Following a five-year tradition of success in its national efforts, the U.S. Marshals Service locally conducted another successful Operation FALCON – Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally.

Led by the U.S. Marshals nearing its 220th Anniversary in September, Operation FALCON 2009 netted 35,190 arrests – 247 of those arrests within the Northern District of Florida of which 96 of those within the Pensacola area during the month of June. Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON has made 91,086 arrests and cleared over 117,874 warrants.

Operation FALCON combined the collective efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies in one of the area’s largest-ever fugitive initiatives, focusing on capturing individuals wanted on felony charges including sexual predators and fugitives wanted for crimes of violence. During the 30-day operation; Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force teamed with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and arrested 7 fugitives wanted for homicide, 31 sex offenders wanted in connection with sex crimes charges to include charges of sexual assault and failure to register, 9 gang members of documented street gangs, and 16 felons on weapons charges.

During the operation, 16 guns were seized as well. Overall, 353 warrants were cleared in the Northern District of Florida which covers area from Pensacola to Gainesville.

One of the fugitives captured by Task Force members Wendell Ray Hurley was wanted by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for the alleged murder of Timothy Thames. His warrants charged him for Homicide, Armed Home Invasion, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony. According to Police reports, Hurley allegedly broke into Thames’ home around 5:30 a.m. and shot him two times with what was believed to be a .380-caliber handgun before fleeing. Around noon on June 2, the Task Force and apprehended Hurley without incident while he slept in a house located on the 1200 block of Tamara Drive in Pensacola. Task Force Officers found a .380 caliber handgun in the bed where he was sleeping which is believed to may be the murder weapon.

“The goal of Operation FALCON is simple – to make communities safer,” said John F. Clark, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “Each time we wrap up a FALCON operation in any location, there are fewer dangerous criminals – and less threats to the community – than before we arrived there. That is very gratifying.”

Another wanted man arrested during Operation FALCON – Pensacola was Jospeh Christian Fontana, a convicted sex offender, was profiled in April 2009 on the television show “America’s Most Wanted”.

The show aired in the Dominican Republic as well, due to suspicions of Fontana being in that area. In late April 2009, a tip was received through “America’s Most Wanted” and forwarded to investigators at the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. The tip gave a specific address for Fontana in the Dominican Republic. Fontana is wanted on more than 100 counts of sex crimes involving children.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in tracking down Fontana in the Dominican Republic. The information was given to the U.S. Marshal’s Foreign Field Office in Santo Domingo, in an attempt to locate and apprehend Fontana. At about 4 p.m. central time on June 5, the U.S. Marshals, with the assistance of law enforcement in the Dominican Republic, captured Fontana. Fontana’s warrants are from June 2006 where Santa Rosa charges him with 25 counts of sexual assault on a victim older than 12, 25 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior conduct by persons 18 or older, 25 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior exhibition by persons 18 or older against a victim younger than 16 and one count of showing obscene material to a child.

Fontana also faces 20 counts of sexual assault on a victim older than 12, 20 counts of counts of lewd and lascivious behavior conduct and three counts of showing obscene material to a child from a September 2006 warrant. Fontana is wanted in Okaloosa County for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender as well. Fontana was convicted in 1995 of lewd & lascivious behavior with male child less than 16 years of age.

Within the Northern District of Florida, Operation FALCON consisted of approximately 30 federal, state and local law enforcement officers, working throughout the operation. Each participating local officer was sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal immediately prior to the start of this operation. This special authority empowers them to cross traditional lines of jurisdiction to track down and arrest targeted fugitives throughout the operation.

“The cooperation and enthusiasm of law enforcement agencies in the Northern District of Florida has always been incredible,” said U.S. Marshal Dennis Williamson. “The team effort our partners displayed throughout this initiative is commendable and this cooperative effort underscores how successful law enforcement can be when it embraces a spirit of cooperation.”

The Pensacola Task Force made its last Operation FALCON arrest at 6p.m. on June 30. Fugitive Earl Lee Cummings was wanted in Grand Rapids, MI for felony sexual assault. Police reports indicate that Cummings’ offense involved the sexual assault of a fourteen year-old sometime in 1997. The warrant for his arrest was issued in November of 1998.

The USMS had determined that CUMMINGS has been living in Pensacola for about seven years renting a room of a house on the 2400 Block on Kelso Rd, Pensacola. While conducting surveillance at Kelso Road, U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers spotted Cummings at the house. Assistance was summoned from other Task Force Officers from Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Escambia and Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Offices.

The Task Force entered the home and found Cummings in his bedroom. He was arrested without incident, brought to the Escambia County Jail and booked in as a fugitive from justice on the Michigan warrant.