The manhunt for a former youth minister turned fugitive intensified on Wednesday, as the U.S. Marshals, who were honored in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program for Excellence in Public Safety, named him one of the nation’s 15 Most Wanted.
Jeffrey Winston Forrest, 47, is wanted by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department in Abilene, Texas, for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, bail jumping, and failure to appear.
The U.S. Marshals joined the manhunt for Forrest after he was charged with fleeing to avoid prosecution.
“The unimaginable crimes allegedly committed by Jeffrey Forrest make him a significant threat to the public, especially children,” explained U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington.
“The U.S. Marshals will leave no stone unturned until he is behind bars to face justice.”
In 2015, charges were filed against Forrest when four victims came forward and accused him of sexually assaulting them.
The victims stated Forrest repeatedly assaulted them from the ages of 8 to 15.
Investigators believe he used his position as a youth minister at several different churches to gain access and groom his victims.
On April 2, 2015, Forrest was arrested on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Following his arrest, Forrest was released on bond and a trial date was set for Aug. 29, 2016. Unfortunately, he failed to appear for his trial, and after an investigation into his disappearance, authorities determined he never intended to.
“It was discovered Forrest planned to flee to Mexico and obtain a new identity,” added Deputy U.S. Marshal Darrell Clark of the Northern District of Texas who is leading the fugitive investigation.
While investigators found credible evidence of his travel to Mexico, his trail has grown cold due to his use and knowledge of the dark web and communication software such as Tor to mask his digital footprint.
Download Wanted Poster for Jeffrey Forrest for your agency.
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Forrest (aka Winston Forest) is a 6-foot white male weighing approximately 250 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
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He may be wearing prescription glasses and needs medication for several medical conditions.
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His unique physical characteristics include a tattoo of a Star Wars symbol on his right leg.
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Forrest is known to have a boisterous personality and tends to speak loudly when he talks.
The U.S. Marshals are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading directly to his arrest.
Anyone with information should notify the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office, the agency’s Communications Center at 1-877-WANTED-2, or through a tips app at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
U.S. Marshals, Recognized in 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
United States Marshals Service
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Excellence in Public Safety
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Fugitive Task Forces
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The U.S. Marshals Service currently leads 60 Regional fugitive task forces which combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and assist in high profile investigations.
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(See a brief introduction to the United States Marshals Service narrated by John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted. Courtesy of Shane T. McCoy and YouTube.)
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
American Security Today is pleased to announce that Deann Criswell, the NYC Emergency Management Commissioner will deliver the keynote address at the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon Banquet in New York City.
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The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.
The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.
Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.
Why the ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?
American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
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Excellence in Public Safety and Government Security Award Nominations are also being accepted, such as 2019 Honored Winners which includes the DEA, U.S. Marine Corps, DHS S&T, Federal Protective Service, DHS S&T NUSTL, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, The Port Authority of NY/NJ, and the NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services.
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The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
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The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually and includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.
It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2019 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
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Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
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