|
Knoxville, TN
– Following a four-year tradition of success in
its national efforts, the U.S. Marshals Service
locally conducted another successful Operation
FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally)
from June 22 – 28. Led by the U.S. Marshal,
Operation FALCON 2008 netted 380 arrests, including
26 sex offenders, and cleared 688 warrants within
the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Operation FALCON in Greeneville combined the
collective efforts of multiple law enforcement
agencies in one of the area’s largest-ever fugitive
initiatives, focusing on capturing individuals
wanted on felony charges including sexual predators
and fugitives wanted for crimes of violence. Over
the course of the seven-day operation, Deputy U.S.
Marshals, teamed with federal, state, and local law
enforcement partners, arrested 157 fugitives in the
Knoxville area.
Dale Overturf was a fugitive wanted by the
Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department since January
for Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a
Minor. Overturf is alleged to have taken sexually
explicit photographs of a minor and posted them on
the internet. Falcon Teams working from Chattanooga
developed information that Overturf might be hiding
in the Knoxville area and the case was referred to a
Knoxville Falcon Team on June 23. On June 24, a
Knoxville Falcon Team arrested Overturf at a
Knoxville residence.
“We are pleased that local law enforcement often
looks upon operations such as FALCON as an
opportunity to address fugitive apprehension issues
in their communities,” said John F. Clark, Director
of the U.S. Marshals Service. “In the end, when this
operation is over, our local partners are the people
who will continue to live and work in the
communities that Operation FALCON serves. We are
committed to leaving behind a safer community for
all of them.”
Operation FALCON in Knoxville consisted of
approximately 50 federal, state, and local law
enforcement officers, making up four separate arrest
teams, working throughout the seven-day period. Each
participating local officer was sworn in as a
Special Deputy U.S. Marshal immediately prior to the
start of this operation. This special authority
empowered them to cross traditional lines of
jurisdiction to track down and arrest targeted
fugitives throughout the week.
“My main goal is that all law enforcement agencies
in Eastern Tennessee realize that mutual cooperation
is the key to success everyday,” said U.S. Marshal
Jeff Hedden. “The ongoing partnerships built by
Operation FALCON are key factor to that success.”
Agencies contributing to Operation FALCON -
Greeneville were the Tennessee Bureau of
Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the
Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole, the 9th
Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Anderson
County Sheriff’s Department, the Blount County
Sheriff’s Department, the Knox County Sheriff’s
Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department,
the Roane County Sheriff’s Department, the Sevier
County Sheriff’s Department, the Union County
Sheriff’s Department, the Knoxville Police
Department, the Social Security
Administration-Office of Inspector General, the U.S.
Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s
Office.
Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON has
made over 36,500 arrests and cleared over 45,300
warrants. It continues to be the largest and most
successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S.
Marshals history.
For more information about Operation FALCON, visit
http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08/media.htm.
America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency |
