Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team Conducts a Federal Misdemeanor Round-Up

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For Immediate Release	Contact:
February 19, 2009	William L. Taylor, Supervisory Deputy United States Marshals Service Southern District of Ohio (937) 225-2917

Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST)
Conducts a Federal Misdemeanor Round-Up

DAYTON, Ohio – The Dayton arm of the Southern Ohio Fugitive Strike Team (SOFAST) conducted a successful Misdemeanor Round-up February 17 and 18, 2009.

Led by the U.S. Marshal Service in Dayton, the operation combined the manpower and efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies. The round up focused on capturing individuals wanted on misdemeanor charges including traffic, drugs, failure to appear and trespassing offenses that occurred on or around the Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

SOFAST cleared 36 warrants which included 14 Physical Arrests and 7 Directed Arrests.

“People must understand that you cannot just walk away from federal misdemeanor charges,” said Magistrate Judge Michael Merz, before whom many of the arrested appeared.

The United States Marshals Service currently holds several hundred misdemeanor arrest warrants on Dayton area citizens and requests anyone with a warrant to contact their office to make arrangements to appear in court. Bill Taylor, Supervisor of the Dayton Office added “Calling in and making an appointment to appear avoids the embarrassment of arrest and enables those with warrants to see the judge”.

The U.S. Marshals Service is America’s first federal law enforcement agency and each year arrests more fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.

SOFAST in the Miami Valley area is comprised of the following federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies: United States Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture, OIG, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Clark County Sheriffs Office, Darke County Sheriffs Office, Preble County Sheriffs Office, Dayton police Department, German Township Police Department, Germantown Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Miamisburg Police Department, Moraine Police Department, New Lebanon Police Department, Perry Township Police Department, Springfield Police Department, and the Trotwood Police Department.