2012 Crime Statistics in the Billions from FBI

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

A  total of 18,290 city, county, state, university and college, tribal, and federal agencies participated in the UCR program in 2012. A summary of the statistics reported by these agencies, which are included in Crime in the United States, 2012, follows:

In 2012, there were an estimated 1,214,462 violent crimes. The violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, and aggravated assault increased 1.1 percent, 0.2 percent, and 1.1 percent, respectively. However, the estimated number of robbery offenses declined 0.1 percent.

Nationwide, there were an estimated 8,975,438 property crimes. The estimated number of burglaries declined 3.7 percent in 2012 when compared to the 2011 figure. The estimated number of larceny-thefts remained unchanged, and motor vehicle thefts increased 0.6 percent.

      Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) suffered losses calculated at $15.5 billion in 2012.

The FBI estimated that agencies nationwide made about 12.2 million arrests, excluding traffic violations, in 2012. The arrest rate for violent crime was 166.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the rate for property crime was 528.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.

         By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was 3.5; forcible rape, 5.8; robbery, 33.1; and the aggravated assault, 123.9 per 100,000 inhabitants.

         By property crime offense, the arrest rate for burglary was 90.7; larceny-theft, 411.9; and motor vehicle theft, 21.9. The arrest rate for arson was 3.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.

         In 2012, there were 14,006 law enforcement agencies that reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that, as of October 31, 2012, they collectively employed 670,439 sworn officers and 285,883 civilians, a rate of 3.4 employees per 1,000 inhabitants.

        The FBI estimated that in 2012,  the number of violent crimes increased 0.7 percent, according to the figures released today. However, property crimes decreased 0.9 percent, marking the 10th straight year of declines for these offenses, collectively.

        The 2012 statistics show that the estimated rate of violent crime was 386.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the property crime rate was 2,859.2 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. While the violent crime rate remained virtually unchanged when compared to the 2011 rate, the property crime rate declined 1.6 percent.

These and additional data are presented in the 2012 edition of the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States. This publication is a statistical compilation of offense and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies voluntarily participating in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.

The UCR program collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies regarding the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as well as the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. (Although the FBI classifies arson as a property crime, it does not estimate arson data because of variations in the level of participation by the reporting agencies. Consequently, arson is not included in the property crime estimate.) The program also collects arrest data for the offenses listed above, plus 20 offenses that include all other crimes except traffic violations.


Source..... FBI

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Software Bought Cheap from Unknown Sellers May Contain Hidden Dangers Like Malware

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

 Whether you’re downloading it or buying a physical disc, the odds are good that the product is pirated and laced with malicious software, or malware.

Today, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination (IPR) Center—of which the FBI is a key partner—is warning the American people about the real possibility that illegally copied software, including counterfeit products made to look authentic, could contain malware.

Our collective experience has shown this to be true, both through the complaints we’ve received and through our investigations. It’s also been validated by industry studies, which show that an increasing amount of software installed on computers around the world—including in the U.S.—is pirated and that this software often contains malware.

As in our above scenario, pirated software can be obtained from unknown sellers and even from peer-to-peer networks. The physical discs can be purchased from online auction sites, less-than-reputable websites, and sometimes from street vendors and kiosks. Pirated software can also be found pre-installed on computers overseas, which are ordered by consumers online and then shipped into the United States.

Who’s behind this crime? Criminals, hackers and hacker groups, and even organized crime rings.

And the risks to unsuspecting consumers? For starters, the inferior and infected software may not work properly. Your operating system may slow down and fail to receive critical security updates.

But the greater danger comes from potential exposure to criminal activity—like identity theft and financial fraud—after malware takes hold of your system.

Some very real dangers:

               Once installed on a computer, malware can record your keystrokes (capturing sensitive usernames and passwords) and steal your personally identifiable information (including Social Security numbers and birthdates), sending it straight back to criminals and hackers. It can also corrupt the data on your computer and even turn on your webcam and/or microphone.

               Malware can spread to other computers through removable media like thumb drives and through e-mails you send to your family, friends, and professional contacts. It can be spread through shared connections to a home, business, or even government network. Criminals can also use infected computers to launch attacks against other computers or against websites via denial of service attacks.

