Month: January 2021

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force and the La Mesa Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the individual believed to be responsible for a bank robbery in La Mesa, California.

On December 28, 2020, at approximately 1:10 p.m., a man robbed the Bank of the West, located at 8690 Center Dr., La Mesa, California. The man, like other customers, waited in line until he was called by a teller. When he approached the teller, the robber produced a note demanding money from the bank. The note threatened that the robber possessed a bomb. No bomb or weapon was seen by witnesses inside the bank. After receiving money from the teller, the robber fled on foot.

During the robbery, the robber wore a black long-sleeved hoodie sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head and a baseball hat. He also wore a white bandana. Following the robbery, investigators obtained additional surveillance photos of the robber near the bank where the man can be seen wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt rather than the black hoodie. The robber, however, was still wearing the same white bandana face covering and pants.

Description of robber:

• Sex: Male
• Race: White
• Age: Approx. 25-30 years old
• Height: 5’10” tall
• Other: Longer hair and freckles on face
• Clothing: Black long-sleeve hoodie, dark pants, a white bandana face covering and a baseball hat; long-sleeve T-shirt

If you have information regarding this robber, please contact:

• San Diego FBI: (858) 320-1800; www.fbi.gov/tips
• San Diego Crime Stoppers: (888) 580-8477; www.sdcrimestoppers.org

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

With more people than ever doing their holiday shopping online, FBI San Diego wants to remind shoppers to look out for scams designed to steal your money and personal information. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2019, Californians lost over $573,624,151 due to a variety of cyber scams.

Scammers count on you not to do your homework, and to believe those expensive gifts in pop-up ads are truly half price. Don’t fall for it. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers may offer unbelievable deals through phishing e-mails or advertisements. Some may offer brand name merchandise at extremely low discounts or promise gift cards as an incentive to purchase a product.

Charity related fraud is also on the rise during the holiday season. Scammers try to take advantage of those who want to make end-of-the-year donations. Charity scams are set up and designed to make it easy for you to donate money. Doing a little research will make sure your donation supports a legitimate charity. Beware of organizations with copycat names that are similar to genuine charities. Most reputable charity websites use .org, not .com.

There are ways to protect yourself when shopping and making charitable donations online:

• Buy directly from a secure and reputable website.
• Beware of social media posts that appear to offer special vouchers or gift cards, or particularly low prices. If you are requested to act immediately or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
• Verify the legitimacy of buyers or sellers before making a purchase. If you’re using an online marketplace or auction website, check feedback ratings.
• Avoid solicitations or ads with misspelled words, broken English, or requests to pay for your order with a gift card. Do not click on links within unsolicited e-mails.
• Track your order through your original confirmation e-mail.
• Before you give to a charity, keep in mind legitimate charities do not solicit donations via money transfer services or ask for donations via gift cards.
• If you are not familiar with a charity, search its name plus “complaint” or “rating” to see if fraud has been reported. Beware of organizations with copycat names that are similar to genuine charities.
• Make contributions directly, never through a third party. Pay with your credit card or check. Don’t give cash donations.
• Check your credit card and bank statements regularly to make sure no fraudulent charges show up.

If you suspect you’ve been victimized:

• Contact your financial institution immediately upon suspecting or discovering a fraud.
• Contact local law enforcement.
• File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Resources

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

The FBI Sacramento Field Office (FBI Sacramento) is working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prepare for any potential violence related to the recent unrest in Washington, D.C. To support intelligence sharing and coordination with our law enforcement partners, we are operating a command post. Our personnel, including special agents, bomb technicians, evidence response teams, tactical teams, intelligence teams, and others are ready to support investigations and respond to potential threats within the 34 counties FBI Sacramento serves, including the state capitol.

We thank the communities we serve for continuing to submit tips regarding potential violence at upcoming events. The support of the public is essential for us to fulfill our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the U.S. Constitution. As we stated during the protests in 2020, we respect and preserve the rights of all Americans to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. To ensure the safety of all, we remain in contact with our law enforcement partners and continue to share information about potential threats.

Anyone with information about violence and criminal activity may call our office at (916) 746-7000. You may also dial ‪1-800-CALL-FBI (1-‪800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and information. You may also submit information online at tips.fbi.gov. If an emergency exists, the public is urged to call 911 immediately.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

SACRAMENTO—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is encouraging civil, business, and religious community leaders to complete an online application to attend its virtual FBI Citizens Academy. The Spring 2021 class will be offered entirely online, enabling leaders from regions located far from FBI field offices to attend. Community leaders from the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba are encouraged to apply.

“The COVID-19 pandemic tested the flexibility of our outreach efforts. We met the challenge well, finding that virtual platforms expanded our reach, enabling us to better connect with more geographically distant communities in our area of responsibility,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan.

