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

HOUSTON, TX—The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force is seeking assistance from the public to identify and locate a suspect who is responsible for a Northwest Houston area bank robbery.

Today, June 28, 2021, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a man entered the Wells Fargo bank located at 5625 FM 1960 Road West. He approached a teller and demanded the money in her drawer, while gesturing toward his waistband as though he had a weapon. After the teller complied, the suspect left the bank in an unknown direction or vehicle with an undisclosed amount of money.

Witnesses describe the bank robber as a Hispanic male in his late 20s to early 30s, approximately 5’5” to 5’8” tall, heavy-set wearing a black New York Yankees baseball cap, t-shirt, and a COVID-style face mask.

Bank surveillance photos of the suspect are posted on Twitter @FBIHouston.

Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, charging and/or arrest of the suspect in this case. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.

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

Press release available in both English and Spanish.

EL PASO—Jeffrey Coburn, acting special agent-in-charge of the El Paso Field Office, is pleased to announce that One Fund El Paso has been named the 2020 recipient of the FBI’s Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for the El Paso Field Office.

Director’s Community Leadership Award

The FBI can only conduct investigations and protect the American people from crime and acts of extremism if it has the support and understanding of the American people. That’s why the special agents-in-charge of each of our 56 field offices work so closely with their communities and community organizations. What happens when these special agents-in-charge get such tremendous support from people in their communities that they want to specially recognize them? They nominate them for a Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). This special award, presented on behalf of the Director of the FBI, was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.

2020 FBI El Paso-DCLA Recipient-One Fund El Paso

Following the tragic events of August 3, 2019, at the Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in which 23 people were killed and hundreds physically and emotionally injured, the El Paso Community Foundation rose up to begin assisting with donation management of the financial contributions that immediately started pouring in from individuals, businesses, and organizations across the nation wanting to help those affected. In doing so, the One Fund El Paso was developed with Stephanie Karr and Sanjay Mathur taking the lead and being instrumental in ultimately getting millions of dollars from generous donors into the hands of those who needed it the most with the help of local community members, agency representatives, and the National Compassion Fund.

El Paso FBI victim specialists along with the FBI Victim Services Response Team deployed to El Paso and other local victim service providers, worked closely with Ms. Karr and Mr. Mathur to identify victims and convey their immediate and long-term needs. Ms. Karr, Mr. Mathur, and their team worked tirelessly in the hours, days, and months following the shooting to get monies distributed IMMEDIATELY to the next-of-kin of the deceased and surviving victims who had been shot and eventually to those emotionally injured. This immediate distribution of funds was able to assist with some of the most pressing needs of these victims and ultimately led to the distribution of over $11,000,000.00 by December 2019, just a few short months following the shooting.

The speed at which the funds were distributed and the amount of work that went into getting this monumental task accomplished not only demonstrated community leadership but also care, kindness, and compassion for victims and a community devastated by a horrible act of mass violence. The One Fund El Paso was developed out of a need from the community in order to assist individuals suffering from this tragedy. The organization epitomizes the essence of the El Paso community. It is an honor for the El Paso Field Office to have Ms. Karr and Mr. Mathur receive such a prestigious recognition for their work with One Fund El Paso.

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Jeffrey Coburn El Agente Especial a Cargo Interino de la Oficina del FBI en El Paso, se complace en anunciar que One Fund El Paso ha sido nombrado como el recipiente 2020 del Premio del Director por Liderazgo Comunitario (DCLA) de la Oficina de Campo en El Paso.

Premio del Director por Liderazgo Comunitario

El FBI logra llevar a cabo investigaciones y proteger al pueblo estadounidense de crímenes y actos extremistas solamente si cuenta con el apoyo y la comprensión del pueblo estadounidense. Es por eso que los Agentes Especiales a Cargo en cada una de las 56 oficinas del FBI trabajan en estrecha colaboración con la comunidad y las organizaciones comunitarias. ¿Y qué sucede cuando estos Agentes Especiales a Cargo reciben un apoyo extraordinario por parte de alguien en la comunidad a quien quieren reconocer? Lo nombran como candidato para el Premio del Director por Liderazgo Comunitario (DCLA). Este premio especial, presentado en nombre del Director del FBI, fue creado formalmente en 1990 para honrar a individuos y organizaciones en sus esfuerzos para combatir el crimen, terrorismo, drogas y la violencia en América.

