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DES MOINES, Iowa – In one of the largest
fugitive initiatives ever undertaken in the Southern District of Iowa, the
U.S. Marshals Service, teamed with other law enforcement agencies throughout
the Des Moines metropolitan and Quad-Cities areas, arrested 141 fugitives
and cleared 200 outstanding arrest warrants during a recent six-day
multi-jurisdiction operation.
Led by the U.S. Marshals, Operation FALCON
(Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) targets persons wanted for
sexual offenses, other violent crimes and narcotics violations. Operation
FALCON took place June 2 – 7 in the Southern District of Iowa. This is the
fourth consecutive year the U.S. Marshals Service has conducted FALCON
fugitive sweep operations throughout the country and the third such
operation conducted in the Southern District of Iowa.
Of the 200 outstanding arrest warrants cleared,
11 were for sexual offenses or sex offender registry violations; 47 for
assault; 7 for weapons violations; 56 for narcotics violations; 34 for
burglary/larceny; and 3 for violations of no contact orders.
Among those arrested was convicted sex
offender Joseph Aaron Nelson, 23, of Davenport. Nelson was wanted by the
Clinton County Sheriff’s Office for alleged probation violations in
reference to his 2007 conviction for indecent contact with a child. Nelson
was also wanted on two separate Davenport Police Department warrants for
Theft and Failure to register as a sex offender. Nelson was arrested by a
team of FALCON investigators in the 3300 block of Kimberly Drive in
Davenport. FALCON investigators also
arrested Tony Dejuan Smith, 30, of Des Moines. Smith had been wanted by the
Polk County Sheriff’s Office since March 2006 on alleged probation
violations stemming from a previous drug-related offense. FALCON
investigators located and arrested Smith in the 2000 block of King Avenue in
Des Moines as he attempted to elude officers via a second floor balcony.
FALCON investigators arrested Smith without further incident before he could
leave the apartment.
“While the Marshals are often the public face
of Operation FALCON, we have been extremely fortunate that all of our
federal, state and local partners continue to wholeheartedly and
enthusiastically come together to make this work,” said John F. Clark,
Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “With their exceptional assistance,
Operation FALCON continues to be the largest and most successful fugitive
apprehension effort in U.S. Marshals history.”
Operation FALCON – Southern District of Iowa consisted of 54 law enforcement
officers representing 13 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
from across the Des Moines metropolitan and Quad-Cities areas. On any given
day of the six-day operation, up to eight separate arrest teams hit the
streets across the Southern District of Iowa. Each participating state and
local officer was deputized as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal immediately
prior to the start of this operation. As Special Deputy U.S. Marshals,
participating state and local officers were empowered to cross traditional
lines of jurisdiction to track down and arrest targeted fugitives throughout
the week. “This is the third and most
successful FALCON operation conducted in the Southern District of Iowa,”
said Charles E. Beach, Sr., United States Marshal for the Southern District
of Iowa. “The success of this type of operation is possible only through the
hard work and talent that each participating agency brings to the table. We
are very pleased with the results.”
Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON
has made over 36,500 arrests and cleared over 45,300 warrants. It continues
to be the largest and most successful fugitive apprehension effort in
U.S. Marshals history. Agencies
contributing to Operation FALCON – Southern District of Iowa included the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Dallas County
Sheriff’s Office; the Davenport Police Department; the Des Moines Police
Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; the Illinois
Department of Corrections; the Iowa Department of Public Safety; the Polk
County Sheriff’s Office; the Scott County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service; and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Marshals Service also coordinates the
Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, a multi-agency task force that targets
persons wanted for violent crimes, narcotic offenses, and sexual offenders
in the Southern District of Iowa. Contributing Southern Iowa Fugitive Task
Force agencies include the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department
of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives. Since its inception in 2001, the Southern Iowa Fugitive Task
Force has cleared over 3,200 outstanding arrest warrants in the Southern
District of Iowa.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service, visit
http://www.usmarshals.gov .
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