Thursday, April 16, 2015

Federal, State, County, and Local Law Enforcement Join Forces to Verify Megan's Law Registration Compliance



 Harrisburg, PA – Today, United States Marshal Martin J. Pane and Pennsylvania State Police Colonel Marcus Brown announced the results of Operation Eagle Eye – an effort to verify the home addresses of Megan’s Law registrants in Dauphin, Lebanon and York Counties.

Throughout the month of March and into early April, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) joined with ten other area law enforcement agencies to perform 779 unannounced checks of registered sex offenders living in three counties. Six registrants were found to be in violation of their Megan’s Law requirements and arrested. Another three offenders remain fugitives for failing to register or update under Megan’s Law.

United States Marshal Pane stated, “The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 designated the USMS as the federal agency responsible for working with state and local authorities in locating and arresting convicted sex offenders who fail to comply with their Megan’s Law requirements. It’s a mission which receives a high priority within our agency and helps to ensure our communities are a safer place to reside. I cannot express enough how well this mission was executed and thank all the officers and department heads for their commitment in making our state a better place to live.”

Colonel Marcus Brown stated, “As a result of the cooperative efforts of the USMS, the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Section, and our state and local partners, Pennsylvania’s compliance continues trending upward and now exceeds 98 percent. Random compliance checks establish a cornerstone of our efforts to ensure convicted offenders are encouraged to comply with registration requirements and prosecuted if they fail to do so.”

During Operation Eagle Eye the USMS and PSP were joined by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, the Lebanon Police Department, the York City Police Department, Dauphin County Adult Probation, the Latimore Township Police Department, the Northern York County Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, the Spring Garden Township Police Department, the York County District Attorney’s Office and the York County Sheriff’s Office. Many of these agencies participate in the USMS Fugitive Task Force.

Chief Wes Kahley of the York City Police Department said, “We’re happy to work with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Pennsylvania State Police to ensure compliance of those required to register under Megan’s Law and to bring those that violate these requirements to justice.”

And Chief Tom Carter of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police said, “On behalf of the City of Harrisburg, we would like to thank the US Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies that took part in the operation that targeted Megan’s Law violators. We look forward to collaborating with these agencies in this area of need in the future.”

Those arrested during the operation included:

Hasson Hillard, a 30-year old man from Lebanon;
Dana Latta, a 32-year old man from Delta;
Bruce Sherrid, a 56-year old man from Lebanon;
Franklin Smith, a 46-year old man from Lebanon;
Brent Snyder, a 24-year old man from York; and
    Rafael Vega, a 25-year old man from Lebanon.

Those charged but not yet arrested include:
Joseph Acevedo, a 30-year old man formerly living in the 600 block of East Market Street, York;
Brent Heisey, a 32-year old man formerly living in the 2500 block of North Fifth Street, Harrisburg.

Heisey is also wanted by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for absconding from parole supervision; and

Anthony Frescatore, a 56-year old man formerly living in the 300 block of West Market Street, York.

Anyone with information regarding these fugitives is encouraged to call the USMS tip-line at
866-437-9847, or their local police department.

No comments: