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

Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters is pleased to announce the Michigan Muslim Community Council as the FBI Detroit’s Community Leadership Award recipient for 2020.

Annually, since 1990, each FBI field office presents the Director’s Community Leadership Award to an individual or organization in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the education and prevention of crime in their communities.

The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) is a committed member of FBI Detroit’s multicultural engagement council and in that role has fostered dialogue between the FBI and Michigan’s large Muslim community. During the last year, the MMCC participated in virtual town halls during which leaders from the Muslim community and FBI Detroit discussed making communities safer by creating trust between law enforcement and the community. The MMCC also provided FBI information on COVID-19 schemes, elder fraud, and hate crimes to the Muslim community.

“The FBI’s mission is a heavy one: to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. And we can’t carry that weight alone. We can’t fully succeed without strong law enforcement, intelligence, business, and community partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters. “The MMCC has helped us learn and understand more about the people we serve and helped the community learn and understand more about the FBI. This is a key step in making our communities stronger and safer.”

In addition to its commitment to fostering open dialogue and encouraging relationships between law enforcement and Michigan’s diverse communities, the MMCC stepped up to assist law enforcement and first responders, health care workers, and the community at large throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the Holy Month of Ramadan overlapped with the early phases of the pandemic and the MMCC organized to provide delivery of halal meals to health care workers at hospitals in the metro Detroit area.

Additionally, MMCC led a humanitarian food relief effort spanning six counties and 12 cities in the State of Michigan that provided approximately 500,000 food boxes to more than 100,000 families. Hundreds of volunteers assisted with the no-contact distributions, including truck drivers, truck owners, students, professionals from various fields, elected officials, and law enforcement. These distribution events provided the FBI Detroit Field Office an opportunity to connect and engage with our diverse communities when it mattered most for our State.

“The FBI in Detroit is honored to be able to recognize and thank the MMCC for its service to the community and for helping the FBI better protect the people of Michigan,” said SAC Waters.

The commitment the MMCC has demonstrated to fostering open dialogue and encouraging relationships between law enforcement and Michigan’s diverse communities is laudable and worthy of this recognition. On behalf of the FBI Detroit Field Office, we are honored to present the Michigan Muslim Community Council with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2020.

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

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office is conducting an investigation into the death that took place yesterday, May 17, in a courtroom at the Federal Courthouse in Fargo, North Dakota.

Following a guilty verdict and after the jury left the courtroom, 55-year-old Jeffrey S. Ferris of Belcourt, North Dakota, used an easily concealable instrument to take his own life. Mr. Ferris died in the courtroom. An autopsy is being conducted today at the University of North Dakota Forensic Pathology—Forensics and Autopsy Services facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Ferris had been found guilty of Reckless Endangerment, Terrorizing, and Use of a Firearm in Relation to a Felony Crime of Violence. The mandatory minimum sentence was seven years in federal prison. Mr. Ferris was found not guilty of eight counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

The FBI’s responsibility in this investigation is to determine whether there was any violation of federal criminal laws. If any violations would be discovered, the matter would be turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.

The U.S. Marshal Service is responsible for physical security of the Federal Courthouse in Fargo. Officials there will review their security procedures to ensure the safety of the courthouse family and those visiting the facility.

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

INDIANAPOLIS—The FBI wants the public to be aware of an unemployment text scam targeting personal information. If you receive a text claiming to be from the Department of Workforce Development regarding unemployment benefits, do not click on the link. Clicking the link may allow scammers access to your personal data.

“The Department of Workforce Development will never send a text message to verify eligibility for unemployment benefits or to report issues with receiving benefits. Unsolicited text messages and emails containing links can be an attempt to obtain personally identifiable information,” said FBI Indianapolis Financial Complex Crimes Supervisory Special Agent Spencer Brooks. “Unless the message is from a known and verified source, you should never click on links in text messages or emails.”

More than $120,000 in legitimate unemployment benefits have been hijacked from Hoosiers through text and email scams.

“This is yet another example of the explosion of fraud related to COVID and we know hundreds of Hoosiers have been affected so far by this particular scam,” Brooks said. “We continue to work numerous cases with our federal and state partners to try to stem the flow of unemployment benefits into the hands of bad actors instead of those it rightfully belongs to.”

If you believe you may have already received and clicked on this type of text message, and possibly entered information into a fraudulent website, resources on how to protect your information can be found at: www.identitytheft.gov.

To learn more about identifying and protecting yourself from phishing attempts, go to: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams or https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/spoofing-and-phishing.

To report fraud, visit ic3.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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

FORT WAYNE—On Thursday, April 29, 2021, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents assigned to Mexico arrived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with 59-year-old Hector Castaneda, who was indicted in the Northern District of Indiana in May of 2012. Castaneda, who is a Mexican national, is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of distributing cocaine, and two counts of attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Castaneda was located and arrested by Mexican law enforcement authorities in July of 2017 in Tijuana, Mexico, in coordination with FBI Legat Mexico City and the FBI’s Fort Wayne Resident Agency. Since that time, Castaneda has been detained in Mexico pending extradition proceedings.

“The extradition of Mr. Castaneda from Mexico clearly demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to targeting violent individuals responsible for bringing drugs into the United States and holding them accountable, no matter where they are or how long it takes,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate, and eliminate criminal organizations that harm our communities.”

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force which includes members from the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Indiana, in Fort Wayne.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

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

CHICAGO—The Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning Illinois residents about the dangers involved in the illegal sale of fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards and other COVID-19 scams.

Vaccination cards are intended to provide recipients of the coronavirus vaccine with important information regarding the type of vaccine they received and their dates of inoculation. The creation, purchase, or sale of vaccine cards by individuals is illegal and endangers public safety. The unauthorized use of an official government agency’s seal on such cards is a crime that may be punishable under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1017, and other federal laws. Penalties may include hefty fines and prison time.

FBI-Chicago is also warning the public that posting photographs of legitimate vaccination cards online may leave individuals vulnerable to identity theft. Illinois residents are encouraged to protect themselves from COVID-19 scammers in the following ways:

• Do not post pictures of your vaccination cards online. These cards may contain your name, date of birth, insurance information, or more and may be used to steal your identity or commit fraud.
• If you have already posted a picture of your vaccination card to social media, remove it immediately.
• Rely on trusted sources like your doctor, the Center for Disease Control, or your local health department for information related to the coronavirus and vaccinations. Be skeptical of unsolicited offers of miracle cures or vaccination documents.

Anyone with information regarding the fraudulent creation or sale of COVID-19 vaccination cards can file a report by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to tips.fbi.gov.