Security News in Brief: Mayor of Stonecrest and bookkeeper arraigned on federal charges relating to theft of COVID-19 relief funds

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jason Lary, the Mayor of Stonecrest, Georgia, has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and federal program theft. The charges relate to a scheme to allegedly steal federal relief funds granted to Stonecrest to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper for the entity hired by Stonecrest to disburse the relief funds, has also been arraigned on a federal charge of conspiring with Lary to steal relief funds.

Security News in Brief: Three Individuals Charged with $3.5 Million Scheme to Collect Contributions for Fraudulent Political Action Committees

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Two California men and one Texas man have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Austin, Texas, for their alleged involvement a scheme to operate two fraudulent political action committees (PACs) during the 2016 federal election cycle. The indictment was unsealed yesterday after being returned on Nov. 2.

FBI Task Force Arrests Suspected Serial Killer

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

ST. LOUIS—Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn has announced the probable cause arrest and pretrial detention of Perez Reed, 25, of St. Louis, Missouri.

An investigation by law enforcement agencies in Missouri and Kansas led to the location and arrest of Reed on Friday, November 5, 2021, as Reed was traveling by train back to St. Louis from Kansas City, Missouri. The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crimes Task Force arrested Reed without incident when he got off the train in Independence, Missouri. According to the federal Motion for Pretrial Detention and Hearing, Reed was in possession of a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the time of his arrest. This caliber matches firearm shell casings found at unsolved shootings in the City and County of St. Louis during September 2021. At least six victims were shot, four fatally, with the same .40 caliber firearm.

According to the criminal complaint, Reed lived in St. Louis but had traveled to Kansas City, Kansas, where two victims were shot and killed in a manner consistent with the St. Louis area shootings. He is federally charged with Interstate Transportation of a Firearm with Intent to Commit a Felony.

Over the weekend, the FBI transported Reed back to St. Louis to face federal firearms charges as well as state murder charges in St. Louis County, Missouri. He is scheduled to have an initial appearance today, November 8, 2021, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Thank you to the following agencies:

  • St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
  • St. Louis County Police Department
  • FBI Kansas City Division’s Safe Streets Violent Crimes Task Force
  • Kansas City, Kansas Police Department
  • Independence Police Department
  • Missouri State Highway Patrol
  • ATF
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri

Defense News in Brief: SECNAV Meets with NAVWAR Leaders; Discusses Project Overmatch and OTC Revitalization

Source: United States Navy

SAN DIEGO – The Secretary of the Navy met with Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) top leaders and key innovators Nov. 8 at Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific in San Diego, for an update on Project Overmatch, a high priority initiative focused on ensuring operationally relevant data is available at the tactical edge, when and where required.

Defense News in Brief: Naval Oceanography, National Weather Service Streamline Aviation and Maritime Forecasting

Source: United States Navy

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and Fleet Weather Centers (FWC), San Diego and Norfolk, implemented advanced software—Automated Weather Interactive Processing System II (AWIPS)—acquired from the National Weather Service (NWS) creating operational advantages for the U.S. Navy Fleet and American aviation industry.