GALLIPOLIS — A Kentucky man who escaped from Gallia County sheriff’s deputies’ custody in December 2009 was captured by the United States Marshals Service during a joint sex offender search and warrant sweep last week in eastern Kentucky.

Gallia County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, to Gallia Road on a domestic dispute call involving 26-year-old Jeffrey Watkins. He escaped from a cruiser after being arrested on warrants out of Greenup, Ky.

Watkins was arrested in Greenup, Ky., following his escape and remains in custody awaiting an extradition hearing. He faces felony escape charges in Gallia County.

From Jan. 25-28, local law enforcement, Deputy U.S. Marshals and BCI Agents joined forces in a federal operation known as Operation Neighborhood Watch Eastern Borders to locate and ensure sex offenders are complying with sex offender registration obligations. In addition, the U.S. Marshals Service and Gallia County Sheriff’s office completed a warrant sweep in the local area.

Marshals used the opportunity to track down and arrest three sex offenders: Jerry Raines, Gallia County, who had refused to follow registration requirements and had been on the run for over 319 days; Brian Barney, Meigs County, who had been non-compliant for 586 days; and Brian Stewart, Meigs County, who was out of compliance for 131 days.

“Warrants had been issued by the court for their arrest and the task force used its investigative expertise and the personal knowledge of local police officers and deputy sheriffs to track them down and put them in jail,” said task force leader Deputy U.S. Marshal Nicole Ralston. “The citizens of these counties are safer as a result of these arrests.”

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, four out of 33 registered sex offenders in Gallia County were found to be out of compliance. Those offenders are facing possible local charges, including additional charges of firearms and parole violations. Four other subjects, including Watkins, were also arrested on other criminal charges.

“The assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service is greatly appreciated,” said Gallia County Sheriff Joe Browning. “Coordinated multi-agency efforts like we have done here the past two days definitely send the message that sex offenders living in our communities must stay in compliance, and that the offenders are being checked on. This effort should be a comfort to our citizens and definitely shows that your local sheriff’s office can obtain federal assistance when needed.”

In Meigs County, 11 of the 35 registered sex offenders were found to be out of compliance.

Three were arrested on failure to register: Brian Barney, Brian Stewart and Timothy Ball. In addition, six subjects were arrested on other criminal violations.

Meigs County Sheriff Robert E. Beegle said, “I welcome the assistance provided to my office by the members of the task force. We take seriously the requirements placed on the sex offenders by the court and the law and want to make sure they are following the rules. Operations like this benefit the citizens of Meigs County and help make our county’s citizens safer.”

“The collaborative efforts of all of the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies involved in this operations sends a clear message that we stand together to protect our communities,” said Interim United State Marshal Cathy Jones. “We also want to emphasize we appreciate the cooperation of all the citizens we encountered who provided tips throughout the week.”

As for sex offenders who are out of compliance, “We are determined to locate you and will not stop until we do so. We have clearly shown that in the arrests of Brian Barney and Brian Stewart,” said Jones.

(For information about sex offenders registered in Gallia County, visit www.galliasheriff.org. For Meigs County infomation, visit www.sheriffalerts.com.)