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MORE THAN 1,100 SEX
OFFENDER ARRESTS BY U.S. MARSHALS’
“OPERATION FALCON II”
Among 9,037 Fugitives
Apprehended in Nationwide Operation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and United
States Marshals Service (USMS) Director John F. Clark announced that a
seven-day nationwide fugitive roundup led by the USMS and hundreds of
partners from state, local and other federal agencies led to the arrests of
9,037 individuals. Among those arrested during Operation FALCON II were
1,102 violent sexual offenders, the largest number ever captured in a single
law enforcement effort. Operation FALCON II was conducted from April 17
through April 23, 2006.
FALCON II (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) was conducted in 27
states mostly west of the Mississippi River, and the territories of Guam and
Northern Mariana Islands. High-priority targets for arrest were fugitives
wanted for committing sexual offenses and crimes of violence against women,
children and the elderly, as well as unregistered convicted sex offenders.
Other priority targets were fugitive gang members and violent offenders
wanted for homicide, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking, weapons
offenses, and major narcotics distribution.
"The Justice Department is pursuing our Nation's worst fugitives," said
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. "Operation FALCON again was successful at
apprehending violent offenders, sexual predators, drug dealers, and gang
members who had for too long escaped the grip of justice. With these
criminals off the streets, fewer Americans will live with the threat of
violent crime in their communities."
William Wisham is a textbook case of what can go wrong when a community is
not aware that a convicted sexual predator is in its midst. Wisham had
failed to register as a sex offender when he moved to a motel in
Victorville, Calif. On April 21, investigators assigned to Operation FALCON
encountered Wisham at the motel during the unrelated arrest of two
individuals wanted for child endangerment. The investigators learned Wisham
had violated his requirement to register as a sex offender. Furthermore, he
possessed letters to children, notes explaining why he enjoys sex with
children, child pornography, candy and methamphetamine. Authorities are
working to find and evaluate children listed in Wisham’s diary-style notes.
Initial investigations indicated Wisham, using candy as a lure, violated at
least one minor child.
“During each day of FALCON II we put more than 2,100 law enforcement
officers on the street to arrest individuals like Wisham,” said USMS
Director Clark. “The only way to achieve huge arrest statistics like these
is with the full and enthusiastic cooperation of agencies at every level of
government. I’m deeply grateful for their efforts.”
For this seven-day nationwide operation, the Marshals coordinated officers
from 120 state agencies, 330 county agencies, 312 police departments, 6
foreign law enforcement agencies, and 24 other federal agencies.
In one of the first arrests during FALCON II, investigators apprehended
Herbert Damwijk in Oahu, Hawaii. Damwijk was wanted for two counts of child
rape and child molestation against eight-year-old girls. Authorities in his
home state of Washington contacted FALCON II investigators in Seattle for
help in finding and capturing Damwijk. Their investigators developed leads
that traced the fugitive into Oregon, and later to Hawaii. On April 17,
FALCON II investigators in Hawaii arrested Damwijk at his father’s residence
in Oahu, Hawaii. He currently awaits extradition back to Washington State.
“Thankfully, none of the officers involved in apprehending these dangerous
fugitives were seriously injured,” said Robert J. Finan II, the Marshals’
Assistant Director for Investigations. Finan praised two federal
participants that focused expertise and resources on FALCON II. “We
appreciate the strong efforts relating to drug and weapons seizures and gang
violence that came from our partners in the Drug Enforcement Administration
and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” Assistant
Director Finan further recognized the efforts of the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, which worked closely with USMS to identify
high-priority cases in which convicted sex offenders had failed to register
as required by law.
Other federal agents who participated came from the Offices of Inspector
General of the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department
of Agriculture. Thanks to the efforts of USMS personnel overseas, fugitives
who had fled the jurisdiction of the U.S. were targeted by Deputy Marshals
and Special Agents of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Seven arrests were made abroad, and three foreign fugitives arrested in the
U.S. will be returned to Mexico.
PHOTOS/VIDEOS AVAILABLE
The Marshals Service has photos of actual arrests during the Operation
available to press at
www.usmarshals.gov/falcon2 , as well as factsheets on arrests nationwide
and in each of the participating districts. Dossiers on the “FALCON 15,”
describing 15 of the most significant cases closed during the Operation are
available to media at the site. A ten-minute B-roll video package for
broadcasters will be available for satellite distribution on April 27, at
2:30 – 2:45 pm EDT (11:30 – 11:45 am PDT) at C-Band coordinate IA 6 T-17
Downlink Frequency 4040 V 93 degrees WL, and at 6:30 – 6:45 pm EDT (3:30 –
3:45 pm PDT), and 10:00 – 10:15 pm EDT (7:00 – 7:15 pm PDT) at C-Band
coordinate IA 6 T-16 Downlink Frequency 4020 H 93 degrees WL.
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
A complete list of all federal, state and local agencies that participated
in Operation FALCON II is available at the Marshals Service website,
www.usmarshals.gov/falcon2 .
PDF copy of this news release |
