DRESDEN, TN — A federal fugitive and high-risk sex offender who had spent months dodging state tracking laws has been tracked down and captured by federal marshals in Weakley County.
Thomas Herr, 50, was arrested on Thursday, May 28, 2026, by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force. He faces felony charges for violating the state’s stringent sex offender registration requirements.
Evading the Registry
Herr’s legal requirements stem from a 2010 conviction in the U.S. District Court in Memphis, where a federal jury found him guilty of Transfer of Obscene Material to Minors. He was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by three years of federal supervised release. Because of the nature of his crimes against children, Tennessee law mandated that Herr register as a sex offender immediately upon his release into the community.
According to state records, Herr systematically failed to comply with his reporting mandates after finishing his federal supervision. The Martin Police Department initiated an investigation into his whereabouts, and on March 17, 2026, the Weakley County General Sessions Court issued a formal arrest warrant for Sex Offender Registration Violation.
Federal Task Force Closes In
When local investigative leads dried up, Martin police reached out to federal tactical units. On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Marshals officially opened a fugitive tracking file on Herr.
Following a swift 14-day multi-jurisdictional manhunt, deputy marshals pinpointed Herr’s location inside a residence in Dresden, Tennessee. Tactical teams surrounded the property yesterday and took Herr into custody without incident.
Herr was transported and booked into local custody, where he remains held pending his initial court appearance in Weakley County on the non-compliance charges.
