Editor’s Note: from time to time we’ll catch one of Jim Cavanaugh’s “War Stories” shared on social media. His tales from days serving in law enforcement are too good to miss, and he has agreed to allow us to share them with Brownwood News readers.
Written by Jim Cavanaugh – Years back the FBI had a Top Ten Fugitive named Willie Foster Sellers. He’d been on the run for some time and the Bureau had missed him on several occasions by getting to his home just after he had changed his name and moved on.
In North Carolina the agents questioned neighbors about his departure and learned he now had his wife with him at this home, along with at least one young daughter that owned a small moped. It was a bicycle that had a small motor attached to the rear wheels. The kid had received the moped as a Christmas present and when they took off, they took the bike with them. Agents located the packing for the bike in the garage.
The bike had been purchased from a company in North Palm Beach, Florida, and the agents asked if we would swing by the place and verifiy. We did, and learned it was a mom-n-pop operation they ran out of their home. The wife kept meticulous records and the bike had a warranty of one year on all parts. We left a business card and asked if they received any calls from the buyer of the bike, to call us.
Many months later the wife called our office.
The bike’s owner had called her and said a part had broken and he wanted to order a replacement. He wanted it sent to the Delta Airlines shipping office in Atlanta. She agreed and then called us.
We arranged to have the part drop-shipped to the Delta Airlines shipping terminal in Atlanta. We had no idea what his new name was, but if he wanted to pick up the replacement part for the bike, he would have to identify himself under the fake name he used in North Carolina.
Agents staked out the Delta shipping pick-up office for two days with nothing, but then Willie dropped by…
He produced his North Carolina driver’s license and was quickly arrested.
Case closed.
Jim Cavanaugh
Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4 in Brown County, Texas
Jim Cavanaugh graduated from Lamar Tech in Beaumont in 1967, and participated in post-graduate studies at Sam Houston, South Texas College of Law, and the University of Virginia.
Cavanaugh was a Texas police officer before joining the FBI under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover in 1971 through 1996. He served as a contractor for the Bureau and a number of Federal Agencies post 9/11.
Jim Cavanaugh has served as the Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4 in Brown County since 2007.
