Fugitive's 16 Year Run Comes to an End in Mexico

Sioux City, IA – Mitchell Meyer, a fugitive who fled the United States after failing to appear for trial in 1999, was arrested June 29th, 2015 by Mexican Federal Police and Immigration Agents in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Mexico City, Mexico Foreign Field Office, and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force in Sioux City, Iowa. Meyer was detained by Mexican authorities and expelled from Mexico. After being expelled, Meyer was arrested by U.S. Marshals in the Southern District of Texas, where he is being held pending transportation back to Sioux City, Iowa.

Mitchell Meyer was arrested by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa in February 1998 on 2 counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Meyer was released on bond and scheduled for trial on May 25, 1999; Meyer never appeared for trial.

In 2005 the United States Marshal Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force adopted the case and began searching for the whereabouts of Meyer. Unfortunately family members were uncooperative, and the only promising lead was that Meyer was in Mexico. In 2014, Deputy Marshal Dave Hubbell put a fresh set of eyes on the case and began to search for new leads. In May of 2015 Hubbell featured Meyer on Siouxland’s Most Wanted; a collaborative effort with KPTH Fox 44 and KMEG television stations. The tips began to roll in; many were simply old news, however one particular tip put Meyer in El Mezquitillo Mexico and ultimately led to the arrest of Meyer by Mexican Authorities.

United States Marshal Kenneth Runde offered praise for Deputy Hubbell’s efforts, stating; “Hubbell’s tenacity and sheer determination is reflective of the dedication and commitment to the community that the United States Marshal Service exhibits every day enforcing the laws of the United States”.