BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Dozens of arrests, including multiple felonies, were announced by the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of WV.
According to U.S. Marshals, a total of 44 arrests were made between September 7 to September 24, 2021, through Operation Invictus. Charges range from First Degree Murder to Wanton Endangerment and Malicious Wounding. Operation Invictus was conducted by the CUFF Task Force.
The task force is a joint operation between Fayette, Mercer and Raleigh counties.
Michael Baylous, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of WV, announced multiple guns and drugs were also apprehended during Operation Invictus.
“There were six firearms that were recovered,” Baylous said. “There was numerous weights of meth, heroine, fentanyl and marijuana that was recovered as well as a little over $24,000 in U.S. currency.”
Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield said two people wanted by the Raleigh County Prosecutor’s Office were apprehended during the operation. Alfred Pitman was wanted for sexual assault, law enforcement found two guns and multiple drugs in his possession at the time of arrest. Wayne Oglesby was also arrested for felony child abuse.
“They had alluded detection and apprehension for quite some time and we were able to take some extraordinary measures to obtain Mr. Pitman’s person,” Hatfield said. “He was arrested by the Marshals in cooperation with local law enforcement and he faces state charges that are potentially being investigated for additional charges as well.”
Both Hatfield and Baylous said the cooperation among law enforcement is essential in catching people with active arrest warrants.
“West Virginia being a rural state, Southern West Virginia especially being rural, departments are pretty small,” Baylous said. “So the way the CUFF task force works, any agency that’s a part of it, it’s used as a force multiplier.”
Stick with 59News as we continue to provide updates on the arrests.