To guard against malware and other threats, read our tips on how to protect your computer. If you think you may have purchased pirated software (see sidebar on how to spot it), or if you have information about sellers of pirated software, submit a tip to the IPR Center or the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

And know this: Pirated software is just one of the many threats that the IPR Center and the FBI are combating every year. The theft of U.S. intellectual property—the creative genius of the American people as expressed through everything from proprietary products and trade secrets to movies and music—takes a terrible toll on the nation. It poses significant (and sometimes life-threatening) risks to ordinary consumers, robs businesses of billions of dollars, and takes away jobs and tax revenue.

Learn more by visiting the IPR Center website and the FBI’s Intellectual Property Theft webpage.
http://www.iprcenter.gov/     AND     http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/white_collar/ipr

Read More..... http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/white_collar/ipr

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FBI Announce Insider Trading Charges Against Former Equity Research Analyst, Sandeep Aggarwal

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), today announced conspiracy charges against Sandeep Aggarwal, a former equity research analyst for a financial services firm located in San Francisco, California (“the firm”), for his alleged involvement in an insider trading scheme. As alleged, Aggarwal provided material, non-public information (“inside information”) concerning a strategic partnership in Internet search and advertising between Microsoft Corporation (“Microsoft”) and Yahoo! Inc. (“Yahoo”) (the “partnership”) to at least two different hedge funds. Aggarwal was arrested yesterday in San Jose, California, and will be presented today in federal district court in the Northern District of California.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, Sandeep Aggarwal leveraged his contacts in the technology industry to obtain an illegal edge in the form of inside information about a highly anticipated development, and then lied about his criminal conduct. With his arrest today, we continue our work to investigate and prosecute privileged professionals who think the laws requiring honesty and fair play do not apply to them.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “Like many others before him, Sandeep Aggarwal allegedly broke the law and provided material, non-public information on a Microsoft-Yahoo deal. When questioned by his employer about the source of the information, he lied. Yesterday’s arrest is the latest step in the FBI’s long-running investigation into insider trading in the hedge fund industry.”

In a separate action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced civil charges against Aggarwal.

According to the complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

On the evening of July 9, 2009, Aggarwal learned from a friend who was an employee of Microsoft that discussions about the partnership had recommenced and that a transaction was likely within the next few weeks. The next day, Aggarwal provided information about the partnership to at least two different hedge funds, including to Richard Lee, then a portfolio manager at SAC Capital Advisors LP. On July 10, 2009, Aggarwal told Lee, in substance, that he had heard from a source—whom Aggarwal described as “a senior guy at Microsoft”—that (a) senior Yahoo executives had been meeting with senior Microsoft executives at Microsoft’s offices; (b) senior Microsoft executives were making requests for information that suggested to the sources that a deal was likely to be completed soon; (c) the success of Microsoft’s Bing search engine had caused Yahoo to move closer to Microsoft’s offer; and (d) it was likely that the deal could be announced within the next two weeks. Thereafter, Lee’s hedge fund purchased several hundred thousand shares of Yahoo stock, and Lee purchased 25,000 shares of Yahoo stock in his personal account.

The complaint further alleges that, when the firm’s management questioned Aggarwal on July 10, 2009, about the information he was providing to hedge funds concerning the partnership, Aggarwal falsely denied having any inside information and claimed that his source was a person who had been retired from Microsoft for two years.

* * *

Aggarwal, 40, of Gurgon, India, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Richard Lee pled guilty on July 23, 2013, to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in connection with insider trading between April 2009 through 2010, while he was employed by SAC Capital Advisors LP.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also noted that the investigation is continuing.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, on which U.S. Attorney Bharara serves as a co-chair of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. O’Donnell and Arlo Devlin-Brown are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source..... FBI

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FBI Saves 105 Child Victims in 'Operation Cross Country' in a Child Sex Trafficking

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

The FBI has rescued 105 child sex-trafficking victims, FBI Assistant Director Ronald Hosko announced Monday.
The youngest of the rescued children was 9 years old, according to Reuters.

One underage victim told officials she became involved with prostitution when she was 11, according to CNN.

"Many times the children that are taken in in these types of criminal activities are children that are disaffected, they are from broken homes, they may be on the street themselves," FBI Acting Executive Assistant Director Kevin Perkins said, according to the network. "They are really looking for a meal, they are looking for shelter, they are looking for someone to take care of them."

