Fugitive Sex Offender Tracked Down in Florida

Today at about 3:50 p.m., a fugitive sex offender was arrested following an extensive cooperative investigation between the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), the United States Marshals Service and local police in Massachusetts.

Thirty-one-year-old Mark C. Tarasiak, II, of Worcester was wanted as a Fugitive from Justice out of Florida for Failure to Register as a sex offender. On Wednesday, November 22, 2006, VFAS attempted to arrest Tarasiak at his work site in Charlton, MA, but he fled into a nearby wooded area just prior to their arrival. An extensive search of the area ensued, but Tarasiak was not located.

A subsequent exhaustive investigation by VFAS led investigators to believe that Tarasiak was staying at the Red Roof Inn in Palm Harbor Florida.

At about 3:50 p.m. today, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department located Tarasiak at that location and took him into custody without incident.

Tarasiak is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater Florida.

State Police were assisted in this investigation by the U.S. Marshal's Service, Worcester Police, Millbury Police, Auburn Police and Charlton Police.

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www.mass.gov/msp

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