U.S. Marshals have arrested a captain from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., whom the Air Force Office of Special Investigations considers a deserter.
Capt. Robby Williams, who works in U.S. Air Forces Central Command's communications directorate, was arrested about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Dothan, Ala., said Jim Joyner, a supervisor with the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Williams did not report for work at Shaw on Dec. 23. On Jan. 9, OSI announced that Williams had deserted and was "eluding authorities involved in his search." Williams had been staying in hotels in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia and was seen purchasing large amounts of alcohol, OSI said at the time.
The U.S. Marshals were asked to help find Williams out of concern about "the sensitive nature of his position, what he might have access to," Joyner said Thursday. The investigation led to Troy, Ala., where Williams had spent a couple of nights in a hotel and made purchases at a local liquor store.
Later, a U.S. Marshal with Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force spotted his vehicle at a hotel in Dothan, Joyner said. Williams was trailed to a local gas station where he was arrested without incident.
Williams is currently in the local jail in Dothan awaiting transfer of custody to the Air Force, Joyner said.
Security managers at AFCENT will review "all details associated with his clearance," said command spokesman Maj David Faggard.
In a news release on Thursday, AFCENT announced Williams had been apprehended but didn't mention that he had been on the run from authorities.
"We're all glad Robby is safe and back," Brig. Gen. John Dolan, AFCENT's assistant commaanding deputy, said in the news release. "We'll continue the investigation and figure out what happened. We'll also continue to work with the family and friends of Robby during this time."
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