More than 150 "pimps" were also arrested in the raids, NBC News reported.

The rescue was part of "Operation Cross Country," a nationwide initiative to aid underage victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Source.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/child-sex-trafficking-rescue-fbi-announcement_n_3670749.html

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Self-Radicalized American Incited Violent Jihad Online - Terrorism in the USA

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

Those who have met Emerson Begolly in person might describe him as a shy young man. But online, the 24-year-old was the complete opposite—he forcefully incited jihadist violence against Americans and Jews. And when FBI agents attempted to talk to him in 2011, he reached for a loaded handgun in his pocket and then bit the agents who disarmed him.

Today, a federal judge sentenced Begolly to eight years and six months in prison for soliciting others to engage in acts of terrorism within the United States and for using a firearm in relation to an assault on FBI agents. Begolly pled guilty in August 2011 after being indicted less than a month earlier.

“This is a guy who definitely had the potential to hurt people,” said Special Agent Blake McGuire, who led part of the investigation from our Pittsburgh office. “He was a disaffected U.S. citizen who was susceptible to the message of violent extremism, and he became self-radicalized on the Internet. That type of offender—the so-called lone wolf—is extremely dangerous,” McGuire added, “because they can be difficult to discover before they resort to violence.”

Begolly came to the FBI’s attention in 2010 when he began posting violent material on an Islamic extremist Internet forum. Using the pseudonym Abu Nancy, the Pennsylvania resident and occasional college student solicited fellow jihadists to use firearms and explosives against American police stations, post offices, Jewish schools and daycare centers, military facilities, train lines, and water plants. He further urged his audience to “write their legacy in blood” and promised a special place in the afterlife for violent action in the name of Allah.

Members of the Bureau’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Pittsburgh and in Northern Virginia worked on the case with U.S. attorneys in both jurisdictions. “We all shared the same concern,” McGuire said, “that something might trigger this young man to carry out his own personal jihad.”

Begolly was under surveillance during the summer of 2010 when he legally purchased an assault weapon. Several months later, he escalated his online postings by soliciting jihadists to violence by posting a manual on how to manufacture a bomb.

Shortly after the bomb-making post, agents obtained search warrants for the homes of Begolly’s parents, where he often stayed. While the searches were being conducted, two other agents approached Begolly at a fast food restaurant near Pittsburgh to speak with him. That’s when he reached for the loaded handgun in his pocket. As the agents subdued him, he bit their fingers, trying to free himself and reach for his gun. His actions were consistent with a previous online post in which he urged jihadists not to be taken alive by law enforcement and to always carry a loaded firearm.

“When you combine troubling rhetoric that escalates with weapons, it poses a tremendous threat to public safety,” McGuire said. “Fortunately, we headed off any potential danger before it happened.”




Source.... FBI

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A Horse Farm of a Different Color - Drug Cartels to Oklahoma Horse Farm

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

By outward appearances, the owner of an Oklahoma farm bought American quarter horses to train, breed, and race. But Jose Trevino Morales, the brother of two leaders of the violent and powerful Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas, was not just in the horse business: He was using the farm as a front to launder millions of dollars of the cartel’s illicit profits.


A three-year investigation led by the FBI resulted in convictions recently in federal court against Trevino and three others for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The case was significant because it revealed the reach and influence of Los Zetas in the U.S.—and it also illustrated how effective our investigators have become at targeting the cartel’s leaders.


“Core family members of the cartel and key business partners were impacted by this case,” said Special Agent David Villarreal, who supervised the investigation from our Laredo, Texas Resident Agency. “The FBI is targeting the highest echelons of the cartel’s leadership, and that sends a strong message not only to the cartel but to the people who are laundering their money on the American side of the border.”


The investigation, conducted through the Department of Justice-run Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, showed that since 2008, Trevino and his associates bought and sold racehorses with Los Zetas drug money using shell companies and front men. Testimony at trial revealed that during a 30-month period, the defendants spent $16 million in New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, and Texas on the horse farm operation.


U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman, who prosecuted the case, said after the trial, “The government was able to show how the corrupting influence of drug cartels has extended into the United States with cartel bosses using an otherwise legitimate domestic industry to launder proceeds from drug trafficking and other crimes.”


