Western District of Washington – Following a four-year tradition of success in its national efforts, the U.S. Marshals Service conducted another successful Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) in Clark, Pierce and King Counties from June 23 - 28. Led by the U.S. Marshals sponsored Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force (PNWFAT), Operation FALCON 2008 resulted in 134 arrests and cleared 159 warrants.

Operation FALCON, now in its fifth iteration, is the largest, most successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S. History. To date, nearly 56,000 fugitives have been apprehended, and FALCON continues to be the largest and most successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S. Marshals history.

“From the outset, Operation FALCON has proved how much can be accomplished when we combine resources at the federal, state and local levels,” said John F. Clark, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “This operation is not possible without the unique talents and dedication that each participating agency brings to the table.”

This operation focused its effort on capturing individuals wanted on felony charges including crimes against women and children, crimes of violence, gun and drug offenses, sexually motivated offenses and unregistered sex offenders. Over the course of the five-day operation, Deputy U.S. Marshals, teamed with federal state and local law enforcement partners, arrested 134 fugitives – including 30 sex offenders – and cleared 159 warrants.

Among those arrested included Richard Lee Campbell, a Level III Sex Offender who was wanted by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as a sex offender. Campbell has prior convictions for child molestation and rape of a child, and has also been arrested as a suspect in other child molestation cases. All of Campbell’s victims have been under the age of 10 years old. Campbell was arrested in Poulsbo by local law enforcement officers based on information supplied to them by investigators working on Operation FALCON.

Robert Thomas Sevarns was wanted by the State of Oregon and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as a sex offender. Sevarns was arrested in Kalama, Cowlitz County during Operation FALCON and is now being investigated for failure to register as a sex offender in Cowlitz County as well as for federal prosecution under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

Jeffrey Rose was wanted since 1994 by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for rape of a child. On Monday, June 23, Rose was arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa based on a collateral lead sent from investigators during Operation FALCON.

In July of 2007, Ignacio Labastida-Meneses entered his ex-wife’s second floor apartment in Seattle through an unlocked sliding patio door. Labastida-Meneses proceeded to stab his ex-wife multiple times leaving her for dead. The Seattle Police Department requested Labastida-Meneses be made one of FALCON 2008’s Most Wanted fugitives. PNWFAT investigators, preparing for Operation FALCON, developed information on Labastida-Meneses’ whereabouts. On Wednesday, June 18, the week before the commencement of the operation, local law enforcement officers in Elko, Nevada, arrested Labastida-Meneses based on a collateral lead from PNWFAT investigators.

“The cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the Western District of Washington has always been incredible,” said U.S. Marshal Joe Hawe. “The enthusiastic support in Western Washington for this type of unified operation reflects extremely positively on our entire law enforcement community and continues year after year to make our citizens and region safer.”

Operation FALCON 2008 – Western Washington consisted of over 80 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from fourteen agencies making up thirteen separate arrests teams in Clark, Pierce and King Counties. Each participating local officer was sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal prior to the start of this operation. This special authority empowered them to cross traditional lines of jurisdiction to track down and arrest targeted fugitives throughout the week.

For more information about Operation FALCON, visit http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08/media.htm.

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