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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Denver Division is offering a reward of up to $5,000 to help solve the death of a 43-year-old male on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The case is being investigated jointly with the Wind River Police Department as a homicide.

The body of Royce Perry, Sr. was found on July 26, 2017, in a home on South Fork Road in Fort Washakie following a telephonic report to 911. Investigators are asking the public for information to determine what happened to Mr. Perry and to arrest the person(s) responsible.

“The FBI is committed to combating violent crime on reservation lands and we, along with our tribal partners, will aggressively investigate these cases,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “There is a strong possibility that the person or people responsible for Mr. Perry’s death lives in the community. We need your assistance to identify the individual(s) responsible for this senseless act of violence.”

An FBI poster with more information about the case is available here: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/royce-perry-sr.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI Denver Field Office at (303) 629-7171, or submit a tip online at: tips.fbi.gov. You may also contact your local FBI office, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

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

While the charges shuttered a key device provider, FBI San Diego Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jamie Arnold said they watched the organizations quickly regroup: “When we took down Phantom Secure in 2018, we found the criminal organizations moved quickly to back-up options with other encrypted platforms.” After Phantom Secure, investigators came up with a solution that would do more than cause the organized crime groups to shift to different platforms, such as Sky Global and EncroChat.

“Encrypted devices have been and continue to be a safe haven for criminal organizations, in particular the leadership of these organizations—providing them a platform for their communications that we have not had access to,” said Arnold. “For the agents on the investigative team and our federal and international partners, this was a creative and innovative way for us to get behind that firewall and see what was happening among the leadership of these criminal organizations.”

These devices are typically purchased through word-of-mouth referral networks and offer robust data encryption tools. They can also be wiped clean remotely if they fall into the hands of law enforcement. Every feature of the devices, which sell for between $1,200 and $2,000, is designed for maximum secrecy and to avoid court-authorized access needed by law enforcement. The devices deployed in Trojan Shield, however, generated a carbon copy of each message for the FBI to assess and analyze.

When appropriate and authorized, the FBI sent information to partner agencies. As a result, law enforcement entities around the globe were able to seize thousands of kilograms of narcotics and millions of dollars in proceeds from criminal activity.

U.S. federal prosecutors may bring charges against additional providers of these platforms, and FBI San Diego said that the operation will have far reaching, long-term transnational effects on these organizations and their ability to communicate and coordinate their criminal activities.

Arnold said the erosion of trust in these networks was a primary goal, along with gathering invaluable investigative information. “Criminal groups using encrypted communications to thwart law enforcement should no longer feel safe in that space,” Arnold said. “We hope criminals worldwide will fear that the FBI or another law enforcement organization may, in fact, be running their platform.” He went on to stress that the FBI and its partners will continue to dismantle transnational organized criminal organizations, wherever they are and however they choose to communicate.

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

Today, June 17, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office announced the extradition of Victor Ponce to Sacramento County on Thursday, June 17, 2021. Ponce was arrested in Jalisco, Mexico, by the FBI Legal Attaché Mexico City Task Force on February 9, 2021.

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office charged Ponce, a Mexican national, with two counts of distribution or exhibition of lewd material to a minor and 16 counts of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under 14 years of age on October 10, 2014. The charges filed in the Superior Court of California, Sacramento, are the result of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

A federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was obtained on December 23, 2016, after law enforcement determined Ponce left the United States to avoid the charges against him in Sacramento County.

Local wanted fugitives and cases seeking information from the public are posted on the FBI Sacramento Field Office’s Most Wanted page and FBI Most Wanted app. Anyone with information that may aid these cases may contact their local FBI office, United States embassy, or submit information online at tips.fbi.gov.

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

Director Christopher Wray has named Brian T. Gilhooly as the special agent in charge of the Mission Services Branch of the Los Angeles Field Office. Mr. Gilhooly most recently served as a deputy assistant director in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. 
 
Mr. Gilhooly joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002 and worked in the San Francisco Field Office, where he served on the Safe Street Violent Gang Task Force and the SWAT Team. In 2009, Mr. Gilhooly was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Safe Streets Gang Unit in the Criminal Investigative Division at Headquarters, where he was a program manager for the western region. 
 
In 2011, Mr. Gilhooly reported to the San Diego Field Office, where he served as a field supervisor on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. In 2016, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the San Diego Intelligence Branch. The branch included the intelligence programs, as well as foreign language, IT, security, and other programs.  
 
Mr. Gilhooly was promoted to section chief in the Counterterrorism Division in 2018. His section focused on the overseas terrorism threat, including prevention, investigation, and response to terrorism threats worldwide. It also included the Counterterrorism Fly Team and the Military Commissions Prosecution Unit. 
 
In 2019, Mr. Gilhooly was named deputy assistant director of the Counterterrorism Operations Branch in the Counterterrorism Division.   
  
Mr. Gilhooly earned a bachelor’s degree in oceanography from the United States Naval Academy. He served as a Navy SEAL officer in the Middle East and Pacific.  

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

LOS ANGELES—This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the FBI Los Angeles Field Office is warning the public about scams targeting the nation’s senior population. While many Americans, including the most vulnerable among us, have been focused on overcoming a global pandemic, cybercriminals have been using the opportunity to profit from our dependence on technology by launching an Internet crime spree. Their tactics include phishing, spoofing, extortion, and various types of web-based fraud.

In 2020, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received a total of 791,790 complaints with reported losses exceeding $4.1 billion. Based on the information provided in the complaints, approximately 28% of the total fraud losses were sustained by victims over the age of 60, resulting in approximately $1 billion in losses to seniors. This represents an increase of approximately $300 million in losses reported in 2020 versus what was reported by victims over 60 in 2019.

The myriad scams seniors often encounter include the including following:

• Romance Scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners through dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions.
• Tech Support Scam: Criminals pose as tech support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues—gaining remote access to victims’ devices and, thus, their sensitive information.
• Grandparent Scam: Criminals pose as a relative—usually a child or grandchild—claiming to be in immediate dire financial need.
• Government Impersonation Scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
• Sweepstakes/Charity/Lottery Scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
• Home Repair Scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that they never provide.
• TV/Radio Scam: Criminals target potential victims using illegitimate advertisements about legitimate services, such as reverse mortgages or credit repair.
• Family/Caregiver Scam: Relatives or acquaintances of the elderly victims take advantage of them or otherwise get their money.

Taking appropriate measures can help protect you and your loved ones from falling victim to these perpetual perpetrators.

• Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the scammer.
• Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
• Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action. Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.
• Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door services officers.
• Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
• Make sure all computer anti-virus security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
• Disconnect from the Internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on a pop-up.
• Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
• Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to replace protections on your accounts and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.

The FBI strongly encourages anyone who believes they may have been a victim of elder fraud to contact their local FBI field office or submit a tip online. Complaints can also be filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Resources

MEDIA CONTACTS:

• Rukelt Dalberis: 310-996-3804
• FBI Press Relations: 310-996-3343