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Sleuths Find Prisoners Who Walked Away

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By THOMAS W. KRAUSE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2007

TAMPA - Fugitives beware.

A new squad at the Florida Department of Corrections has helped to locate, and has aided in the arrest of, seven suspected prison fugitives - all within the past four weeks. Each of the seven had been on the lam for at least 20 years.

The fugitive squad was funded in January, started in earnest over the summer and began helping pick up suspects last month.

"They're really doing an excellent job," department of corrections spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said.

The squad is made up of one woman and her supervisor. Rita Hall, 47, works out of the Department of Corrections headquarters in Tallahassee. She has been with the department since March 2001.

Three of the seven arrested fugitives were convicted in the Tampa Bay area.

Michael Hess, 57, made headlines Oct. 25 after Tampa police picked him up at The Press Box, a restaurant and sports bar on Dale Mabry Highway where he worked as a cook.

Hess was convicted in 1972 and sentenced to 35 years for convenience store armed robberies. He walked away from a prison detail carwash in 1979.

On Oct. 16, after a tip from Hall, Orlando police picked up Richard Davis. Davis, now 58, was convicted in Hillsborough County in 1979 for grand theft auto and sentenced to five years in prison, Plessinger said. On Jan. 17, 1981, Davis was at a work release center and gained an eight-hour furlough, Plessinger said. He never returned.

Matching the height, weight, date of birth and photo from a state identification card, Hall linked a man named Leon Davis to Richard Davis, Plessinger said. The suspicion that both Davises were the same man was confirmed through a fingerprint match.
Orlando police picked up Davis at his home.

On Oct. 26, Orlando police also picked up Timothy Scott. Scott, now 43, was to serve six months to life for armed robberies in Pinellas County. He was convicted in 1974 and was released on parole, although records from back then are not specific, Plessinger said. He violated that parole and returned to prison. Scott later left a work release center and never returned, Plessinger said.

He was arrested, like Hess, at a restaurant where he was working under an assumed name.

The remaining arrests of suspected fugitives include:

•Daniel Alvarez, arrested Oct. 15 by police in Miami. In 1984, Alvarez was convicted in Broward County of trafficking cocaine and sentenced to 10 years.

•Gary Wilson, arrested Oct. 19 by police in Pearl, Miss. The Department of Corrections did not immediately have information available on his conviction.

•Russell Trawick, arrested Oct. 30 by sheriff's deputies in Bates County, Mo. In 1975, he was convicted of fraud in Nassau County and sentenced to 10 years.

•Stephen Saharko, arrested Nov. 2 by sheriff's deputies in Pima County, Ariz. In 1980, he was convicted of marijuana sales in Broward County and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Hall does not have arrest powers, Plessinger said. She, therefore, does as much legwork as she can. She then forwards information on the fugitives' whereabouts to local law enforcement agencies, which make the arrests.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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