CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An operation mainly targeting noncompliant sex offenders in southern West Virginia resulted in 59 arrests.
U.S. Attorney for Southern West Virginia Moore Capito joined federal, state, and local authorities Wednesday afternoon at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston to announce the results of Operation Coal Country, a multi-week collaborative effort among many different agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service for Southern West Virginia, State Police, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with ten local police departments and seven county sheriff’s offices teamed up during the operation.
While the operation mainly focused on sex offenders, 23 arrests were made for other violent felony offenses. Sixteen offenders were wanted for failing to properly update their registration, and 10 were charged with new sex offenses. A missing child from a family abduction in Wood County was also found and an arrest was made. The focus of the investigation was the State Police’s Troop 5 area, including Boone, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, and Wayne counties.
Capito commended the work by the numerous agencies involved. He called Deputy U.S. Marshal for Southern West Virginia Mark Waggamon the “quarterback” of the operation.
“All of those people coming together and getting in the same huddle to go run the same play,” Capito said. “That takes leadership, that takes work, an organization.”
Newly minted U.S. Marshal for Southern West Virginia Jack Chambers also credited the teamwork of Operation Coal Country. A former State Police Superintendent, Chambers was confirmed as U.S. Marshal before the U.S. Senate’s recess in August. Chambers replaced Michael Baylous, who went on to become cabinet secretary for Homeland Security in Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s administration.
“Any operation this size does not happen without a strong partnership, good intelligence, sharing, and officers willing to work together for a common mission,” Chambers said. “We’re all trying to do the same thing, trying to get the bad guys or girls off the street. Protecting our communities.”
The operation also included help from U.S. Marshal Services in Florida and Arizona. Chambers said the success was because of many people putting boots on the ground in many different areas.
“The credit goes to the men and women that’s out knocking on the doors, developing leads, conducting surveillance and investigations, and then ultimately making arrests,” Chambers said. “Many of them were coordinated in the county, across county lines, sometimes, in some instances, across the nation.”
Drugs, guns, and currency were also seized. Officers found 75.1 grams of fentanyl, 1.54 kilograms of methamphetamine, 33.3 grams of cocaine, around $6,000, a gun, and some ammunition.
There were 383 total sex offender checks made. Waggamon, who played a key role in coordinating Operation Coal Country, said the goal was simple: to hold responsible those who pose threats.
“What I’m most proud of is not the numbers that this operation was built around, but the teamwork,” Waggamon said. “Every compliance check mattered. Every arrest mattered. The recovery of a missing child mattered. Taking drugs off the street that pollute our state mattered.”
Capito, along with law enforcement, all promised similar operations to come.
Each member of law enforcement delivered a stern warning to noncompliant sex offenders during the news conference. State Police Superintendent Col. Jim Mitchell said sex offender registration is not merely an “administrative requirement,” but rather a public safety responsibility.
“To the registered offenders in the state of West Virginia, the message is actually quite simple,” Mitchell said. “Compliance is not optional. If the law requires you to register or to report information, then you are absolutely expected to do it, and we will hold you accountable to such.”