Joint effort nabs fugitives

• By JASON BROWN
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Jul 10, 2009 - Page: 1B

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LAFAYETTE — Local, state and federal officials Thursday announced the results of a nationwide law enforcement effort that nabbed more than 35,000 fugitives, including a total of 374 from areas in and around Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

Now in its fifth year, the U.S. Marshals Service Operation FALCON, or Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally, incorporated the work of 42 federal agencies, 209 state agencies and 1,973 local sheriffs’ offices and police departments in June. Since 2005, Operation FALCON has made 91,086 arrests and cleared 117,874 warrants, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

In the Lafayette division, comprising much of the Acadiana area, the effort led to the arrests of more than 165 fugitives and 205 warrants being cleared from June 3 through June 6.

The effort included 33 agencies and 184 officers from the Lafayette division.

“We arrested 165 people and that had to have an impact,” said Corey W. Britt, deputy U.S. Marshal.

Arrests included seven people wanted on homicides, 56 for narcotics offenses, 35 for assault and three for kidnapping.

“These are people who are usually violent and dangerous fugitives who continue to commit crimes while they are on the loose,” Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said Thursday during a news conference.

U.S. Attorney Donald Washington called them “bad apples” who had a combined history of 138,220 prior arrests.

“So the folks who are being arrested are not new to this rodeo,” said Washington, the U.S. Attorney for the Shreveport-based Western District of Louisiana.

Among those arrested was James Francis, who was caught in Houston last week.

Francis was wanted in the Aug. 31, 2008, shooting death of a Lafayette man outside a convenience store.

Craft said efforts like this are important because people such as Francis are not bound by jurisdictions.

“We are always looking for ways to increase our reach because we know that criminals don’t just stop at the city limits and they don’t just stop at the parish line,” Craft said.