USMS NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force Re-Arrests Dangerous Federal Convict Released by Accident

New York, NY – Deputies and Task Force Officers from the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJ RFTF) Saturday apprehended the felon after an all-points bulletin BOLO (Be On The Lookout) was issued to all police departments to locate and arrest him so he could be returned to federal custody.

Antonio Olmeda, formerly in custody at the Bureau of Prisons Danbury facility, was released in error on November 15, 2023 after a request was made by the State to release him to face state charges of attempted murder of two NYPD (New York Police Department) Police Officers. As no detainer was submitted by the State with the request, the prisoner was released without notice to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) or the Southern District of New York.

Compounding the USMS concern was that Olmeda was thought to carry a “hit list” of USMS protected persons. 

On November 17, 2023, the Queens County DA obtained an arrest warrant for Olmeda and USMS NY/NJ RFTF adopted the case immediately and developed information that led them to a shelter on the lower East Side of Manhattan where they arrested Olmeda in the early morning hours of November 18, 2023 without incident. He was later remanded into State custody by a Queens County State Court Judge pending retrial for attempted murder.

“This was a successful arrest of a dangerous felon set free by accident.” said Ralph Sozio, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York. “I want to thank the NY/NJ RFTF for their dedicated coordination and rapid apprehension, getting him back into custody without incident.” 

The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in April 2002 and was the first regional fugitive task force to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. The NY/NJRFTF was the flagship that has allowed seven other regional fugitive task forces to be created across the country. With partnership agreements with over 90 federal, state, or local agencies and 13 fully operational offices, the NY/NJRFTF has successfully apprehended over 95,000 fugitives since inception.