A year and a half after local rapper Carlos Banks was shot and killed on Cleveland’s southeast side, authorities have a suspect in custody. On Thursday, members of the U.S. Marshals-led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested 27-year-old Steven Smith at a residence in the 15900 block of Invermere Avenue. Smith was wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police on an active warrant for aggravated murder.
Investigation and Arrest
The case dates back to the winter of 2024. On December 29, officers with the Cleveland Police 3rd District responded to a report of a shooting in the 5100 block of Broadway Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Banks, 28, who had been shot multiple times in the head and upper torso. Cleveland EMS crews pronounced him dead at the scene.
Following an investigation by the Cleveland police homicide unit, detectives determined Smith was involved in the deadly shooting and obtained a warrant for his arrest. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force took over the search for Smith earlier this month, vetting several leads before tracking him down to the Invermere Avenue address this week.
“This arrest is the result of the relentless dedication and outstanding investigative work of the Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said in a statement following the arrest. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that those responsible for acts of violence in our community will continue to be held accountable. We remain committed to seeking justice for the victim, and the residents of Cleveland.”
The task force responsible for locating Smith is a broad coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Alongside the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cleveland Police Department, the team includes the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police, and more than a dozen suburban departments, including Euclid, Parma, Westlake, and Solon.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about other wanted fugitives to contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833) or to submit a tip online. Tipsters can remain entirely anonymous and may be eligible for a financial reward.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
