Sheriff Joseph O'Donoghue says information from the public helped authorities track down fugitives
ATLANTIC COUNTY — Half of the fugitives featured on Atlantic County's recently released Top 10 Most Wanted list are now in custody, with five arrests occurring in a rapid succession of apprehensions involving local, county and federal law enforcement.
Atlantic County Sheriff Joseph O'Donoghue says the public deserves some of the credit.
"We've arrested five of the 10 Most Wanted in a little over a week and a day," O'Donoghue said Thursday during an appearance on The Don Williams Show on WOND. "And that's because of public support."
O'Donoghue said publication of the list generated substantial information from residents.
"We had an overwhelming amount of public information pouring in, giving us where, when, how, who they're with, what time," O'Donoghue said. "This is the public. Policing is not magic."
"We don't do this on our own," he added. "We need public input, public support."
The five people captured are Quincy Knight, Brian Nixon, Oratile Moeng, Dominick Haynes and Danna Jeffery-Pope.
Knight was the first of the five taken into custody, arrested Aug. 18 by Pleasantville police.
Nixon and Moeng were both arrested Aug. 28.
Nixon was taken into custody in Pleasantville by members of the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force Atlantic City Division, Atlantic County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit and New Jersey State Parole Board. Authorities said he surrendered without incident.
Nixon had been wanted for failure to appear in connection with charges stemming from alleged stalking, home invasion and burglary.
Moeng was located in Egg Harbor City following an investigation by the U.S. Marshals task force and Atlantic County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Warrant Unit. He was wanted for failure to appear in connection with a child pornography possession case.
The fourth capture came Aug. 31, when authorities located Haynes at an apartment on North South Carolina Avenue in Atlantic City.
Haynes had been wanted on warrants issued by Atlantic County Superior Court for failure to appear on charges involving sexual assault of a minor, endangering a minor and a weapons offense.
Authorities said investigators developed "reliable intelligence" that led members of the U.S. Marshals task force and Sheriff's Office detectives to the apartment, where Haynes was taken into custody.
Jeffery-Pope became the fifth person from the list apprehended when she was arrested Sept. 1 in Atlantic City.
Authorities said an Atlantic County Superior Court warrant had been issued in November 2025 after Jeffery-Pope failed to appear in connection with a first-degree armed robbery charge.
Sheriff's Office detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force investigated the case and developed information about Jeffery-Pope's location. Investigators followed that information to an apartment in Stanley Holmes Village, where she was taken into custody.
The arrests involved cooperation among the Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals Service and other state and local law enforcement agencies.
Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey Nicholas Ricigliano credited the partnership with the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office, saying its investigators brought "invaluable local knowledge, experience and commitment" to the fugitive task force.
The Sheriff's Office has increasingly publicized wanted individuals as part of its effort to locate fugitives, a strategy O'Donoghue defended during his WOND interview.
"Don't you want to know who's in your neighborhood, who's around your family, your kids?" O'Donoghue said.
The sheriff said the results from the latest list reinforce his belief that making names and photographs public can generate useful information for investigators.
"So, yes, we're going to continue to publish these names," O'Donoghue said.
With five people now captured, five of the fugitives named on the Top 10 list remain at large.
Authorities caution members of the public against attempting to apprehend wanted individuals themselves. Information about fugitives can be provided to law enforcement. The Atlantic County Sheriff's Office lists its main telephone number as 609-909-7200.
Charges and warrants are allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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.
