Category: Security News

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

ORLANDO, FL—The FBI Tampa Field Office is proud to announce Eric Alberts, a leader in emergency preparedness for the city of Orlando, as the recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for 2020. Mr. Alberts is the Corporate Director for Emergency Preparedness at Orlando Health. He demonstrates a sincere commitment to protecting his community by strengthening partnerships between the medical and law enforcement communities.

In April of 2016, Mr. Alberts invited the FBI Tampa Field Office to participate in an annual full-scale community exercise designed to test Emergency Management Services’ (EMS) ability to respond to mass casualty incidents. The FBI Orlando Resident Agency worked with several law enforcement and emergency management agencies in the planning and execution of this exercise. Two months later, the FBI responded to the Pulse Nightclub terror attack. The policies, procedures, and protocols instituted because of that training, helped save lives. Since then, Mr. Alberts has joined Assistant FBI Special Agent in Charge Ronald Hopper with crisis response training. Their coordinated message has facilitated partnerships between law enforcement and hospitals across the nation.

“Mr. Alberts has been a friend of the FBI for many years. He’s a leader who recognizes the importance of a well-planned, synchronized response to a crisis event. His dedication to emergency preparedness is helping make the Orlando community a safer place.” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael McPherson.

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to the prevention of crime and violence in the community. Every year, FBI field offices around the country select a community partner making a difference and exemplifying leadership to receive the award. For more information about this prestigious award, please go to: www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach/dcla

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

MIAMI—On June 29, 2021, a Miami Beach resident was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of human trafficking in connection with his coercing numerous women into prostitution through escort services across south Florida from 2015 to 2017. Ashley Moody, attorney general for the State of Florida, George L. Piro, special agent in charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Miami Field Office and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

Robert Atlee Miner V, 30, of Miami Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking, deriving support from the proceeds from prostitution, and money laundering, in addition to other charges, and was sentenced by 15th Judicial District Court Judge Cheryl A. Caracuzzo to 15 years in prison. Miner is required to register as a sexual offender upon his release in connection with the sex trafficking conviction(s).

The evidence collected during the investigation showed that, between 2015 and 2017, Miner placed employment advertisements across the United States on websites like Backpage.com and Craigslist.com, luring victims to his websites and ultimately to south Florida to work in positions he described as “dancers” or “companions.” However, once victims arrived in Florida (many of them vulnerable or disadvantaged), Miner compelled them to engage in prostitution, using fraud and manipulation. Miner preyed on many of his victims’ lack of financial stability, by promising them cars, residences, and access to bank accounts upon completion of his “program.”

Miner coerced his victims to engage in prostitution at hotels and motels throughout south Florida, to include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, and kept all of the proceeds earned by the victims, which he used to project an upscale lifestyle.

Miner was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol near Jacksonville, Florida, in October 2017 after law enforcement learned Miner was en route to North Carolina with one of his victims.

The investigation was conducted by the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which included investigators from the FBI and PBSO, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and the Miami Beach Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Justin Chapman and Stephanie Tew.

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

The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department need your help identifying an individual who robbed the US Bank located at 730 Colorado Boulevard in Denver, Colorado, at approximately 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

The suspect is described as a bald Black male, 35 to 40 years old, approximately 5’9” with a thin build. He was wearing black/gray shorts, a gray shirt, white athletic shoes, and a white face mask.

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 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 Alerts (b)

Four nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China have been charged in a campaign to hack into the computer systems of dozens of victim companies, universities, and government entities in the U.S. and abroad between 2011 and 2018.

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

Director Christopher Wray has named James A. Dawson as the special agent in charge of the Little Rock Field Office in Arkansas. Mr. Dawson most recently served as the SAC of Criminal and Cyber Division of the Washington Field Office.

Mr. Dawson joined the FBI as a special agent in 1999 and first worked on the Organized Crime and Drug Squad in the Milwaukee Field Office. He transferred in 2001 to the Kenosha Resident Agency, a satellite of the Milwaukee office, to cover multiple types of crimes. In 2003, he moved to the McAlester Resident Agency of the Oklahoma City Field Office, where he focused on public corruption. Mr. Dawson was named supervisory senior resident agency of the Muskogee Resident Agency in 2011, overseeing four offices in eastern Oklahoma.

In 2015, Mr. Dawson was promoted to assistant section chief of the Surveillance and Aviation Section in the Critical Incident Response Group. As assistant section chief, Mr. Dawson served as the national program manager of the FBI’s ground surveillance program. In 2016, he was appointed to lead CIRG’s front office—in charge of intelligence, finance, security, facilities, and technical units.

Mr. Dawson was promoted to assistant special agent in charge in the Criminal Division of the Washington Field Office in 2017. He supervised 12 squads, including those that worked public corruption, civil rights, and complex financial crimes. He returned to CIRG in 2018 as the section chief for the Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Section.

He was promoted to SAC of the Mission Services Division of the Washington Field Office in 2019, then transferred to SAC of the Criminal and Cyber Division in the office in 2020.

Mr. Dawson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a surface warfare officer before joining the FBI.