NJ Officials Say Fugitive Sweep Nets More than 800

HAMILTON, N.J. (AP)  -- More than 800 gang members and violent crime suspects were arrested last month in an annual roundup of New Jersey fugitives, state and federal law enforcement officials said Thursday.


Steve Sandberg reports
   
The arrests were made through Operation FALCON, which stands for Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally, a federal program that coordinates the efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies with federal entities like the U.S. Marshals Service.

The fugitive sweep has been undertaken annually since the marshals created the program in 2005. More than 35,000 fugitives were caught nationwide last month.

In New Jersey, the 846 fugitives apprehended were responsible for close to 1,000 open arrest warrants, according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Schroeder.

Last June, 582 New Jersey fugitives were apprehended.

"Local police don't have the jurisdictional authority to go into other states, so we will deputize them for that month to increase their arrest power to be able to make cases beyond their jurisdiction,'' Schroeder said.

Among those arrested on outstanding New Jersey warrants was Edwin Giron of Long Branch, a reputed member of the MS-13 street gang who was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Giron was arrested in Tennessee and is awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

The fugitive sweep also netted several suspects in the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Tamrah Leonard at a block party in Trenton last month, Schroeder said.

More than 91,000 fugitives have been caught since the program's inception, according to the U.S. Marshals.

On The Net:

http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon09/index.html