U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Arrests Kidnapping Suspect

 Harrisburg, PA - United States Marshal Martin J. Pane announced today that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force arrested Terry Venable, 27, in Harrisburg, PA.

On June 10, 2015, the Baton Rouge Police Department obtained an arrest warrant charging Venable with Aggravated Assault, Kidnapping, Battery and Domestic Abuse Battery with Strangulation.

On November 2, Deputy U.S. Marshals and task force officers, located and arrested Venable in the 500 block of Seneca Street in Harrisburg. Venable was turned over to local authorities pending further judicial proceedings and extradition to Louisiana.

United States Marshal Martin J. Pane stated, “The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force places a high priority on fugitive cases in which there is the use or threat of violence against innocent victims. Our community will not be a safe haven for those charged with such violent crimes. We will seek them out so they may face justice.”

The USMS worked jointly in this investigation with personnel from the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.

Former Baton Rouge Police Officer Sentenced to 24 Months of Imprisonment in Operation Illegal Motion

BATON ROUGE, LA—United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. announced the results of another sentence imposed in Operation Illegal Motion, a long-running public corruption investigation involving the state and local criminal justice system. U.S. District Judge James J. Brady sentenced Leonard P. Jackson, age 48, of Prairieville, Louisiana, to 24 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $1,000 fine. Jackson was sentenced after having pled guilty to multiple racketeering offenses based on his corrupt activity while a police officer with the Baton Rouge City Police Department.

As outlined during the sentencing, Jackson engaged in various corrupt activities while serving as a police officer, including:

■Jackson was an active participant in taking and facilitating bribes to cause the dismissal and reduction of criminal and traffic charges in Baton Rouge City Court, including charges of battery involving domestic violence. Jackson engaged in the scheme with the Senior Assistant City Prosecutor, the chief investigator for the Public Defender’s Office, court staff, and many others.

■Jackson also took bribes to cause the dismissal and reduction of criminal and traffic charges with the unknowing assistance of other city prosecutors who agreed to Jackson’s recommendations without necessarily knowing their corrupt nature.

■Jackson took bribes from an undercover FBI agent whom he believed was the operator of an illegal gambling operation. Jackson took such bribes in exchange for using his official position to extort an individual out of a $10,000 illegal gambling debt. When the undercover agent asked if Jackson would also protect a drug shipment through Baton Rouge, Jackson responded favorably.

At the sentencing, the court and the United States emphasized that Jackson betrayed the trust and the oath he swore to uphold. The court noted that Jackson’s early acceptance of responsibility and cooperation with the government were also significant considerations, resulting in a sentence much less than the court would have otherwise imposed.

Operation Illegal Motion has resulted in 10 individuals being convicted of various racketeering charges, including violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, related to their participation in a massive bribery scheme involving the corruption of hundreds of criminal and traffic matters in the state and local courts. Those convicted include a Senior Assistant City Prosecutor, two police officers, the chief public defender investigator, a city court employee, a state court employee, and others.

Operation Illegal Motion is an ongoing investigation conducted by this office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, the Louisiana State Police, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality-Criminal Investigations Division.

Operation Illegal Motion is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Corey R. Amundson, who serves as the Senior Deputy Criminal Chief, and M. Patricia Jones, who serves as the Senior Litigation Counsel.

The “Bentley Bandit’s” Run Comes to an End

Lake Charles, LA – Twenty-two year old Justin William Durbin was arrested on Trousdale Road in Sulphur after at least two high-speed chases and a multi-jurisdictional manhunt.  Durbin was Wanted by the following agencies: Pima County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona (2010), Baton Rouge PD (3/2011), Mt. Pleasant PD / South Carolina (4/2011), Collier County Sheriff’s Office / Naples, Florida (7/2011), Lafayette PD (2010), Virginia Beach PD (6/2011), Escambia County Sheriff’s Office / Pensacola, Florida (6/2011), Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office / Noblesville, Indiana (6/2011), and Prince Georges County Sheriff’s Office / Maryland (5/2011).  The charges range from Probation Violation, Grand Theft Auto, Larceny, Burglary, and Fraud.

