SOFAST Arrests West Virginia Murder Suspect

Columbus, OH - The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) arrested a Columbus man today on an outstanding warrant issued by the Magistrate Court of Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Christopher Lamar Jones, 21, of Columbus was wanted by the Beckley, WV Police Department for one count of First Degree Murder, two counts of Malicious Wounding, ten counts of Wanton Endangerment and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The warrant, which was issued February 2nd, alleges that on January 30th Jones and Charmaine Kent, 25, of Columbus sprayed bullets into a group of approximately 10 people at a nightclub in the 300 block of Neville Street in the West Virginia town of Beckley. Three people were struck, two of whom survived their injuries, however a third, Chante Shivers died of her wounds.

Working closely with U.S. Marshals from the Southern District of West Virginia and the Beckley Police Department, Columbus-based Deputy Marshals and Task Force Officers tracked down Jones at an apartment on the 2500 block of Nona Rd in Columbus. Jones surrendered to officers and was arrested without incident.

Peter C. Tobin, United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, said, “This is a significant arrest of one half of a very dangerous duo who have tormented a community in West Virginia and come back to Ohio assuming they could hide, but they couldn’t.”

Kent was arrested a week ago and has been extradited to West Virginia to face charges.

Columbus SOFAST is a fugitive-focused, U.S. Marshals Service-led task force consisting of local, state and federal authorities including the Columbus Police Department, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Reynoldsburg Police Department, Delaware County Probation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 6,216 arrests (Updated as of 12/24/2015). These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.