U.S. MARSHALS ARREST ROLEX WATCH ROBBER

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE 
Savannah's Most Wanted Captured

Savannah, Georgia – A Savannah man on the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Most Wanted list was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Task Force and SCMPD K-9 on October 1, 2013.

Rashamel Okise Gardner, 20, was wanted by the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department on two separate warrants charging him with Robbery by Sudden Snatching for incidents at F.P. Wortley and Levy Jewelers in Augusts of 2013 where Rolex watches were taken from both stores totaling approximately $42,000.

The case was referred to the Savannah Office of the United States Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Gardner. An extensive investigation was conducted by the Marshals Task Force and information was generated that Gardner was in a house at 908 Waters Avenue, in Savannah, GA. Task Force officers surrounded the home and gained entry to look for the Gardner. An SCMPD K-9 was called to assist in locating Gardner in the home. Officers determined that Gardner went up in the attic area. While trying to coax him out of the attic, Gardner fell through the ceiling into the rear of the home. Gardner was arrested without incident and taken to SCMPD headquarters to be interviewed by detectives.

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. In 2011, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 86,000 state and local fugitives, which cleared over 113,000 warrants.

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, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Department, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Department, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department, the Hampton County Sheriff’s 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.