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

PITTSBURGH—The FBI Pittsburgh’s Charleston and Huntington Resident Agencies are teaming up with state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, as well as local colleges and universities, to talk with students about a career in criminal justice.

In recent months, we have seen the law enforcement community around the country experiencing issues retaining personnel and recruiting new hires. West Virginia law enforcement agencies are not exempt and are feeling the impact. The state is losing qualified applicants to surrounding states. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many agencies and schools have stopped having career fairs or hosting recruiting events. That’s why the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office partnered with more than 30 different agencies, colleges, and universities to host a safe event where local students can talk to agencies about their future and organizations also get a chance to showcase their programs.

The events will be held in Charleston on April 17th and Huntington on May 15th and will run from 11 to 4 each day. There will also be a panel discussion at noon where students can ask questions to criminal justice professionals from West Virginia. The Charleston event will be held at the BridgeValley Community and Technical College. The Huntington event will be held at the Mountwest Community and Technical College.

“This event puts all of the stakeholders in one spot for local students to get their questions answered,” said Acting FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. “The FBI works shoulder to shoulder with our partner agencies and this is a wonderful opportunity to help all of us grow and make our communities even stronger.”

“The West Virginia State Police is excited to be a part of the Law Enforcement Career Days,” said West Virginia State Police Colonel Jan Cahill. “Across the nation law enforcement and first responder recruiting has been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. These recruiting events will be a wonderful opportunity to engage and connect with our communities and those interested in a career with the West Virginia State Police.”

“It’s as important as ever for students to understand the role law enforcement plays in maintaining a safe and just society,” said Sheriff Mike Rutherford with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. “Our limited, but integral part must be played efficiently, ethically, and lawfully each day in order for the rest to be free to build businesses, create new things, and raise families. We are proud to play a role in educating and building relationships with students, some of whom may pursue a career in law enforcement, but all of whom will be important in the society of tomorrow.”

“The last year has brought new challenges to law enforcement recruiting and the impact has been felt by our department, as it has so many others. As the world slowly begins to get back to some semblance of normal, the Charleston Police Department is looking forward to this career fair and the opportunity to meet individuals who have a true passion for bringing change to their community and being the difference they want to see in their neighborhoods.” – Chief James “Tyke” Hunt, Charleston Police Department.

“The West Virginia State University criminal justice faculty have a broad range of field experience,” said Dr. Leighann Justice Davidson, Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at West Virginia State University. “With this professional experience, our faculty are involved in multiple projects within the criminal justice field and expose the students to an experiential atmosphere of criminal justice content. Our faculty and department have gained national recognition, currently ranked 12th in the nation, for their expertise and community engagement and have created partnerships with multiple law enforcement agencies that offer internships and potential employment opportunities to our students.”

“The Charleston Fire Department has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to recruiting,” said Chief Shawn Wanner with the Charleston Fire Department. “The Charleston Fire Department is looking forward to the opportunity to get back into the community and recruit qualified individuals. If you are looking for a career where you truly serve your community every day, the CFD wants you! We respond to over 9,000 fire emergencies a year and over 16,000 medical emergencies a year. Do you have what it takes to be one of Charleston’s bravest?”

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is proud to partner with these agencies and organizations to start the conversations with the next generation of leaders by providing jobs that would allow them to stay in their home state and help make a difference in their community by having a job in public service.

The following agencies and organizations are scheduled to participate: FBI Pittsburgh’s Huntington and Charleston RA offices, FBI CJIS Division, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, (IC3), DEA Charleston District, DEA Louisville Field Division, ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, Parkersburg Police Department, Huntington Police Department, West Virginia State Police, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, Charleston Police Department, Charleston Fire Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, Bureau of Prisons, FCI Beckley and Morgantown, Saint Albans Fire Department, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Section, TSA, West Virginia Army National Guard, FBI Charleston Citizens Academy Alumni Association, West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, West Virginia State University, Concord University, Mountwest Community & Technical College, Ashland Community and Technical College, and the University of Charleston.

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

The Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern District of Ohio United States Attorney’s Office, announce the arrest of Bradley Willem Beun, 41 years old, of Uniontown, Ohio.

Mr. Beun is believed to have engaged in an online chat with an FBI employee acting in an undercover capacity on April 15 to 16, 2021. It is alleged that Mr. Beun and the undercover employee discussed Mr. Beun meeting the undercover employee and the employee’s purported eight-year-old daughter at a hotel for sex.

