Iowa U.S. Marshals arrest sex offenders in Operation Trick or Treat

The U.S. Marshals Service of the Northern District of Iowa this week wrapped up their participation in Operation Trick or Treat 2, in which marshals in Iowa and 21 other states arrested non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders ahead of Halloween.

U.S. marshals in this district partnered with Jackson and Jones counties and Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation, Oct. 1-28, to conduct the investigations and arrests. Law enforcement in these counties conducted 61 sex offender compliance checks, resulting in identifying five non-compliant people and the arrest of one sex offender for unrelated offenses.

Overall, Operation Trick or Treat 2 resulted in 331 total arrests, including 129 for failure to register as a sex offender, 74 sex offenders for other offenses, as well as 128 others for various criminal activities, according to a news release. During the operation, law enforcement personnel also conducted 3,334 sex offender compliance checks and seized 40 illegally possessed firearms.

“Operation Trick or Treat 2 reaffirms one of our Agency’s highest priorities to ensure safety of children in our communities,” Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. “I applaud the women and men of the Marshals Service and all of the agencies who participated in this operation.”

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Operation Trick or Treat 2 investigators initiated federal criminal cases for failure to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act; arrested sex offenders in violation of registration requirements or wanted on active warrants; and utilized sex offender compliance checks to increase police presence and identify non-compliant sex offenders for further investigation.

The 112 law enforcement agencies who participated in the operation included officers from Iowa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York and Tennessee.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. Nationwide, 60 local task forces are dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. The Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force comprises officers from the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Marion and Independence police departments; Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation: and Iowa Department of Corrections.

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