Month: August 2024

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Patrick Dai, 22, formerly a junior at Cornell University and originally from Pittsford, New York, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a special assessment in the amount of $100 for posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications.

“Every student has the right to pursue their education without fear of violence based on who they are, how they look, where they are from or how they worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Antisemitic threats of violence, like the defendant’s vicious and graphic threats here, violate that right. Today’s sentencing reaffirms that we will hold accountable those who violently threaten and intimidate others based on their religious practice or background. The Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans against bias motivated crimes wherever they occur, including college campuses.”

“Today, former Cornell University student Patrick Dai was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison for posting anonymous threats to kill Jewish students,” said U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “Before imposing a sentence, the court found that this was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines because Dai targeted Jewish students and substantially disrupted the university’s core function of educating its students. The defendant’s threats terrorized the Cornell campus community for days and shattered the community’s sense of safety. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.”

“Mr. Dai’s actions serve as a disturbing reminder of the terrifying hatred our Jewish communities encounter simply because of their beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the strong partnerships between our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the New York State Police and the Cornell University Police Department, Dai was quickly identified, charged and has remained in custody since that hateful day in October 2023. This sentence should serve as a reminder that the FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate any individual who perpetuates hate crimes to ensure our college campuses and communities at large remain free of hateful individuals who threaten the safety of Americans.”

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Dai admitted that, on Oct. 28 and 29, 2023, he posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion forum, including posts that said “gonna shoot up 104 west” (a dining hall at Cornell University that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is next to the Cornell Jewish Center that provides residential accommodations for students) and “gonna bomb jewish house.” In another post, Dai threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish man he saw on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish women he saw and to behead any Jewish babies. In that same post, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.”

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the New York State Police, investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Albany Field Office, Cornell University Police Department and Ithaca Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Stephen C. Green and Michael D. Gadarian for the Northern District of New York prosecuted the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland were in New Mexico today to highlight the work of the Biden-Harris Administration in helping address public safety, including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crises throughout Indian Country. The leaders were briefed by representatives of both Departments at the headquarters of the Interior Department’s Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU), and held a listening session with the Eight Northern Pueblos, which include the Nambé, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Taos and Tesuque Pueblos.

“The Justice Department is committed to working with the Department of the Interior and with our Tribal partners to confront the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons and the scourge of human trafficking,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am grateful to Secretary Haaland for her extraordinary leadership and for her partnership in our urgent shared work to advance safety and security in Tribal communities and to pursue justice for Native victims of crime.”

“It was my honor to be home in New Mexico with Attorney General Garland today to share, listen and learn about how the federal government can continue to be an active partner in the fight to end the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking crises that have plagued Indian Country since colonization began,” said Secretary Haaland. “Together, the Interior and Justice Departments have made significant progress during the Biden-Harris administration, but we must continue to do everything we can to ensure that investments, resources and attention are paid to this critical issue.”

Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country:

Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

Access to Justice Department Resources: Since 2021, the Justice Department has provided over $732 million in funding awards, including $268 million this past year, to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). 

MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March 2024, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress. 

Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.

White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.

International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the release of the Major Cities Chiefs Association Violent Crime Survey, which shows a decrease in violent crime in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same time period last year:

“This data offers yet another indicator of a substantial reduction in violent crime in major cities across the country. In nearly 70 major cities across the country, violent crime has continued to drop during the first six months of this year compared to the same time period last year, including a 17% decrease in homicides.

This updated data comes in the wake of last year’s historic drop in homicides nationwide and one of the lowest levels of violent crime in 50 years. 

Three and a half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to combat violent crime rooted in investing in our partnerships with other federal law enforcement agencies, with state and local law enforcement who risk their lives to keep their communities safe every day, and with the communities we all serve.  

The Justice Department’s work together with our partners to drive down violent crime is paying off.

But our message remains clear: we will not rest until every person and every community is safe from violent crime. 

We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners across the country to arrest violent felons, seize and trace guns used in crimes, disrupt violent drug trafficking, and make critical investments in police departments to hire more officers. And we will continue to work with our community partners to support life-saving initiatives aimed at preventing and disrupting violence before it occurs.”