National Center for Disaster Fraud to Coordinate Haitian Fraud Complaints

The FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) have established a telephone hotline to report suspected Haitian earthquake relief fraud. The number is (866) 720-5721. The phone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also e-mail information directly to disaster@leo.gov.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud was originally established by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or man-made disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI, participate in the NCDF, allowing it to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to Haitian relief fraud.

The FBI continues to remind the public to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of Haitian victims. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings and telephone calls, and similar methods.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following:

* Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.

* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.

* Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.

* Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of non-profit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its non-profit status.

* Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.

* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.

* Do not be pressured into making contributions, as reputable charities do not use such tactics.

* Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

* Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of Haitian earthquake victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. You can also fax information to (225) 334-4707 or e-mail it to disaster@leo.gov.

You can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov.

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Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert

The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

* Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
* Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
* Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
* Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the IC3 via www.ic3.gov.

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Seeking Information on Serial Bank Robber in Metro Atlanta Area

(January 12) Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, requests public assistance in identifying and locating a serial bank robber responsible for the robbery of the following metro Atlanta area banks:

Wachovia Bank, 1028 Killian Hill, Lilburn, GA
1/11/2010 at 4:40 p.m.

Chase Bank, 4081 Stone Mountain Highway, Lilburn, GA
1/12/2010 at 11:16 a.m.

Wachovia Bank, 1815 Rock Bridge Road, Stone Mountain, GA
1/12/2010 at 2:41 p.m.

Beginning yesterday, 1/11/2010, a lone black male embarked on a bank robbery crime spree by walking in to the Wachovia Bank, located at 1028 Killian Hill, Lilburn, Georgia and announcing a bank robbery. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the robber departed the bank without further incident.

This morning, the same robber entered the Chase Bank, located at 2081 Stone Mountain Highway, Lilburn, Georgia, at 11:16 a.m., and announced a robbery. While engaging the bank teller, the robber pulled back a portion of his clothing to reveal a possible weapon/handgun. Later that afternoon, at 2:41 p.m., the robber struck again at the Wachovia Bank, located at 1815 Rock Bridge Rd., Stone Mountain, Georgia.

The robber is described as being a black male, light complexion, 25-35 years of age, 5’4”-5’9” in height, 145-170 lbs., light facial hair, possible mole on left side of face/mouth. A mid 2000 model Chevrolet Impala, black or dark blue in color, with possible Florida license plate, was observed at one of the robberies and is of interest to investigators.

Wachovia Bank has announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of this individual. Anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the Atlanta Office FBI at (404) 679-9000.

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The Jihadists of Georgia, Part 2‏

It was a tip from a foreign intelligence partner that set the case in motion.

In the summer of 2005, we learned that a central player in a terrorism investigation in another country was in e-mail contact with someone in the Atlanta area.

With appropriate court orders, our Joint Terrorism Task Force in Atlanta quickly tracked down who that person was. It was a 19-year-old American named Ehsanul Sadequee, who was also exchanging regular e-mails, we discovered, with a 20-year-old Georgia Tech student named Syed Haris Ahmed.

Initially, our investigation—code-named “Northern Exposure”—was focused on finding out what the two young men were up to and why Sadequee was trading e-mails with a terrorism suspect. We began both electronic and physical surveillance on each one and began tracking their financial and travel patterns with the help of partner agencies in the U.S.

We soon uncovered two key facts. One, both Sadequee and Ahmed were in touch with terrorist suspects in nearly a dozen nations around the world. And two, a great deal of this contact was via the Internet.

With our new post-9/11 intelligence-driven mindset, the last thing we wanted to do at that point was to rush in and make arrests. It was far more important to tease out information on all the players who might be connected to Sadequee and Ahmed, to paint a larger picture of this online and offline network of extremists, and to share that information with our national and international colleagues.

As discussed in part one of our story, our investigation revealed that Sadequee and Ahmed ended up casing U.S. targets, supporting and sharing information with terrorists around the globe, and traveling overseas to act on their desire to wage violent jihad. Some of our intelligence came from our overseas partners, who discovered links from their terrorism suspects to Sadequee and Ahmed. And the FBI shared its intelligence on terror suspects uncovered during our investigation of the two Atlanta extremists.

In March 2006, we approached Ahmed to see if he would cooperate in the case. Though he tried to deny his illegal activities, Ahmed made incriminating statements and secretly contacted Sadequee to warn him of our investigation. We arrested Ahmed soon after, and Sadequee was arrested in Bangladesh the following month. Both were convicted in separate trials this year, and sentenced on December 14.

A satisfying end to the case, but this investigation had a far broader and more significant outcome: thanks to unprecedented global cooperation, governments in nearly a dozen nations have arrested more than 40 individuals and disrupted an untold number of terror plots.

“Sadequee and Ahmed never pulled a trigger or set off a bomb, but they were making plans and working with known terrorists worldwide,” says Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones. “By using an intel-driven approach, we not only stopped these guys from doing harm, we took out a larger web of extremists.”

In the end, a network of terrorists was brought down by another network: a determined group of law enforcement and intelligence agencies from around the world working in unison to share information, compare evidence, and disrupt terrorist plots.

