Washington, D.C. Fugitive Snared by U.S. Marshals

Savannah, GA - A Washington, D.C. man wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service was arrested on May 20, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia by the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) and Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Southern District of Georgia.

James Edward Brown, Jr. was wanted for Failure to Appear on a Federal Probation Violation issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. Brown was charged in 1999 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. for the offense of Murder II While Armed. Brown served 9 years on this sentence before being released. He was required to serve three years of probation after his release. After his release from prison, Brown absconded from his probation, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on January 4, 2013.

As a result of this warrant, the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) initiated a fugitive investigation to locate and arrest Brown. From the investigation, Brown’s trail led to McDuffie County, Georgia. Deputy U.S. Marshals in Washington, D.C. contacted the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Savannah, Georgia for assistance. On May 20, 2013, SERFTF personnel traveled to Thomson, Georgia to locate Brown.

SERFTF personnel and Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Southern District of Georgia determined that Brown had moved to Augusta, Georgia. Surveillance was established on a residence in Augusta, Georgia. As a result, Brown was located at the residence and taken into custody without incident. Brown will face a removal hearing in federal court in Augusta, Georgia. Ultimately, he will be extradited back to Washington, D.C. to answer the charge issued against him. Brown has previous arrests for a weapon offense, homicide, and robberies.

Established in 1789, the United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. In fiscal year 2012, the Marshals apprehended 36,302 federal fugitives, clearing approximately 39,423 felony warrants. Marshals-led fugitive task forces arrested 86,704 state and local fugitives in FY 2012, clearing approximately 114,311 state and local felony warrants.

The U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U.S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, SERFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah to assist state, county, and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.

Locally, the Savannah Division of SERFTF is composed of U.S. Marshals and state and local law enforcement officers from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Parole, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office.