Category: FBI

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

ST. LOUIS—The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI continue to see scams where perpetrators are posing as federal authorities to scare victims.

In one of the latest examples, the perpetrators emailed a letter claiming to be from a federal court about a federal criminal investigation. The letter gives the victim a choice: (1) face indictment or (2) accept an agreement as a cooperating witness, which requires $7,000 in legal fees. In addition to the letter, perpetrators also called the victim.

U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri stated, “Scammers are always looking for ways to take your money or personal information. Anytime you are asked to pay money or give your personal information, be skeptical. Verifying the request can prevent the majority of scams.”

Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division explained, “Scammers are using more sophisticated techniques to appear legitimate, to include using information about you gleaned from compromised online accounts, such as email or social media. Please scrutinize and verify any request for money or personal information to avoid falling prey to scammers.”

Also, scammers can easily hide their identities by displaying legitimate phone numbers on Caller ID, which is known as spoofing. When in doubt, please take the next step by calling the organization in question. Look up the phone number instead of the number given, then pick up the phone and call the agency, organization, or business to verify. Scammers will do everything, including threaten or create a sense of urgency, to keep you from ending the call.

If you are a victim of a phone or an online scam where you wired money, immediately contact the bank you used to try to recall the wire transfer. Then file an online complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.IC3.gov).

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

FBI Director Christopher Wray traveled to Poland, Denmark, and Sweden this past week to meet with vital international law enforcement and national security partners about several matters of mutual interest. Director Wray also was briefed by the FBI’s legal attaché personnel stationed in our overseas offices in Warsaw, Copenhagen, and Stockholm and was able to meet with their families, as well as U.S. Embassy staff.

During each of his engagements with our Polish, Danish, and Swedish partners, Director Wray expressed the gratitude of the FBI, and U.S. law enforcement partners, for their strong alliance. His numerous meetings with our foreign law enforcement partners reaffirmed our shared commitment toward pursuing joint efforts to address the global criminal and cybersecurity challenges we all face through continued collaboration, cooperation, and information sharing.

Throughout his travels, Director Wray emphasized the importance of maintaining and further developing these essential partnerships and the value the FBI puts on such relationships in working toward our mutual goal of protecting our citizens.

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

Two Orange County men have been charged in separate federal criminal cases with pointing the beam of a laser at police helicopters.

Brett Wayne Parkins, 42, of Huntington Beach, is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court today, November 4, 2021, following his arrest on Wednesday by FBI agents at his residence. According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Orange County, Parkins on July 25 knowingly aimed the beam of a laser at an aircraft; namely, a helicopter owned and operated by the Huntington Beach Police Department.

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Parkins faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

In the second case, Eric Jayson Suarez, 47, of Santa Ana, was charged with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a helicopter owned and operated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on April 13, according to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Orange County. Suarez was arrested on October 13.

On October 26, federal prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Suarez, who is currently held without bond, agreed to plead guilty to the charge of aiming a laser at an aircraft. He is scheduled to formally enter the guilty plea on November 22. Once he pleads guilty, Suarez will face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI is investigating these matters with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Spencer of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting the Parkins case, and Assistant United States Attorney Varun Behl is prosecuting the Suarez case.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), laser strikes increased in 2020 despite a lower number of air traffic operations. The FAA reported 6,852 laser incidents in 2020, up from 6,136 in 2019. This is the highest reported number of incidents since 2016.

Intentionally aiming lasers at aircraft poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law. Criminal and civil penalties are pursued against offenders.

Technology has advanced the effectiveness of laser devices, resulting in an increase in potential safety hazards for pilots and their passengers. Such safety hazards include temporary distraction and impaired vision, which is particularly dangerous during the critical takeoff or landing phase of flight. In addition, pilots have reported the need to abort landings or relinquish control of the aircraft to another pilot as a result of laser attacks.

To learn more or to report a laser incident, please visit FAA.gov.

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

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of De’annzello McDonald. This is in addition to the previously offered reward of up to $2,500 from Crime Stoppers of Oregon.

At approximately 12:35 a.m., on June 11, 2020, officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to a report of gunfire at the 600 block of NE 162nd Avenue in Portland, Oregon. When they arrived, they found the body of 28-year-old De’annzello McDonald. Surveillance video showed McDonald walking up a flight of stairs with two men. A fourth man ran towards them and then ran away holding something in his right hand. Based on information gathered to date, investigators believe the suspect to be a young Black man in his mid-20s, average height to 6’0” tall, with a thin frame and possibly braided hair. The suspect was wearing a light, multi-colored top jacket, dark or black pants, and a light-colored hat. He was seen getting into a blue or gray Ford Crown Victoria sedan.

“Ghost guns. Stolen guns. Illegally purchased guns. As these weapons flood our streets, law enforcement and the community are working to turn the corner on the metro area’s record-setting violence. We need help, though. We need witnesses and associates of those involved to step up and help us bring an end to the shootings and buckets of bullets littering our streets,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon.

Mr. McDonald’s FBI “Seeking Information” poster can be downloaded at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/deannzello-mcdonald.

This reward is the fourth offered by the FBI on behalf of the Metro Safe Streets Task Force. Previous rewards include:

• Up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a mass shooting that claimed the life of Makayla Harris and injured six others
• Up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting death of Evelin Navarro-Barajas
• Up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting death of Dhulfigar Kareem Mseer.

If anyone has information, witnessed any part of what happened, or has video of anything that happened prior to, during, or after these shootings, they are asked to contact PPB by emailing crimetips@portlandoregon.gov or contacting the FBI at 1 (800) CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov.

The Metro Safe Streets Task Force is a partnership between the FBI and ATF, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

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

The FBI Richmond Division is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the subject(s) involved in the disappearance and presumed murder of Marcus Andrapolis Robinson, a Northumberland County, Virginia resident.

Marcus was last seen at his parents’ home in Heathsville, Virginia, on March 9, 2013. Investigators believe Marcus drove around the Georgetown area in his white 2006 Lincoln Town car prior to a planned meeting with identified persons on Davis Mill Road in Lancaster County, Virginia. His vehicle was discovered the next day, fully engulfed in flames, in Northumberland County. The investigation located evidence of a gun discharged inside the vehicle and believe the fire was intentionally set. Investigators have been unable to locate Marcus. Investigators consider Marcus a homicide victim and believe those responsible for this crime disposed of his body prior to the vehicle arson.

The FBI Richmond Field Office, the Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), and the Lancaster County Sheriff Office (LCSO) encourage anyone with information about this crime, or the location of Marcus Robinson’s remains, to contact law enforcement. Tips may be provided to the FBI at (804) 261-1044 or https://tips.fbi.gov/, to the NCSO at (804) 580-5221, or the LCSO at (804) 462-7463.

The FBI “Seeking Information” poster, previously created and shared within the FBI press release dated March 9, 2020, has been updated to reflect the $10,000 reward.