Category: MIL-OSI

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FBI Jackson Arrests 13 on Various Federal Drug Trafficking, Firearms Charges

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

JACKSON, MS—The FBI Jackson Field Office’s Safe Streets Task Force arrested 13 individuals Tuesday on various federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. During the investigation, the FBI seized 15 firearms and approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as additional amounts of cocaine and fentanyl.

The arrests come following an extensive investigation into violent street gang activity following an increase in violent crime in the Jackson area.

The 13 individuals taken into custody by the FBI are:

  • Mario Butler, 40, of Jackson.
  • Akoyea Jamere Clayton, 28, of Jackson.
  • Marcus Antonio Davis, 41, of Jackson.
  • Carrnell Vonshea Denman, 42, of Meridian.
  • Antonio Demond Doss, 26, of Morton.
  • Marcus Lamon Guice, 44, of Jackson.
  • Cedric Leshawn Kyle, 47, of Jackson.
  • Johnathan Jermell Ledbetter, 33, of Jackson.
  • Kenneth Lofton, Jr., 43, of Jackson.
  • Dennis Demond Mitchell, 39, of Utica.
  • Jeffrey Rivers, Jr., 38, of Jackson.
  • Tementa Robinson, 40, of Jackson.
  • James Lee Simmons, 49, of Jackson.

The individuals made their initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Mississippi in Jackson on Wednesday and today, February 25, 2021.

The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Field Office’s Safe Streets Task Force which is made up of special agents from the FBI and officers from the Jackson, Ridgeland, and Meridian Police Departments.

The public is reminded that these charges are merely an accusation, and those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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FBI Milwaukee Division and Citizens Academy Alumni Association Announce New Youth Law Enforcement TEAM

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

The Milwaukee Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is proud to announce it will be hosting a new law enforcement Teen Experience and Mentorship (TEAM) program. The law enforcement TEAM is a five-day youth educational experience for high school students interested in law enforcement careers. The TEAM program is presented by local, state, and federal law enforcement partners and FBI personnel. Students receive specific classroom training and practical exercises in investigative forensics, use of cyber technology techniques for combating violent crime, counterintelligence, gang awareness, civil rights (hate crimes), and many more violations of state and federal law. The law enforcement TEAM program is a unique experience, which also includes an opportunity for youth to be paired with FBI volunteers who will be their law enforcement career mentors at the conclusion of the program. The TEAM program is sponsored by the FBI Milwaukee Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBIMCAAA). The FBIMCAAA supports the FBI as community ambassadors through education and advocacy. The FBIMCAAA is a non-profit organization separate and apart from the FBI.

The law enforcement TEAM class will be hosted at the FBI Milwaukee Division’s headquarters. The program is open to selected high school students in the five-county area of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha counties in Southeastern Wisconsin. The law enforcement TEAM takes place June 21-25, 2021, at the FBI Milwaukee Division, located at 3600 South Lake Drive in St. Francis, Wisconsin.

TEAM

The law enforcement TEAM program is a free, five-day, all-encompassing youth law enforcement experience presented in partnership with the FBI and other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and sponsored by the FBIMCAAA. The FBIMCAAA supports the FBI as community ambassadors. through education and advocacy. The FBI Milwaukee CAAA is a non-profit organization separate and apart from the FBI.

The purpose of this joint effort is to provide an opportunity for youth in Southeastern Wisconsin to explore future opportunities and choices for careers in law enforcement. Selected youth will get an inside look at the FBI while also being exposed to a variety of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Students will participate in classroom activities and practical exercises. Some topics will cover investigative forensics, cybercrime, violent crime, gang awareness, counterintelligence, civil rights, and a wide range of state and federal violations. This unique educational experience will also include interactions with special agents, intelligence analysts, police officers, deputies, troopers, and wardens as well as local and federal prosecutors.

TEAM Eligibility Criteria

  • Student must be a United States citizen and a resident of Wisconsin.
  • Student must be currently enrolled in an accredited high school. If home schooled, the student must be recognized by their school district.
  • Student must be 15 to 18 years of age and have at least one semester of high school remaining at the time of the TEAM program.
  • Student must have a minimum GPA of 2.7.
  • Student understands they must be present each day of the TEAM program.

Student applications and instructions for the law enforcement TEAM can be found on the www.fbi.gov/milwaukee website (navigate to Community Outreach link for the TEAM application).

The application process starts March 1, 2021, and will be accepted through the deadline date of March 31, 2021. A total of thirty (30) students will be selected from urban and suburban high schools in the five-county area of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha counties in Southeastern Wisconsin to ensure a diverse gender, racial and cultural learning environment and life experience.

The instructions for applications are on the website and must be strictly adhered to with no exceptions.

No applications will be accepted after March 31, 2021, and the online application will be closed at that time.

For questions regarding the law enforcement TEAM program please contact FBI Public Affairs Officer, Leonard Peace: lcpeace@fbi.gov

Administrative Specialist, Julie Rosploch: jmrosploch@fbi.gov

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FBI’s Norfolk Division Committed to Protect Hampton Roads

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

A version of the following op-ed from the FBI appeared in the The Virginian-Pilot on February 14, 2021.

The FBI’s Norfolk Division has been serving Hampton Roads for nearly 80 years, working closely with our partners to confront a broad range of threats and keep our community safe. The men and women of Norfolk have captured infamous spies, faced down mobsters, street gangs and outlaw bikers, and exposed corrupt bankers and dishonest public officials. In December, I was given the honor of leading this accomplished FBI division into the next decade.

