Savannah Fugitive Captured

Savannah, GA – A fugitive wanted in Savannah, Georgia was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force March 8, 2011.

Gary Michael Johnson, 21, was wanted by the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department on various charges including Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, Carrying a concealed weapon, Possession of a Controlled Substance, False Name and Escape. Johnson had been arrested on November 24, 2010 on the above charges and when he was transported to the jail was somehow able to escape custody and make it out of the sallyport area of the jail. Johnson fled into the woods and a massive manhunt ensued to capture him.

The case was referred to the U.S. Marshals Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate and arrest Johnson. On March 7, 2011, Task Force officers generated information that Johnson was at an address in Nicholls, Georgia, approximately two hours southwest of Savannah, Georgia. On March 8, 2011, Marshals Task Force officers traveled to Nicholls, Georgia where they arrested Johnson without incident. Johnson was taken to the Coffee County Jail to await transfer back to Savannah, Georgia

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of over 36, 000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by the Marshals Service than all other federal agencies combined.

The Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force has three offices: Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. The task force covers the whole state of Georgia. The Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of investigators from the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the United States Marshals Service. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug crimes, sex offenders, and other felonies. In 2009, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 90,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.