This arrest marks almost 400 fugitive arrests for the Northwest Arkansas Sex Offender and Violent Crime Task Force, a Task Force funded by Federal grant monies. The US Marshals Service and the Task Force continues to arrest sex offenders and violent criminals in the Northwest Arkansas area, and will likely clear 450 fugitive arrests by the end of fiscal year 2008. More than 150 fugitives in the Northwest Arkansas region were arrested in a one week period during a major warrant eradication effort in June 2008, during Operation FALCON. The recent addition of the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections has contributed significantly to the increased arrest numbers.

It is the combined efforts of both the Northwest Arkansas Fugitive Task Force and its many partners that made this arrest and many others possible. According to U.S. Marshal Richard O’Connell, “The concept behind these task forces is to bring local agencies together under a combined effort to make our communities safer. In this case, that’s exactly what happened, and the U.S. Marshals Service is proud to play a part in the effort.” The Northwest Arkansas Sex Offender and Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of the Benton, Washington, Madison, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and the Bentonville Police Departments, as well as the US Marshals Service. The Arkansas Department of Community Corrections was recently added to the Task Force. Benton County currently manages the grant that funds the Task Force.

Every year, the US Marshals Service and its associated Task Forces throughout the country arrest more fugitives than all federal law enforcement agencies combined. Last year, this number was more than 56,600 state and local fugitives and more than 36,000 Federal fugitives.