On the morning of April 7, 2008, members of the
U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) arrested
Eldrin George leaving a hotel in Duluth, Georgia. George was wanted in
connection with the 2007 Christmas day shooting of multiple victims, killing
two. He was also wanted for numerous armed robberies in New Orleans that
occurred before the shooting. George, 18, was on active probation in
Louisiana for a previous drug conviction.
The fugitive investigation of George was the subject of an intense media
campaign. He was featured on America’s Most Wanted television program,
numerous Crimestopper billboards around the city, and the New Orleans
Metropolitan Crime Commission’s newspaper feature. His case made national
news as a Christmas day double homicide. George is being held in the
Gwinnett County Jail pending extradition on his local charges.
The New Orleans Police Department requested the assistance of the U.S.
Marshals Crescent Star Fugitive Task Force (CSFTF) here in New Orleans in
locating George early in the investigation. Critical information gleaned by
investigators in Georgia along with the dogged perseverance of local
officers led to his capture. The intense media pressure lead to a tip that
resulted in the arrest. U.S. Marshal Michael Credo stated, “This case is an
example of the excellent relationships fostered between local and federal
agencies in ridding our community of dangerous criminals. It highlights the
cooperative effort between the U.S. Marshals and the New Orleans Police
Department in bringing local fugitives to justice.”
The U.S. Marshals sponsored Crescent Star Fugitive Task Force includes law
enforcement officers from the New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish
Criminal Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana
Probation and Parole, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard,
U.S. Border Patrol, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bogalusa Police
Department, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Social
Security Office of the Inspector General. Other area law enforcement
agencies also assist CSFTF in fugitive investigations on a case by case
basis.The U.S. Marshal’s Southeast
Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) is a team comprised of law enforcement
officers from the United States Marshals Service, as well as, 27 other
local, state and federal agencies. The task force’s objective is to seek out
and arrest the region’s most violent offenders. Since the inception of the
task force in September of 2003, the U.S. Marshals SERFTF has closed over
12, 500 felony warrants. Annually, U.S. Marshals locate and arrest more
fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.
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