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Crime, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Date Published
February 02, 2026
News Type
Press Release
Link to Original
U.S. Marshals Service, Columbus, Ohio
View Press Release

Columbus, Ohio – Over the last two weeks the U.S. Marshals led Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and Ohio State Highway Patrol teamed together to conduct Operation Clean House. This operation focused on fugitives with active felony arrest warrants who were residing in government subsidized housing in Columbus, Ohio.

During the six-day operation, the teams located and arrested over 50 wanted fugitives living in HUD housing. Notable arrests include Vincente Bonilla-Ramos, wanted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Earl Scott, wanted by the Columbus Division of Police for Felony Strangulation, Chelsea Murphy, wanted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for Drug Trafficking and the Dublin Police Department for Endangering Children, and Javon McCarty wanted by the Huron County Sheriff’s Office for Rape.

“The United States Marshals Service in Southern Ohio works daily in collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate and arrest violent fugitives. Working with HUD-OIG, we focused our efforts during this operation on those fugitives hiding in homes subsidized by taxpayer funds. Sharing information, personnel, and resources led to the safe apprehension of over 50 fugitives.” - Michael D. Black, United States Marshal.

“Defeating fraud in housing remains a top priority for HUD OIG. HUD housing is America’s housing serving millions of deserving Americans, and we are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring accountability throughout HUD’s programs. We are grateful to the U.S. Marshals Service, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement partners who helped lead this joint operation resulting in the apprehension of dangerous fugitives with open warrants residing in HUD-supported housing,” said HUD OIG Acting Inspector General Brian D. Harrison.

“The success of this operation is a direct result of outstanding interagency cooperation. Working with the U.S. Marshals Service and HUD, we were able to serve arrest warrants and remove dangerous individuals from our community safely and effectively. This effort targeted wanted felons who were inappropriately receiving HUD housing benefits, helping ensure affordable housing is available to those who truly need it. When agencies work together with a common mission, our communities are safer.” – Dallas Baldwin, Franklin County Sheriff.

Columbus SOFAST is a fugitive-focused, U.S. Marshals Service-led task force consisting of local, state and federal authorities including the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bexley Police Department, Cambridge Police Department, Capital University Police Department, Delaware County Probation Office, Groveport Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Lancaster Police Department, Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal, United States Attorney’s Office, Utica Police Department, Whitehall Police Department, and Zanesville Police Department.

Anyone with information on any fugitive may send an anonymous web tip to the U.S. Marshals’ website at https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/index.html.