U.S. FUGITIVE IS BEING RETURNED FROM GUINEA

[USIA]

USIS Washington File

12 January 1998

TEXT: U.S. FUGITIVE IS BEING RETURNED FROM GUINEA

(1/12 statement by Spokesman James Rubin) (310)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. fugitive Nathan Hill was arrested in Conakry,
Guinea, on January 11 and is being returned to the United States to
face federal charges that he conspired "to distribute and possess
cocaine" in Chicago, says State Department Spokesman James Rubin.

Following is the text of Rubin's statement, released January 12 at the
State Department's daily news briefing:

(BEGIN TEXT)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
January 12, 1998

STATEMENT BY JAMES P. RUBIN, SPOKESMAN

ARREST OF NATHAN HILL

The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) of the U.S. Department of State
is pleased to announce the arrest and return to the United States of
fugitive Nathan Hill on Sunday, January 11. He was arrested last week
in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, by local police authorities. Mr. Hill,
a fugitive on the U.S. Marshals Service~'s "15 Most Wanted" list,
faces Federal conspiracy charges to distribute and possess cocaine in
the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). Mr. Hill's arrest is the
result of intensive investigative efforts by the DSS, the Regional
Security Officer (RSO) at the U.S. Embassy in Conakry, and the U.S.
Marshals Service.

The DSS became involved in this investigation in August 1997, ~when
the U.S. Marshals Service requested assistance in locating Mr. Hill,
who was believed to be in Conakry. This information was passed to the
RSO at the U.S. Embassy in Conakry, who worked closely with local law
enforcement authorities to locate and apprehend him.

Mr. Hill was accompanied back to Chicago by Deputy U.S. Marshals from
the Northern District of Illinois.

The Diplomatic Security Service is pleased to have been able to assist
the U.S. Marshals Service in bringing a dangerous fug~itive to
justice.

(END TEXT)