Investigators traced “upwards of $22 million that was laundered and shipped back to Mexico,” Villarreal said. “And that was just a piece of the operation that we used as a snapshot to prove our case in court.”

Source... FBI

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FBI Seeking Ownership of Stolen Artwork of Rare Books and Maps Stolen in 2006

Newsflash from your Hollywood Attorney:

After a well-known dealer of rare maps was caught stealing from a Yale University library in 2006, a subsequent FBI investigation revealed that the man had stolen antique maps and other valuable items from institutions around the world. Most of the pilfered material was eventually returned to its rightful owners—but not all of it.


We are still in possession of 57 rare maps and books—some dating to the 17th century—and we would like to return them. To that end, we are posting pictures and information about the items in the accompanying photo gallery in the hopes that the individuals or institutions who own them will come forward to claim them.


“These items have been legally forfeited to the U.S. government,” said Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, who manages the FBI’s Art Theft Program. “Technically, they belong to the Bureau now, but we don’t want to keep them. Even though we have tried to find the rightful owners over the years, we are making another attempt.”


After Edward Forbes Smiley, III was arrested for the Yale library theft, he admitted stealing and selling nearly 100 rare maps from international collections over a period of seven years. With Smiley’s cooperation, we tracked down most of the dealers and collectors who purchased the approximately $3 million worth of stolen material. But returning the maps to their homes proved to be a daunting task.


In many cases, the maps were cut from books with a razor and trimmed so they didn’t look like they came from books. Some of the maps had different titles—many in Latin—and could have come from several known copies of the same book. To further complicate matters, many libraries weren’t even aware they were missing items until we contacted them.


“These maps aren’t vehicles with identification numbers stamped on them,” Special Agent Stephen J. Kelleher, who led the 2006 investigation, said at the time. Special Agent Lisa MacNamara, who is working the case now from our New Haven, Connecticut Division, added, “Our hope is that by reaching out to the public in this way, we can get these historical items back to where they belong.”


The items still in our possession include rare maps such as an 18th century depiction of the United States, a 1683 street plan of Philadelphia, and several antique books.


If you believe that one of the maps or books shown in the gallery was stolen from your collection, please contact Special Agent MacNamara at (203) 503-5268, or send an e-mail to artwork@ic.fbi.gov. To claim any of the items, you will need to provide evidence of ownership and positively identify the item in question. That might include—but is not limited to—giving a description of special markings or stamps, wear patterns, specific damage, or other detailed information.

Source... FBI

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4 Parole Officers Accepting Payoffs are Charged

Four parole officers from two Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) offices in Houston have been indicted for accepting payoffs from parolees, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris; Brad Livingston, TDCJ Executive Director ;and Bruce Toney, Inspector General of TDCJ-Office of Inspector General (OIG).

“Public officials suspected of corruption can undermine our trust and confidence in government and can tarnish virtually every aspect of American society,” said Morris. “Despite the fact that the vast majority of our country’s public officials are honest hard-working Americans who have dedicated their lives to serve the American people, there are unfortunately a small number who allegedly make decisions for the wrong reasons. The FBI will continue to pursue public corruption as a top priority and encourages anyone with information about potential wrongdoing by a public official to please contact the FBI.”

April L. Carson, 35, of Missouri City, and Crystal M. Washington, aka Crystal Bureau, 52, of Houston, were employed at the TDCJ office located at 2410 Hamilton Street in Houston; while Darlene J. Muhammad, 42, and Ernie Rogers, 56, both of Houston, worked at the Houston TDCJ Parole Office at 8345 Telephone Road.

The four were taken into custody today and are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Hanks at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon.

“These arrests are the result of an effective partnership with TDCJ-OIG and other law enforcement entities,” said Livingston. “We fully support their efforts to investigate, arrest, and ultimately prosecute employees that are suspected of breaking the law.”

The indictment, unsealed today, indicates all the defendants are responsible for the supervision of inmates within the state of Texas. Included in this responsibility is the supervision of parolees who travel between states and the supervision of their activities to ensure they do not engage in criminal conduct.

Each parole officer named in the indictment allegedly chose to accept money from a parolee in order to allow the parolee to continue his/her illegal narcotics trafficking and distribution activity. Specifically, the indictment alleges each officer accepted payoffs from parolees in the amount of $1,000 to $3,000 on at least one occasion in order to allow them to continue their criminal behavior.

