New Orleans, LA - The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) New Orleans Task Force (USMS Eastern District of Louisiana) sponsored its annual Operation Boo Dat 2019 from October 20 to Nov. 09, 2019. The partnership between USMS, Crimestoppers GNO, Louisiana State Police (LSP), Louisiana Probation and Parole (LA P&P), New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO), and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) resulted in 17 arrests with 14 of the arrests being for felony sex offender registration violations. During the operation a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office fugitive wanted on open sex based charges was also located at a homeless shelter in New Orleans. The operation also resulted in the arrest of Tier 3 sex offender, Alton Bridges, (was wanted by Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for Failure to Appear in Court on a pending felony Failure to Register as a Sex Offender charge and still never registered with NOPD after hiding for almost 5 years previously) in the 1900 block of North Derbigny Street. Two additional fugitives were arrested during Alton Bridges’ arrest with one female fugitive being wanted out of St. Tammany Parish for Burglary, Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and Theft of a Motor Vehicle. A male at the North Derbigny residence was found to have an open warrant for La Probation Violations as well.
Another highlight of the operation was the arrest of sex offender Corey Darnell McKay on 10/24/2019. McKay was wanted out of Terrebonne Parish on a felony Failure to Register warrant as well as a warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on a pending Forgery case. He had been wanted since July of 2019 and had been living in New Orleans illegally since at least May. McKay has multiple prior sex offender registration violation convictions. His original sex based conviction making him a Tier 2 Sex Offender involved a female child. At the time of McKay’s arrest in New Orleans he was involved in suspicious activity involving him trying to make contact from a homeless shelter in New Orleans, LA with a realtor in an effort to get the agent to pick him up to look at houses.
Crimestoppers GNO tips were critical to several of the arrests during the operation and Crimestoppers GNO ran a photo spread of over twenty wanted sex offender fugitives with a reward offered for information leading to an arrest.
During Operation Boo Dat a total of 80 sex offender compliance checks were attempted or completed in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes with a surge in checks on Halloween night in Orleans Parish by the New Orleans Police Department Sex Offender Registration Unit. Sex Offender compliance checks require law enforcement officers to go to the sex offender’s reported address of residence to verify that the person still lives at the provided address. Often countless hours of follow up investigative work are required during and after a compliance check.
Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Marshal Scott Illing stated, this annual partnership with state and local law enforcement during Halloween highlights what can be done when law enforcement agencies working together. While 17 arrests is not an enormous number our Task Force and partner agencies also made multiple arrests for Homicide, Rape and other violent felony offenses during this same time frame. Crimestoppers GNO was also a critical partner during the operation and their efforts resulted in several great tips. The work done during Boo Dat will continue all year long but the additional funds that USMS is able to provide for partner agencies assist with more hours on the streets chasing down non-compliant sex offenders.
U.S. Marshals New Orleans Task Force is currently still committed to looking for fugitive sex offender, Jeremiah Shawn Prater (African American male, 31 years of age, 5’09" 160-175 lbs.). Prater is still wanted on three Orleans Parish felony warrants related to his sex offender registration and LA Probation. He still has ties to the New Orleans metro area as well as the state of Georgia. (Jeremiah Prater was Apprehended on Nov. 14, 2019)
Prater was convicted in Caddo Parish, LA in February of 2017 of Indecent Behavior with Juveniles and law enforcement records indicate that the female victim was 16 years of age with Prater being 27 years of age at the time of the offense. Prater also has a history of domestic battery as well as battery on police and resisting arrest. Prater is listed by law enforcement with “violent tendencies" and should be considered dangerous.
Any information can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service at (504) 589-6872, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or by submitting a tip using USMS Tips. Crimestoppers GNO may also be contacted with tips at (504) 822-1111.
Source: U.S. Marshals Service Contacts
