Virginia Fugitive Richard Boucher Captured in Georgia

27 years after his escape from the Virginia Department of Corrections Prison in Chesapeake, VA.

May 14, 2009

VA NEWS -- A Virginia fugitive who escaped prison 27 years ago has been captured in Eton, Georgia. Richard Boucher, now age 56, escaped from the Virginia Department of Corrections Prison in Chesapeake, VA., while serving a 10-year sentence for robbery in 1982. For majority of the last 27 years, Boucher had assumed the alias, Eric Coleman, and lived in Murray County, Georgia with his wife, Debbie Boucher, age 53, who had also assumed the alias, Debbie Coleman.

Richard Boucher

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Atlanta, Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones, announced the arrest of Richard Boucher and his wife yesterday morning on behalf of the Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force. Both surrendered without incident at their residence in Eton. Furthermore, Boucher was arrested on federal charges of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Confinement.

Additionally, the Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force includes agents of the FBI, officers of the Calhoun Police Department, Dalton Police Department, and the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. In January 1992, the FBI announced the Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative, which is designed to allow each FBI field office to address violent street gangs and drug-related violence through the establishment of FBI sponsored, long-term, proactive task forces focusing on violent gangs, crime of violence, and the apprehension of violent fugitives. The Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force has become the vehicle through which all of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies join together to address the violent crime plaguing their communities. The concept behind Safe Streets Task Force is to expand cooperation and communication among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, increasing productivity and avoiding duplication of investigative efforts.

Hampton Roads Metropolitan area, has two Safe Streets Task Forces, the Peninsula Safe Streets Task Force and the Tidewater Violent Crimes Task Force. These two task forces partner with the following law enforcement agencies to combat crime within the region.

Peninsula Safe Streets Task Force:

• James City County Police Department
• Newport News Police Department
• Hampton Police Department
• Franklin Police Department
• Virginia State Police

Tidewater Violent Crimes Task Force:

• Chesapeake Police Department
• Norfolk Police Department
• Portsmouth Police Department

Meanwhile, the Suffolk Police Department and Virginia Beach Police Department have members serving on the Hampton Roads area FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Finally, Richard Boucher considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and is currently being detained at the Whitfield County, Georgia Detention Facility where he is being held on Whitfield County and Murray County state charges of "felon in possession of a firearm," after a rifle was discovered at his residence during his arrest. Richard Boucher will await extradition proceedings in order to be returned to Virginia.

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