U.S. Marshal Recovers Five Missing Teens in Annual Operation
The U.S. Marshals Service announced the recovery of five missing young women, ranging in age from 14 to 17, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dubbed "Operation Boo Dat," the lengthy investigation led to the arrest of 30 individuals, including 17 suspected felony sex offender violators.
The operation is an annual one for the U.S. Marshals New Orleans Task Force. Various law enforcement agencies including the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Louisiana State Police partnered with the US Marshal Service in the investigation, the Justice Department reported. Taking place from October 19 to December 24, 2021, authorities completed over 100 sex offender compliance checks, which entail visiting the sex offender's reported address of residence to verify that the person still lives there.
“With critical assistance from our state and local partners along with Crimestoppers GNO, we continue our daily efforts to make the Eastern District of Louisiana safer. The results of this operation were only accomplished via law enforcement teamwork and USMS New Orleans Task Force along with our local, state, and federal partners continue to support the Sex Offender Investigations and Missing Child Unit missions of the USMS along with ongoing investigations of violent felony offender fugitives across the Eastern District of Louisiana," stated Scott Illing, U.S. Marshal of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The press release indicates two of the victims, also sisters, may have been victims of felony criminal sexual activities committed by an adult(s). At least three of the rescued girls were victims of sex trafficking, as well.
Arrested suspects include Lorenzo Oliver, a tier 3 sex offender—the most severe classification with a mandatory lifetime registration on the sex offender registry. Oliver also has previous convictions for attempted rape and sexual battery.
The authorities also arrested Lamonte Versill Morris, who they say has a warrant in San Patricio County, Texas, for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in June.
One of the arrestees, a 17-year-old young woman, is facing felony charges for human trafficking, with connections to various runaways in New Orleans as well as organized gang affiliations.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 requires sex offenders to register with the National Sex Offender Registry and update their registration whenever they travel or move. A compliance check requires officers to verify that a person still lives at an address provided by the sex offender. This often requires countless hours of follow-up investigation.