“AMERICA’S MOST WANTED” AND OPRAH WINFREY CHILD SEXUAL PREDATOR FUGITIVE, DAVID SPRONG JR., CAPTURED BY U.S. MARSHALS, FBI, AND LIVINGSTON PARISH LOUISIANA SHERIFF’S OFFICE

On the afternoon of February 22, 2007, the Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Marshals Crescent Star Fugitive Task Force (CSFTF), with assistance from the FBI New Orleans Field Division and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, arrested David John Sprong Jr., 47 years old, at A to Z Auto Auction L.L.C. in Holden, Louisiana without incident.

David Sprong, who is a convicted felon and registered sex offender, jumped bail in March of 2006, in Sacramento, California on pending child molestation charges. The charges allegedly involve multiple molestation counts on female minors. He was out on a million dollar bond when he failed to show for a pre-trail hearing. A warrant was issued for his arrest and the Sacramento, California Sheriff’s Office began an investigation to determine his whereabouts. It was determined that Sprong had fled the state. The FBI in Sacramento, California obtained a federal warrant for Sprong for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The U.S. Marshals office in Sacramento, California also provided intelligence to the CSFTF that furthered the case.

Investigators believe that Sprong first went to the Houston, Texas area where he opened an auto repair business in Humble, Texas. Sprong is also believed to have employed teenagers at the repair shop and may have attempted to touch them in an inappropriate manner. He left the Humble, Texas area in January 2007.

Several days ago the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office located an abandoned Infiniti SUV in a bar parking lot in Hammond, Louisiana and determined it was associated with Sprong. The U.S. Marshals Service Middle District of Louisiana and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office began a fugitive investigation and developed critical information that led investigators to the A to Z Auto Auction.

Sprong was working as a mechanic under the alias of Thomas Turner and had been employed there for about three weeks. He was booked into the Livingston Parish jail and will await extradition proceedings back to Sacramento, California.

Sprong has been featured on three occasions on FOX television's “America’s Most Wanted.” He has also been profiled on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and placed on her child sexual predator watch list. Ms. Winfrey was offering a large reward of her own to any citizen that provided information that led to his arrest.

Acting EDLA U.S. Marshal Roxanna Irwin stated, “I would like to thank “America’s Most Wanted” and Ms. Winfrey for turning up the heat on this fugitive and generating many of our investigative leads. AMW and Ms. Winfrey’s commitment to public safety combined with the dedication and team work of all of the law enforcement community removed this sexual predator from our communities.”