Central Islip, NY – Following a four-year tradition of success in its national efforts, the U.S. Marshals Service locally conducted another successful Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) from June 22-June28.

The U.S. Marshals in New York combined the collective efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies (participating agency listing attached) in one of the state’s largest-ever fugitive initiatives. Led by the U.S. Marshals, Operation FALCON-2008 focused on capturing individuals wanted on felony charges including gang members, sex offenders and fugitives wanted for crimes of violence. Over the course of the seven-day operation, Deputy U.S. Marshals, teamed with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, arrested 700 fugitives, 12 for homicide.

On June 25, the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force was contacted by the Lehigh County Pennsylvania Police Department for assistance in capturing John Conigliaro, 46. Conigliaro was wanted by Lehigh Township for Rape of a Child, Involuntary Deviant Sexual Intercourse, Aggravated Indecent Sexual Assault and Indecent Exposure. The charges involved Conigliaro allegedly sexually abusing a four-year-old female between November of 2005 and May of 2006. The same day they received the call, the NY/NJ RFTF arrested Conigliaro without incident at his place of employment in West Babylon. Conigliaro was processed as a fugitive from justice.

On June 7, Khaleel Ajibula Oyeneyin, 22, allegedly shot his pregnant girlfriend in the face with a .45 caliber handgun killing her. The murder was committed in Wake County, N.C. and a warrant was issued charging Oyeneyin with the murder. Raleigh Police Department requested the assistance of the NY/NJ RFTF in locating and arresting Oyeneyin on June 19. Investigators from the NY/NJ RFTF located and arrested Oyeneyin June 23 on Linden Blvd, Queens without incident.

On May 23, three teenagers were shot at a recreation center barbeque in Central Islip, one of them fatally. Lavelle Todd, 19, was identified by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad as a person of interest in the shooting. On June 10, the Suffolk Homicide Squad requested the assistance of the NY/NJ RFTF in locating and arresting Todd. On June 23, NY/NJ RFTF investigators, Suffolk Homicide Investigators and USMS personnel in North Carolina located and arrested Todd in Winston- Salem, N.C., without incident.

On May 26, in Warsaw, N.C., Gregory Chapman, 22, allegedly fired a .45 caliber handgun into a car and missed his intended target. Chapman instead hit the target’s pregnant girlfriend in the passenger seat. The girlfriend survived the gunshot wounds, but the twins she was carrying were born prematurely and died the following day. Chapman is believed to be a member of the Bloods street gang. The investigation showed that Chapman immediately fled to NYC. On June 23, investigators from the NY/NJ RFTF developed leads placing Chapman in Queens. He was located and arrested without incident at a friend’s house in Jamaica, N.Y.

Operation FALCON consisted of officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement, working throughout the seven-day period. Each participating local officer was sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal immediately prior to the start of this operation. This special authority empowered them to cross traditional lines of jurisdiction to track down and arrest targeted fugitives throughout the week.

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 the U.S. Marshals Service, visit http://www.usmarshals.gov.
 

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