Fugitive roundup nabs 20 in Valley

April 28, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Law enforcement teams, including local and federal agents, roamed the state this past week, searching for sex offenders and other fugitives from justice as part of Operation FALCON II, a nationwide effort coordinated by the U.S. Marshals.

Local participants included Lt. Tom Remaley, officers James Gipson, Philip Krauss and Peter Steen with the Palmer police; Investigator Doug Sonerholm with the Wasilla police, and Palmer probation officer Anna Lampley, according to Kelly Turney, the Palmer police detective who rounded out the Valley law enforcement team.

U.S. Marshals and an agent from the federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms worked with the local cops to form two teams of four officers that searched the Valley, focusing on sexual predators and people accused of other major crimes, according to Turney.

The Valley teams traveled from Big Lake to Sutton, and scored 20 arrests out of 85 in the whole state, he said. After rounding up those accused of the worst crimes, the officers went on to search for those accused of other charges.

&#8220It was a lot of fun,” Turney said. &#8220They could cut my pay in half if they just let me do that full time.”

One of the biggest catches was Jamie Sells, 27, who was wanted in Ohio on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, and for alleged forgery in Michigan.

Officers found Sells out on Knik-Goose Bay Road, he said.

&#8220We got him as a fugitive, and for failure to register as a sex offender,” Turney said. &#8220Then we charged his girlfriend for hindering prosecution.”

Scouring the Valley to clean up fugitives broadened the Palmer detective's horizons a bit.

&#8220I've been to places I'd never been to, some real interesting back roads,” Turney said. &#8220Some were places I hear a lot about on the radio, like way out Pittman or KGB. I saw lots of plywood and Tyvek siding.”

Besides Sells, officers picked up someone who had a high-bail DUI warrant, finding him drunk at 2 p.m.; and another person with a no-bail warrant who had meth and other drugs on him.

&#8220The main focus is getting these folks locked up,” Turney said.

Four people arrested are wanted in other states. Besides Sells, two were wanted for non-payment of child support in Arizona and Alabama, and another was wanted in Washington for felony assault on a child, he said.

The first arrest Monday morning was someone who had absconded on a high-bail felony DUI warrant, Turney said. Officers found him living in a trailer behind Four Corner's bar, Turney said. Another man, whose residence was described as &#8220the first brown bus on the right” in Sutton calmly greeted the team with a cup of coffee in his hand.

&#8220He said he knew why we were there,” he said. &#8220He just asked us to let him finish his coffee.”

One man who didn't get caught in the week-long sweep turned himself in later.

&#8220He got tired of cops showing up at work and at his house,” Turney said. &#8220We prefer people make their court appearances, the second best thing is they can turn themselves in.”

Turney called this the largest fugitive round-up in state history, and a successful mission.

&#8220There were no injuries on the team,” he said. &#8220Everybody went home at night and we put bad people away.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.