“The alleged actions of these employees can erode the public’s confidence and damage the integrity of parole officers across the state that perform their duties faithfully every day,” said Toney. “We are committed to rooting out suspected corruption within the criminal justice system.”

If convicted, each faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible $250,000 fine.

Anyone suspecting criminal activity or abuse within the TDCJ can make a report by calling the toll-free TDCJ waste/fraud abuse hotline at 1-866-372-8329.

The operation was a combined public corruption task force effort conducted by the FBI, Texas Rangers, Houston Police Department and Office of Inspector General for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The case is being prosecuted by Southern District of Texas with the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Read More... http://www.fbi.gov/houston/press-releases/2013/parole-officers-charged-with-accepting-payoffs?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Holiday Bomb Threat Averted - Race Against Time

The explosive device, left, found inside a light fixture box at a Home Depot store in Long Island, New York. An x-ray of the device shows it tucked into the actual light fixture.

It was one of those cases like you might see on TV or in the movies—where the FBI and its partners work feverishly behind the scenes, racing to stop bombs from going off and lives from possibly being lost.


But this was real—and the stakes were high. The target was one of the nation’s largest retailers in one of America’s most populated areas. And the day of reckoning was Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.


It all started last October 15, when the Home Depot in Huntington, New York—a town on the north shore of Long Island—received an ominous anonymous note. The sender demanded $2 million or he would “shut down” three Home Depot stores on Long Island the day after Thanksgiving by remotely setting off bombs filled with roofing nails using a cell phone. As proof of his ability to hide a bomb, he said that he had planted a live device in the Huntington store’s lighting department.


The man wasn’t bluffing. Home Depot immediately contacted the Suffolk County Police Department, which found an operational pipe bomb hidden within a light fixture inside a box on a shelf. Bomb techs rendered it harmless through a controlled detonation.


Suffolk County and FBI bomb techs later agreed that if a store employee or customer had come across the bomb and picked it up, it could have exploded. And the device made it clear that the bomb-maker knew what he was doing.


Two days later, the man called Home Depot and repeated his demands. Five days later, the store received a second letter, this time lowering the ransom to $1 million and setting up a “money drop” for October 26.


According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, on the day of the money drop, the bomber intended to be “wired up like a Christmas tree” with “2 devices strapped to a belt and 1 to a neck chain I will be wearing, wired together and attached to a deadman switch in my hand.” The man also stated that “to keep from being shot at a distance,” he intended to place an additional explosive device in a Home Depot store.


But just before the scheduled money drop, the would-be-bomber made a second phone call to Home Depot to call it off…for the time being.


All the while, a multi-agency team of investigators from federal, state, and local law enforcement were compiling a list of suspects and working to narrow it down. A prime suspect soon emerged—Daniel Patrick Sheehan, an employee of the Home Depot store in nearby Deer Park.


On November 7—after using a variety of innovative investigative techniques—law enforcement located and arrested Sheehan in the vicinity of one of the Long Island Home Depot locations. Found in Sheehan’s possession was the cell phone used to make the threatening phone calls to the store.


On June 17, 2013, Sheehan was convicted by a federal jury of extorting his employer and using a destructive device. As then-FBI New York Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mary Galligan said after Sheehan’s arrest, “Whatever his motivation …[Sheenan’s] scheme caused economic loss, was a huge drain on law enforcement resources, and threatened the safety of untold numbers of innocent people, any one of which is unacceptable.”

Source... http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/june/holiday-bomb-threat-averted/holiday-bomb-threat-averted

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FBI Director Admits Domestic use of Drones for Surveillance

The FBI uses drones for domestic surveillance purposes, the head of the agency told Congress early Wednesday.

Robert Mueller, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, confirmed to lawmakers that the FBI owns several unmanned aerial vehicles, but has not adopted any strict policies or guidelines yet to govern the use of the controversial aircraft.
“Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on US soil?” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mr Mueller during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Yes,” Mueller responded bluntly, adding that the FBI’s operation of drones is “very seldom.”

Asked by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) to elaborate, Mueller added, “It’s very seldom used and generally used in a particular incident where you need the capability.” Earlier in the morning, however, Mueller said that the agency was only now working to establish set rules for the drone program.

