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Local lawmen assist U.S. marshals
Operation FALCON III, Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally, was a round up of sex offenders, gang members and other violent fugitives. During the national round up, 10,773 felony fugitives were arrested, with 1,659 of those being sex offenders and 364 documented gang members. "The force multiplier benefit of our fugitive task force makes it possible to blanket wider areas so we can apprehend these dangerous fugitives quickly," said William "Bill" Taylor, United States Marshal for the Southern district of Alabama, which is headquarters in Mobile. Taylor, the former Jackson Police Chief and still a Jackson resident added, "This should send a clear message to sex offenders and all fugitives to comply with the law and turn themselves in, or be apprehended by the most tenacious man hunters in the world." The Gulf Coast Region Fugitive Task Force in the Southern District of Alabama cleared 70 warrants for crimes, including rape, sexual assault, failing to register as a sex offender, robbery, burglary, narcotics, weapons and hosts of other crimes. US Marshal Taylor praised the operation. Officers from Clarke County participating included Task Force One Commander Mike Hunt and Agent Lem DuBose and Clarke County Sheriff's Department Corporal Ron Baggett and Deputy Steve Carlisle. Hunt and DuBose were sworn in as part of the team from Mobile and Baggett and Carlisle were sworn in as part of the team from Selma. "I have worked with the US Marshals on several cases for the county. I'm also on the ATF Task Force and before the round up they asked if I would be interested in being sworn in. I asked if another of our deputies could be sworn in too and they agreed and the sheriff was all for it. "We submitted our own cases involving violent fugitives, including one man who sodomized an eight-year-old. They went through all the cases that were submitted, and we concentrated on finding the worst ones. We arrested fugitives wanted all over the place, some from Clarke County, some from other states. Some even turned themselves in when they heard the Marshals were coming after them. We found our sodomy fugitive in Monroeville," Baggett said. About a dozen fugitives wanted in Clarke County were located. Some were in prison, serving time for other crimes. Those who were caught, or surrendered included: Robert Alexander Bell, wanted for failure to appear on probation revocation; Adrian Dean, wanted for rape, first degree; Rico Farcel Gaston, wanted for burglary, third degree, failure to appear on breaking and entering a vehicle, conspiracy to commit a controlled substance, failure to appear on breaking and entering, theft of property, second degree; Jermaine Antwan Lambert, wanted for probation violation, possession of controlled substance, domestic violence, third degree/harassment, escape, third degree, giving false information to an officer; Tony Oneal Edwards, wanted for sodomy, first degree, alias; Chris Nathaniel Morris, wanted for possession of marijuana, second degree, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, hindering prosecution, court costs; Joshua Lee Muril, wanted for probation violation. According to a release from the US Marshals Operation FALCON III comes on the heels of the "Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act," signed into law by president Bush on July 27. The act makes it a federal felony, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment for convicted sex offenders who fail to register and who travel in interstate or foreign commerce. The US Marshals Service was designated by the act as the agency to lead the national effort to track down and arrest those fugitive felons. "Operation Falcon II is over, but we still have the support of the US Marshals. If we're looking for a fugitive, we have their full cooperation and they're looking too. From here on out they're helping us track these people down. "So if you've got warrants, you'd better turn yourself in, because we're all coming after you," Baggett grinned.
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