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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