U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Arrests Connecticut Man for Sexual Assault

Tallahassee, FL – The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force (FRFTF) today announced the arrest of Richard Buck, 44 years of age, from Bantam, CT. Buck was currently being sought by the Connecticut State Police for the offenses of Sexual Assault, Risk of Injury/Impairing Morals of Minor and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The Connecticut State Police contacted the U.S. Marshals on September 26, 2014 after running out of viable leads on Buck who had been on the run since February 2013. Buck, a convicted sex offender in the State of New York, was sentenced to a 10 year prison term and 30 years of probation after a conviction for Sexual Contact with a 10 year old female victim. Buck was living at 33 Railroad Street, Salisbury, CT as an undocumented Sex Offender when the new Sexual Assault charges were filed by Connecticut State Police. Buck fled Connecticut upon learning of the warrants and was the subject of multi-state search by Connecticut authorities. On December 11, 2014 U.S. Marshals developed information that Buck was possibly in the Panacea, FL area staying in an RV Park.

FRFTF Members along with the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to Panacea and after several hours located Buck at the Panacea RV Park, 1089 Coastal Highway, Panacea, FL. Buck was living under the assumed name of Richard Braxton and had befriended several of the campers in the park over the past two weeks offering his services as a handy man and FEMA employee. Buck was arrested by task force members as he was stringing Christmas tree lights around his RV and transported to the Wakulla County Jail. Buck is currently awaiting extradition back to Connecticut and now faces the possibility of federal charges for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

The Tallahassee Division of the FRFTF is comprised of state and local law enforcement officers from the Florida Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office, Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County State Attorney’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, Tallahassee Police Department.