On Friday, April 16, 2021, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Mr. Beun arrived at the prearranged location, an Akron, Ohio hotel. Found inside the vehicle Mr. Beun was driving were items requested during the online chat. Skittles, condoms, and a bottle of Nyquil were observed and seized. Mr. Beun was placed into custody by FBI agents and Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies without incident.

Mr. Beun has been federally charged with coercion or enticement. He will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan D. Greenberg this afternoon.

The FBI is encouraging anyone that has had contact with Bradley Willem Beun where they may have been “groomed” for possible future sexual purposes, they were inappropriately touched, or they were sexually assaulted by Bradley Beun to please call 1-877-FBI-OHIO. All information will be strictly confidential.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

For questions regarding this press release, please contact SA Vicki Anderson at 216-522-1400 or at vagregg@fbi.gov.

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

The FBI and local law enforcement are investigating two bank robberies that occurred Monday, April 19, 2021.

The first one occurred at U.S. Bank, 2421 Main Street SE, in Los Lunas, at approximately 1 p.m.

A man wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and a white shirt with broad horizontal stripes robbed a Los Lunas bank on Monday, April 19, 2021.

The suspect also wore a plaid jacket, dark pants, and a mask.

He is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’5” tall, weighs about 180 pounds, and has salt and pepper hair.

The suspect entered the bank and showed the teller a note demanding money.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect, who left the bank.

The next robbery occurred at Bank of the West, 3733 Isleta Boulevard SW, in Albuquerque, at approximately 2:27 p.m.

A Hispanic male in his 30s to 40s handed the teller a note demanding money.

The suspect is described as approximately 5’7” tall. He wore a mask, a light-colored baseball cap, a plaid jacket, a white shirt with horizontal stripes, blue jeans, and light-colored shoes.

After the teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect was last seen heading south out of the bank.

The FBI and police are investigating whether the same suspect committed both robberies as well as the April 7, 2021, robbery of the same Los Lunas bank.

Anyone with information about these robberies is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300, or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (505) 843-STOP.

Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Information about other bank robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov.

Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years. The use of a gun, other dangerous weapon, toy gun, or hoax bomb device during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against the dangers of posting COVID-19 vaccination information online.

Last week, we talked about fraudsters who are selling fake vaccination cards on the Internet. One way they get those realistic images of cards to sell is by stealing them off legitimate people’s social media pages.

For that reason, once you have received your COVID-19 vaccine, the FBI is asking that you do NOT post a photo of your CDC vaccination card online.

There is more than just the problem of bad actors re-selling images of your card, though. They can also use your post to harvest lots of personal information—which can include your name, date of birth, patient number, and location where you received your vaccine. Once a fraudster has these details, he can steal your identity and do all sorts of damage to your financial health.

If you have already posted a photo of a vaccine card, consider removing it and update your profile picture with a banner or a sticker saying that you got your shot. Some social media platforms have frames or graphics you can use—or you can download stickers from www.cdc.gov.

Finally—if you feel that you have been a victim of identify theft, contact your financial institutions immediately and monitor your credit reports.

You should also report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador is pleased to announce Dr. Bonnie Price as FBI Richmond’s Director’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.

Dr. Price, an administrative director within the Bon Secours Richmond Health System, is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) for Adults/Adolescents (SANE-A) and Pediatrics/Adolescents (SANE-P), and holds an Advanced Forensic Nursing Certification (AFN-BC).

Dr. Price, along with a team of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, victim advocates, and medical professionals established the Richmond Regional Human Trafficking Collaborative (RRHTC) in 2016. Since the RRHTC’s inception, she has served as the chair and has been instrumental in fostering professional relationships which ensure victims’ needs are met, rights are preserved, and best practices are adhered to while enhancing investigative and prosecutorial outcomes.

The RRHTC also seeks to educate its members and the community at large. Dr. Price has incorporated training components during RRHTC meetings focused on how gangs infiltrate sex trafficking, international trafficking victims assistance, available resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, shelter resources, and monitoring changes in the Commonwealth’s Codes dealing with trafficking. Dr. Price has also led the RRHTC in supporting multiple local and regional training and education panels within Central Virginia.

The commitment Dr. Price has demonstrated to law enforcement and the community in support of raising the awareness of, and response to, human trafficking and the coordination of essential resources is laudable and worthy of this recognition. On behalf of the FBI Richmond Field Office, we are honored to present her with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2020.