Category: FBI

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

The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department need your help identifying an individual who robbed BOK Financial located at 1600 Broadway in Denver, Colorado, at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021.

The suspect is described as a balding White male, and approximately 5’7” to 5’9” with a medium build. He was wearing a blue surgical mask, long black jacket, blue jeans, and brown shoes.

Please be on the lookout for anyone matching the above description. Be aware of anyone similar who might have recently changed their spending habits or discussed coming into money suddenly.

Bank robbery is punishable with up to a 20-year prison sentence for each offense and increases if a dangerous weapon is used in the commission of the crime. The FBI continues to provide financial institutions with the best practices for security to make them less vulnerable to robberies.

If anyone has any information on the bank robbery above, or any 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).

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

The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Lakeside Police Department need your help identifying two individuals who robbed the KeyBank located at 5901 W. 44th Ave. in Denver, Colorado, at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Monday, October 4, 2021. The suspects displayed a demand note and fled from the bank in a white SUV.

Suspect one is described as a Hispanic or White male, 5’6” to 5’8” tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a black mask, a baseball cap with a Colorado flag, and a long-sleeve black shirt.

Suspect two is described as a Hispanic or White male, wearing a mask, dark-colored beanie, and a tan-colored plaid jacket over an orange shirt.

Please be on the lookout for anyone matching the above descriptions. Be aware of anyone similar who might have recently changed their spending habits or discussed coming into money suddenly.

Bank robbery is punishable up to a 20-year prison sentence for each offense and increases if a dangerous weapon is used in the commission of the crime. The FBI continues to provide financial institutions with the best practices for security to make them less vulnerable to robberies.

If anyone has any information on the bank robbery above, or any 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).

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

The recent rise in hate crimes across our state and nation concerns me greatly. What worries me even more is the countless people suffering in silence after experiencing or witnessing a hate crime.

Hate crimes have a devastating impact on our communities by striking fear in those who live there. Sadly, those who perpetrate these horrendous acts do so for the purpose of intimidating certain segments of our society. These crimes hurt everyone in the community. In order to stop these heinous acts, we must work together to identify and report perpetrators of these incidents. We cannot let these acts continue any longer. We must not let hate win.

As the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, my team and I are committed to investigating hate crimes. This fall, the FBI launched a national public campaign to elevate awareness about hate crimes and encourage reporting of these horrific crimes. The campaign highlights the need for us all to work collaboratively to ensure no crime goes unreported.

There are many sources of reporting concerning these matters, to include the news media, local law enforcement, and the community. However, these sources are only a start. In order to successfully address the threat, the FBI needs to collect specific details, which only a victim or witness can provide.

Citizens are often unsure about what constitutes a hate crime. By federal standards, a hate crime is a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. In short, a hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. Hate alone is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.

There are often differences between federal and state statutes concerning similar criminal activity. When a suspected hate crime is reported to a local law enforcement agency, the FBI works closely with its law enforcement partners to support investigations and explore whether federal charges are appropriate. The FBI will support state and local investigations even if the act in question does not meet the threshold for federal prosecution.

The FBI needs your help in eliminating fear in our communities. Our office stands with victims who bravely report their experiences and trust us to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if the reported crime was motivated by bias. The FBI’s focus is not on the background or immigration status of victims or witnesses, only the information and evidence they can provide to help us fill gaps and hold those accountable who sow fear into our communities.

We ask that you always support each other and your community and never let a criminal mute your voice. Hate is only emboldened by silence. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, we encourage you to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov. You can make a report anonymously. You can also review statistical reporting as detailed in the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

Learn more about federal hate crime statutes and state hate crime laws at justice.gov/hatecrimes/laws-and-policies.

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

Phoenix, AZ — Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. We know that, historically, hate crimes are underreported. To help our community recognize the importance of the issue and to encourage people to report incidents to law enforcement, the FBI in Phoenix is launching a hate crimes awareness campaign throughout the state.

The FBI continues to coordinate with local leaders from diverse communities to make sure these crimes are being reported. The campaign also includes paid advertising with:

• Billboards (Lamar and OUTFRONT) in Phoenix and Yuma
• Gila River Arena
• Radio ads (KTAR and KTNN/ Streaming platforms- Audacy, Pandora, iHeartRadio)
• Airport Advertising at TUC and FLG airports
• Newspaper web ads (AZCentral, The Daily Independent, AZ Daily Star, and the AZ Daily Sun)
• Social Media Ads (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)

This Arizona effort ties with a national FBI awareness campaign that hopes to drive education efforts and increase reporting: “Protecting Our Communities Together: Report Hate Crimes”.

We are asking people to report potential federal hate crime violations by contacting us at one of the national tipline options: 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

2020 Hate Crime Statistics

The FBI recently released the 2020 Hate Crimes Report as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. In Arizona, 81 of 125 agencies voluntarily submitted data for this current 2020 report. The UCR program specifically defines a hate crime as a criminal offense motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias or biases against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. In Arizona, there were 282 single bias incidents reported in 2020, and 209 single bias incidents reported in 2019. Nationally, there were 7,554 single bias incidents reported in 2020, and 7,081 single bias incidents reported in 2019.

Key Takeaways from 2020 Hate Crimes Report

The bias motivator in about 70% of Arizona incidents was race/ethnicity/ancestry. Victims perceived as Black were the racial group targeted most frequently. Religion was the motivator in about 13% of cases. Victims perceived as Jewish were the religious group targeted most frequently. Sexual orientation was the motivator in about 12% of reported Arizona incidents.

FBI Role in Investigating Hate Crimes

There are a number of federal laws that give the FBI the ability to investigate hate crimes. Those laws generally require some kind of criminal act AND a finding that the person committing the act did so because he/she was motivated by bias. The criminal act can include offenses such as murder, assault, arson, and it generally requires the use or threat of force or violence. For an incident to qualify as a federal hate crime, the subject(s) must have acted wholly or in part based on the victim’s actual or perceived status. This is generally consistent with state law. Under federal law, bias motivators include:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• National origin
• Disability
• Religion
• Gender
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation

Anyone who has information about or believes they are a victim of a federal hate crime should contact the FBI by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.

For more information on hate crimes, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes

For the FBI 2020 Hate Crimes Report: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2020-hate-crime-statistics

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

The Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the North Olmsted Police Department announce the arrest of Brandon Thomas Kern, 27 years old, of Bayport, New York. Kern has been charged with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

On October 7, 2021, a minor victim, age 14, and her mother made a police report with North Olmsted Police Department regarding online activity between the minor victim and Kern. The minor victim told law enforcement that she had been communicating with Kern for several weeks and believed Kern to be 16 years old until he told her he had rented a vehicle and would soon be in Ohio to have sex with her. The minor victim became frightened and told her mom about her online communications with this individual. Kern had threatened the victim with releasing inappropriate photos of her as a means to force her to meet with him.

At the time of filing the police report, Kern continued to communicate with the minor victim, arranging to pick her up at the library to which she could easily walk. North Olmsted Police officers instead met Kern and placed him into custody without incident.

Kern admitted to communicating with the victim and indicated that law enforcement officers would find rope, lube, and condoms in a nearby hotel room he had rented for the purpose of having sex with the minor victim.

Kern is to have an initial appearance in United States Magistrate Judge David A. Ruiz today, October 8, 2021, at 2 p.m.

This matter is considered an ongoing investigation and no further information outside of the federal complaint affidavit can be released.

Any questions regarding this press release can be directed to SA Vicki Anderson at 216-522-1400 or at vagregg@fbi.gov.