Federal marshals and local partners say 16 suspected sex-offender fugitives did not make it through last week unnoticed in Nevada. The group was picked up in and around the Las Vegas area during a multi-week push to track down noncompliant registrants and suspected perpetrators of sex crimes, with cases ranging from alleged failure-to-register violations to child-sex charges.
In a press release via the U.S. Marshals Service, officials identified the effort as Operation Adam’s Watch, a coordinated sweep across 37 federal judicial districts that wrapped up July 24. Nationwide, authorities said they located more than 330 fugitives, including 234 people wanted on state failure-to-register charges, five of whom now face federal counts under 18 U.S.C. 2250. Another 96 people were wanted on sex-assault and related charges, according to the agency.
Local names tied to the Nevada arrests include Antwon Maddox, Alan Vincent, Dagoberto Miranda, Paul Provenzano and Tyler Bloom, according to reporting by the Las Vegas Sun. Maddox was taken into custody last Monday on three counts of lewdness involving a 14- or 15-year-old, while Vincent was arrested the following day on two counts of lewdness with a child under 14. Miranda faces two counts of sexual assault on a child under 14 and three counts of lewdness. Provenzano was booked on an alleged count of possessing a visual depiction of child sexual conduct, and Bloom was wanted by Nevada parole and probation in an alleged attempt to lure a child using technology.
National Sweep, Local Arrests
Callahan Walsh, executive director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said the arrests continue his brother Adam Walsh’s legacy of protecting children, according to the Marshals’ release. Officials framed Operation Adam’s Watch as part of a broader pattern of enforcement, saying it builds on more than 5,300 prior sex-offender compliance and enforcement actions and recurring joint operations that support state and local agencies. They credited close coordination with probation and parole units and local police departments as key to finding people accused of dodging registration rules.
Legal Context
Federal failure-to-register prosecutions fall under 18 U.S.C. 2250, which criminalizes willful interstate travel and failure to register for certain sex-offense registrants and carries felony penalties, according to Cornell Law School. Local reporting from the Las Vegas Sun indicates at least two of the Nevada detainees were charged with failing to register, while others face state counts including lewdness and sexual assault involving minors. Prosecutors and courts will ultimately decide whether federal or state charges move forward; at this stage, the arrests remain allegations, not convictions.
Authorities said the arrests are tied to ongoing investigations and that booking and charging decisions are still subject to prosecutorial review. Officials urged anyone with information about potential noncompliance or related crimes to contact local law enforcement as the Marshals Service and its partners continue their follow-up work.