Late last night (7/13) Louisiana State Police (LSP) in Lafayette (Troop I) received information from authorities in Florida that Durbin was in the Lafayette area.  LSP contacted the US Marshals Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) and the two agencies worked together to locate Durbin.  The information from Florida suggested Durbin was driving a stolen 2007 Bentley, GT Continental.  Last night LSP located the car, but Durbin was able to get away.  This morning, LSP and VOTF joined forces again; this time LSP brought additional resources to include their helicopter.  Throughout the day information was processed, leads were developed, and finally Durbin was located again, this time in Lake Charles.  During a high-speed pursuit, Durbin lost control of the stolen Bentley and eventually wrecked the car.  This led to a foot pursuit where Durbin briefly got away.  LSP and VOTF requested blood hounds from Phelps Correctional Center who responded and kept Durbin on the move.  At approximately 9:45 p.m. Durbin was located on Trousdale Road in Sulphur and arrested without incident.   When Durbin was contacted by Law Enforcement, he simply put his hands in the air and said, “it’s me.” Other agencies that played a critical role in this arrest: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office (provided air and ground support) and Louisiana National Guard who provided the helicopter for Louisiana State Police.

Henry Whitehorn, the United States Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana, said, “The coordinated effort of all law enforcement to bring dangerous criminals to justice ensures that the streets and neighborhoods of Louisiana are a safer place to raise our children.”

The Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) in Lafayette is a team comprised of full-time law enforcement officers from the Lafayette City Marshals, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana Probation and Parole. Further, VOTF calls upon part-time TFO’s throughout its eight parish area. In 2010 VOTF -- Lafayette closed over 400 Warrants, most of which were violent felony offenses. US Marshals Task Forces throughout the United States arrested 81,900 state and local fugitives on felony charges.

Five Belaire Area Defendants Arrested

BATON ROUGE, LA — United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. announced that five defendants were arrested on April 12, 2011, on federal gun and drug charges. All of the defendants are from the Belaire area. The ATF Metro Gun Task Force, in conjunction with the Violent Crimes Unit, targeted the Belaire area after numerous recent incidents of gun–related crimes. The Belaire area has one of the highest number of crime gun recoveries in the past 12 months in Baton Rouge. The five defendants are now in Federal custody.

The following defendants were arrested today:

JONATHAN WILLIAMS, age 29, was charged with being a felon–in–possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Williams faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

RONALD RANDALL, age 27, was charged with being a felon–in–possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Randall faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

DEATRIC BERRY, age 32, was charged with being a felon–in–possession of 6 firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and possession of cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine. Berry faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 on the gun count, and one (1) year imprisonment and a fine of $100,000 on the drug count.

KENNY KYSER, age 21, was charged with being a felon–in–possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Kyser faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

CARDELL MINOR, 31, was charged with being a felon–in–possession of two firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and possession of cocaine and cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine. Minor faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 on the gun count, and one (1) year imprisonment and a fine of $100,000 on the drug count.

ATF Special Agent–in–Charge Phillip Durham said, “Our goal is to continue working hand in hand with our other law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime in our communities. We will aggressively focus on removing firearms from the hands of the violent offenders. We will continue to focus on one neighborhood at a time, one perpetrator at a time, one illegal gun at a time, one gang at a time, and one hot–spot at a time. This is a critically important mission, and the indictments and arrests in this joint investigation proves that our team effort is paying off. We hope the citizens of Baton Rouge will continue to work with our team to make our communities safer places to live.”

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore stated, “This is another incident of how closely federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors are working together to make Baton Rouge a safer place. I am very happy with the combined efforts and look forward to the initiative continuing.”

