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FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: |
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February 15, 2008
Dennis Williamson
United States Marshal
Northern District of Florida |
Dominic Guadagnoli
Public Affairs Officer
(850) 554-6602 |
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Fugitive On the Run for 11 Years and
Two Others Arrested by Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Pensacola
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PENSACOLA, FL -The U.S. Marshals North
Florida Violent Fugitive Task Force apprehended a man today who had
been running form the law for 11 years. Ronald Gates is wanted in
Escambia County on a Violation of Probation warrant, dated April of
1996. The Task Force came across Gates while searching for another
fugitive, Marshall Miles Jones, at a mobile home park on the 1500
block of 50th Avenue in Pensacola. Gates, 50, was originally charged
with the probation violation in 1996 when he was accused of
Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Criminal Mischief.
Gates, who was staying with a friend at the address, would not open
the door at first. Eventually when he did he told task force
officers that his name was “John Geesist”. Officers were suspicious
after he became nervous and provided a different name when they
asked for identification. It was after they checked him for warrants
that they discovered that Geesist was actually Gates.
“It was a classic case of someone who couldn’t keep his story
straight,” stated Task Force Coordinator Deputy U.S. Marshal Dominic
Guadagnoli.
“He also told us that while he was a fugitive he had worked at the
sheriff’s office (Escambia) during the remodeling; and that he was
so nervous and thought he would get caught,” said Guadagnoli.
Jones, 26, was eventually arrested at the same mobile home after he
was caught hiding in a back room. Jones is also wanted in Escambia
County on a Violation of Probation warrant from November of 2007.
That warrant stems from charges of Kidnapping/False Imprisonment,
Battery and Trespassing while Armed. Jones also has several
misdemeanor warrants for Hit and Run, Resisting an Officer Without
Violence and Driving with an Expired License.
Earlier in the day, the Task Force arrested John Wesley Washington,
42, who violated his parole. Washington is a convicted Sexual
Predator, was arrested at the Attucks Court Apartments in Pensacola.
Washington was convicted of Sexual Battery on a Victim Under 12 in
2003. All three were booked into the Escambia County Jail.
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