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For Immediate Release

Contact:
February 20, 2009

Ron Donelson, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal
Public Affairs Officer (540) 857-2230

New Jersey Bloods Gang Member Arrested in Roanoke
Roanoke, VA - A man wanted in New Jersey for two counts of attempted homicide was arrested this afternoon by members of the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF).  Andrew Coates, 24, is wanted by the New York / New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJ RFTF) and the Trenton, New Jersey police department for two counts of Criminal Attempted Homicide, Aggravated Assault and Weapons Offenses. On November 8, 2008, Coates allegedly shot two female victims as they sat on the porch of a residence in the city of Trenton. Coates, a known Bloods street gang member with a lengthy history of violent offenses, was considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Based on a lead from the NY/NJ RFTF, U.S. Marshals and Roanoke Police tracked Coates to 3764 Stratford Park, Apartment 12, in Roanoke and he was arrested at approximately 3 pm this afternoon without incident. Coates was transported to the Roanoke City Jail where he was turned over to state authorities to await extradition proceedings for his return to New Jersey to answer to the charges.

The CARFTF, based in Roanoke, is comprised of full time officers from the U.S. Marshals, Roanoke City Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Department of Corrections, Bureau of Probation and Parole.

The U.S. Marshals Service is our nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. More on the U.S. Marshals and the historic Western District of Virginia can be found on the web at http://www.usmarshals.gov.