DS Locates Passport Fraud Suspect In Panama, Coordinates Return To U.S.Bureau of Diplomatic SecurityWashington, DC August 17, 2007 State Department Special Agents Return Fugitive From Panama To Face Passport Fraud Charges In The Abduction Of A Child From Ventura County U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and U.S. Marshals Service coordinated with Panamanian authorities to facilitate the capture and return of fugitive Gerri Ann Ellis of Ventura County, California, on August 16, 2007, to face prosecution for passport fraud charges in the abduction of a child from Ventura County. During the course of their investigation DSS special agents in Panama and the Los Angeles Field Office discovered the defendant was residing in Panama City, Panama. Ellis was arrested by Panamanian authorities Tuesday, August 14, and was returned to the United States with the cooperation and efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California in Los Angeles, charges Ellis with one count of making a false statement in a passport application. If convicted, Ellis is subject to a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Los Angeles, California to enter a plea and for a determination of bail. Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Because the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is the most widely represented law enforcement organization in the world, their capability to track and capture fugitives who have fled U.S. jurisdiction to avoid prosecution is unmatched. During 2006, DS assisted in the resolution of 126 international fugitive cases. Fugitives were tracked, located, and apprehended in a total of 47 different countries in every region of the world. The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the U.S. Department of State’s law enforcement and security arm. The special agents, engineers, and security professionals of the Bureau are responsible for the security of 285 U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect the U.S. Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, investigate passport and visa fraud, and conduct personnel security investigations. More information about the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security may be obtained at www.diplomaticsecurity.state.gov. You may register to receive via e-mail the latest press statements, as well as notification of new reports, speeches, testimonies, and other key documents from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Select "DOSDS" for your "listname" choice. Contact: |
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