U.S. Marshals Arrest Alleged Sexual Predator

Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals led Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force arrested Robert Franz, 63, at a truck stop near 339th Ave and Van Buren Rd in Buckeye. Franz was wanted by the Pampa, TX Police Department for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.

In December 2011, a warrant was issued by the Gray County Sheriff’s Office in Pampa, TX for the arrest of Franz. The arrest warrant stems from an incident that is alleged to have occurred in October 2011 during which Franz was discovered to have sexually assaulted a child under the age of five. Shortly after the issuance of the warrant, Franz fled Texas.

This afternoon, the Pampa Police Department contacted the Yuma division of the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force after information had been developed indicating that Franz had recently been in the Yuma area. After receiving this information, the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force was able to further cultivate it and discovered that Franz had likely fled Yuma and was in the Buckeye area. Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from the Phoenix Division quickly responded to a request from Yuma and located Franz at a Truck stop in Buckeye. After a brief surveillance, Franz was arrested as he exited the Truck stop.

U.S. Marshal David Gonzales stated, “This arrest is a true testament of what happens when law enforcement agencies work together to get predators off our streets. Fugitives should take notice that they will not be able to escape justice by fleeing from state-to-state.”

The United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined.

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

America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency