FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: |
December 17, 2007 |
Justin Pierce, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Marshall, Texas (903) 935-5737 |
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Former New England Patriot Arrested
By U.S. Marshals |
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On
12/12/2007, John Milton Stephens 41, a former NFL star and U.S.
Marshals Service Fugitive was arrested on a state warrant issued by
Shelby County authorities for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Stephens was apprehended in Greenwood, Louisiana by members of the
U.S. Marshals Western Louisiana Fugitive Task Force. The information
that led to the arrest resulted from a joint investigation by the
Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETF), Shelby County Sheriff’s
Office, and the Western Louisiana Fugitive Task Force in Shreveport.
Stephens was convicted of Sexual Assault in Kansas City, Missouri on
March 1, 1996. Stephens was sentenced to five years probation and
was required to register as a sex offender. Stephens became a
fugitive when a Warrant was issued for his arrest for failure to
update his sex offender registration.
In November 2007, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department contacted
the U.S. Marshals in Marshall, TX requesting assistance in locating
Stephens. Information developed by investigators with the Shelby
County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals indicated Stephens was
in the Western part of Louisiana. East Texas Deputy Marshals
coordinated with the Deputy Marshals in Shreveport to locate and
arrest Stephens. Stephens was arrested by the Western Louisiana
Fugitive Task Force in the early morning hours of Wednesday December
12, 2007. He was booked into Caddo Parish Detention Center on that
same day and was later extradited across state lines by the Shelby
County Sheriff’s Office to face the charges.
Stephens was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1st round
(17th overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 220 lbs. running back
from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Stephens played in
6 NFL seasons from 1988-1993 for the Patriots, Green Bay Packers,
and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Adam Walsh Act was passed by Congress on July 27, 2006. The Adam
Walsh Act specifically mentions the U.S. Marshals Service as the
federal agency to assist local agencies in locating sex offenders
who have violated registration requirements. The mission of the USMS
is to protect the public from sex offenders through the coordinated
enforcement of sex offender registration laws. |
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