Dayton, OH – The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) and Acting United States Marshal Patrick Sedoti for the Southern District of Ohio announced today that Robert Philbeck was arrested this morning in a wooded area near Smithville Road and Burkhardt Road in Dayton Ohio.

On June 29, 2012, the Dayton SOFAST team received information that Robert Philbeck had been hiding in a large forest in the area of Smithville and Burkhardt Roads in Dayton adjacent to a children’s park. The team had previously requested the public’s assistance in locating this non-compliant sex offender. Philbeck was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and 4 times has been convicted of sex offender registration violations.

SOFAST contacted the Dayton Police Department and requested assistance to create a perimeter around the woods to prevent Philbeck’s escape. Additional Dayton police officers and a police canine responded to assist. The Dayton Fire Department also responded to assist the team with a thermal imaging device.

Once the perimeter was in place, contact was made with Philbeck by cell phone and he was ordered out of the forest. He eventually agreed to surrender to the task force and was taken into custody without incident.

The SOFAST team and the United States Marshals Service take cases involving non-compliant sex offenders very seriously and will prioritize these cases to the highest level to help ensure the safety of our communities. The coordination between the SOFAST team, the Dayton Police Department and the Dayton Fire Department assured the safety of the team members and permitted them to make an arrest without injury to the fugitive.

Dayton SOFAST is comprised of members from the United States Marshals Service, Dayton Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Miami County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Wright State University Police, Ohio Adult Parole Authority and the Springboro Police Department.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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