and 122 warrants cleared (some offenders had multiple warrants). Also seized, incident to arrest, were seven firearms (3 rifles & 4 handguns), a 48 Marijuana plant grow, one pound of dried marijuana, four ounces of methamphetamine and two vehicles.

Operation FALCON 2008, the fifth in the series of U.S. Marshals Service-led fugitive apprehension initiatives partnered deputy U.S. marshals and U.S. Marshals task force officers with local police, sheriffs, probation and parole, state troopers and other federal agencies. In total, 69 police officers, deputies, detectives and agents participated from the following agencies:

Portland Police Bureau
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Oregon State Police
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Clackamas County Community Corrections
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office
Hillsboro Police Department
Beaverton Police Department
Milton-Freewater Police Department
Hermiston Police Department
Pendleton Police Department
Umatilla Police Department
Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Department of Homeland Security-Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division
Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms (ATF)
Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Postal Service
OIG, U.S. Department of Agriculture
OIG, Social Security Administration

“We are pleased that local law enforcement often looks upon operations such as FALCON as an opportunity to address fugitive apprehension issues in their communities,” said John F. Clark, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “In the end, when this operation is over, our local partners are the people who will continue to live and work in the communities that Operation FALCON serves. We are committed to leaving behind a safer community for all of them.”

Dennis Merrill, United States Marshal for the District of Oregon stated, “Operation Falcon 2008 once again represented an outstanding cooperative effort involving federal, state, and local law enforcement. The Operation clearly demonstrated what can be accomplished by combining resources and effective partnerships. I wish to thank all of those that participated for helping make our communities safer.”

The following narratives are some noteworthy profiles (these television channels participated in a “ride-along” capacity and some have filmed footage of these actual arrests; KOIN Channel 6, KGW Channel 8, KATU Channel 2, and FOX Channel 12).
 

NARRATIVE OF ARRESTS

*ALL OFFENDERS ARE CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.

#1 John LAND did not expect to be arrested on his failure to register as a sex offender as he hid quietly in Vancouver, Washington. What LAND didn’t know is that someone saw him on FOX Most Wanted and turned him in after they found out he was an unregistered sex offender (FOX Channel12 footage has footage of the arrest). This arrest was made through a collateral lead to the Career Criminal Apprehension Team (CCAT).

#2 Robert WHITE had been wanted since 2005, and he did not expect to be arrested on his failure to register as a sex offender warrant, he even quit looking over his shoulder years ago after relocating from Pendleton to SE Portland. WHITE was wrong in his assumption as U.S. Marshals tracked him to a garage apartment and later to his day labor job. During the chase the Marshals missed him by minutes but WHITE called his father and chose to surrender to Marshals.

#3 Andrew ALLEN always knew that he would be arrested for his UUMV (Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle) warrant but he didn’t plan on his girlfriend’s arrest, Brittany KENNEDY, who was with him at the time. Both were also charged with the new crimes of possession of methamphetamine and counterfeit checks.

#4 Andrew KVERNDAL-SIMMONS definitely had bad luck as indicated by his own statement at the time of his arrest, “Hey, is this Operation FALCON?” “I was arrested last year during Operation FALCON.” KATU Channel 2 has footage of this arrest.

#5 Since October 2007, Decarlo GRIFFITH was wanted for delivery of cocaine and he had absconded from his probation officer. GRIFFITH was not easy to find even though he is 5”10 and weighs about 260 lbs. KGW Channel 8 has footage of this arrest.

For more information about Operation FALCON, visit http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08/media.htm
 

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