Portland, OR – The U.S. Marshals Service Oregon
Fugitive Task Force (OFTF) coordinated the efforts
of local, state and federal law enforcement for a
four-day fugitive apprehension effort last week,
June 24 – 27. FALCON, the acronym for Federal And
Local Cops Organized Nationally, soared into the Tri
County Metro area and reached all the way to
Umatilla County. FALCON 2008 was the shortest week
as compared to previous FALCON missions but it
packed a punch with 93 total arrests and 122
warrants cleared (some offenders had multiple
warrants). Also seized, incident to arrest, were
seven firearms (3 rifles & 4 handguns), a 48
Marijuana plant grow, one pound of dried marijuana,
four ounces of methamphetamine and two vehicles.
Operation FALCON 2008, the fifth in the series of
U.S. Marshals Service-led fugitive apprehension
initiatives partnered deputy U.S. marshals and U.S.
Marshals task force officers with local police,
sheriffs, probation and parole, state troopers and
other federal agencies. In total, 69 police
officers, deputies, detectives and agents
participated from the following agencies:
Portland Police Bureau
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Oregon State Police
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Clackamas County Community Corrections
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office
Hillsboro Police Department
Beaverton Police Department
Milton-Freewater Police Department
Hermiston Police Department
Pendleton Police Department
Umatilla Police Department
Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Department of Homeland Security-Immigration
Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation
Division
Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms (ATF)
Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S.
Postal Service
OIG, U.S. Department of Agriculture
OIG, Social Security Administration
“We are
pleased that local law enforcement often looks upon
operations such as FALCON as an opportunity to
address fugitive apprehension issues in their
communities,” said John F. Clark, Director of the
U.S. Marshals Service. “In the end, when this
operation is over, our local partners are the people
who will continue to live and work in the
communities that Operation FALCON serves. We are
committed to leaving behind a safer community for
all of them.”
Dennis
Merrill, United States Marshal for the District of
Oregon stated, “Operation Falcon 2008 once again
represented an outstanding cooperative effort
involving federal, state, and local law enforcement.
The Operation clearly demonstrated what can be
accomplished by combining resources and effective
partnerships. I wish to thank all of those that
participated for helping make our communities
safer.”
The
following narratives are some noteworthy profiles
(these television channels participated in a
“ride-along” capacity and some have filmed footage
of these actual arrests; KOIN Channel 6, KGW Channel
8, KATU Channel 2, and FOX Channel 12).
NARRATIVE OF ARRESTS
*ALL OFFENDERS ARE CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN
GUILTY.
#1 John
LAND did not expect to be arrested on his failure to
register as a sex offender as he hid quietly in
Vancouver, Washington. What LAND didn’t know is that
someone saw him on FOX Most Wanted and turned him in
after they found out he was an unregistered sex
offender (FOX Channel12 footage has footage of the
arrest). This arrest was made through a collateral
lead to the Career Criminal Apprehension Team (CCAT).
#2
Robert WHITE had been wanted since 2005, and he did
not expect to be arrested on his failure to register
as a sex offender warrant, he even quit looking over
his shoulder years ago after relocating from
Pendleton to SE Portland. WHITE was wrong in his
assumption as U.S. Marshals tracked him to a garage
apartment and later to his day labor job. During the
chase the Marshals missed him by minutes but WHITE
called his father and chose to surrender to
Marshals.
#3
Andrew ALLEN always knew that he would be arrested
for his UUMV (Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle)
warrant but he didn’t plan on his girlfriend’s
arrest, Brittany KENNEDY, who was with him at the
time. Both were also charged with the new crimes of
possession of methamphetamine and counterfeit
checks.
#4
Andrew KVERNDAL-SIMMONS definitely had bad luck as
indicated by his own statement at the time of his
arrest, “Hey, is this Operation FALCON?” “I was
arrested last year during Operation FALCON.” KATU
Channel 2 has footage of this arrest.
#5 Since
October 2007, Decarlo GRIFFITH was wanted for
delivery of cocaine and he had absconded from his
probation officer. GRIFFITH was not easy to find
even though he is 5”10 and weighs about 260 lbs. KGW
Channel 8 has footage of this arrest.
For more information about Operation FALCON, visit
http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08/media.htm
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