United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. stated, “This is a prime example of how the ATF Metro Gun Task Force, in conjunction with the Violent Crimes Unit, which consists of our federal, state and local partners, can have a positive impact on specific neighborhoods within our community. We will continue to participate with our partners to bring order to our neighborhoods in need. ‘This was a joint undertaking of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Louisiana State Police, Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.

‘Grandad Bandit’ Pleads Guilty to Robbing 26 Banks in 15 States

RICHMOND, VA—Michael Francis Mara, 53, of Baton Rouge, La., a/k/a the “Grandad Bandit,” pled guilty today to robbing 26 banks in 15 states.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Division; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Division; and David W. Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Orleans Division, made the announcement after the plea was received by United States Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Mara pled guilty today to two counts of bank robbery, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. As part of the plea agreement, 18 other federal jurisdictions have relinquished jurisdiction for 24 other robberies committed between 2008 to 2010 in 14 states outside of Virginia. The defense and government jointly recommended in the plea agreement a prison sentence of 300 months. He will be formally sentenced on May 11, 2011, by United States District Judge James R. Spencer.

“Mr. Mara’s incredible crime spree came to an end because of a tip from the public,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “The FBI put together a concrete case, tying a string of robberies throughout the country to one man. Once we got the final piece needed, we were able to catch an elusive criminal and hold him accountable for his crimes.”

“The FBI’s partnership with the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) was vital in identifying the “Grandad Bandit” and ending his criminal career,” said Michael Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Division. “The use of OAAA’s cross-country digital billboards led to a tip from a concerned citizen and through persistence and solid investigative work by all involved, Mara was identified and arrested. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office was assisted by the Henrico County Police Department, Henrico, VA; the Roanoke Police Department, Roanoke, VA; the City of Richmond Police Department, Richmond, VA; the Baton Rouge Police Department, Baton Rouge, LA; and agents from the Baton Rouge Resident Agency out of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office. Innovative criminals such as Mara provide a challenge to law enforcement, but with coordinated efforts of local, state and federal agencies and with the assistance of our community partners—such as OAAA, criminals will ultimately run out of luck.”

According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Mara admitted that he robbed at least 26 banks throughout the country, including two in Virginia, in a similar manner, and many of the robberies were caught on surveillance video. He admitted to entering each bank and providing a bank teller with a note announcing a bank robbery and demanding various sums of money. Once the demands were met, Mara would retrieve the demand note and exit the bank quietly. Mara admitted in court that he stole $83,868 in cash through his robberies.

After a bank robbery on June 22, 2010, in Glen Allen, Va., the FBI coordinated an extensive fugitive publicity campaign through the use of digital billboards to solicit help from the public in identifying and locating the man they dubbed the “Grandad Bandit.” On Aug. 2, 2010, the Norfolk FBI Field Office received information from a tipster who identified Mara as the robber and provided, among other things, photographs. These were compared with surveillance footage and investigators found consistent key identifiers between the surveillance images and the photographs of Mara, including a hat, eyeglasses, and wrist watch that appear to be identical.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, Richmond Police Department, and Henrico County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Roderick Young is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

Baton Rouge’s Most Wanted Arrested in Jennings, Louisiana

Jennings, LA – Twenty Year Old Demetrick Taylor was arrested this afternoon in Jennings by members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Offender’s Task Force (VOTF) from Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles. Further, critical assistance was provided by the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office. Taylor was Wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, Simple Robbery, and Simple Battery.

On December 2nd the U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge received information that Taylor may be hiding in and around the Jennings area. Since then, VOTF members from Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Lafayette have been working in conjunction to locate and arrest Taylor. Several leads have been developed over the last two weeks, but Taylor’s luck ran out today when he was chased down by three VOTF Task Force Officers as Taylor attempted to run through a field when he realized law enforcement was on his heels. Taylor quickly admitted to who he was and was booked into Jeff Davis Parish Jail and extradited back to Baton Rouge. Taylor’s Warrant was executed near

13008 Touchet Road, Jennings, LA.

Henry Whitehorn Sr., the United States Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana, said, “The coordinated effort of all law enforcement to bring dangerous criminals to justice ensures that the streets and neighborhoods of Louisiana are a safer place to raise our children.”

