[Kyra Phillips, Cnn Anchor:] Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
[Don Lemon, Cnn Anchor:] And I'm Don Lemon. Charges of cop corruption in Virginia a sheriff and his posse, instead of laying down the law, they're accused of running drugs and using a postal worker to help. CNN's Kelli Arena is on the case.
[Phillips:] Operation Falcon nearly thousands of sex offenders taken off the streets where and how they were nabbed.
[Lemon:] Inside a secret regime a lavish wedding fit for a princess on the outside, families suffer, no health care, and no money. CNN's Dan Rivers goes undercover from a rarely seen Asian nation. You're live in the
[Cnn Newsroom. Phillips:] "We have done our job" that is what authorities in Riverside County, California, said as they announced that they have a suspect in custody, a local man soon to be charged in last week's deadly wildfire. Thirty-six-year-old Raymond Lee Oyler was picked up last week in connection with two earlier fires. And, last hour, authorities from the various agencies involved declared him more than a person of interest.
[Neil Lingle, Riverside County, California, Sheriff:] We have recommended to our district attorney that he charge Mr. Oyler with the five murders of United States Forest Service firefighters, along with 11 counts of arson of forest land, and 10 counts of use of an incendiary device in those arsons.
[Rod Pacheco, Riverside County, California, District Attorney- Elect:] It is important to note that the charges that we are filing today include the possibility that life in prison without the possibility of parole is one possible sentence, as well as death.
[Jeanne Wade Evans, San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor, U.s. Forest Service:] This has been a very difficult time for the Forest Service and the families of the fallen firefighters. And, as our days have been consumed with grieving and mourning, we really do recognize that there's been an extensive amount of work that has gone into this arson investigation. And we truly appreciate it.
[Phillips:] The district attorney's office is taking the next 60 days to decide whether to seek the death penalty in this case. The deadly fire broke out one week ago today, killing five firefighters and burning more than 40,000 acres, before it was brought under control. CNN's Kareen Wynter joins us from Riverside, California, with more. Kareen, what exactly are the charges?
[Kareen Wynter, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, the charges laid out here by Riverside County investigators, they are quite, quite stiff, Kyra, include charges of murder, five counts first-degree murder, as well as 11 counts of arson, and also use of an incendiary device in that arson. As for the evidence in this case, investigators will only tell us, Kyra, that it is absolutely overwhelming. We tried to get some more specifics as to what exactly led them to 36-year-old Raymond Oyler. They said that they would not be able to discuss that right now. Oyler, by the way, is expected to be arraigned in court in just about an hour-and-a-half from now. We're told, Kyra, that that could be postponed.
[Phillips:] Authorities acted pretty quickly on this.
[Wynter:] They absolutely did. In fact, one official we heard from behind me at the podium summed it up, saying that it was a rapidly evolving, a very, very complex investigation. And to imagine it was just a week ago today that the deadly wildfire broke out, the Esperanza wildfire, as it's known, and seven days later, to have a primary suspect in custody, and to have these charges, pending charges, laid out, as we see here, according to one official I spoke to, is absolutely incredible. Now, some of the things that they will be considering, the district attorney's office, is whether or not the suspect's background here, as it relates to capital punishment. They will also be looking at facts, they say, and circumstances of the offense itself. And they will be looking Oyler's criminal history Kyra.
[Phillips:] Kareen Wynter, thanks so much. Well, hundreds of people were forced out of their homes by that fire. And, last night, some of them had an emotional meeting with those who stayed on duty throughout. One deputy vowed that they quote "will seek justice." The forest ranger had only words of gratitude.
[Gabe Garcia, U.s. Forest Service:] On behalf of the San Jacinto Ranger District and the National Forest, we would like to express our appreciation for your overwhelming support and love. This is a very sad and difficult time for all of us. And you have helped us through this. And thank you. We can't express how much your support and love means to us in this difficult time, but thank you.
[Phillips:] The ranger also extended a personal invitation to all those in the crowd to Sunday's memorial service being planned for the firefighters.
[Lemon:] A sheriff behind bars he and 12 of his Henry County deputies sworn to uphold the law stand accused of putting drugs and guns seized from criminals back on the street. CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena on the case for us in Washington. Kelli, what have you learned?
[Kelli Arena, Cnn Justice Correspondent:] You know, this is a story that has just infuriated the community. The indictment alleges that, for the past eight years, Don, drugs and guns that were seized by the Henry County Sheriff's Office in Virginia were then sold to citizens, and wound up back on the streets. Now, the drugs included cocaine, steroids, marijuana, the so- called date rape drug.
[John Brownlee, U.s. Attorney:] You have law enforcement risking their lives to take these guns off the streets, and then a very few other members of law enforcement putting them right back out there, not to mention cocaine and crack cocaine and others. So, it was it is disgraceful corruption, that they would take narcotics that had been seized from the community, and then members of law enforcement would put it back out there.
[Arena:] Twenty people were charged, including the sheriff, 12 of his uniformed employees, a probation officer, a postal worker, and five citizens. Now, the sheriff his name is Frank Cassell was allegedly aware of what was going on, and helped cover it up, according to officials, but not only that; he is also charged with actually impeding this investigation. He has been sheriff in Henry County for 14 years. William Reed, who is one of the indicted citizens that began cooperating in the investigation that's after he was arrested on drug charges last year he told investigators that he was actually working as a middle man, and he paid a sheriff's sergeant to use his house to distribute the drugs.
