Month: April 2022

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Security News in Brief: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm

Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on March 28, 2022, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Harold Dooley, age 32, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Dooley was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 17, 2019, and pleaded guilty on October 15, 2021. The conviction stems from Dooley, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, illegally possessing a Phoenix Arms, model HP22A, .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Dooley came into contact with law enforcement in November 2019 in Rapid City.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Dooley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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Defense News in Brief: U.S., Iceland Kick Off Exercise Northern Viking 2022

Source: United States Navy

U.S. Sailors and Marines joined multiple Allied Nations in kicking off U.S. Sixth Fleet’s Exercise Northern Viking 2022 (NV22) in Keflavik, Iceland, April 2, 2022.

Participating NATO Allied Nations include France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The combined forces bring significant capabilities across the air, land and at-sea domains.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces include the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Amphibious Ready Group / 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Keflavik Air Base, the Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201), Sailors from Task Force 68 and the Virginia-class attack submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785).

“The strong relationship between the U.S. and Iceland, especially in the maritime, dates back more than 70 years,” said Vice Adm. Gene Black, Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. “We look forward to operating side-by-side with our Icelandic Allies while enhancing professional relationships and improving overall coordination with Allied Nations.”

NV22 strengthens interoperability and force readiness between the U.S., Iceland and Allied Nations and enables execution of multi-domain command and control of joint and coalition forces in the defense of Iceland and the Sea Lines of Communication in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap. The exercise includes amphibious landings, expeditionary and construction capability, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance with forces demonstrating skills in events across multiple domains, climates, and vignettes to enhance interchangeability and interoperability.

“We are ready to host once again the Northern Viking exercise with our American counterparts here in Iceland,” said Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. “We enjoy a strong and enduring relationship with the United States and we look forward to a highly successful event.”

U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with Allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability throughout Europe and Africa.

For imagery and other products related to exercise Northern Viking, please visit www.dvidshub.net/feature/northernviking2022.

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Defense News in Brief: Navy Investigating Fuel/Water Release at Red Hill

Source: United States Navy

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Navy is investigating a release of no more than 30 gallons of a water and fuel mixture in the vicinity of tanks 13 and 14 in the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The release occurred at approximately 12:11 p.m. on Friday, April 1 and was stopped shortly after. Response teams have completed recovery efforts.

Dewatering work was being conducted at the time. This periodic maintenance removes water from fuel tanks holding fuel. All dewatering maintenance has stopped.

The Navy notified the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) and EPA of the spill. DOH was on scene following the cleanup.

The Red Hill well remains secured, and the Navy continues to monitor drinking water.

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Security News in Brief: Thornton Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Bank Robbery

Source: United States Department of Justice News

FBI Denver and the United States Attorney’s Office Prioritize Bank Robbery Prosecutions

DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Brandon Lee Schneider, age 35, of Thornton, Colorado, was sentenced on April 1, 2022, to 72 months in federal prison for his role in robbing a bank.  According to the plea agreement, in September 2020, the defendant drove to Bank of the West in Thornton to rob the bank. The defendant wrote a note that read “No dye packs, No tracers, No games, Put all the money in the drawer to me now Thx.”  The defendant gave the note to his associate, who subsequently entered the bank and approached the teller.  The plea agreement also referenced four other bank robberies that the government contends were committed by the defendant and his associates.

“Bank robbery is part of a violent crime problem here in the Denver metro area,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan.  “Our office is committed to making Colorado safter and we will enforce the law by prosecuting these and other violent crimes together with our law enforcement partners, including our colleagues in District Attorney’s offices.”

“Robbing a bank is a federal felony, no matter whether the crime in perpetrated with a weapon, a note, or just a verbal threat,” said Michael Schneider, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI Denver Field Office.  “We are committed to bringing federal investigative resources to solve these crimes and bring perpetrators to justice with our law enforcement partners.” 

