Feds: 'Worst Of The Worst' Corralled

Sweep By U.S. Marshals Nabs Nearly 11,000 Fugitives In 24 States

(AP)  Nearly 11,000 sex offenders, gang members and other fugitives were swept up in what the Justice Department on Thursday called a sting targeting the "worst of the worst" criminals on the run.

Last week's roundup, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, included Allen Marksberry, an unregistered sex offender in Rickman, Tenn., who was baby-sitting several young children when he was arrested on Oct. 24.

Also nabbed were Demetrius Avery Jackson, an accused cop killer in Birmingham, Ala., and Eric Dewayne Meneese, a Crips gang member, in Nashville, Tenn.

The weeklong sting, code-named Operation Falcon III, also led to the shooting death of a Georgia fugitive who was killed by authorities as he came out of his house, officials said. Additionally, the mother of a fugitive in Florida fired — but missed — police approaching her home. Both incidents are under investigation, said John F. Clark, director of the Marshals Service.

The roundup, staged in Pennsylvania and 23 other states east of the Mississippi River, targeted "the worst of the worst fugitive felons in the country," Attorney General Albert Gonzales said at a Washington news conference.

"America's neighborhoods are safer today, thanks to Operation Falcon III," Gonzales said.

Two earlier stings — Falcons I and II — were held in April over the last two years. Gonzales and Clark denied that next week's elections played any part in scheduling the latest crackdown.

"I can assure you that the coordination of getting 3,000-plus officers and agents, and everybody together to do this, just takes a lot of coordination," Clark said, adding that he wanted to do the roundup in the fall — before the winter weather hit.

In all, Gonzales said, officials caught 10,733 fugitives — including 1,659 sex offenders, 364 gang members and thousands of others sought on kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking and weapons charges. More than 230 weapons were seized.

Those totals represent a fraction of doors knocked on, liquor store drive-bys, construction site surveillances and tips chased down by agents during the weeklong sweep. Finding the fugitives — even at their homes in the early-morning hours — proved to be a hit-or-miss mission for the federal, state and local authorities.

A six-hour sting in Washington, D.C., last week, for example, netted none of the accused drug dealers sought by a team of seven agents from the U.S. Marshals, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, State Department and the city's Metropolitan Police Department.

"He was there a week or so ago," muttered Marshals Inspector Robert Hoffmaster, after a pre-daybreak search of a house for an accused drug dealer.

Of the sex offenders nabbed, 971 had failed to register with authorities as required by law — what Gonzales called the largest number ever captured in a single law enforcement effort.

Gonzales said prosecutors likely would seek to charge some of them under the 2006 Adam Walsh Act. That law, approved by Congress last summer, created federal penalties for sex offenders who fail register with communities.

The law was named for 6-year-old Adam Walsh, who was abducted from a Florida shopping mall and murdered in 1981.

[saraity100]

The law isn't good enough. Stupid judges and juries will let *** offenders go free after a short prison term.

[bellal-2009]

The children of the world are safer with Alberto Gonzalez in office.

you know this is going to hurt!.. look at all the money it cost to catch a fugitive just to get
them off the street, now how much does it cost to
give them a fair trial, then to house them in our
prisons, give them two to three years,and learn a
way to be a better fugitive, then put them back on the street. its a never ending cycle, over and
over.

So that was the east side of the Mississippi river, does that mean the worst of the worst is on the west side?, the smart thing for the worst is to jump to the east side now, and be safe?.
what happens next?.

[thgdriver]

Go ahead, be clever, make fun that they missed George and Rich , Let's see how funny you are when a terrorist comes across the Mexican Border, or is already here, and blows up a school full of kids or worse.

[thgdriver]

Strange, the US Marshals can nab 11,000 in a "week", but can't seem to find "12 million" Illegal alieans that are in my country doing God knows what!

[bluestardad]

janem4, Thanks never thought of that. Shoot maybe this Ted Taggert or what ever his name is can get him a spot stealing some little old ladies money and they can buy some cocaine and play hide the sausage?

[grumpas]

Here I thought snflwr4real was having some sort of a fit! Apparantly he hates bikers????? I guess Gonzalez missed Georgie/Cheney in the sweep of criminal's and undesirable's! Maybe he will get them the next sweep!

[tpeks40]

To snflwr4real,
Did you forget to take your medicine again? I bet you did. Now go to the nearest psychiatric hospital and listen to what the good doctors tell you. If you happen to be a scientologist, just go jump off the nearest bridge, as they don't believe in mental illness, but we all know better after enduring your mindless rants.

[nadeau4201]

SNFLW4REAL.... YOU REALLY NEED TO STAY ON YOUR MEDS

[bluestardad]

Where is mark foley why is he not in Jail too?

[bluestardad]

snflwr, can't you figure out how to post yet?

[bellal-2009]

Alberto Gonzalez, you are awesome! Keep up the good work, protecting the children of the world from predators.

[pudd54]

With the military%u2019s new policies on accepting personnel with criminal records, I wonder how many we can send to Iraq? Of course they could not be gay.

[ispeakfreely]

I just would feel much better if this happened every few months instead of of a week before the election.

[tonytx58]

if the morons we had in our government were doing their jobs there wouldnt be 11000 caught at one time. there would also be 500 BILLION dollars that was spent in Iraq and Afghanistan for catching these criminals. I am all for getting the bad guys but its morons like you that cheer these idiots that have helped screw up this country. They cant even protect our kids in the halls of congress nevermind catch terrorists like Bin Laden. im amazed Bush and Gonzalez didnt highlight Cindy and the other protesting moms they have put on the 10 most wanted list(laugh).

[one_american]

Three cheers for our law enforcement!

This is great news for the safety of Americans.

For the whiners who don't follow the law: you're next.

[bellal-2009]

RIGHT ON, Selah. I was beginning to feel like the only sane person left.

[bob_burd]

It's amazing how many morons and jerks can't see past politics to cheer the arrests of 11,000 criminals of the lowest order. Get a life, fools.

Anyone who doesn't feel good about this has something to hide themselves and is likely looking over their shoulder. Who wouldn't be happy about seeing *** offenders arrested......except for other *** offenders.

Selah

[bob_burd]

It's amazing how many morons and jerks can't see past politics to cheer the arrests of 11,000 criminals of the lowest order. Get a life, fools.

Anyone who doesn't feel good about this has something to hide themselves and is likely looking over their shoulder. Who wouldn't be happy about seeing *** offenders arrested......except for other *** offenders.

Selah