The Western District of Louisiana’s VOTF in Lafayette and Lake Charles is a team comprised of full-time law enforcement officers from the Lafayette City Marshals, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Probation and Parole, Lake Charles Police Department, and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Gangs, Cops and the Supernatural

Bringing the total number of books listed to 692, the newly added police writers include a gang member who became a cop, a fictional private investigator whose murder cases have a supernatural twist, southern grace meeting urban reality and an excellent academic piece on retail theft prevention.

In 1989, Mona Ruiz joined the Santa Ana Police Department (California). She has worked patrol, gangs and narcotics. A native of Santa Ana, she became a police officer after overcoming her youthful involvement with gangs and an abusive marriage. According to Arte Publico Press, “This engrossing memoir charts Ruiz’s journey toward self-identity, tracing the tortuous path of her life—a life in which Ruiz assumed contradictory roles: gang chola, high school drop-out, disowned daughter, battered wife, welfare mother, student, and policewoman. At each step in the journey, Ruiz faced violence, ridicule, and skepticism. She nevertheless prevailed in exchanging her badge of social defiance for one of protecting her community.”

Richard Abshire was a captain in charge of the Dallas Police Department's Tactical Section from January 1975 to December 1977. He left the department in 1979 and is a reporter in The Dallas Morning News' Garland bureau. Richard is most notable for the fictional character Jack Kyle, “an ex-cop, turned Dallas gumshoe, your typical hard-boiled operative: middle-aged, divorced, broke and -- surprise, surprise -- more than a little cynical. Still, while not breaking any new ground, the series did get compliments for its plotting and characterization.” Moreover, he co-authored several books in the “gant” series with former Dallas police officer William Clair. The “Gant” books feature an ex-homicide detective who investigates cases with a super-natural twist.

Laurie Drummond began her police career as a dispatcher in Ithaca, New York. She moved to Louisiana where she first took an assignment as a plainclothes officer in the crime prevention division of Louisiana State University. Ultimately, she joined the Baton Rouge Police Department and began working uniformed patrol. A serious car accident ended Drummond’s police career, but open the door to her writing career.

Her first book is “Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You: Stories.” According to Publisher’s Weekly, “Combining Southern grace and urban brutality, ex-cop Drummond debuts with 10 short stories grouped into five blistering fictional portraits of Baton Rouge policewomen. Each lady is tough even without her bulletproof vest, and all are plagued by death and corruption as they undertake the bracing, dehumanizing enforcement of justice.”

Over one third of the people who are dedicated to the domestic protection of America are civilian employees of police departments. While Police-Writers.com focuses on sworn state and local police officers, civilian employees are honored and listed under a separate category (However, their books are not included in the total count). Liz Martinez is an adjunct professor at Interboro Institute, a two-year college in New York City that offers a Security Management degree program. After a career during which she honed her retail security skills, she switched gears from a management position into writing, editing and teaching. She holds a New York State security certification and is a member of ASIS International's New York City Chapter's Diversity Council and the Police Writers Association.

She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a B.A. in criminal justice. Moreover, Liz was as New York Police Department Auxiliary police officer for five years. Her book, “The Retail Manager's Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention: Protecting Your Business from Theft, Fraud and Violence,” draws on her practical and academic experience in the retail security field. According to one reviewer, “This book is easy to understand, and it has everything in it that a retail person needs to know in order to reduce thefts and other kinds of losses in a store. I've looked at other books, but they're too complicated. This one lays the topics out in a logical way, and the writer doesn't try to impress you with big words--just the facts!”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 280 police officers (representing 114 police departments) and their 692 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.