U.S. Marshals Archives

U.S. Marshals: Southern Missouri man who threatened to kill sheriff and judge in custody

February 9, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The U.S. Marshals have announced that they’ve captured a southern Missouri man accused of threatening to kill Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley, a judge and their family members.

50-year-old Lonnie Richardson has been captured by the U.S. Marshals and by Laclede County Sheriff’s deputies near Lebanon (February 2021 photo courtesy of the Wright County Sheriff’s Facebook page)

50-year-old Lonnie Richardson was arrested Monday, after marshals and Laclede County Sheriff’s deputies found him hiding in a small camping trailer near southwest Missouri’s Lebanon. Richardson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service-Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force. Richardson was taken into custody, after a brief standoff.

Richardson is from Hartville, which is about an hour east of Springfield. Online court records show he’s charged with three felonies in Wright County: second degree terrorist threat and two counts of tampering with a judicial officer. The alleged incidents happened on Thursday. The Marshals Office in Springfield say the threats prompted a multi-agency law enforcement effort to protect the sheriff, judge and family members.

The Wright County court has ordered that Richardson be jailed without bond, describing him as “a danger to the alleged victims, law enforcement and community.”

“Richardson threatened to kill public officials and their families. His reckless behavior threatened to tear the fabric of our criminal justice system. If you act in this lawless way, the U.S. Marshals will find you and bring you to justice,” U.S. Marshal Mark James of Missouri’s Western District says, in a written statement.

A Facebook post from the Wright County Sheriff’s office says Richardson also made a death threat toward a local police officer.

The importance of safety for judges and court officials was emphasized by Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice George Draper III, during last week’s State of the Judiciary Address.

“Our (court) security staff needs additional training and more standardized compensation. Our judges need to ensure their privacy can be protected, and, in my opinion, we need to be able to use witness protection services funds to protect judges and their families against credible threats of violence,” Justice Draper said, during last week’s address.

Chief Justice Draper is also calling for security upgrades to court buildings.

U.S. Marshals: remaining two southeast Missouri escapees captured near Denver

January 26, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The U.S. Marshals have announced that the final two jail escapees from southeast Missouri’s Iron County have been captured in Colorado. All three escapees are now in custody.

U.S. Marshals, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, Ironton Police and others work at a command post at the Iron County Courthouse in Ironton (January 16, 2021 file photo courtesy of Ironton Police Facebook page)

The U.S. Marshals say Dwight Abernathie was captured Sunday at an Arvada Walmart, after trying to shoplift from the store. Samuel Gillam was captured Monday at a Denver Salvation Army homeless shelter.

It’s unclear whether Abernathie and Gillam will waive extradition back to Missouri. If they fight extradition, the process will be delayed and Missouri Governor Mike Parson and Colorado Governor Jared Polis would have to get involved and sign paperwork.

The third escapee, Tracy Brown, was arrested last Wednesday at a gas station in Carrizozo, New Mexico.

Brown, Abernathie and Gillam were jailed in Iron County on local charges. While Brown was jailed on a burglary charge, Gillam was jailed for kidnapping and Abernathie for assault.

The U.S. Marshals have been leading the search for the three. Marshals say the three escapees moved a block wall to escape from the Iron County jail in Ironton.

U.S. Marshals and Iron County Sheriff’s deputies had originally been searching in southeast Missouri, including the heavily-wooded Mark Twain National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service and numerous other agencies had been assisting in the search in southeast Missouri.

U.S. Marshals: three southeast Missouri jail escapees should be considered dangerous

January 18, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The U.S. Marshals are now leading the search for three jail escapees in southeast Missouri’s Iron County, and the Marshals emphasize the three should be considered dangerous. A unified command post has been established at the Iron County Courthouse in Ironton.

Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS reports authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information on the escapees: Tracy L. Brown, Dwight Abernathie and Samuel Gillam. The Marshals say all three were jailed on local charges. Gillam was jailed on a kidnapping charge, while Abernathie was jailed for assault and sodomy. Brown was in jail for a burglary charge.

U.S. Marshals, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, Ironton Police and others have set up a command post at the Iron County Courthouse in Ironton (January 16, 2021 photo courtesy of Ironton Police Facebook page)

U.S. Marshals say the three moved a block wall to escape. Authorities are urging residents to lock their doors and to remain vigilant.

Marshals say the inmates escaped at about 4:30 on Saturday morning, and the Iron County Sheriff requested assistance from the Marshals at about 1 p.m. Saturday. The Marshals have sent personnel from Cape Girardeau and St. Louis to the area.

U.S. Marshals and Iron County Sheriff’s deputies are being assisted by Ironton Police, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Pilot Knob Police and by the U.S. Forest Service, Missouri State park rangers and the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The search area includes the heavily-wooded Mark Twain National Forest.

Federal operation targets dangerous sex offenders in the Ozarks

November 8, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested 11 dangerous sex offenders in October in southwest Missouri. The following fugitives were tracked down by the task force:

Federal operation targets dangerous sex offenders in the Ozarks

On October 2, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Missouri indicted Adam Ray Lee of Aurora for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. The indictment accused Lee of driving to Kentucky in June, to meet with a 15-year-old girl he met online. Lee is further accused of driving the juvenile to Aurora and then molesting her.

The U.S. Marshals Service-Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Lee on October 31, after tracking him to Cassville. The Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force investigated the criminal case against Lee.

On September 6, James Maggard and Wanda Maggard, Donnie Willis, and David Arnold were charged in Lawrence County with multiple crimes including 1st Degree Rape and Kidnapping or Conspiracy to Commit Rape. The charges against them stemmed from an August 21 assault of a woman near Everton. All were charged with drugging, kidnapping, raping, and conspiring to rape the 20-year-old victim of this attack.

U.S. Marshals began the hunt for these fugitives in early October and caught each over the course of the month. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office investigated the criminal case against these fugitives.

In September, Daniel Chavez was charged in Jasper County with multiple counts of 1st Degree Child Molestation, 1st Degree Statutory Sodomy, and other sex offenses. The charges accuse Chavez of sexually molesting a juvenile female multiple times, beginning in 2006.

U.S. Marshals investigators began the hunt for Chavez in early October, and quickly tracked him through Texas and Missouri. On October 4, U.S. Marshals fugitive investigators arrested Chavez in Joplin. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office investigated the criminal case against Chavez.

The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force—Springfield Division, operates in conjunction with members of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, the Springfield Police Department, and the Joplin Police Department.

U.S. Marshal Mark James of the Western District of Missouri praised the efforts of the detectives serving as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Springfield and Joplin Police Departments and Greene and Christian County Sheriff Departments.

“This is a team effort and we have a very strong team,” James said in a press release. “These offenders prey upon the most vulnerable members of our community. If you hurt a child, this task force will find you and bring you to justice, no matter where you try and hide.”

Since January, U.S. Marshals have arrested over 8,700 sex offenders across the country.

Submit tips on fugitives directly and anonymously to the U.S. Marshals Service by downloading the USMS Tips app to your Apple or Android device, or online at:

https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/index.html