US Marshals’ Violent Fugitive Task Force Arrests 30 in Ohio

Two U.S. Marshals stand on a building as they look out toward the city in a file photo. Elliott Cowand Jr./Shutterstock

The U.S. Marshals Service led state law enforcement in arresting 30 fugitives wanted by the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF).

Both the Stark County Sheriff’s Office and the Canton Police Department worked with the U.S. Marshals over the past two weeks to locate suspects wanted on domestic violence charges.

“Domestic violence incidents are rarely isolated,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said in a news release. “They frequently involve repeated assaults by the same offender. Operations such as this, capturing and incarcerating the most serious offenders, helps us to remove the threat of future repeat incidents.”

Among those arrested was Robin Davis, who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals, the NOVFTF, and the Canton Police Department for domestic violence and felonious assault.

Davis allegedly stabbed her boyfriend in the neck with a pair of scissors on July 9 in Canton, Ohio. The task force arrested her on Sept. 6.

Stark County Sheriff George Maier said that “by addressing the seriousness of domestic violence offenses, we are not only aiding the direct victims but also enhancing the overall well-being of our community.”

“It sends a clear message that we are resolute in our duty to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe for everyone,” the sheriff said.

In 2023, there were a total of 71,912 domestic dispute calls in the state, according to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

The bureau reported that 22.1 percent of the offenders in those calls were live-in partners. The next largest group was single parents at 17.2 percent. Husbands were the offenders in 11.7 percent of the calls and wives were the offenders in 4.5 percent.

In 2003, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Peter Elliot established the NOVFTF.

Since then, the NOVFTF has arrested up to 60,000 fugitives with the help of over 125 agencies and 350 law enforcement officials.

Elliot also established the Fugitive Safe Surrender program in which law enforcement officials work with faith-based communities to encourage fugitives to surrender at local churches.

This has led to the peaceful surrender of more than 70,000 fugitives, the U.S. Marshals Service said on its website.

In the news release about the Ohio arrests, Elliot said NOVFTF’s success is a result of its solid partnership with other law enforcement agencies.

“Maintaining this level of success for more than 20 years is an incredible tribute to the dedicated men and women who have worked tirelessly pursuing the most dangerous fugitives in our area,” Elliot said.