S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
A federal jury in Alaska has found George Moises Romero Jr., a Fairbanks resident, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing body armor as a violent felon. The conviction came after a three-day trial.
Court documents and evidence revealed that Romero, 37, had previously been convicted in October 2006 for Murder in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Second Degree, and Assault in the Third Degree by the Anchorage Superior Court. Although he was sentenced to 24 years, he was released on discretionary parole in 2019.
On June 4, 2024, a parole violation warrant was issued for Romero, leading to his apprehension by the Fairbanks Area Criminal Suppression Unit. To track him, authorities used real-time location data from Romero's phone. Yet, he evaded law enforcement and relocated to the Goldstream Valley.
On June 6, 2024, Alaska State Troopers deployed a helicopter equipped with high-powered cameras to locate the vehicle Romero used for his escape. The helicopter tracked the vehicle to a wooded area where Romero, seemingly equipped for camping, was dropped off. As he entered the woods, authorities approached and arrested him. At the time of arrest, Romero wore body armor and had two loaded firearms, additional loaded magazines, and a duffle bag with a third firearm and more ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, alongside officials from the Alaska State Troopers, the FBI, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the conviction.
Multiple agencies, including Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, and ATF Anchorage Field Office, were involved in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek, along with Trial Attorneys David Bernhardt and Lauren Weed from the Antitrust Division, are leading the prosecution.
