LINDEN, Tenn. — A Florida fugitive who had been on the run for 15 years was arrested Tuesday in Tennessee by the United States Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, authorities announced.
Officials said 69-year-old Perry Hand was taken into custody May 19, 2026, at the Drop Anchor RV Park in Linden, Tennessee.
According to investigators, Hand was wanted on warrants issued in 2011 by the Circuit Court in Bay County, Florida.
The warrants included charges of:
- Failure to Appear for Possession of a Firearm by Violent Career Criminal
- Sale of a Controlled Substance (two counts)
- Possession of Marijuana With Intent to Distribute
- Sale of Marijuana
- Trafficking Hydrocodone
Authorities said the Bay County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in locating Hand.
Investigators later developed information indicating Hand may have been living in Tennessee.
Deputy marshals and task force officers tracked Hand to the RV park in Linden, where he was arrested without incident and transported to the Perry County Jail.
Tyreece Miller said, “When the U.S. Marshals Service is on your trail, today could be the day your run is over.”