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Bakersfield, CA – U.S. Marshal Albert Najera,
of the Eastern District of California, announced today that the U.S. Marshals
Central Valley Joint Fugitive Task Force (CVJFTF) arrested Charles Hattabaugh
and Darren Hamilton.
On July 05, 2011, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole
Agents, long time participants of the U.S. Marshals CVJFTF, assisted the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Kern County Auto Theft Taskforce (KERN-CATT) in
serving a search warrant at a location in Bakersfield, CA. The search warrant
was the result of an auto theft investigation.
On June 05, 2011, the teams traveled to N. Street in the city of Bakersfield to
execute the search warrant. Upon arrival at the location, officers immediately
contacted two white males who were later identified as 45 year old Charles
Hattabaugh, a Discharged Parolee, and 45 year old Darren Hamilton. Both subjects
were detained pending a search of the premises. Officers first located a clear
plastic baggie containing suspected methamphetamine weighing approximately 1/8
of an ounce in Hattabaugh’s pocket. Officers then discovered a loaded .40
caliber Smith and Wesson handgun and a box of .40 caliber ammunition in a file
cabinet. In the same room, the team located an open pack of cigarettes on a
table that contained another small plastic baggie containing suspected
methamphetamine. The teams then turned their attention to a white Dodge
Challenger with Arizona license plates parked in front of the shop. A search of
the vehicle’s trunk revealed approximately one pound of methamphetamine and a
black zippered bag that contained approximately $7,000 in cash. All items were
seized and taken into custody.
The teams also located a black GMC pickup and conducted records checks of the
vehicle’s VIN number. The information indicated that the truck had been reported
stolen. Both Hattabaugh and Hamilton were arrested and transported to the Kern
County Jail where they were booked on numerous charges to include Possession of
a Stolen Vehicle, Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sale, and Felon in
Possession of a Firearm.
The Central Valley Joint Fugitive Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-sponsored
partnership comprised of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies.
The main objective of the task force is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged
with violent crimes, drug crimes, sex offenders, and other felonies. More
fugitives are arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service than all other federal
agencies combined. In 2009 investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals
Service resulted in the apprehension of over 36, 000 federal fugitives and more
than 90,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals
can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
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