Mueller began answering questions just after 10 a.m. EDT. He briefly touched on the recently exposed NSA surveillance program that has marred the reputation of the United States intelligence community. Mueller said 22 agents have access to a vast surveillance database, including 20 analysts and two overseers.

When Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) asked Mueller later in the morning if he’d consider being more open about the FBI’s surveillance methods, the director expressed reluctance to be more transparent. Mueller said the FBI has and will continue to weigh the possibility of publishing more information about its spy habits, but warned that doing so would be to the advantage of America’s enemies.

“There is a price to be paid for that transparency,” Mueller said. “I certainly think it would be educating our adversaries as to what our capabilities are.”

Source... http://worldtruth.tv/fbi-director-admits-domestic-use-of-drones-for-surveillance/

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FBI now digging for Jimmy Hoffa in Field in Oakland County, Mich.

Federal agents first heard about the vacant property in January, when the son of Joseph Zerilli, known as one of the city's legendary alleged crime bosses, came forward. Anthony "Tony" Zerilli, 85, told investigators that Hoffa's body was buried in a shallow grave in the Oakland Twp. field. Plans to move his body were abandoned.

But the FBI might have reason to doubt Zerilli's story. For one, it was reported in January that he's writing a book. The 85-year-old also said he has knowledge of Hoffa's death from his father, although he claims to have never been a mobster, and was serving time at the time of the disappearance.

Zerilli said it's important that people know the truth.

"I’d like to just prove to everybody that I’m not crazy," Zerilli told NBC. "And it means a lot to me. What happened, happened while I was in jail. And I feel very, very bad about it and it should never have happened to Jim Hoffa. He didn’t deserve what happened to him."

Although Hoffa disappeared nearly 40 years ago, the feds haven't given up trying to locate his remains around Metro Detroit. Investigators have searched beneath many innocuous suburban fixtures for the Teamster boss's body: a backyard swimming pool, Roseville driveway, Detroit home and even a horse farm.

UPDATE: 12:20 p.m. -- Investigators are digging around a cement slab in the middle of the Oakland Twp. field, according to WXYZ. Watch live feed from the dig site at WXYZ.


UPDATE: 2:20 p.m. -- An attorney for Tony Zerelli told WXYZ that Hoffa's body is buried underneath the cement slabs where investigators can currently be seen digging. "The body is in that field, no doubt about it," Attorney David Chasnick told WXYZ.

See Video and Read More... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/jimmy-hoffa-search-body-fbi-disappearance_n_3453867.html

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Secretly Probes Internet Servers with a U.S. Intelligence Program

The U.S. director of national intelligence late Thursday confirmed the existence of a secret program in which the government has tapped into the central servers of nine leading Internet companies to search for data potentially linked to terrorism, espionage or nuclear proliferation, but he called two newspapers’ disclosure of it “reprehensible.”

Under the 6-year-old program, code-named PRISM, the FBI and National Security Agency have searched for emails, videos, photographs and other documents. The effort involves Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Paltalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube and Apple, the Washington Post and Britain’s Guardian reported, quoting from classified documents. Among major Internet companies, only Twitter has so far been a holdout, the Post said.

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper confirmed the program but said the Post and Guardian articles contained “numerous inaccuracies.”

Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo all denied participating. The others did not respond to requests for comment Thursday night.

See Video and Read More...  http://ktla.com/2013/06/07/u-s-intelligence-program-secretly-probes-internet-servers/#ixzz2VYWTWpvX

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Senator Ron Calderon's Office is being Searched by the FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The FBI is searching the office of California state Senator Ron Calderon but is not disclosing the reason for the investigation.

Laura Eimiller, the spokeswoman for the FBI office in Los Angeles, said the warrants were served about 3 p.m. Tuesday and that agents were still inside the Capitol in the evening.

She would not disclose the target of the search warrants, but Senate Chief Sergeant-at-Arms Tony Beard told The Associated Press it was Calderon.

