Forty-one people wanted for violent crimes including arson, shootings, armed robbery and offenses against children were arrested after allegedly hiding out in Philadelphia-area housing subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The two-week operation, dubbed Operation Moving Day, was carried out by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force working alongside special agents from the HUD Office of Inspector General.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, officials said the arrested individuals were allegedly living in HUD-provided housing across the Philadelphia area. The task force announced the arrests in a statement released Monday, saying the sweep targeted people accused of arson, aggravated assault, shootings, armed robbery and crimes against children. Law enforcement officials did not identify the individuals apprehended through the operation.
Among the cases highlighted, U.S. Marshals apprehended a 31-year-old man sought in connection with a Philadelphia shooting from August, per law enforcement officials cited in the report. A 23-year-old man wanted for offenses against children was also arrested during the sweep, officials said.
Officials Frame the Sweep as Protecting HUD Communities
Shawn Rice, special agent in charge for the HUD Office of Inspector General, said those who threaten the safety of HUD-assisted communities will be held accountable. Rice said dangerous fugitives have been taken off the streets and that HUD-assisted housing across the Philadelphia area and beyond is now safer as a result. He added that officials will continue pursuing people who put residents at risk.
Eric Gartner, the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said citizens in need should not have to compete with fugitives for taxpayer-funded assistance. Gartner was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2018 and sworn in as the 51st U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in June 2019, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The Marshals also assisted HUD-OIG in addressing fraudulent receipt of benefits during the operation, the same account notes.
A Legal Framework Built for Fugitives in Federal Housing
The enforcement effort rests on longstanding federal rules. Under 24 CFR § 5.859, lease terms must allow tenancy termination during the lease term if a tenant is fleeing to avoid prosecution, custody or confinement for a felony, or violating probation or parole.
The task force that carried out Operation Moving Day has deep roots in the region. Established in 1981, the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force was the nation's first U.S. Marshals regional fugitive task force, per the U.S. Marshals Service. The task force integrates personnel from the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, state parole officers and regional sheriffs. In August, a man wanted for 26 Philadelphia burglaries was arrested at a Florida resort in an operation involving the Eastern Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force and a Florida task force.
A Housing System Already Stretched Thin
Demand for subsidized housing vastly outstrips supply — a 2023 waitlist opening for Housing Choice Vouchers drew more than 36,000 applicants in a brief application window, per WHYY. Whether the 41 people arrested were official leaseholders or unauthorized occupants, and what administrative eviction actions PHA may pursue against the affected households, remain open questions.
