Texas authorities are asking the public for help finding a 64-year-old Dallas County man wanted on felony assault charges, warning that he should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Anthony Dewayne Oliver, a Black male standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds, has ties to Dallas and a criminal record stretching back to the 1990s. He has tattoos on his chest, left wrist, right forearm and upper right arm, along with a scar on his right ankle, according to identifying details in the case.
According to 101.9 The Bull, Oliver has multiple prior arrests for assault of a family or household member and has previously served prison time for those crimes. Dallas County issued a warrant for Oliver in January 2026 on two counts of Assault of a Family/Household Member with Previous Convictions. Texas Department of Public Safety records show the warrants were formally issued on January 21, and that Oliver is cataloged under a Texas State Identification number, an FBI number, and a Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate number, identifiers that link him across state and federal law enforcement databases, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records.
A Record Stretching Back Decades
Oliver's criminal history dates back to the 1990s and includes a prior charge for resisting arrest along with past convictions for robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and forgery of a financial instrument, per the same state records. He was released from prison in 2019 after serving time for those crimes, and the department is now searching for him as a fugitive with ties to the Dallas area, where millions of Texans live alongside the small share of residents who commit crimes across the state.
The charges against Oliver carry serious weight under state law. Under Texas Penal Code § 22.01(b)(2)(A), an assault against a family or household member by a defendant with a prior family violence conviction is elevated from a Class A misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, carrying penalties of two to ten years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Sloane Law Firm. That statutory enhancement applies regardless of when the earlier conviction occurred, meaning repeat offenders like Oliver face state prison time rather than county jail on a misdemeanor.
Reward Money and How to Report Tips
The Texas Department of Public Safety is offering a $4,000 reward for information leading to Oliver's capture. Law enforcement is advising the public not to attempt to apprehend him independently, given that he is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information can call 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online, and tipster anonymity for reports submitted this way is legally guaranteed under state law, with informants identified only by assigned code numbers rather than personal names, per Texas DPS.
The reward program has a track record of results. Texas DPS reported in February that its Texas 10 Most Wanted program captured 65 fugitives, sex offenders, and criminal illegal immigrants during 2025, leading to $41,000 in rewards paid to 11 anonymous tipsters, according to Bluebonnet News. That payout structure is funded through the Texas Governor's Public Safety Office Criminal Justice Division in partnership with local Crime Stoppers chapters, the outlet reported. In 2022, the program recorded its highest single-year capture total since its 1993 inception, apprehending 72 offenders in cooperation with federal, local, and Mexican authorities and paying out $88,000 to anonymous tipsters, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.
A Broader Strain on Dallas County Courts
Oliver's case lands amid a documented surge in family violence prosecutions across Dallas County. A statistical report on Texas court cases published in December 2025 found that while overall felony backlogs declined in the county between 2021 and 2025, pending family violence assault cases surged by 163.7%, according to an analysis from Versus Texas. Dallas County leads the state in active felony cases per capita, with 656 active cases per 100,000 residents, the report noted.
The stakes behind those numbers remain serious statewide. Data compiled by the Texas Council on Family Violence shows that 161 Texans lost their lives to domestic violence in 2024, down from 205 fatalities documented in 2023, according to Texas Standard. Advocacy groups estimate that one in three Texans will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, the outlet reported, underscoring why authorities continue to prioritize tracking down repeat offenders like Oliver.
