Hundreds Arrested in Operation FALCON 2008

By News Channel 11

Published: July 2, 2008

Law enforcement officers are proclaiming Operation FALCON 2008 a success. The joint law enforcement investigation conducted from June 22-28, netted 380 arrests, including 26 sex offenders. It also located 74 fugitives in the Greeneville area. 35 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers participated in Operation FALCON. Operation FALCON launched in 2005 and combines the efforts of local law enforcement agencies to find and arrest fugitives wanted on felony charges including sexual predators.

In the Tri-Cities Region, U.S. Marshals arrested 11 people in Greene County, nine in Sullivan County, three in Washington County, three in Bristol, one in Carter County, and one in Kingsport. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee Russ Dedrick says the numbers tell a bigger story about what happens when agencies pool their resources.

“They’re just untold benefits,” Dedrick said. “Lives saved, harm inflicted on our children, kids, sex offenders.”

The vast majority of the arrests locally were drug-related, but one in the Tri-Cities targeted convicted sex offender Richard Hinen.

“He came down here and was being supervised here, violated his probation by not keeping his registration current and not going to sex offender treatment,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Karen Burke said. “He was arrested in Kingsport and the saddest part is that there were small children that lived in the house with him.”