Government

Attorney General Abbott's fugitive unit arrests 12 convicted child sex offenders in Texas sweep

Dragnet also catches two Louisiana fugitives hiding in Texas

Office of Greg Abbott, Attorney General of Texas

February 28, 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI—Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's Fugitive Unit has arrested 12 convicted child sex offenders and two Louisiana criminals during a one-week South Texas fugitive operation. Convicted sex offender Eugene Fleming, Jr., 39, was arrested Feb. 15 in Houston for parole violation.

The Fugitive Unit arrested Louisiana fugitives who went into hiding during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuation — Dominic E. Lampton, 39, in Houston and Billie Rose Robertson, 27, in Kingsville. Lampton is wanted for violating parole after a weapons offense conviction. Robertson is wanted by Louisiana authorities for violating probation on a fraud conviction. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Fugitive Unit has apprehended 27 Louisiana criminals with outstanding warrants who fled to Texas.

Convicted sex offender Eugene Fleming, Jr., 39, was arrested Feb. 15 in Houston for parole violation.	Convicted on a weapons offense, Louisiana fugitive Dominic E. Lampton, 39, was arrested in Houston for parole violation.

"Texans expect law enforcement to closely monitor convicted sex offenders. Protecting children is our highest priority," Attorney General Abbott said. "The Fugitive Unit will continue aggressively pursuing violent felons and missing parolees who pose a threat to our children. We are grateful to the local police and county sheriff's departments that helped us locate and arrest these dangerous criminals."

The Attorney General's investigators, working with local law enforcement officers in several South Texas counties, arrested eight men for violating Texas sex offender registration requirements. Six parole or probation violators were also arrested in the sweep, including two Louisiana fugitives.

Unregistered Sex Offender Arrests in South Texas

Alvin Smith
Pedro Arredondo
Richard Lemon
Salvador Cantu

Oliver Brown
Shelvy Grant
Robert McMullen
Patrick Schweikert

The Fugitive Unit caught the eight unregistered sex offenders as part of Operation Missing Predator, the Attorney General's statewide initiative to locate and arrest unregistered sex offenders.

Among the eight offenders arrested was Alvin Joe Smith, 50, who was apprehended Feb. 13 in Corpus Christi for failing to comply with mandatory sex offender requirements. In 1992, Smith was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted in Aransas County of indecency with a child.

Other unregistered sex offenders arrested in the roundup:

• Pedro Niklas Arredondo, 35, arrested Feb. 14 in Bee County

• Richard Lemon, 38, arrested Feb. 14 in Bee County

• Salvador Cantu, 45, arrested Feb. 12 in Kleberg County

• Oliver Brown, 39, arrested Feb. 13 in Nueces County

• Shelvy Grant, 35, arrested Feb. 14 in Nueces County

• Robert Ray McMullen, 50, arrested Feb. 13 in San Patricio County

• Patrick Lee Scweikert, 34, arrested Feb. 9 in Black River Falls, Wisc.

The successful sweep netted four other convicted sex offenders for parole violations:

• Lindsey Caldwell Duckworth, 56, arrested Feb. 14 in Austin

• Gilbert Nevarez Fraga, 60, arrested Feb. 16 in Austin

• Roy Ruben Guzman, 68, arrested Feb. 12 in San Antonio

• Eugene Fleming, Jr., 39, arrested Feb. 15 in Houston

Louisiana Fugitive Arrests

Billie Robertson
Dominic Lampton

The Fugitive Unit worked closely with local police departments in Beeville, Corpus Christi and Houston. The Attorney General's investigators also teamed with sheriff's offices in Harris, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces and San Patricio counties to secure warrants and make arrests.

Attorney General Abbott's Fugitive Unit works with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and other law enforcement agencies to pinpoint and arrest fugitives with a history of sex crimes against children who have violated parole or sex offender registration requirements. Parole violations include failing to report to parole officers or being present in areas that might allow them access to young children. Since operations began in August 2003, the unit has arrested more than 400 sex offenders.

To find out more about Attorney General Abbott's efforts to crack down on sexual predators, visit the Attorney General's Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us or call (800) 252-8011.

Note: Reorganized for Houston area.