Read More.... http://www.myfoxla.com/story/22503808/the-fbi-is-searching-the-office-of-california-state-sen-ron-calderon?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz2VJEzdZEI

Assistant County Executive Pleads Guilty to "Honest Services" Fraud

Former Wayne County Assistant County Executive Michael Demetrus Grundy, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with his position as executive director of HealthChoice of Michigan, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

Joining McQuade in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley, III, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

According to court records, on October 19, 2011, Grundy caused the accountant of HealthChoice to wire transfer $400,000 to a company called Medtrix, falsely representing that the payment was pursuant to a contract between HealthChoice and Medtrix executed on March 1, 2011, for Medtrix to develop and implement an electronic medical records (EMR) system for HealthChoice medical providers. However, the contract was actually not executed until October 2011, and it was not approved by the HealthChoice Board of Trustees. Further, Medtrix never created or obtained any EMR programming, and an EMR system that was developed by another company was already being offered to HealthChoice networks and medical providers.

Co-conspirator Keith Griffin pleaded guilty on May 10, 2012, to the wire fraud scheme. He admitted that Grundy used his position as executive director of HealthChoice to authorize fraudulent payments to Medtrix and Advertise Me (also owned by Griffin) and that Griffin kicked back substantial portions of those payments to Grundy. In his plea agreement, Grundy admits that he was receiving kickbacks of funds that were supposed to be used for the benefit of the participants of HealthChoice insurance programs.

Grundy faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and forfeiture of the unlawful payments he received.

United States Attorney McQuade said, “The citizens of Wayne County deserve honest services from their public officials. It is particularly offensive when corruption comes from officials entrusted to promote health and welfare. We will continue to prosecute public officials who enrich themselves instead of serve the people.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley, III said, “We will aggressively pursue public officials like Michael Grundy who are charged with promoting the health and welfare of our citizens, but who instead corruptly use their positions of power for self gain.”

“Grundy abused his powers by utilizing his positions to discreetly conduct illegal activities and receive kickbacks,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez. “IRS-CI is committed to following the money trail to ensure that public officials who use their office to line their own pockets are brought to justice and deprived of their ill-gotten gains.”

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI and IRS. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Stafford, Gjon Juncaj, and Chantale Fiebig.

Source... http://www.fbi.gov/detroit/press-releases/2013/former-wayne-county-assistant-county-executive-pleads-guilty-to-honest-services-fraud?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Man in Utah Arrested in Terrorism Bomb Making Case

SALT LAKE CITY — Federal authorities say they diffused a potential terrorist threat with the arrest of an Uzbekistan national who they say belongs to an Islamic terrorist group.

Fazliddin Kurbanov, 30, now faces federal charges in Utah and Idaho for allegedly training others how to make bombs and preparing to carry out a violent offense with a weapon of mass destruction.

The FBI arrested Kurbanov in a Boise apartment complex Thursday morning as part of federal terrorism investigation in the two states. Agents also searched a residence in Boise, but FBI spokeswoman Debbie Bertram would not say if it belonged to Kurbanov.

Kurbanov, who was in the U.S. legally at the time of his arrest, is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday in Idaho.

Federal agents closely monitored Kurbanov’s activities for some time and stopped any potential threat, said U.S. Attorney for Utah David Barlow.

Authorities would not say whether a terrorist attack was imminent. They also declined to comment on what initiated the investigation or how long they were conducting it.

"The bottom line is he's been arrested, he's in custody and that risk has been contained," Barlow said.

A one-count indictment filed in Salt Lake City alleges that from about Jan. 14 to Jan. 24, Kurbanov taught and demonstrated how to make explosive devices and distributed information relating to the manufacture and use of a weapon of mass destruction.

In Utah, Kurbanov showed Internet videos, led shopping trips, provided written recipes and gave instructions on where to obtain components to build and use improvised explosive devices, according to the indictment.

Bertram would not comment on where Kurbanov lived or stayed in Utah or how much time he spent in the state.

The three-count Idaho indictment alleges that between August 2012 and May 2013, Kurbanov provided resources to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which the U.S. government designates as a foreign terrorist organization. Those resources include Kurbanov himself, computer software and money, according to the indictment.

On Nov. 15, 2012, Kurbanov possessed parts that he could readily assemble into a bomb, including a hollow hand grenade, hobby fuse, aluminum powder, potassium nitrate and sulfur, according to the indictment.

Authorities would not comment on what his intentions were at that time.

