540 FUGITIVES
ARRESTED DURING OPERATION FALCON – South Carolina
Greenville, SC –
In one of the largest fugitive initiatives ever undertaken in South
Carolina, the U.S. Marshals Service teamed with law enforcement
agencies throughout the state to arrest 540 fugitives and clear
939
warrants during a recent 16 day sweep. Led by the U.S. Marshals
Service, Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized
Nationally) is an ongoing, multi-city, nationwide law enforcement
effort. The operation targets persons wanted for sexual offenses,
other violent crimes and narcotics violations. Since its start in
July, Operation FALCON 2007 has netted 6,206 arrests and cleared
7,536 warrants in twenty-seven operations. Operation FALCON-South
Carolina took place from August 16-31. This is the third consecutive
year that the U.S. Marshals Service has conducted the FALCON
fugitive sweep operation throughout the country.
Of the 540 fugitives arrested, 66 were wanted for sexual offenses.
Among those arrested was alleged sex offender Matthew Cravetts. On
August 28, Cravetts, 46, was arrested by Deputy Marshals and
Hamilton County (TN) investigators at a residence in Soddy Daisy,
TN. Cravetts was the subject of a May 2007 Richland County warrant
for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor. Richland County
investigators believe that Cravetts engaged in this conduct in
December 2005. Additionally, Marcelino Corona Cruz was taken into
custody at a residence on Anderson Road in Greenville County on
August 29. At that time, Cruz, 29, was the subject of a Greenville
County warrant for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor. Since that
time, Cruz has also been charged with Trafficking in Forced Labor in
Greenville County. Investigators also found out after his
apprehension that he was wanted in Hidalgo, Mexico for the rape of a
minor.
There were also many arrests of other violent fugitives as well.
Deputy Marshals and task force officers in Greenville located and
arrested four alleged gang members for their involvement in a
December 2005 shooting. Stedman Makins, Bennett Randolph, Gregg
Thompson and Sergio Jones were all the subject of Greenville City
warrants alleging their involvement in the shooting of an employee
of the club Matrix. The four are believed to be members of a loosely
organized neighborhood gang, “KP Unit”, from an area known as
Kennedy Park. Makins, Bennett and Thompson all face seven charges
including Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill, Lynching and
Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime. Jones has been
charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Lynching, Second
Degree.
Operation FALCON was busy in the Florence and Charleston areas as
well. In our Charleston division, Deputy Marshals and task force
agents arrested Jermaine Jerry Aiken in Walterboro on August 17.
Aiken, 24, was the subject of a Colleton County warrant for Armed
Robbery. Aiken is alleged to have robbed his victim at gunpoint in
the early morning hours of August 2006. On August 18, FALCON members
in our Florence division located and apprehended a seventeen year
old juvenile wanted for murder by the Glynn County (GA) Police
Department. The juvenile was arrested without incident after
providing a false name to arresting officers.
“In the past two years, Operation FALCON has been extremely
successful in apprehending the worst criminals in South Carolina. So
far, in three FALCON operations we have been able to apprehend 1,060
felons and have cleared 1,851 warrants, “said Johnny Mack Brown,
U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina. “One of the reasons
FALCON has been so successful here in South Carolina is the
existence of our fugitive task force, Operation Intercept. Through
Operation Intercept, Deputy Marshals work very closely with other
federal, state and local investigators on a daily basis to ensure
that those who would run from the law face the bar of justice.” said
Marshal Brown.
Operation FALCON – South Carolina was comprised of dozens of law
enforcement agents from 54 contributing agencies from across South
Carolina. Those agencies represent law enforcement at the federal,
state and local levels of government. Please see the attachment
titled participating agencies for a complete listing of FALCON
partners.
The U.S. Marshals Service also coordinates the Operation Intercept
Fugitive Task Force, a multi-agency task force that targets persons
wanted for violent crimes, narcotic offenses, and sexual offenders
in South Carolina. Full time contributing agencies are the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, State Law Enforcement Division, South
Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services,
Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department,
Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office,
Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Darlington Police Department,
Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, Florence County Sheriff’s
Office, Charleston Police Department and the Charleston County
Sheriff’s Office.
Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON has made over 36,000
arrests and cleared over 40,000 warrants. It continues to be the
largest and most successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S.
Marshals history.
For more information about the U.S. Marshals Service, visit
http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/la-m/index.html.
###
America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency |