For Immediate Release

Mike Powell, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal

United States Marshals Service                                     Southern District of Iowa                                          (515) 284-6240

U.S. Marshals Public Affairs Office  (202) 307-9065

America's Most Wanted Fugitive Captured

DES MOINES, IA -- An America’s Most Wanted fugitive wanted on outstanding federal drug and racketeering charges has been arrested today in Boone, IA by the U.S. Marshals Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force (SIFTF).

Brandon Cheville (aka “Suicide”) was being sought on a federal arrest warrant issued in the Central District of California charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine as well as violations of federal racketeering statutes.  Cheville is a reported member of the Mongols motorcycle gang and was featured on Fox’s America’s Most Wanted (AMW) in November 2008. 

According to AMW’s website, a multi-agency law enforcement operation led by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) swept into dozens of locations in several states in a pre-dawn raid on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008 as part of a mission designed to dismantle the Mongols motorcycle gang.  In all, more than 100 warrants were served for a range of alleged criminal violations.  Some ATF targets, including Cheville, eluded capture.  Photos of Cheville and additional information can be found at www.amw.com.

On March 23, 2009, the SIFTF received information from U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California suggesting that Cheville may have ties to the central Iowa area.  Further investigation by SIFTF officers revealed that Cheville may be working and residing in Boone, IA.

This afternoon, SIFTF officers located and arrested Cheville without incident in the 800 block of Story Street in Boone, IA where he was working as a tattoo artist.  Cheville is currently being held in the Polk County Jail pending extradition and other court proceedings.

The Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional team of law enforcement officers led by the U.S. Marshals Service in the Southern District of Iowa.  Agencies participating in the SIFTF include the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives wanted on outstanding felony arrest warrants in the Southern District of Iowa.  Last year, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 109,000 federal, state, and local fugitive felons. 

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at  http://www.usmarshals.gov