For Immediate Release

Cathy J. Jones, Acting United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio and Dayton Chief of Police Richard Biehl, announce the arrest of Anthony D. Choice after more than a ten month long man hunt. Choice is charged with three counts of murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated burglary, and two counts of felonious assault because of his suspected involvement in a June 24, 2009 home invasion on Alcot Drive in Dayton that left one man dead. Authorities believe that the victim was specifically targeted and according to witnesses, Choice and another suspect broke into the residence and demanded money. The victim was shot several times in the abdomen and later died of those injuries.

The U.S. Marshals led Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), which is made up of various local and state agencies, to include the Dayton Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, has been tracking down leads since early July 2009. The investigation finally paid off when numerous Crime Stoppers tips and interviews were paired together to lead SOFAST to the North Lake Hills Apartments in Dayton.

SOFAST officers developed information that Choice was living in the apartment with another wanted subject named Chucki Fowley, AKA Chucki Montgomery, who was wanted for a probation violation for an earlier weapons offense. SOFAST officers arrested Fowley in the apartment and located Choice in a back bedroom. Although Choice at first tried to deceive the officers by providing false information and a false identification card, officers were quickly able to identify the subject who eventually admitted to authorities that he was in fact Anthony Choice. Choice was then transported to the Dayton Police Department where he was released to the custody of the Dayton homicide detectives.

SGT Gary White of the Dayton Police Department commented, “I want to thank SOFAST for the great help in capturing Anthony Choice.”

SOFAST in the Miami Valley area is comprised of the following federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies: United States Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture, OIG, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Darke County Sheriff’s Office, Preble County Sheriff’s Office, Miami County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, Dayton Police Department, German Township Police Department, Germantown Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Miamisburg Police Department, Moraine Police Department, New Lebanon Police Department, Springfield Police Department and the Trotwood Police Department.

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.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.