Category: MIL-OSI

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

MERRILLVILLE—Victor Lofton, 57, of Humboldt, Tennessee, was charged in Lake County Superior Court on February 2, 2021, with two counts of murder for the 1992 murders of 4-year-old DenNisha Howard and her 21-year-old mother, Felicia Howard. DenNisha and Felicia were found shot to death inside their second floor apartment at 3804 Washington Street in Gary, Indiana, on July 15, 1992.

The charges against Lofton are the culmination of work by the FBI’s Gang Response Investigative Team (GRIT) who began re-investigating the case in February 2019.

“This was a horrific crime that shocked our local community in 1992,” said Detective Lieutenant Nicholas Wardrip, Hobart Police Department, who investigated this case along with Detective Corporal Justin Clark, Gary Police Department, both of whom are assigned to GRIT. “Lofton was born in East Chicago, Indiana, but moved to Tennessee at an early age. Lofton was interviewed by investigators in September 2020; however, he denied knowing either victim or even being in Indiana at the time of the murders. Investigators utilized DNA technology and interviewed witnesses to bring the case together against Lofton.”

Lofton was arrested in Jackson, Tennessee, by Jackson Police on February 5, 2021, and is currently awaiting extradition back to Lake County.

“This case should serve as notice to those committing violent crimes in Northwest Indiana that the tireless investigators of the FBI’s GRIT Task Force will never rest to ensure justice for those who have been victimized, even if it’s 29 years later,” said FBI Indianapolis GRIT Task Force Supervisory Special Agent Michael Peasley.

Also assisting in the investigation were the Gary Police Department, Lake County Police Department Crime Scene Unit, ATF, and the Humboldt, Tennessee Police Department.

The GRIT Task Force is a team of law enforcement professionals working in unison to reduce violent crimes and other federal criminal violations in Northwest Indiana in support of its local law enforcement partners. Its members are made up of agents, officers and support staff from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lake County Sheriffs Department, Merrillville Police Department, Hobart Police Department, Indiana State Police, Gary Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Crown Point Police Department, St. John Police, and the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

This is the 9th cold case GRIT has solved since 2018. GRIT investigators are asking anyone with information on a cold case to call 219-942-4899.

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

The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and multiple Denver metro area police departments need your help identifying two individuals who are suspected to have conducted armed take-over style robberies, where they held bank employees and customers at gunpoint. Following is a list of the bank robbery details:

Monday, February 8, 2021
Key Bank
12101 East Dartmouth Avenue
Aurora, Colorado
Robbed at 4:10 p.m.

Key Bank
16796 East Smoky Hill Road
Centennial, Colorado
Robbed at 4:52 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021
BBVA Compass Bank
8101 East Belleview Avenue
Denver, Colorado
Robbed at 3:36 p.m.

Suspect #1 is described as a Black male, approximately 5’4” to 5’6” tall with a thin build. On Monday, February 8th, he was wearing a baseball cap, glasses, black ski mask, a gray hoodie, khaki pants, dark colored shoes with white soles, and gloves.

Suspect #2 is described as a Black male, approximately 5’8” to 5’10” tall with a thin build. On Monday, February 8th, he was wearing a blue baseball cap, green face covering, a blue hoodie, black pants, and black and white Nike tennis shoes.

Please be on the lookout for anyone matching the suspects’ 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 can remain anonymous and earn up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) 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 Englewood Police Department need your help identifying an individual who robbed the U.S. Bank inside the King Soopers located at 101 Englewood Parkway, Englewood, Colorado, at 3:20 p.m. on Monday, February 8, 2021.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 5’6” to 5’8” tall, with a thin to medium build. He has brown eyes and thick, dark eyebrows. He was wearing a blue hat, a blue bandana as a face mask, a dark hoodie, blue jeans, and red tennis shoes.

Please be on the lookout for anyone matching the suspect’s description. 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 can remain anonymous and earn up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) 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 Aurora and Denver Police Departments need your help identifying an individual who robbed the TCF Bank located at 2084 South Broadway, Denver, Colorado, at 2:15 p.m. Approximately 26 minutes later, at 2:41 p.m., someone who appeared to be the same individual robbed the FirstBank located at 2300 South Havana Street, Aurora, Colorado.

The subject is described as a Caucasian male in his 30’s, approximately 5’8” tall with a thin build. He was wearing a red baseball cap with a black Hurley logo, a neon green gaiter mask, a blue Under Armor pullover with a white pattern on the arms, dark-colored pants, and gray shoes with black stripes.

Please be on the lookout for anyone matching the suspect’s description. 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 can remain anonymous and earn up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) by calling CRIMESTOPPERS at 720-913-STOP (7867).

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

PHOENIX, AZ—Don’t get your heart broken this Valentine’s day. FBI Phoenix wants to educate the public on romance scams, also called confidence fraud. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 560 Arizona victims reported losses of more than $12 million in connection with confidence fraud/romance scams in 2020.

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. These scammers are present on most dating and social media sites. They will attempt to earn your love, may even propose marriage, and make plans to meet in person, but victims will likely never see them. Eventually, the criminals will ask for money.

These scam artists often say they are in the building and construction industry and are engaged in projects outside the U.S. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person—and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fee.

The following tips may be helpful to consider if you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online:

• Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere.
• Never provide your financial information, loan money, nor allow your bank accounts to be used for transfers of funds. Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally.
• If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet someone check the State Department’s Travel Advisories beforehand (http://travel.state.gov/), provide your itinerary to family and friends, and do not travel alone if possible.
• Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or Facebook to go “offline.”
• Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
• Beware if the individual promises to meet in person, but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
• If you are planning to meet someone in person you have met online, meet in a public place and let someone know where you will be and what time you should return home.

Victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame, or humiliation. It’s important to remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.

If you suspect your online relationship is a scam, cease all contact immediately. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution. Then inform your local law enforcement agency or FBI Phoenix at (623) 466-1999. Victims are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov.

For more information on romance scams, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/romance-scams.