Month: May 2022

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Security News: Kingman Man Convicted for Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as a Convicted Felon

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, a federal jury found Todd Gehman Howard, 60, of Kingman, Arizona, guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich. 

On October 11, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence in Kingman, Arizona. Inside the residence, agents discovered 23 firearms, including 21 in a safe in Howard’s bedroom closet, and approximately 7,600 rounds of ammunition. Howard’s firearms included various types of revolvers, shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles. One of the guns in the safe was a Privately Made Firearm (PMF), FAL-type .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle, sometimes referred to as a “ghost gun.” Evidence presented at trial showed the receiver of that firearm was forged in Australia, and that the completed firearm had traveled from the State of Washington to Arizona.

“The Department of Justice takes seriously the prohibited possession of firearms. This Office will continue to prosecute such cases vigorously, especially cases such as this that involve federal felons possessing large quantities of firearms and ammunition,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Koehler and William Rubens, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-8033-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-077_Howard

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Security News: Justice Department Announces New Initiatives to Address and Prevent Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Announcement Comes on One Year Anniversary of Enactment of COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

On the one-year anniversary of enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Department of Justice today announced a series of actions to deter and confront hate crimes and other bias-related incidents, including:

  • Issuing new guidance with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Releasing grant solicitations for programs to create state-run hate crime reporting hotlines and to support community-based approaches to prevent and address hate crimes; and
  • Hiring the Department’s inaugural Language Access Coordinator.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney Lisa O. Monaco, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced these new initiatives at an event at the Justice Department commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on improving the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents and the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes and Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Acts. They were joined by family members of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, members of Congress; Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community-based organizations; civil rights organizations; and law enforcement leaders.

“Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate fueled violence. The Justice Department will continue to use every resource at its disposal to confront unlawful acts of hate, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”

“We have seen a spike in hate crimes against many communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases, individuals are still scared to leave their homes – not only because of worry that they may contract the virus, but out of fear for their physical safety. This is unacceptable,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who serves as Co-Chair of the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to combatting hate crimes against all Americans. Today’s announcements help deliver on the President’s pledge to ensure the safety of our communities.”

As set forth in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Justice Department and HHS announced the joint issuance of guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID–19 pandemic. This guidance provides an overview of the rise of hate crimes and hate incidents during the pandemic, including a surge of hate crimes and hate incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and several steps that law enforcement, government officials, and others can take to raise awareness of increased hate crimes and incidents, and to use increased awareness as a tool for the prevention of and response to hate crimes.

The Justice Department also announced the release of $10 million in grant solicitations in newly created grant programs to address hate crimes and hate incidents. This includes solicitations for grants authorized under the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act programs. Through these programs, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will provide up to $5 million in grant funds for the Bureau of Justice Statistics to support the transition of state and local law enforcement agencies to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and reporting of hate crimes through NIBRS, and for the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) to fund states to establish and run state-run reporting hotlines for victims of hate crimes. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) also released $5 million in grant solicitations under the Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Program, which supports community-based organizations and civil rights groups with implementing comprehensive approaches to promote community awareness and preparedness, increase victim reporting, strengthen community resiliency, and improve responses to hate crimes. 

The Justice Department announced that Ana Paula Noguez Mercado will join the Office for Access to Justice, where she will serve as the Department’s first-ever Language Access Coordinator. Language access is a key barrier to the reporting of hate crimes, and the Language Access Coordinator will help improve knowledge, use, and expansion of the Department of Justice’s language resources.

Finally, the Justice Department announced that Saeed Mody will serve as the Department’s new Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator, after the first ever Coordinator was recently named Director of the newly restored Office of Access to Justice. 

Over the last year, the Justice Department has taken a number of other actions in response to a rise in hate crimes and hate incidents. Some of these actions include:

  • Designating a Deputy Associate Attorney General as the Justice Department’s first-ever Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator;
  • Designating the chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division to serve in role of facilitating the expedited review of hate crimes;
  • Going above and beyond the directive under the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to expedite the review of certain hate crimes by including additional types of hate crimes;
  • Designating at least one Assistant U.S. Attorney as a Civil Rights Coordinator in every U.S. Attorneys’ Office (USAO);
  • Vigorously investigating and prosecuting hate crimes – since January 2021, the department has charged more than 40 defendants in over 30 cases and obtained more than 35 convictions of defendants charged with bias-motivated crimes;
  • Elevating civil rights violations and hate crimes enforcement for prioritization among the FBI’s 56 field offices;
  • Facilitating FBI-hosted regional conferences across the country with state and local law enforcement agencies regarding federal civil rights and hate crimes laws; to encourage reporting; strengthen relationships between law enforcement and local civil rights organizations; and build trust within the diverse communities they serve;
  • Launching an FBI-led National Anti-Hate Crimes Campaign involving all 56 FBI field offices to encourage reporting. The campaign includes outdoor advertising, billboards, and radio streaming in addition to social media;
  • Ensuring that all states have now become certified for participation in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting National Incident Based Reporting System;
  • Revitalizing the Community Relations Service (CRS) by, among other things, seating newly-confirmed director, Paul Monteiro;
  • Adding information to the Department of Justice’s website on reporting hate crimes in 24 languages, including 18 of the most frequently spoken AAPI languages in the United States;
  • Creating an online toolkit that provides USAO Civil Rights Coordinators with customizable community outreach materials and ready access to other resources and training;
  • Piloting a new outreach training called United Against Hate help improve the reporting of hate crimes by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes and to provide an opportunity for trust building between law enforcement and communities;
  • Developing additional resources to help empower local officials, community leaders, and residents to address and devise community responses to hate crimes and incidents, including a toolkit to address hate crimes and incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, which has been translated into Arabic, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Urdu, Tagalog, and Vietnamese;
  • Releasing close to $21 million in grant funding through these programs to state and local partners to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and assist hate crime victims, including through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and in their outreach to and education of the public, victims, and others on hate crimes; and
  • With the Department of Education, issuing facts sheets addressing harassment and discrimination in school, including harassment based on COVID-19 related issues, harassment of LGBTQI+ students, and discrimination based on national origin and immigration status.
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Security News: Justice Department Releases Guide to State Voting Rules That Apply After Criminal Convictions

