Task Force Celebrates Its 25,000th Arrest

Cleveland, OH - Peter J. Elliott, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested its 25,000th fugitive. Alphonso Tate, who was wanted on charges of rape, kidnapping, and five counts of gross sexual imposition out of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, was apprehended by Deputy U.S.

Marshals and Task Force Officers on the near west side at 6110 Denison Avenue in Cleveland. Tate had been on the run since November of 2010 when he was indicted by the grand jury in Cuyahoga County.

Since its inception in June of 2003, the Task Force has been responsible for arresting 545 suspected murderers, 617 suspected rapists, 672 sexual offenders who have failed to register and has taken 1,289 weapons off the streets of Northern Ohio. Additionally, the Task Force has cleared over 35,000 warrants during this time. The wide-reaching grasp of the Task Force has nabbed fugitives in Mexico and Grenada, and has tracked fugitives to as far away as Israel. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force has been one of the top performing Task Forces in the country and has grown in significantly over the last 8 years. The Task Force now consists of over 90 partner agencies with more than 350 officers assigned. The Task Force has 6 divisions throughout Northeast Ohio, located in Toledo, Mansfield, Elyria, Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown.

''The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force has had great success in making the communities across all of northern Ohio safer. Our strength lies in the partnerships we have built with other law enforcement agencies. I thank all the hard working Deputy Marshals, Police Officers, Deputy Sheriffs and Law Enforcement Officers who are part of this task force and who risk their lives daily to rid our communities of violent fugitives. I thank the leaders of our partner departments for their vision and dedication in being a part of this Task Force and making an incredible difference. I also have to thank our media partners who have previewed so many fugitives for us over the years, which has led to many captures. Without this media partnership, the NOVFTF would not be as successful as it is today and our communities would

be less safe." stated Pete Elliott, United States Marshal for Northern Ohio, who created the

task force.

"This Task Force has made such a tremendous difference in apprehending violent fugitives in our communities. Our success is due to the great relationships we have built with our partner agencies and the dedicated personnel on the city, state and federal level", added Chief Deputy United States Marshal Roberto Robinson.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged

to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at: 1-866-4-WANTED.

Callers may remain anonymous.