Category: FBI

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Director Christopher Wray has named Michael A. Christman as assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia. He most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office.

The CJIS Division provides state-of-the-art tools and services to law enforcement, national security and intelligence community partners, and the general public.

Mr. Christman joined the FBI as a special agent in February 1992. He served on the Safe Streets Task Force in Salt Lake City, targeting violent gangs and Mexican drug-trafficking organizations. He also investigated violent crime and other criminal matters. Mr. Christman transferred to the Cleveland Field Office in 1997 and worked drug and terrorism cases.

In 2005, he was promoted to supervisory special agent and assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the Pittsburgh Field Office in 2007, where he supervised violent crime, violent gang, drug, and organized crime programs. He also led the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force.

Mr. Christman was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of Criminal, Intelligence, and Administrative Programs in Pittsburgh in 2014. He was put in charge of Pittsburgh’s Cyber and Intelligence Programs in 2015. Two years later, he was promoted to chief of a Cyber Operations section at Headquarters that managed all of the FBI’s cyber-criminal investigations. He also chaired the International Cyber Crimes Working Group.

In 2018, Mr. Christman was named the deputy assistant director of the CJIS Division’s Operational Programs Branch. He was named special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office in 2020.

Prior to his appointment with the FBI, Mr. Christman worked for the city prosecutor’s office in Akron, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University and a juris doctorate degree from the University of Akron.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Later today, FBI Executive Assistant Director Darrin Jones will participate in a panel discussing the impact of end-to end encryption on lawful access and public safety during the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto, Japan, streaming from 9:30 – 11:00 p.m. EST.
 
The virtual panel will bring together international leaders from law enforcement, cyber security, national security, and child safety arenas to discuss their efforts to address the lawful access to encrypted data challenge that continues to systemically undermine the public safety mission. 
 
EAD Jones, who leads the FBI’s scientific, operational technology, and criminal justice information sharing programs, will discuss the escalating risk posed by the lawful access to encrypted data challenge, which impedes the investigation and prevention of serious crimes such as online child exploitation and sexual abuse. His remarks underscore the shared interests between law enforcement and industry to ensure aggressive support and recommended use of strong, but responsibly managed encryption.
 
EAD Jones will also highlight the importance of continued cooperation and partnership in the international law enforcement community that is vital to address public safety and the national security challenges presented by modern communication services, applications, and devices.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Director Christopher Wray has named Bryan A. Vorndran as the assistant director of the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington. Most recently, Mr. Vorndran served as the special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office.

Mr. Vorndran joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003. He was first assigned to the Washington Field Office, where he primarily investigated criminal enterprises trafficking cocaine and heroin. In 2008, he spent five months as part of the International Contract Corruption Task Force in Afghanistan. He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 2009 and was assigned to the Counterterrorism Division at Headquarters; he was promoted to unit chief in 2012.

In 2013, Mr. Vorndran was named to lead the Washington Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the cyber and counterintelligence programs at the Baltimore Field Office in 2016. The next year, he was promoted to chief of the Strategic Operations Section of the Counterterrorism Division at Headquarters.

Mr. Vorndran was named a deputy assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division in 2018. As a deputy, Mr. Vorndran oversaw FBI programs intended to help dismantle transnational criminal organizations impacting the United States, combat violent and gang-related violent crimes, and counter crimes against children.

In 2019, Mr. Vorndran was named the special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office.

Before joining the Bureau, Mr. Vorndran was an engineer for The Procter & Gamble Co. and for Merck & Co. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Lafayette College in 1998 and a Master of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 2012.

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

The FBI’s Washington Field Office has released new information and video regarding the pipe bombs placed in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021, and is seeking additional information from the public. Identifying the person responsible for placing these pipe bombs is a priority for the FBI’s Washington Field Office and our partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Capitol Police; and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

On the evening before the violence at our nation’s Capitol, between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., two pipe bombs were placed near the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters. One device was placed in an alley behind the RNC headquarters, located at 310 First Street Southeast, and the other was placed next to a park bench near the DNC headquarters, located at 430 South Capitol Street Southeast #3.

“The American people have provided invaluable assistance in this investigation, and the FBI and our law enforcement partners are very grateful for that cooperation,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “We still believe there is someone out there who has information they may not have realized was significant until now. We know it can be a difficult decision to report information about family or friends—but this is about protecting human life. These pipe bombs were viable devices that could have been detonated, resulting in serious injury or death. We need the public’s help to identify the individual responsible for placing these pipe bombs to ensure they will not harm themselves or anyone else.”

The FBI has previously released photos of the individual, including of the individual’s shoes, the devices, and the kitchen timers used in hopes that someone recognizes something familiar about them. The person who placed these bombs wore a face mask, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo. They used a backpack to transport each of the devices.

The FBI is asking the public to watch the videos of this person—you may recognize their gait, body language, or mannerisms. We are asking the public to come forward with any information that could assist us, including any odd or out-of-character behavior you noticed in a family member, friend, or coworker, leading up to or after January 5. Regarding the evening of January 5, we are asking for information about an individual who you may have observed matching this description in the vicinity of North Carolina Avenue SE and Folger Park between 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.. This person may have entered a vehicle or taken an item from a vehicle and placed it into the backpack.

Together with the ATF, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person who placed these devices on the night of January 5. If you have any information, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or you can submit online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.

Follow the FBI’s Washington Field Office on Twitter at @FBIWFO for updates.

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

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the abduction of Robert A. “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran. Bob Levinson was abducted by Iranian intelligence officers on March 9, 2007 and is the longest-held hostage in U.S. history. Tomorrow, Mr. Levinson will turn 73 years old. Bob served his country for 28 years, including 22 years as an FBI special agent. We call on the government of Iran to immediately return Bob home to his family.

“For 14 years the Iranian government has denied the U.S. government, the FBI, and most importantly, the Levinson family any answers about the circumstances surrounding Bob’s abduction,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI continues to mourn the loss of our beloved friend and colleague, and the Levinson family continues to grieve the loss of their husband, father, and grandfather. It’s appalling that the Iranian government has yet to cooperate, and we, along with our interagency partners, remain resolute in our efforts to investigate and seek the truth of what happened to Bob.”