Sheriff Joe O'Donoghue says public tips, expanded warrant enforcement and cooperation with federal authorities have helped apprehend six of the county's 10 most wanted fugitives in recent weeks.
ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — Six of Atlantic County's 10 most wanted fugitives have been apprehended in recent weeks, and Sheriff Joe O'Donoghue says cooperation between law enforcement agencies and tips from the public have played an important role in the arrests.
O'Donoghue discussed the initiative during a Wednesday, Sept. 23, appearance on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 and 92.3 WOND, providing additional details about the Sheriff's Office's efforts to locate individuals wanted on outstanding warrants.
The sheriff said five fugitives were arrested during the first week after the county released its most wanted list. A sixth was subsequently apprehended in Philadelphia with assistance from federal authorities.
"We just published our 10 most wanted in Atlantic County. And we did a countdown. The first week, we arrested five of them," O'Donoghue said.
The latest arrest involved Adrian Abney, 58, who was wanted on an Atlantic County Superior Court warrant for aggravated assault.
Abney was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in the 5600 block of Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia, according to reports published Sept. 22.
His arrest brought the total number of fugitives captured from the county's original 10 most wanted list to six.
Four Fugitives Captured in Five Days
The U.S. Marshals Service previously confirmed that four individuals on Atlantic County's most wanted list were arrested during a five-day operation between Aug. 28 and Sept. 1.
The arrests were carried out by members of the U.S. Marshals Service-led New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement partners.
On Aug. 28, investigators arrested Brian Nixon in Pleasantville. Nixon was wanted for failing to appear in court in connection with charges stemming from alleged stalking, home invasion and burglary.
Also on Aug. 28, investigators apprehended Oratile Moeng in Egg Harbor City. Moeng was wanted for failing to appear in connection with a charge involving possession of child sexual abuse material.
On Aug. 31, Dominick Haynes was arrested in Atlantic City. He was wanted for failing to appear in connection with charges involving sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The following day, Sept. 1, investigators arrested Danna Jeffrey-Pope in Atlantic City. Jeffrey-Pope was wanted for failing to appear in connection with a conspiracy to commit robbery charge.
A fifth fugitive was also apprehended during the initial enforcement effort, bringing the total to five before Abney's subsequent arrest in Philadelphia.
The arrests involved individuals wanted on outstanding warrants. The underlying criminal allegations do not establish that those individuals have been convicted of the offenses.
Sheriff Credits Cooperation and Public Tips
During Wednesday's interview, O'Donoghue emphasized the importance of cooperation between his department, municipal police agencies and federal authorities.
The sheriff said the most wanted initiative has benefited from information provided by members of the public, along with the resources available through the U.S. Marshals Service.
The federal agency has also credited the partnership with Atlantic County law enforcement.
"The successful apprehension of these fugitives highlights the strength of our partnership with the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office," Nicholas Ricigliano, acting U.S. marshal for the District of New Jersey, said in a Sept. 3 announcement.
"Their investigators bring invaluable local knowledge, experience and commitment to our task force. By combining our resources, we were able to aggressively pursue these individuals to ensure they were brought before the court to answer the charges against them."
The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force brings together federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend individuals wanted on outstanding warrants.
Atlantic County's Sheriff's Office participates in the task force while also conducting its own fugitive investigations.
O'Donoghue Says Office Inherited Thousands of Outstanding Warrants
The sheriff also discussed broader efforts to strengthen warrant enforcement throughout Atlantic County.
O'Donoghue said his office inherited approximately 7,500 outstanding warrants when he took office and has since expanded its warrant division to increase enforcement efforts.
The sheriff described the backlog as one of the challenges his administration has been working to address.
The Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit is responsible for investigating individuals wanted on warrants issued by Atlantic County judges.
Its responsibilities include locating people wanted for criminal offenses, probation violations and other outstanding court matters.
The unit also assists other law enforcement agencies in locating fugitives wanted locally and nationally.
Although O'Donoghue cited approximately 7,500 outstanding warrants when he took office, he did not provide a current warrant backlog figure during the interview.
The six arrests connected to the most wanted initiative represent one part of the department's broader warrant enforcement efforts.
Four Fugitives Remain on Original List
With six of the original 10 most wanted fugitives apprehended, four remained outstanding as of the latest reported arrests.
The Sheriff's Office maintains a public most wanted page containing photographs, identifying information and the charges associated with individuals sought by law enforcement.
Residents can view the county's official list here:
Atlantic County Sheriff's Office — Most Wanted
The list may not immediately reflect every recent arrest, and residents should contact law enforcement to confirm whether an individual is still wanted.
Anyone with information about an outstanding fugitive is encouraged to contact the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office at 609-909-7200 or their local police department.
The Sheriff's Office warns residents not to attempt to apprehend wanted individuals themselves.
O'Donoghue said the recent arrests demonstrate the importance of public cooperation and continued coordination among law enforcement agencies as his department works to locate individuals wanted on outstanding warrants.
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
