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For Immediate Release |
Contact: |
| January 22, 2009 |
William L. Taylor, Supervisory Deputy Southern District of Ohio (937) 225-2917 |
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Repeat Sex Offender Apprehended with Missing Teen in South Carolina |
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James M. Wahlrab, United States Marshal for the
Southern District of Ohio, announces the arrest of Zachary M. Wisor. Wisor,
a convicted sex offender, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals at an address
in Beaufort, South Carolina, bringing to end a 2 week man hunt and what will
soon be the safe return of 15 year-old runaway teen from Athens, Ohio who
was reported missing on January 5th. Zachary Wisor had no idea that when he went on the run he was going to be involved in a nationwide manhunt involving local, state and federal agencies. Detectives from Athens, Ohio Police Department, Hocking County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the United States Marshals Service in offices from Dayton, Ohio, Orlando, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina teamed up in an effort to apprehend a wanted sex offender and bring a young boy home to his family in Ohio. When the 15 year old was reported missing, the local authorities confirmed suspicions that he had taken off with Wisor. Detectives immediately began gathering clues as to their whereabouts. The United States Marshals Service in Dayton Ohio monitors the state and local cases involving sex offenders and reached out to Athens Police with an offer of assistance. As local detectives continued to gather information, the U.S. Marshals Service began their own investigation and coordinated not only with the Athens Police Department, but with U.S. Marshals offices in several other states. Through the coordinated effort, leads and tips gathered by law enforcement and with the assistance of the investigative effort of NCMEC, authorities were able to determine that Wisor was linked to an address in Beaufort. U.S. Marshals in Charleston were contacted and responded without hesitation. In less than 2 hours after sending the lead to the Charleston Marshals , the U.S. Marshals in Dayton, Ohio received the phone call that Wisor was in custody and the 15 year old boy was in safe hands. Wisor, who has numerous local charges pending in Ohio, is now facing federal prosecution and up to a 10 year term of imprisonment for violations of the Adam Walsh Act, a law that makes it a federal offense for sex offenders to travel in interstate commerce and live unregistered in a new state. The U.S. Marshals are also evaluating to see if other federal charges can be brought against Wisor. Because of the numerous local and state offenses Wisor will eventually be extradited back to Ohio to face his charges in Hocking County. James Wahlrab, the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio commented that the community is a little safer now that one more child predator is off the streets and that a mother in Athens, Ohio can sleep a little easier tonight knowing that her son is safe. Wahlrab would also like to commend the untiring efforts of all agencies involved and thank them for their tremendous teamwork. The U.S. Marshals Service was America’s first federal law enforcement agency and each year arrests more fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined. |