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Seattle, WA
– A level 3 Sex Offender wanted by The Washington State Department of
Corrections and by the Snohomish County, Washington Sheriff’s Office has
been arrested. Eric Eugene Hartwell, 46, was wanted for Escape Community
Custody and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hartwell was arrested in
Carrollton, Texas by Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Dallas/Fort Worth
Fugitive Apprehension Task Force based on information provided by Deputy
U.S. Marshals working for the newly created Sex Offender Investigations
Branch in Seattle, WA.
On March 20, 2009, Hartwell cut off his GPS monitoring device and absconded
from supervision. Hartwell had just been released from prison on March 13th
after serving almost two years in custody for the same crime of Failure to
Register as a Sex Offender. Hartwell was being monitored by GPS ankle
bracelet due to his past criminal history and original conviction for 1991
molestation of a six year old and the 1995 attempted rape of a 15 year old
hitchhiker.
In May of 2007, Harwell was also arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in
Orange County, California for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and was
extradited back to the State of Washington where he ultimately served almost
two years in custody. At that time, Hartwell had been traveling extensively
across the United States living a transient lifestyle and authorities
believe he could have been unregistered in as many as 25 states. “This case
is a perfect example of why the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
was enacted into law”, said U.S. Marshal for the Western District of
Washington Joe Hawe. “Individuals such as Eric Hartwell who repeatedly
flaunt sex offender registration laws will be pursued diligently by the U.S.
Marshals Service and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Hartwell
Apprehended Wanted Poster
Hartwell is being held at the Dallas County Jail in Dallas, Texas. Hartwell
will eventually be returned to the State of Washington to face prosecution
on the local charges. Hartwell may also be charged federally, either in
Texas or Washington, with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. |