Virtual FBI Citizens Academy classes provide seven weeks of virtual classroom instruction and participants will be invited to attend optional in-person demonstrations compliant with COVID-19 safety measures. To submit an application for the class that will begin on April 8, 2021, visit https://forms.fbi.gov/fbi-citizens-academy-nomination-form-sacramento/view. Applications must be received by February 18, 2021, to be considered.

The FBI Citizens Academy class provides community leaders with a view into how the FBI Sacramento Field Office serves communities within its 34-county region in California. Over the course of seven weeks, attendees learn how the FBI fulfills its mission and partners with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat significant crime. Content includes exploration of the FBI’s investigative priorities including terrorism, counterintelligence, civil rights, cybercrime, public corruption, and violent crime.

More than 500 students have graduated FBI Sacramento Field Office’s FBI Citizens Academy program since 2006.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

On behalf of more than two dozen partner agencies, Assistant Director in Charge Kristi K. Johnson, of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, announced the results of ”Operation Lost Angels,” an initiative which began on January 11th and recently culminated in the recovery of 33 children.

During January—Human Trafficking Awareness Month—the FBI worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and more than two dozen law enforcement and non-governmental partners to identify, locate, and recover missing children, particularly those who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and/or trafficked.

Of the 33 children recovered, eight were being sexually exploited at the time of recovery. Two were recovered multiple times during the operation while on the “track,” a common term used to describe a known location for commercial sex trafficking. It is not uncommon for victims who are rescued to return to commercial sex trafficking either voluntarily or by force, fraud, or coercion. This harmful cycle highlights the challenges victims face and those faced by law enforcement when attempting to keep victims from returning to an abusive situation. Victims may not self-identify as being trafficked or may not even realize they’re being trafficked.

Several other victims located had been sexually exploited in the past and were considered vulnerable missing children prior to their recovery. Additionally, the operation resulted in the arrest on state charges of one suspected human trafficker and the opening of multiple investigations. Some of the minor victims were arrested for probation violations, robbery, or other misdemeanors. One child was a victim of a noncustodial parental kidnapping.

The FBI caseload for both sex and labor trafficking-related crimes has increased significantly in the past several years. As of November 2020, there were more than 1,800 pending trafficking investigations, including those involving minors exploited through commercial sex trafficking. Today, the FBI leads 86 Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces around the nation and participates in Anti-Trafficking Coordination (ATC) Teams in 12 offices, including in Los Angeles. The ATC Teams are intended to streamline coordination on the front lines of federal human trafficking investigations and prosecutions.

In fiscal year 2020, the FBI initiated 664 human trafficking investigations nationwide, resulting in the arrests of 473 traffickers. The FBI also collects and posts human trafficking statistics through its annual crime report. The most recent report can be found at https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-theu.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/additionaldata-collections/human-trafficking

“The FBI considers human trafficking modern day slavery and the minors engaged in commercial sex trafficking are considered victims,” said Assistant Director Johnson. “While this operation surged resources over a limited period of time with great success, the FBI and our partners investigate child sex trafficking every day of the year and around the clock.”

Multiple teams were assembled for this operation which were comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the California Department of Child & Family Services, and nongovernmental victim advocacy organizations.

“Human trafficking is a pervasive and insidious crime that threatens the safety of our young people, who are the future of our communities,” said Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. “We can only begin to take back the future of our youth with the strong partnerships forged between outstanding service providers and law enforcement.”

In addition to recovering child victims who are missing or engaged in commercial sex trafficking or who are otherwise being exploited, the FBI and our partners provide much needed resources to victims to ensure that their short- and long-term needs are met. Resources may include immediate medical requirements; legal services; housing; employment; education; job training; and childcare, among others.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “Collaboration with our law enforcement partners is key to ending the vicious cycle of modern day slavery. I’m committed to doing everything we can to stop human trafficking.”

Intelligence gathered during the operation will be shared with the appropriate partners and new cases have been initiated. The agencies whose personnel participated in Operation Lost Angels are listed here:

• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office
• Los Angeles Police Department
• California Highway Patrol
• Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
• United States Attorney’s Office
• United States Marshall’s Service
• Internal Revenue Service
• Drug Enforcement Agency
• Health and Human Services
• Inglewood Police Department
• El Segundo Police Department
• Pomona Police Department
• Glendale Police Department
• Long Beach Police Department
• San Diego Police Department
• Wichita Police Department
• Langston University Police (Oklahoma)
• San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office
• Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
• San Luis Obispo District Attorney Bureau of Investigation
• Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
• California Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
• Los Angeles County Probation Office
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Wayfinder Family Services
• Arizona Department of Child Safety

Anyone who believes they may be victims of human trafficking may call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (NHTRC) at 888-373-7888 or visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ The NHTRC is a national, confidential, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls at all times.

Those who wish to report incidents of suspected human trafficking may call their local FBI office or local police department. For more information about the FBI’s Human Trafficking investigations, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/human-trafficking