2020 El FBI en El Paso-Recipiente DCLA-One Fund El Paso

Tras los trágicos acontecimientos del 3 de agosto del 2019 en la tienda Walmart en El Paso, Texas, en los cuales 23 personas perdieron la vida y cientos de personas se vieron afectadas física y emocionalmente, El Paso Community Foundation inicio el reto significativo y asistió con el manejo de las donaciones monetarias que comenzaron a recibirse de inmediato por parte de individuos, negocios, y organizaciones a través del país que deseaban ayudar a las personas afectadas. De este modo, Stephanie Karr y Sanjay Mathur desarrollaron One Fund El Paso y tomaron el mando en ser instrumental desempeñando la distribución de millones de dólares de parte de los donantes generosos a aquellas personas que más lo necesitaban, con la ayuda de líderes comunitarios, representantes de agencias y el Fondo Nacional de Compasión.

Los Especialistas en Asistencia a Víctimas del FBI en El Paso en conjunto con el Equipo de Respuesta de Servicios para Víctimas del FBI que fue desplegado a El Paso y otros proveedores de servicios locales trabajaron estrechamente con la Srta. Karr y el Sr. Mathur para identificar a las víctimas y poder transmitir las necesidades inmediatas y a largo plazo. La Srta. Karr y el Sr. Mathur trabajaron sin cesar durante las horas, días, y meses después del tiroteo para distribuir fondos INMEDIATAMENTE al familiar más cercano en caso de muerte o a las víctimas que sobrevivieron heridas de balas, y eventualmente a aquellos que sufrieron daños emocionales. Esta distribución inmediata de fondos hizo posible que se atendieran la mayoría de las necesidades más urgentes de las víctimas, y finalmente resultó en la distribución de más de $11,000,000 para diciembre del 2019, solo meses después del tiroteo.

La rapidez con la que los fondos fueron distribuidos y la cantidad de trabajo que se realizó para poder lograr el cumplimiento de esta tarea tan monumental no solo demostró el liderazgo comunitario sino también el cuidado, la bondad, y la compasión hacia las víctimas y la comunidad afectada por tan terrible acto de violencia masiva. El One Fund El Paso fue desarrollado por necesidad de la comunidad para asistir a individuos que sufrían por esta tragedia. La organización personifica la comunidad de El Paso. Es un honor para la Oficina de Campo de El Paso de tener a la Srta. Karr y al Sr. Mathur al recibir un reconocimiento tan prestigioso por su trabajo en One Fund El Paso.

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

Press release available in both English and Spanish.

The FBI, working with Portland Police Bureau, is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for the shooting death of Evelin Navarro-Barajas. This reward is in addition to the CrimeStoppers reward of up to $2,500 previously offered.

On June 18, 2020, 23-year-old Evelin Navarro-Barajas spent the afternoon at the river. That evening, Evelin and a group of friends that included children gathered in a parking lot in the 6700 block of Northeast Killingsworth Street. Just before midnight, a vehicle stopped on the street near the parking lot. A suspect or suspects exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the group. Evelin was shot and died early in the morning of June 19th. A friend was shot and survived.

Evidence suggests this was a gang-motivated shooting, however, there is no indication that Evelin and her friends were gang-affiliated.

The FBI is offering this reward as part of the Metro Safe Streets Task Force’s effort to stem violence in the region and to remove illegal guns from the streets. The FBI, ATF, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gresham Police Department are the investigating agencies that make up the Safe Streets Task Force. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are the prosecutorial partners who support the task force’s work.

Anyone with information about the Navarro-Barajas homicide or any other shooting should contact the FBI in Portland at (503) 224-4181, at (800) CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may also be submitted to CrimeStoppers at www.crimestoppersoforegon.com.

El FBI Ofrece Una Recompensa De Hasta $15,000 Por Información Sobre El Homidicio De Evelin Navarro-Barajas

El FBI, trabajando conjuntamente con del Departamento de Policía de Portland, ofrece una recompensa de hasta $15, 000 por información que conduzca a la identificación, arresto, y condena de aquellas personas responsables por el asesinato con arma de fuego de Evelin Navarro-Barrajas. Esta recompensa es adicional a la de $2,500 ofrecida anteriormente por Crime Stoppers.

El 18 de junio de 2020, Evelin Navarro-Barrajas, de 23 años de edad, había pasado la tarde en el río. Esa noche, Evelin y un grupo de amigos que incluía a pequeños, se reunieron en el estacionamiento cercano a la cuadra 6700 de la calle NE Killingsworth. Un poco antes de medianoche, un auto se detuvo cerca del estacionamiento. Un sospechoso o sospechosos descendió del auto y realizó varios disparos contra el grupo. Evelin recibió un impacto de bala y falleció en las primeras horas del 19 de junio. Un amigo de ella también resultó herido pero sobrevivió.

La evidencia sugiere que esta balacera estaba relacionada con pandillas. Sin embargo, no hay ninguna indicación que Evelin y sus amigos estuvieran afiliados a alguna pandilla.

