Savannah Fugitive Arrested in Valdosta

February 9, 2010 - Savannah, GA - A man wanted by the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Macon Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department in Valdosta, Georgia on February 9, 2010.

Artez Jamaal Beckett, 24, was wanted by the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department on three warrants charging him with Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Burglary in an incident that happened in December 2009 in the Redding Court area of Savannah, Georgia. Beckett was thought to be either in the Savannah, Georgia or Valdosta, Georgia areas.

The case was referred to the United States Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Savannah, Georgia to locate and arrest Beckett. An intensive investigation was conducted by the Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force which indicated that Beckett had fled the area and was possibly in Valdosta, Georgia. The Savannah Task Force provided this information to the Macon Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force on February 4, 2010 for assistance. The Macon Task Force began their investigation and worked numerous leads in the Valdosta, Georgia area. The Macon Task Force was assisted by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. An address was generated at a local apartment complex in Valdosta and officers converged on the apartment. Beckett was arrested without incident. The subject that Beckett was staying with was also arrested on drugs and weapons charges. Beckett was taken to the Lowndes County Jail to await his return back to Savannah, Georgia.

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of over 36, 000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by the Marshals Service than all other federal agencies combined.

The Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force has three offices: Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. The task force covers the whole state of Georgia. The Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of investigators from the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug crimes, sex offenders, and other felonies. In 2009, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 90,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.