Every decade brings its own challenges, but the FBI’s mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution never changes. In Hampton Roads, we expect counterintelligence threats will continue to confront our military and defense industries, malicious cyber actors will target our business community, scammers will attempt to deceive older Americans, and online predators will prey on children. The COVID-19 pandemic will offer criminals new opportunities to dust off old scams, and while violent extremism is not new the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol demonstrates the urgency of those types of threats today.

In response to the Capitol attack, Norfolk is assisting with the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigation. The Norfolk Joint Terrorism Task Force has arrested five individuals in the region for criminal activities related to the attack and continues to identify more thanks in large part to tips from the community.

Protecting Hampton Roads from all forms of violent extremism will continue to be a top priority for Norfolk. Our mission is proactive, and our goal is to prevent international and domestic extremists from conducting violent attacks in the first place. To be clear, the FBI does not investigate First Amendment protected activity. Our focus is not on rhetoric or membership in particular groups, but on violence, threats, and criminal activity. We work together with our partners through the Norfolk JTTF to ensure our communities are safe, but law enforcement efforts alone are not enough to stay ahead of the threats. We need help from the community and ask anyone who witnesses concerning behavior to contact us and help us prevent violent attacks that disrupt our peaceful communities and endanger innocent lives.

The division is also focused on growing threats from cyber criminals. As the virtual world evolves, cyber threats are more pervasive and everyone is a potential target. Ransomware attacks disrupt schools and cripple hospitals. Business e-mail compromise schemes trick employees into diverting financial transfers to criminals. Romance scams victimize older Americans and break hearts as well as bank accounts. Most of these scams originate overseas, and while the FBI has a long reach once money is sent it is very difficult to get it back. Our most effective weapon in this fight is prevention and our public awareness efforts aim to help people avoid becoming a victim. To stay up to date on new warnings follow us on Twitter @FBINorfolk and visit our web page at fbi.gov/Norfolk.

Hampton Roads has long been a target for foreign adversaries and our counterintelligence mission will be one of our most important priorities for decades to come. Hostile adversaries target the region’s critical infrastructure and maritime industries, and foreign intelligence services attempt to leverage insiders to steal military and government secrets, technology, and American know-how. In this arena, we work closely with our military and intelligence partners and lean into relationships we have built within the defense industry, academia, and the private sector to protect the nation’s secrets and economic interests.

Keeping Hampton Roads safe and protecting our vital economic and strategic interests is a shared responsibility, and success requires a community-wide approach built on relationships of trust. For our part, as we carry out the FBI’s mission, we commit to upholding the standards of collaboration, transparency, and integrity this community has come to expect from the Norfolk Division.

Brian C. Dugan
Special Agent in Charge
FBI Norfolk Field Office

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Dennis W. Rice Named Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office

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

Director Christopher Wray has named Dennis W. Rice as the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office. Most recently, Mr. Rice served as deputy assistant director for the Enterprise Cybersecurity Office at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Rice joined the FBI as a special agent in 1997 and was assigned to the St. Louis Field Office. He worked violent crime, organized crime, and counterintelligence and cyber cases and served on the SWAT team. In 2005, Mr. Rice was promoted to chief security officer and was the information systems security officer.

In 2012, Mr. Rice was promoted to supervisory special agent of the counterintelligence and technical programs in St. Louis. He also served as the crisis management coordinator and was responsible for a year-long active shooter training initiative.

Mr. Rice was promoted to assistant section chief in the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters in 2015. During his time there, he created the first joint operational section between the Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions.

In 2016, Mr. Rice was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Counterintelligence and Cyber Division in the Los Angeles Field Office and was in charge of the West Covina Resident Agency.

Mr. Rice was promoted in 2018 to section chief in the Counterintelligence Division at Headquarters and led several successful joint operations with USIC partners, including a historic arrest and extradition of an intelligence officer. In 2019, he was promoted to deputy assistant director of the Enterprise Cybersecurity Office in the Information Technology Branch at Headquarters.

Mr. Rice earned a Bachelor of Science in police administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He has also earned graduate degrees in computer resources and information technology and in security management from Webster University in Missouri. Prior to his FBI career, Mr. Rice served with the Somerset Police Department in Kentucky.

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FBI, Helena Police Department Warn of Increase in Business Email Scams

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

The FBI and the Helena Police Department are warning the public about a rise in business email compromise (BEC) schemes, specifically targeting title companies.

In one recent case, a local victim received an email that appeared to come from a title company with instructions on how to wire his down payment. The email was cleverly disguised to look legitimate and included the name of a title company employee. The victim didn’t realize it was a scam until the money was sent, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of dollars. Prospective home buyers, real estate agents, and title companies should remain vigilant and verify any communications regarding money transfers.

BEC – also known as email account compromise (EAC) – is a sophisticated scam targeting both businesses and individuals performing a transfer of funds. The scam is frequently carried out when a subject compromises legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds.

BEC scams are among the fastest growing Internet fraud schemes and cost victims hundreds of millions of dollars in losses every year. In Montana in 2019, 55 victims with losses nearing $2.5 million were reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

If you or your company has been victimized by a BEC scam:

  • Contact your financial institution immediately.
  • Request that they contact the financial institution where the fraudulent transfer was sent.
  • File a complaint—regardless of dollar loss—at ic3.gov