Last month, a combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an IMU leader in the Burkah district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, according to the Defense Department.

The leader allegedly led a cell of insurgent fighters in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also is accused of training insurgent fighters and serves a vital role in intelligence and improvised explosive device operations, they said.

In January, a court in France convicted nine people for links to the militant group that the U.N. Security Council has described as an al-Qaida affiliate.

They were convicted in connection with collecting funds for the IMU. Defense lawyers said the money was for humanitarian uses such as paying for sheep for slaughter under Muslim ritual, according to the Associated Press.

Barlow said the arrest serves as a reminder that crime related to alleged terrorist activity can happen anywhere.

“One of our highest priorities is disrupting potential acts of terrorism. The coordinated investigation, arrest and indictments in this case demonstrate the commitment of all involved to do just that," he said.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Division, which covers Idaho and Utah, and the Joint Terrorism Task Forces in the two states, which includes a number of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, participated in the investigation.

Read More... http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580184/Man-who-allegedly-taught-bomb-making-in-Utah-arrested-in-terrorism-case.html

FBI: Raid's Home "Terror Attack"

MINNEAPOLIS—The FBI believes authorities disrupted "a localized terror attack" in its planning stages when they arrested a man after converging on a western Minnesota mobile home that contained Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms, the agency said Monday.

Buford Rogers, 24, of Montevideo, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He remained in federal custody Monday and it was not clear if he had an attorney.

"The FBI believed there was a terror attack in its planning stages, and we believe there would have been a localized terror attack, and that's why law enforcement moved quickly to execute the search warrant on Friday to arrest Mr. Rogers," FBI spokesman Kyle Loven said Monday.

Loven declined to elaborate about the location of the alleged target, other than to say it was believed to be in Montevideo, a city of about 5,000 people about 130 miles west of Minneapolis. He also declined to say whether Rogers was believed to be acting alone or as part of a group, or if other arrests were expected.

"This is a very active investigation," he said.

In a news release Monday, the FBI said it believed "the lives of several local residents were potentially saved" by the search and arrest, and said "several guns and explosive devices were discovered." The agency said the alleged terror plot was discovered through analysis of intelligence gathered by local, state and federal authorities.

"Cooperation between the FBI and its federal, state, and local partners enabled law enforcement to prevent a potential tragedy in Montevideo," Christopher Warrener, the special agent in charge of the FBI office in Minneapolis, said in the release.

According to a federal affidavit obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, FBI agents from the domestic terrorism squad searched the property at the mobile home park in Montevideo and discovered the Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms. The affidavit said Buford was there at the time of the search, and one firearm recovered from Buford's residence was a Romanian AKM assault rifle.

In an interview with authorities, Rogers admitted firing the weapon on two separate occasions at a gun range in Granite Falls, the affidavit said. Rogers has a past conviction for felony burglary and is not allowed to have a firearm.

Rogers is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court this week.

Read more... http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23181035/fbi-raid-minn-home-disrupted-terror-attack?source=rss#ixzz2SX1T5ESf

FBI confident on a 23-year-old $500-million art heist, offers reward

The theives spent 81 minutes taking over 500 Million Dollars worth of art from  Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. To the day 23 years later the FBI know who did the crime.

"We have identified the thieves who are members of a criminal organization with a base in the mid-Atlantic states and New England," said Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office.

On the night of March 18, 1990, two thieves posed as Boston police officers. Once inside the museum, they tied up the guards and left with 13 masterpieces, including works by Degas and Rembrandt, valued at a total of $500 million.

"The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence in the years after the theft the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft," DesLauriers said.

The announcement today marks a huge break in the case for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where 13 empty frames have hung on the walls for the past 23 years.

Anthony Amore, the museum's chief of security, highlighted a $5 million reward for "information that leads directly to the recovery of all of our items in good condition."

Authorities urged those who are in possession of the art to turn it in, whether they leave it at a church, go through an attorney, or find another way to anonymously return it.

"As we have said in the past, the U.S. Attorney's Office will consider the possibility of immunity from criminal prosecution for information that leads to the return of the paintings based on the set of facts and circumstances brought to our attention. Our primary goal is, and always has been, to have the paintings returned," Ortiz said.

Read More... http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fbi-thieves-identified-1990-art-heist-isabella-stewart/story?id=18757276