El FBI ofrece esta recompensa como parte del esfuerzo que el Grupo de Tarea Metro Safe Streets (Calles Metropolitanas Seguras) realiza para detener la violencia en la región y eliminar las armas ilegales de las calles. Las agencias investigadoras que forman parte del Grupo de Tarea son el FBI, el ATF, el Departamento de Policía de Portland, el Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Multnomah, y el Departamento de Policía de Gresham.

La Oficina del Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Multnomah y la Oficina del Fiscal Federal son las agencias de procuración de justicia que juntas apoyan el trabajo del Grupo de Tarea.

La persona que tenga información acerca del homicidio de Navarro-Barrajas, o cualquier otra balacera, debe ponerse en contacto con el FBI en Portland llamando al (503) 224-4181, o al (800) CALL-FBI, o visitando la página web tips.fbi.gov. También se pueden reportar pistas al grupo de Crime Stoppers en la página www.crimestoppersoforegon.com.

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

It’s time to challenge yourself to a new future! The FBI is hosting a recruiting event to introduce women to the special agent position within the Bureau. The event will take place Tuesday, July 27th starting at 6 p.m.

The first 50 registrants can choose to take part in person on the FBI’s Portland campus. Other Oregon registrants—including those outside the Portland metro area—can participate virtually.

All registrants MUST reserve a spot ahead of time by emailing PortlandApplicants@FBI.gov.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about what it is like to serve in the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency, what the requirements are to apply, and how the FBI helps agents manage work/life balance.

• Do agents have the possibility of working part-time to help manage raising a family? Yes!
• In addition to generous leave benefits, can employees can take 12-weeks off for medical emergencies, including the birth or adoption of a child? Yes!
• Want a job where you have the chance to serve your community, making a better tomorrow for all? Definitely!

Event participants will also have the chance to experience the work of some of the FBI’s specialty groups, including the Evidence Response Team, SWAT, and our fitness instruction program.

Why this emphasis on recruiting women? It is important that the agency represent the people we serve, and that means increasing the number of women who serve in this critical role.

Our special agents bring diverse backgrounds and a wealth of skills to the FBI mission, including the mental acuity, physical stamina, and moral compass required to protect the nation. This is a career where initiative and expertise are essential.

What makes for a competitive candidate? Job applicants must be 23-36 years old, hold at least a bachelor’s degree (if not a higher level degree), have professional work experience, and bring a passion for serving others. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, but the FBI is specifically searching for those working in the fields of science, technology, and math; cybersecurity; education/teaching; health care; law; accounting/finance; and psychology/counseling.

More information on the eligibility requirements, physical fitness requirements, application process, and more can be found at www.FBIJobs.gov.

A video on the role of women in the FBI shows how one person’s unique set of experiences can impact the world around her. A full set of videos that show the application process and how agents are trained can be found on the FBI’s YouTube page at www.YouTube.com/FBI.

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

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. For more information, go to https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud. Our series of “Tech Tuesday” reports this month will cover a variety of scams that seniors often face.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense against frauds targeting senior citizens when it comes to technical support scams.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says it received almost 10,000 reports from seniors 60 and older about such scams in 2020—with reported losses of more than $116 million. That’s a 204 percent increase in losses from 2019.

Technical support fraud happens when criminals pose as customer, security, or tech support representatives—usually from a well-known company. In one version of the scam, the fraudster contacts the victim by phone, email, or text to tell the victim that there’s a problem with the victim’s device or financial account. The fraudster may say the device has a security flaw and has been hacked… or that some unauthorized person is stealing money from a bank account.

In another version of the scam, the senior is experiencing a real technical problem with a device and goes out in search of help. When he pulls up the search engine results, he may inadvertently click on a bad ad instead of a legitimate vendor.

A third common way for a senior to get caught up in this scam is for the fraudster to use malware to cause a pop-up message or lock screen to appear on the senior’s device. 

No matter how the scam starts, the criminal’s goal is to convince the senior to give the fake tech support person remote access to the device. With that access, the fraudster can now potentially have access to all of the victim’s personal info, tax returns, and bank accounts. 

Criminals target seniors because they are often more trusting, financially stable, and less likely to report the crime out of shame. 

Here’s how you can protect yourself and your family members: 

• Know that legitimate tech support people will not contact you unsolicited. 
• Never give unknown, unverified people access to your devices. 
• Ensure that you update all anti-virus, security, and malware protection on your devices. Don’t let an unknown person tell you that he needs to do it for you. 
• If you receive a concerning pop-up or your screen locks, shut down your device immediately, regardless of the directions you receive from the scammer. Oftentimes, waiting a short time and rebooting will fix the problem. 
• When doing online searches for technical support, be cautious of listings at the top of the page labeled as “sponsored”. If you are having trouble with a particular software or hardware product, go directly to that company’s webpage. 

If you have been victimized by an online scam, report your suspicious contacts to the FBI. You can file an online report at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at  www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.