US Marshals: Operation SOCC Brought 628 Sex Offenders into Compliance

The U.S. Marshals from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia along with Greenville, Spartanburg, and Pickens County Sheriff’s Deputies, Greenville and Mauldin Police Officers, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) completed a successful Sex Offender Community Compliance operation (SOCC) in the upstate during the week of December 5. Operation SOCC targeted 656 active sex offenders being monitored by Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and verified 628 listed offenders. 
 
During Operation SOCC each offender was required to sign the verification sheet at the prospective address of residence. Of the 628 address verifications, 11 sex offenders were deemed non-compliant and arrest warrants were obtained for each non-compliant offender and 10 have been arrested while one remains at large. Operation SOCC aided in the clearing of 24 state/local warrants for charges not associated with the compliance check. 

“Protecting our communities and verifying addresses of registered sex offenders are of paramount importance and the U.S. Marshals will support all local avenues of law enforcement to bring these registered offenders into compliance. Providing federal law enforcement support to the state of South Carolina is what our dedicated Deputy U.S. Marshals render daily and we continue to strive to make the streets a safe place for all our citizens.” stated Kelvin Washington, U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina.
Sheriff Steve Loftis said, “The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office is greatly appreciative to the US Marshals and the additional agencies that participated in this extremely important effort. This effort is a prime example of what can be accomplished when multiple agencies come together for an important cause.”

Established in 1789, the United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. In fiscal 2010, the Marshals arrested more than 36,100 federal fugitives, clearing 39,400 felony warrants and arrested 11,072 sex offenders. Marshal’s Service-led task forces like South Carolina’s Operation Intercept arrested 81,900 state and local fugitives, clearing 108,200 felony warrants. Locally, Operation Intercept arrested over 2,500 South Carolina fugitives during that same period. 

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.