[Lemon:] Hmm. OK. So, you got 12 members of the sheriff's department, and a couple others there charged. Who is protecting the people of Henry County now?
[Arena:] Right. Well, who was protecting them before?
[Lemon:] Right.
[Arena:] You have...
[Lemon:] Very good.
[Arena:] Right. The state has said that it would send in resources, state troopers and so on, to supplement that police force, until the sheriff's office is able to get the necessary bodies back in place, so that they can provide security for the community.
[Lemon:] Well, Kelli Arena, thank you so much for that report.
[Arena:] You're welcome.
[Phillips:] The cops drop the net, and it comes up full fugitive. CNN's Deb Feyerick has more on Operation Falcon, a 24-state sweep that has resulted in thousands of arrests. Tell us about it, Deb.
[Deborah Feyerick, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Kyra, we can tell you the attorney general today praised the operation, saying it had made America's streets safer hundreds of fugitive teams working 24 states east of the Mississippi, targeting violent criminals, sex offenders, gang members, and other fugitives. They were going after them. They netted some 11,000 people. We were along to witness some of the arrests.
[Unidentified Male:] His original charge is rape. He failed to register as a sex offender. Any questions? Excellent. Break.
[Deborah Feyerick, Cnn Correspondent:] It's cold and dark, and the coffee is just kicking in.
[Unidentified Male:] We're looking for somebody that might be living here.
[Feyerick:] The man at the door tells the fugitive team the guy they want is his son-in-law.
[Unidentified Male:] We left a team in there.
[Feyerick:] He gives them another address. And it pays off.
[Unidentified Male:] So far, one for one.
[Feyerick:] That's how Operation Falcon works, one by one by one. Teams of federal and local investigators, led by U.S. Marshals, hunt down criminal fugitives at the top of their priority list, sexual predators. A new federal law passed this summer will soon make failure to register a felony in many states.
[Greg Holmes, U.s. Marshal:] Once they stop showing up for parole, they feel they don't need to let, you know, the precincts know where they're living.
[Feyerick:] So, it's almost, at that point, that they can just disappear?
[Holmes:] Pretty much, yes.
[Feyerick:] We're with U.S. Marshal Greg Holmes and his team, targeting criminals in Brooklyn. They're after a man who served time for raping a teenager, then failed to register once he got out of prison. His last known address is across from a day care center, but neighbors say he's staying at a girlfriend's.
[Holmes:] He's going to be a little harder to find, you know, a 22-year-old kid. And he's running around. And, you know, he's gotten in trouble before. And he will probably get in trouble again.
[Feyerick:] As we wait outside, deputies inside are getting as much information as possible, sorting the truth from the lies. [on camera]: The team says, when it comes to sex crimes, neighbors tend to cooperate more easily. It's one thing to be living next to somebody who is dealing drugs or even selling guns, but to put your own kid in jeopardy with a sexual offender, that's a whole different story. [voice over]: A lot of times, people move to try to get a new start, where no one knows them.
[Holmes:] Sometimes, they say that they thought they were done; they didn't need to register anymore. Others just, you know, shake their head. They know that they thought they would get away with it.
[Feyerick:] The sun is finally up, and the arrests go on, day by day, one by one. Now, by sweeping in and catching fugitives off guard, the goal is to get them when they least expect it. And, by working together in these expanded teams, what you get is an effort, whereby everyone is working together. Everybody is sharing information. Everybody is sharing resources. Usually, according to the Justice Department, 1,000 fugitives are taken into custody every week. But, in this kind of operation, you have 11 times that number. So, the payoff is much bigger Kyra.
[Phillips:] Incredibly effective, yes?
[Feyerick:] Definitely effective.
[Phillips:] Deb Feyerick, thanks.
[Lemon:] Breaking news happening. Let's head straight to the breaking news desk and Carol Lin Carol.
[Carol Lin, Cnn Correspondent:] Some developments, Don, in the case of three bodies found in a drainage ditch in Columbia, South Carolina. We just heard from the police chief there. This is what he had to say about a person of interest.
[Dean Crisp, Columbia, South Carolina, Police Chief:] We have a BOLO right now for a person of interest. We have a subject by the name of Charles Gamble. He's a black male, 24 years of age, height 5'5", 150. His last address is 1428 Henderson Street, Columbia. Now, we want to say that this person, again, is not, at this time, a suspect, and he's not subject to arrest. But he is certainly a person of interest that we would like to apprehend or not apprehend, but we would like to talk to regarding the information as it relates to this case. So, we have we are passing out information to you right now.
[Lin:] Don, police are very interested in finding this man to question him. In the meantime, they have cordoned off an apartment of a woman nearby where the bodies had been found. Police had said that this was to preserve evidence. And inside that apartment, they found a baby. That baby is now in custody of child protective services. They're not revealing much other information, the sex of the baby, the sex of the victim, the age, their identity, or even really how they died, though the police chief did say in this news conference that one of the victims did have gunshot wounds. So, they're protecting this information as much as possible. Frankly, in an investigation like this, it's unusual for them to not give out more detail than that, even the sex of the victims, but they're being very, very cautious here.
[Lemon:] All right, Carol, thank you very much for that report. A possible invitation to fraud with a flip of a button, some voting machines could let people cast more than one ballot. That story is ahead in the
[Newsroom. Phillips:] And whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we have got. So says Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Art Buchwald. Tomorrow, I will visit Art in his home, and I will ask him your questions. Just e-mail them to me the address, CNNNEWSROOM@CNN.com. We will be back in a moment.