Category: FBI

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim—they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community. 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 Oregon is launching a hate crimes awareness campaign. This campaign starts on September 1st.

“Those who traffic in hate target the most vulnerable in our community based on how they look, what they believe, and who they love. The FBI has an important role in investigating these cases, but we know that we need help from our community partners both to encourage victims to come forward and to help identify these criminals,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon.

The FBI has been coordinating efforts with various leaders within diverse communities to identify and engage vulnerable populations through the channels and platforms that are most effective for any given organization. The campaign also includes paid advertising:

• Digital billboards (by Lamar and Pacific Outdoor) running in Beaverton, Clackamas, Milwaukie, Salem, Corvallis, and Medford.
• Bus benches (Tri-Met) in Portland
• Radio ads (Jam’n 107.5 and Z100)
• TV ads (Univision/KUNP)
• Web ads
• Social media ads (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)

This Oregon 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

This week, the FBI released the 2020 Hate Crime Report as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. In Oregon, 207 of 234 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 Oregon, there were 271 single bias incidents reported in 2020, and 170 single bias incidents reported in 2019. In Oregon, there were 360 reported victims in 2020, and 242 reported victims in 2019. (Note: These victim numbers include both single bias and multiple bias incidents.) Nationally, there were 7,554 single bias incidents reported in 2020, and 7,081 single bias incidents reported in 2019. Nationally, there were 10,528 reported victims in 2020, and 8,812 reported victims in 2019. (Note: These victim numbers represent single bias incidents.)

Key Takeaways from 2020 Hate Crimes Report

The bias motivator in about 70% of Oregon incidents was race/ethnicity/ancestry. Victims perceived as Black were the racial group targeted most frequently. Religion was the motivator in about 10% of cases. Victims perceived as Jewish were the religious group targeted most frequently. Sexual orientation was the motivator in about 10% of reported Oregon incidents. Gender identity was the motivator in about 3% of reported Oregon incidents. Raw UCR reporting is available on FBI.gov and through the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

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.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

An unidentified man who robbed an Albuquerque bank last week is suspected of robbing a northeast Albuquerque credit union on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.

The latest robbery occurred at First Financial Credit Union, 831 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE, at approximately 4:36 p.m.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic or black male in his 30s to 40s, 5’10” to 6’0″ tall, weighing approximately 180 to 190 pounds, and with brown hair.

He wore a red baseball cap with a blue front, a white T-shirt over a blue long-sleeve shirt; blue jeans, a blue wrap-around mask, and white shoes.

The suspect entered the bank, lifted his shirt to display a handgun in his waistband to a teller, and demanded money.

He left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money and was seen heading north on Juan Tabo Boulevard on foot.

This individual is suspected of also robbing First Convenience Bank, 2266 Wyoming Boulevard NE, on August 24, 2021.

Anyone with information about these robberies is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300, or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (505) 843-STOP.

Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Information about other bank robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov.

Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years. The use of a gun, other dangerous weapon, toy gun, or hoax bomb device during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

NEWARK, NJ—Members of the FBI Newark Field Office’s Atlantic City Public Corruption Task Force and South Jersey Violent Incident Task Force were honored today by the New Jersey Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association (NJNEOA). The Atlantic City Resident Agency is the UNIT Award Recipient for the “Operation Boardwalk Empire,” an investigation that resulted in 23 arrests and included law enforcement partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New Jersey State Police, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, officers with the Atlantic City, Northfield, Ventnor City, and Millville Police Departments, and the Cumberland County Sherriff’s Office.

“Boardwalk Empire” was a long-term, transnational Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case that targeted several large-scale drug traffickers—in Atlantic City and the surrounding southern New Jersey area—who were directly supplied by the Sinaloa cartel, one of the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere.

“Cases like this are the reason we, in the FBI, come to work every day,” said Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch, Jr. “The mission to keep the public safe and uphold the Constitution of the United States is rewarding enough. But when an operation involves such critical and symbiotic collaboration among law enforcement partners—as this one did—it’s only fitting that the collaboration, itself, be recognized.”

As a result of the investigation and prosecution, 23 subjects pleaded guilty to charges that included: drug trafficking, money laundering, structuring, firearms trafficking, making false statements to the FBI, and related offenses. The investigation involved the execution of more than 20 search warrants, and the seizure of millions of dollars in cash and assets—including properties, cars, and three bank accounts. Subjects received lengthy federal prison sentences.

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

NEW ORLEANS, LA—As citizens impacted by Hurricane Ida begin to assess damage to their homes and or businesses, the FBI New Orleans Division warns the public about the potential for hurricane-related fraud. Unfortunately, hurricane or natural disaster damage often provides opportunities for criminals to scam storm victims and those who are assisting victims with recovery.

Disasters such as Hurricanes Henri and Ida prompt fraudsters to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause. Fraudsters may also attempt to capitalize on the misfortune of victims by advertising false temporary housing ads to which victims respond and send money to in order to have property keys purportedly mailed to them. Victims may also receive information regarding false job opportunities in which victims receive a fraudulent check they are expected to deposit and distribute to various accounts. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind or supplying payment for any type of service related to victim relief, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) emails.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves over email as officials soliciting donations.
• Do not click on links within an unsolicited email.
• Be cautious of emails claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• To ensure contributions are received and used for the intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
• Validate the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
• Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which may also assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
• Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions; providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
• Be cautious of emails claiming to offer employment for which you did not expressly apply.
• Thoroughly research housing ads prior to sending money to a potential landlord.

Fraudsters may also go door to door to target residents in areas affected by hurricanes. It’s important for the public to know that government workers are required to carry official identification and show it if requested. Closely scrutinize any ID you see and call the agency directly to confirm a worker’s identity if you are unsure. Scammers may also call, text, mail, or email with promises to quickly provide aid. Do not give out personal information without confirming the legitimacy of the person contacting you and the agency. Specifically, contractor fraud scams are prevalent in the aftermath of a natural disaster. If your home or business was damaged, you will need a reputable contractor—remember not everyone who claims to be able to repair your property is legitimate. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial information, and there is no fee required to apply for assistance.

If you believe you have been a victim of hurricane-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721 or complete the online form at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. You can also report suspicious email solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov.

The NCDF was established in 2005 by the Department of Justice in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

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

Special Agent Scott McDonough was helping scientists monitor a massive landfill to ensure heavy debris would not cause a catastrophic collapse. That meant taking photos of it from the sky in an FBI helicopter.

For just over three weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, McDonough, then an FBI pilot, flew a helicopter over the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, New York, as well as over the World Trade Center rubble in Manhattan. He kept the helicopter door open to take those photos, choking down contaminated air that made his throat burn.  

Crews sent pieces of the buildings and other heavy debris on barges down the Hudson River to Fresh Kills, a landfill about the size of 1,500 football fields. There, other FBI personnel processed the large and complex pieces of evidence.

“One of the big concerns is we were putting heavy fill—concrete, cement, metal from these buildings, into a landfill that was made for regular garbage,” McDonough said. “We did multiple photo flights a day trying to help the scientists prevent an environmental catastrophe.”

Nearly 16 years later, in August 2017, McDonough was diagnosed with cancer. He’s one of more than 100 FBI personnel who’ve gotten sick as a result of their response to 9/11. (There may be more, but informing the FBI of an illness is voluntary.) Seventeen FBI personnel have died as a result of these illnesses.