Full Notification

GRANT COUNTY, Wash. (26MAR2014) – “Operation Short Stop” was conducted Mar. 19 and 20 by the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF).

The PNVOTF is a U.S. Marshals-led task force includes Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, the District of Alaska, and the District of Oregon, along with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

There were teams of task force officers working all felony warrants in the Eastern District of Washington with a focus on the Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Yakima regions. Locally, the PNVOTF includes law enforcement officers from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Moses Lake Police Department, and Ephrata Police Department. Assisting in the operation were task force deputies from the U.S. Border Patrol and Department of Corrections (DOC).

Ordinarily the main focus of the PNVOTF is toward capturing sex offenders and other violent offenders. This operation also focused on Department of Corrections warrants.

Statistics:
• 19 total felony arrests, 16 of which were arrests for DOC warrants;
• One gram of cocaine seized;
• Two firearms seized, one of which was stolen;
• Two out of county felony warrants.

Arrested during Operation Short Stop:
1. Kevin K. Clark, 26, Soap Lake, DOC Detention Order, Registered Sex Offender
2. Eliazar Junior Ramos, 35, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
3. Steven B. Gomez, 37, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order, possession of one gram of cocaine
4. Regina E. Anderson, 39, Moses Lake, Out of County Felony Warrant
5. Michael E. McLaughlin, Jr., 54, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order, failure to appear on a domestic violence assault charge
6. Aaron D. Smith, 23, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order, Registered Sex Offender
7. Feliz S. Espino, 29, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
8. Michael R. Bohn, 56, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
9. Donald D. Jarvi, 58, Moses Lake, Community Custody Violator, failure to appear
10. Celton M.Z. Kimmell, 21, Moses Lake, FTA Possession of Meth with Intent to Deliver
11. Juan M. Cantu, 38, Othello, DOC Detention Order
12. Cortney M. R. Moreno, 21, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
13. Erney W. Gilbert, 53, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
14. Gary G. Gales, 42, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order
15. Javier I. Rivera, 18, Moses Lake, failure to appear on a DUI charge, failure to appear on a possession of stolen firearm charge
16. Janie E. Oliva, 50, Moses Lake, Out of county felony warrant for violating conditions of release
17. Juan P. Valentin, 35, Moses Lake, DOC Detention Order

Significant arrests:
18. Michael J. Alvarez, 26, Soap Lake, Registered Sex Offender, DOC Detention Order; also arrested for barricading himself after holding grandmother against her will at knifepoint
19. Keelan A. Vasquez, 29, Moses Lake, arrested for unlawful possession of two firearms (one was stolen); warrant for third-degree theft; obstructing law enforcement officers

“This was a great sweep by task force members,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “This operation means 20 felons are off the street and serving their sentences as imposed by the courts.”

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