Ft. Walton Beach, FL – The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested a Ohio man wanted for murdering another man in an alleged drug deal gone bad. The Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force (FRFTF) was contacted by the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force yesterday requesting the help of the local Marshals in locating and arresting Javonte Hodges. According to police reports in Cleveland, OH, Hodges and two other men were sitting in a car negotiating a drug deal. Hodges was supposedly sitting behind the driver when at some point he allegedly shot the driver in the neck while the car was moving. Reports indicated that the car then crashed into a house and Hodges and the two others fled on foot. Police reports state that the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Task Force members began their surveillance early this morning at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach. At around 4:15 p.m. today their patience paid off when Hodges walked out of an apartment to walk to a store across the street. The 22 year old Hodges, who also goes by “Tay Tay” was arrested by Task Force members from the U.S. Marshals, Okaloosa and Walton County Sheriff’s Offices, Defuniak and Ft. Walton Police Departments and FDLE without incident. During their investigation they also learned that Hodges came to the Ft. Walton Beach area on a Greyhound bus about a month ago, just several days after the murder.

Hodges was brought to the Okaloosa County Jail and will await extradition back to Ohio where he will face Aggravated Murder charges.

In 2011, The FRFTF apprehended over 5,000 fugitives in Florida offenders and almost 250 in the Pensacola area alone. Almost 40 were fugitives wanted from out of state and that were located in Northern Florida.

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

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