A long-running manhunt that started on a Town of Ulster roadside in 2021 has ended behind prison walls. Authorities say Benjamin T. Chapman, wanted in connection with an attack that injured a Town of Ulster police officer during a traffic stop, was brought back to New York this week after local detectives traveled to a federal prison in West Virginia to take him into custody. Chapman was returned to Ulster County, booked on felony charges and lodged in the county jail, closing what police describe as a multistate search involving federal task forces and multiple departments.
What authorities say happened in March 2021
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the case began with a March 2021 traffic stop in the Town of Ulster. Chapman is accused of suddenly accelerating his vehicle during the stop, striking and dragging a Town of Ulster officer before speeding away. The officer was injured and Chapman remained at large, prompting the Marshals to post a cash reward for information and lay out the allegations in a wanted bulletin.
Capture in Michigan after a tip
The trail eventually led investigators to southeast Michigan in October 2024. Task force members and local deputies say they stopped a vehicle Chapman was suspected of riding in, and that he bolted from the passenger seat. During the chase, authorities report he ran into a residence in Lambertville, where officers surrounded the building and took him into custody. A Taser deployment was described as ineffective, and a firearm was recovered during the stop. 13abc/WTVG covered the Lambertville arrest, while WGNA highlighted the Marshals’ $5,000 reward notice that helped keep the case in the public eye.
How Ulster police brought him home
Ulster Town Police, working with the Kingston Police Department, the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, traveled to a federal prison in West Virginia on April 15, 2026 to formally take custody of Chapman and extradite him to New York. Once back in Ulster County, he was booked into the county jail without bail on a felony assault charge tied to the 2021 encounter. As reported by the Daily Freeman, local officers and prosecutors coordinated the transfer and booking.
Legal implications
Chapman is charged with second-degree assault, a Class D felony under New York law that can bring prison time and other penalties if he is convicted. The statute includes enhanced consequences when the victim is a police officer or other public servant, and the case will be prosecuted by the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. For the specific statute and potential penalties, see N.Y. Penal Law § 120.05.
Court dates and additional details have not yet been released. Chapman remains held at the Ulster County jail pending arraignment, according to local reporting. Authorities have previously urged anyone with information about the 2021 incident to refer to the earlier reward notice from the Marshals. For more on the extradition and local court handling, see the Daily Freeman. For the Marshals’ original bulletin and wanted poster, see the U.S. Marshals Service.
