|
|
|
|
|
|
For Immediate Release |
Contact: |
| July 16, 2009 |
Corey Britt, Deputy United States Marshal Lafayette, Louisiana (337) 262-6792 |
| Home Depot Fraudster Arrested in Houston |
|
|
|
Twenty-three year old Arturo Vasquez was
arrested this morning by U.S. Marshals in the Harris County Courthouse in
Houston, TX. Vasquez was wanted for allegedly stealing (by way of credit
card fraud) eight-thousand dollars worth of merchandise from Home Depot in
Lafayette; four-thousand dollars from Home Depot in Broussard; and
four-thousand dollars from Home Depot in Alexandria. Vasquez is also under
investigation for similar crimes in other cities in Louisiana to include
Lake Charles and Monroe. The United States Secret Service, in correlation
with the Southwest Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force, is also
investigating Vasquez for possible federal violations. On June 2, 2009 the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force adopted this case from its partners at the Broussard Police Department and Lafayette Police Department. Task Force Officers (TFOs) learned that Vasquez had recently been arrested for similar violations in Harris County, TX and was scheduled to appear in court on those charges today. Task Force Officers with the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force (GCVO) in Houston The United States Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana said, “The coordinated effort of all law enforcement to bring dangerous criminals to justice ensures that the streets and neighborhoods of Louisiana are a safer place to raise our children.” Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by Marshals than all other federal agencies combined. The Western District of Louisiana’s Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from agencies throughout the Western part of Louisiana (Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Opelousas, and Lafayette). The task force objective is to seek out and arrest federal, state, and local fugitives, mainly those with violent criminal histories to include sex offenders. In 2008, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 73,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov. ### |