US Marshals in Massachusetts apprehend 110 fugitives in 'Operation 250th'

Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald on Jul 2, 2026

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BOSTON — The U.S. Marshals of the District of Massachusetts have made a big dent in their goal to arrest more than 250 fugitives in honor of America’s 250th birthday.

As of Thursday, the agency said they’d apprehended 110 people.

The arrests are part of “Operation 250th,” which the U.S. Marshals described as, “an intensive summer fugitive apprehension initiative focused on removing violent offenders from communities across the Commonwealth in honor of America’s 250th birthday.”

The operation began in May.

“As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, there is no better way to honor that legacy than by removing violent offenders from our streets, protecting victims, and making our communities safer,” Dennis Matulewicz, the head of the Marshals in Massachusetts, said in a statement.

The agency said it worked with Mass State Police, as well as the Boston, Worcester, and Springfield Police Departments, in addition to other local law enforcement agencies.

The fugitives are wanted for crimes including homicide, sexual assault, and gun charges, and the agency highlighted several examples:

•Steven Stuart was arrested in Auburn. Stuart served a sentence for severely beating his then girlfriend’s toddler in Fitchburg in 2012, and after the toddler died from his injuries, he was charged with murder.

•Alan Marcus Lewis was arrested in North Carolina on a warrant for a 2017 murder in Boston.

•A suspect in a Lawrence murder, Richard Pena, was arrested in the city about eight months after the alleged crime took place.

•Boston Police assisted in the arrest of Armani Collazos on June 26 in Brighton. He’s accused of shooting 15-year-old Phillip Franco 10 days before in Allston.

•Armani Montanez was apprehended in Haverhill and arrested for allegedly killing someone in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2024.

•A person who allegedly stabbed a woman in May in New Bedford was arrested in Providence. Keeland Rose was identified as a suspect by the victim.

“The early success of Operation 250th is a testament to the relentless dedication, professionalism, and courage of the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners,” Matulewicz said. “Together, we are demonstrating what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies operate as one team with a common mission.”

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