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department today announced the release of a guide to the state voting rules that apply after criminal convictions. This document is designed to help citizens who meet the age and residency requirements to understand how the state-by-state rules about voting after a criminal conviction could apply to them. Who keeps the right to vote and who can regain that right — and how — differs from state to state, and it depends on state law. This guide walks readers through a series of questions to help them understand how each state’s laws work. And it gives information about how to reach officials in a particular state if someone wants to register to vote or if they have additional questions.

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy and it is critical for returning citizens to have reliable information concerning what voting rules apply after a criminal conviction,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The right to vote affirms returning citizens’ membership and belonging in the broader community. And it helps to ensure that the communities to which they belong have a meaningful opportunity to elect representatives of their choosing.”

The department originally gathered the information here in response to Section 9 of Executive Order 14019 on Promoting Access to Voting, which was issued by President Biden on March 7, 2021. Among other things, the executive order directed the Attorney General, as part of the reentry process for citizens in federal custody, to “provide educational materials related to voter registration.”

This information will be available through usdoj.gov/voting. 

Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through the internet reporting portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

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Sale of Federal Property in Auburn, WA Complete

Source: United States General Services Administration

May 20, 2022

TACOMA, WA – Yesterday, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Northwest/Arctic Region closed on the sale of the 129-acre federal property in Auburn, WA. The property, marketed as Pacific Point, was sold to IRG Auburn, LLC of Wilmington, Delaware for $80 million. The new owner has indicated that they will take possession of the property in phases, based on the timeline GSA proposed to potential buyers. The property is currently occupied by two federal agencies and a child care services provider; they may occupy a portion of the property rent-free until April 30, 2024.

Background on Pacific Point:
The site comprises approximately 129 acres of land located one mile south of the Commercial Business District of the City of Auburn. Originally purchased in 1944 by the United States Army as 435 acres of farmland, it was improved with over 20 dry storage warehouses for use during World War II.

In 1962, GSA took ownership of a 177-acre portion with multiple WWII warehouses, three 1950s era warehouses, an administration office, and a water tower. The remaining U.S. Army property was sold to private developers.

During the 1990s, GSA donated land to the City of Auburn for a park and the Auburn City School Bus Depot. An additional 8.4 acres was donated to the City of Auburn for its municipal fire training center.

After assessing the economic viability of maintaining the property and aging buildings, GSA determined that disposing of the Pacific Point site was the best solution for the federal government. The disposal of the site is part of a larger strategy to evaluate underutilized assets, and shrink the federal real estate footprint. Additional information about the property and the auction can be found online at gsa.gov/PacificPoint.

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Security News: Justice Department Files Proposed Settlement in Chambers County, Alabama School Desegregation Case

Source: United States Department of Justice

The Department of Justice, together with the Chambers County Board of Education and private plaintiffs represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, filed a proposed consent order designed to provide equal educational opportunities for all students and allow the district to fulfill its obligations in a longstanding school desegregation case. The proposed consent order, which requires approval by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, would require the school district to build a new, consolidated high school; create a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) magnet school; appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee; and take other corrective action.

“This proposed consent order reinforces the Civil Rights Division’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that all students receive the equal educational opportunities to which they are entitled regardless of their race or color,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This week marks 68 years since the Supreme Court declared in Brown v. Board of Education that ‘separate but equal has no place’ in our society, yet too many students find themselves in racially segregated schools. We will continue working to deliver on the unmet promises of Brown v. Board for the students of the Chambers County School District and for others across the country.” 

“Education is the cornerstone of American society,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “My office fully supports the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to ensure that equal educational opportunities are available to all students, and I am pleased that this case is close to a final resolution.”  

The proposed consent order is part of a desegregation case monitored and enforced by the United States. In reviewing the district’s compliance with the previous court orders in this case, the United States found that the district failed to meet earlier commitments to build a single, consolidated high school and maintained racially identifiable Black schools with fewer academic and extracurricular offerings than most of the other district schools. If approved, the order will require the district to, among other steps:

  • Build and operate a single, consolidated high school on a neutral site to serve all district students in grades nine through twelve;
  • Establish a STEAM Academy for all district kindergarteners through eighth graders and later renovate an existing facility to accommodate the magnet school;
  • Make information about academic course offerings, extracurricular activities, and special programs, including gifted and talented programming, available on the district’s website and provide that information directly to parents;
  • Ensure non-discrimination on the basis of race in its discipline practices by engaging technical assistance and revising the code of conduct;
  • Improve its practices for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and staff at each school; and
  • Work with a newly-created and diverse Desegregation Advisory Committee to mitigate any desegregation-related issues that may arise.

The order would also require regular reporting to the court, the Justice Department and private plaintiffs. The court would retain jurisdiction over the consent order during its implementation, and the Justice Department would monitor the district’s compliance with the consent order.  

This week marked the 68th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize enforcement of desegregation orders in school districts formerly segregated by law, to ensure that all children can build a foundation of educational success. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.