In Denver, bank robberies are investigated by the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as District Attorneys.  At the federal level, bank robbery is punishable with up to 20 years in prison for each offense.  The potential punishment increases if a dangerous weapon is used in the commission of the crime.  Over the past year, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have handled a number of metro area bank robbery matters, including the following:

  • August 17, 2021 — David Doering was sentenced to 140 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role robbing two banks while on supervised release.  (20-cr-156-DDD)
  • January 28, 2022 — Paul Hernandez was sentenced to 171 months in federal prison for robbing three banks in the Denver metro area while on bond for robbery charges.  (20-cr-339-WJM)
  • April 1, 2022 – Brandon Lee Schneider was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison.  (21-cr-11-PAB).
  • April 14, 2022 — Patrick James Murray is scheduled to be sentenced for committing three bank robberies in Lakewood and Arvada by handing a threatening note to a teller and demanding cash. The defendant pleaded guilty to all three robberies in December 2021.  (21-cr-58-RBJ)
  • April 20, 2022 — Daniel Shaw is scheduled to be sentenced for committing four bank robberies and one carjacking in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.  Shaw pleaded guilty in December 2021.  (21-cr-109-DDD)
  • June 1, 2022 — Jared Fitzgerald is scheduled to be sentenced for committing four bank robberies in Denver and Pueblo while on supervised release after serving a term of imprisonment for bank robbery.   Fitzgerald pleaded guilty in December 2021.  (21-cr-274-CMA)
  • December 8 2021 — Benjamin Whalen and William Foust were indicted for multiple counts of bank robbery. Foust is indicted for allegedly robbing 14 banks, and Whalen is indicted for allegedly robbing 3 banks.  Both are detained and pending trial.  (21-cr-00410-WJM)
  • November 16, 2021 – Joel Knerl was indicted for allegedly robbing ten banks in October and November of last year.  He is detained pending trial. (21-cr-385-DDD)
  • July 13, 2021 — Jerome Bravo was indicted on ten counts of bank robbery and three counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence for allegedly committing ten bank robberies in the Denver metro area. He is detained and pending trial.  (21-cr-226-DDD)

If anyone has any information about a bank robbery, please call the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force at 303-629-7171; or, you may remain anonymous by calling CRIMESTOPPERS at 720-913-STOP (7867).

Indictments are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Case 21-cr-0011 was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Minser. The Westminster Police Department, the Denver Police Department, the Thornton Police Department, and the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force assisted in that investigation.  All other matters referenced herein are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn, and were investigated by the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force.

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Security News in Brief: Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department today is seeking to join the lawsuit Doe et al. v. Schuylkill County et al., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs in this case are four female employees of Schuylkill County who allege that County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr., sexually harassed them and that they experienced retaliation when they opposed Halcovage’s sexual harassment. The allegations in the United States’ complaint in intervention, as described in detail below, include multiple incidents of sexual advances and of coercion of sexual intercourse, and inappropriate sex-based comments occurring over many years.

“When an elected official abuses their power and position to sexually harass public servants in the workplace they can and must be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit sends a clear message that the Department of Justice will not tolerate sexual harassment and will vindicate the rights of survivors.”

“No one should be forced to endure sexual harassment and then have that injury compounded by suffering retaliation for complaining about that harassment in the workplace,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle of Pennsylvania. “Our office will work diligently with the Civil Rights Division to enforce the right to be free from unlawful workplace harassment and retaliation.” 

The United States’ complaint in intervention alleges that Schuylkill County violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act when it subjected the four women to Halcovage’s sexual harassment and retaliated against them because they opposed his sexual harassment. Halcovage used his power as a County Commissioner to coerce one of the women, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, to have sex with him numerous times. Halcovage sexually harassed the other three women through among other things, crude sexual comments, obscene jokes and spreading a false rumor that he had had sex with one of them. High-ranking Schuylkill County officials were aware of Halcovage’s sexual harassment, but failed to take any actions to stop it until one of the women filed a written complaint. After the County investigated the written complaint, it determined that Halcovage had violated the County’s sexual harassment policy. Despite this finding, the County took no disciplinary action against him and he continues to serve as a Schuylkill County Commissioner. The County retaliated against the four women because of their opposition to Halcovage’s sexual harassment by, among other things, moving two of them to less desirable office locations and demoting the other two. Despite a clear conflict of interest and his obvious motive to retaliate against them, Halcovage cast the decisive vote to demote the two women.

The United States’ complaint in intervention is based on charges of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Philadelphia District Office, which investigated the charges and found reasonable cause to believe Schuylkill County violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charges to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Justice Department’s proposed intervention in this lawsuit is part of a joint effort to enhance collaboration between the department and the EEOC in the vigorous enforcement of Title VII.

This lawsuit is also part of the Civil Rights Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative. The initiative is aimed at eradicating sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach, and development of effective remedial measures to address and prevent future sex discrimination and harassment.

This lawsuit is being handled by Trial Attorneys Allan Townsend and Amber Trzinski Fox of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Butler for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.