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Press Release

U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force celebrates 20th Anniversary

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

BILLINGS — The U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force today commemorated and celebrated its 20th Anniversary of working in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to arrest violent fugitives on felony warrants, closing a total of 22,520 warrants across Montana, the United States and globally, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich and U.S. Marshal Craig Anderson announced today.

During a joint press conference in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Laslovich and Marshal Anderson discussed the MVOTF’s mission and accomplishments. Joining in the celebration were former U.S. Marshals Darrell J. Bell and Dwight MacKay, along with representatives of the MVOTF 41 partner law enforcement agencies.

“For 20 years, the brave people who have served on the Montana Violent Offender Task Force have consistently risked their own lives to keep all of us safe. Their extensive training, collaboration, and courage have removed thousands of dangerous and violent offenders from our streets, most without incident. And while it is difficult to measure the number of lives they’ve saved, we know it is significant. They are the best of our state and nation. As we pause to celebrate the extraordinary work of the last 20 years, we also pledge to every Montanan that we are just as committed to the work ahead and we will never rest until justice is achieved,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

“Looking beyond the dangers the Task Force members faced each time they made an arrest and looking beyond the incalculable positive impacts the seizures of guns and drugs have had, there is one over-arching and significant take away. And that is the irrefutable evidence that when law enforcement agencies from tribal, local, county, state and federal agencies coalesced around the mission of tracking down Montana’s most dangerous criminals, these are the results that followed,” U.S. Marshal Anderson said. “Montanans should expect and deserve this level of coordination and cooperation from their law enforcement agencies.  And we should celebrate when those successes produce such fantastic results.”

Since 1865, when Montana was still a Territory, the U.S. Marshals Service has been hunting wanted persons on behalf of Montana citizens and the federal government. In 2005, under the Presidential Threat Protection Act and with the Attorney General’s direction, the U.S. Marshals Service established the MVOTF for Montana. At the time, the MVOTF was one of five similar task forces started in the country. The U.S. Marshals Service oversees permanent task forces composed of federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest fugitives. At its beginning, the MVOTF’s charter members included the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Billings Police Department. Over the past 20 years, 41 agencies and 164 law enforcement officers have participated on the MVOTF, with 38 agencies currently participating.

The U.S. Marshals Service deputizes task force officers from the various agencies, which allows officers to work across jurisdictions. Task force members share resources and prioritize warrants to identify and pursue the most wanted and violent fugitive to improve public safety.

In the 20 years of its existence, the MVOTF has closed a total of 22,520 arrest warrants. The task force also has seized a total of 531 firearms and pounds of narcotics, including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and powder, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription pills. In addition, task force arrests have resulted in seizures of 91 vehicles, $598,196 in U.S. currency and $61,040 in counterfeit currency.

To celebrate the 20 years of service to the United States and State of Montana, the U.S. Marshals Service has authorized a commemorative patch to be awarded to current and past MVOTF members, along with a patch for past and present participating agencies.

The MVOTF members include:

  • Charter members: U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole; Billings Police Department; and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Current members: Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Gallatin, Dawson, Custer, Carbon, Big Horn, Cascade, Glacier, Roosevelt, Valley, Hill, Pondera, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark and Missoula county sheriff’s offices; Bozeman, Laurel, Red Lodge, Glendive, Great Falls, Cut Bank, and Helena police departments; Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Border Patrol-Havre Sector; Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Forest Service, Region 1; and Montana Highway Patrol.
  • Past members: Montana Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Sexual or Violent Offender Registry; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.

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Contact

Clair J. Howard

Public Affairs Officer

406-247-4623

Clair.Howard@usdoj.gov

Updated January 16, 2025

Topic
Community Outreach
Press Release Number: 25-14