NH Joint Fugitive Task Force Arrests ‘Fugitive of the Week'

Concord, NH - The U.S. Marshals New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force late Wednesday afternoon arrested a “Fugitive of the Week” wanted on an outstanding Strafford County warrant for a probation violation for possession of fentanyl.

Paul Brooks, 29, was arrested without incident as a result of a motor vehicle stop in Rochester. Brooks was on probation from a dangerous drugs conviction in 2016. Members of the task force tracked down Brooks to a residence on Forrest Street in Rochester and observed him leaving the residence in a vehicle. The vehicle was stopped on Salmon Falls Road, and Brooks was arrested without incident.

Brooks was transported to the Strafford County jail for processing and holding pending his initial court appearance at a later date

AThe arrest warrant was issued July 6 and, as part of the U.S. Marshals fugitive investigation, Brooks was featured as the “Fugitive of the Week” on August 2. The segment aired on WTPL-FM, WMUR-TV, The Union Leader, The Nashua Telegraph, The Patch, Foster’s Daily Democrat, Manchester Information, the Manchester Ink Link and was featured prominently on the internet. The “Fugitive of the Week” has been a very successful tool that has resulted in the location and arrest of numerous fugitives since its implementation in 2007. Additionally, the “Fugitive of the Week” is distributed statewide to all law enforcement officers.

The New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force is composed of members from the following agencies: Belknap County Sheriff’s Department Federal Protective Service Greenfield Police Department Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department Strafford County Sheriff’s Department U.S. Marshals Service “The Sheriff’s Office is thankful for our strong partnership with the U.S. Marshals Joint Fugitive Task Force, and it was because of that partnership that Brooks was arrested without incident, only hours after being featured as the fugitive of the week,” said Captain Heather Cote of the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office.

Since its inception in 2002, the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force has arrested more than 6,806 fugitives (updated as of May 25). These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, seven regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.