Sex Offender and Fugitive Operation in Bethel and Surrounding Villages

Bethel, AK – Under "Operation (RAAVEN)" Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement, federal, state and local law enforcement officers joined together to account for registered sex offenders, and to locate and arrest individuals with warrants who were living in Western Alaska. This multi-agency operation focused its efforts in Bethel and 13 surrounding villages, to include Napakiak, Napaskiak, Kwethluk, Akiachak, Akiak, Nunapitchuk, Kasigluk, Tuluksak, Eek, Tuntutuliak, Kwigillinok, Stoney River, and Kipnuk. Participating in this joint operation (December 9-13) were the U.S. Marshals Service, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department (as members of the Alaska U.S. Marshals Service Sex Offender Task Force), Alaska Department of Corrections-Adult Probation, Bethel Police Department, Alaska Public Safety-Sex Offender Registry, Village Police Officers and Tribal Police Officers.

Operation Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement was initiated in response to Attorney General William P. Barr's declaration of a law enforcement emergency in rural Alaska. This past week, law enforcement teams arrested individuals with outstanding warrants, conducted sex offender compliance checks, re-registered non-compliant sex offenders, conducted investigations and requested warrants when necessary, conducted probation home visits and searches, assisted with general calls for law enforcement service, as-well-as updated photographs and documentation for the Alaska Sex Offender Registry. The intent was to arrest anyone who was non-compliant with their sex offender registration requirements or a fugitive with warrants. Additionally, the teams verified that the area's sex offenders are living where they are reporting to the Alaska Sex Offender Registry and State Probation.

The successful operation netted the following results:

• 140 Compliance verifications were conducted on convicted sex offenders.
• 126 Convicted sex offenders were confirmed to be living where they have reported to the Alaska Sex Offender Registry.
• 11 Convicted sex offenders were non-compliant with registration requirements and were re-registered.
• 3 State Failure to Register as a Sex Offender warrants to be requested from the State of Alaska.
• 26 State Probation, Parole and Pre-trial field visits conducted.
• 14 Subjects were arrested on warrants, including charges of murder, possession of child pornography, felony assault, misconduct with a weapon, parole violation, probation violation, violation of pretrial conditions, importing alcohol and trespassing.

Although this operation has concluded, the focus will continue with repeated attempts to verify that registered sex offenders are held accountable and that other violent fugitives are taken into custody to protect the public through the coordinated operations and daily efforts nationwide by U.S. Marshals Service and their law enforcement partners.