Three fugitives arrested during U.S. Marshals operation in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Warrant Watch is a partnership with NBC4 and the U.S. Marshals Service, highlighting violent fugitives in the community. Often, the public's tips help get those violent criminals off the streets.
The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) does a lot of work behind the scenes before actually going to make the arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshal Kevin Deppe supervises the Special Task Force assigned to serve high-risk warrants in Ohio.
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'We don't want to be going willy-nilly around neighborhoods and disrupting normal people's everyday lives,' Deppe said. 'And so, in order to do that, we try to shore up locations that these targets may be. That's what the investigative work is for, so that we're not going places we don't unnecessarily need to be.'
NBC4 was there Tuesday to see members of the SOFAST task force put that work to action and arrest three known fugitives in the Columbus area.
The first was Nicholas Knight, who was wanted for violating parole on an aggravated robbery and concealed weapons charge. Deppe said SOFAST always looks for signs of life inside the residence. As soon as enough boxes are checked, whether that be movement inside the home or lights flickering, they approach.
The second suspect wasn't as cut and dry. Keith Mullins was wanted on an aggravated burglary and strangulation charge. SOFAST task force members surrounded the west side apartment complex he was believed to be. Neighbors confirmed they saw him recently, but officers received a tip from someone inside the apartment that Mullins was down the road at his sister's place. Sure enough, just as they got to her door, he was walking out.
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'When we did come in contact with them, he said he was just moving out to go to the grocery store to grab some things,' Deppe said. 'Luckily, we were there and saw him and took him into custody.'
According to Deppe, this isn't uncommon — the suspect isn't always at the first place they look, but officers go where the information takes them.
The final arrest was the quickest. Carl Epps was wanted for violating his parole. He is facing an armed robbery charge and a domestic violence charge in Franklin County. He came out of the home peacefully within a few minutes.
'We're able to find people at home a lot of times in those early morning hours,' Deppe said. 'Then as the day progresses and people go about their business, what we end up doing is more of the investigative work. So, it's looking into different places that people can be and interviewing different associates that they may have.'
Deppe said law enforcement officers rely heavily on tips from the public.
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'Sometimes the general population has information about where these targets might be that we couldn't otherwise find in a computer database,' Deppe said. 'And so, the tips become integral in really locating the targets that we're looking for.
According to Deppe, the way Tuesday's arrests went is ideal for the task force, but that isn't always the case.
'Unfortunately, sometimes, you know, when you're going looking for these targets, they are also people to going about their everyday life,' Deppe said. 'And so sometimes the information that we receive is a little bit late or the places that we think that they're going to be don't necessarily work out.'
Deppe said the SOFAST team is made up of task force members as well as members of local police and sheriffs' departments.
Anyone with information about a wanted person can submit a tip to the U.S. Marshals by clicking here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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