Source: FBI

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The Path to Terror: The Jihadists of Georgia, Part 1

They were a couple of young Americans with terror on their minds, two middle-class kids barely out of high school who lived seemingly normal lives in and around Atlanta while secretly taking up the mantle of violent jihad, who in the span of a year went from being extremist wannabes to trusted brothers of terrorist operatives across the globe.

Now, following their convictions in federal court earlier this year and sentencings this week, they are each headed to prison for quite some time.

Their names are Ehsanul Islam Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed, and their story is indicative of both the evolving homegrown extremist threat and the FBI's post 9/11 intelligence-driven investigations.

When Sadequee and Ahmed met at a midtown Atlanta mosque, neither was yet 21. Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan and moved to this country at about age 12, was a mechanical engineering student at Georgia Tech. Sadequee, a Bangladeshi-American born in Virginia, was working at an Atlanta non-profit while living at home with his mother and siblings in the suburb of Roswell.

The two soon became friends, finding that they shared a similar interest: violent jihad. They started spending hours online—chatting with each other, watching terrorist recruitment videos, and meeting like-minded extremists.

But they clearly wanted to do more than just stand on the sidelines. Fueled by their growing connections in cyberspace, Sadequee and Ahmed made a series of journeys that drew them further and further into a web of terror.

* In late 2004, they traveled to rural northwest Georgia, shooting paintball guns and practicing attack techniques as part of basic paramilitary training.

* The following March, they hopped on a Greyhound bus to Canada, where they spent a week talking terror with three jihadists they met on the Internet. One was an alleged member of the “Toronto 18,” a terror cell that later plotted to bomb the Canadian Parliament and other targets before being exposed in 2006.

* In April 2005, Ahmed and Sadequee drove a pickup truck to the nation's capital and cased a series of landmarks—including the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon—making more than 60 short video clips to help establish their extremist credentials. Sadequee sent several clips to Younis Tsouli—aka “Irhabi007” (“Terrorist 007” in Arabic), an al Qaeda webmaster, recruiter, and propagandist—and to Aabid Hussein Khan, a facilitator for two Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Both Tsouli and Khan have since been convicted of terror offenses in the U.K.

* That summer, Ahmed and Sadequee took separate trips overseas. Ahmed went to Pakistan, meeting with Khan and asking to attend a training camp and engage in jihad (he was talked out of it by his family). Sadequee was off to Bangladesh, where he joined with Tsouli and a Swedish extremist named Mirsad Bektasevic to form a violent jihadist organization known as “Al Qaeda in Northern Europe.” In October, just a few days after being in contact with Sadequee, Bektasevic was arrested in Sarajevo armed to the teeth; he was later convicted of terrorism.

What Sadequee and Ahmed didn't know was that for some time, they were being tracked by the FBI and its partners.

In part two of our story later this week, we'll talk about how our investigation unfolded and interview an Atlanta FBI agent and two Bureau execs.

Source: FBI

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Warning About Reverse Mortgage Scams

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) urge consumers, especially senior citizens, to be vigilant when seeking reverse mortgage products. Reverse mortgages, also known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), have increased more than 1,300 percent between 1999 and 2008, creating significant opportunities for fraud perpetrators.

Reverse mortgage scams are engineered by unscrupulous professionals in a multitude of real estate, financial services, and related entities to steal the equity from the property of unsuspecting senior citizens aged 62 or older or to use these seniors to unwittingly aid the fraudsters in stealing equity from a flipped property.

In many of the reported scams, victim seniors are offered free homes, investment opportunities, and foreclosure or refinance assistance; they are also used as straw buyers in property flipping scams.

Seniors are frequently targeted for this fraud through local churches, investment seminars, and television, radio, billboard, and mailer advertisements.

A legitimate HECM loan product is insured by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). It enables eligible homeowners to access the equity in their homes by providing funds without incurring a monthly payment. Eligible borrowers must be 62 years or older who occupy their property as their primary residence and who own their property or have a small mortgage balance. See the FBI/HUD Intelligence Bulletin for specific details on HECMs as well as other foreclosure rescue and investment schemes.

Seniors should consider the following:

* Do not respond to unsolicited advertisements.
* Be suspicious of anyone claiming that you can own a home with no down payment.
* Do not sign anything that you do not fully understand.
* Do not accept payment from individuals for a home you did not purchase.
* Seek out your own reverse mortgage counselor.

If you are a victim of this type of fraud and want to file a complaint, please submit information through our electronic tip line or through your local FBI office. You may also file a complaint with HUD-OIG at www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm or by calling HUD’s Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

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Four Arrested for Plot to Bomb Synagogue and Jewish Community Center and to Shoot Military Planes with Stinger Missiles

LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant-Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), RAYMOND W. KELLY, the Police Commissioner for the City of New York, HARRY J. CORBITT, the Superintendent of the New York State Police ("NYSP"), and DANA SIMMONS, the Brigadier General of the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations ("AFOSI"), announced the arrests last night of JAMES CROMITIE, a/k/a "Abdul Rahman," a/k/a "Abdul Rehman," DAVID WILLIAMS, a/k/a "Daoud," a/k/a "DL," ONTA WILLIAMS, a/k/a "Hamza," and LAGUERRE PAYEN, a/k/a "Amin," a/k/a "Almondo," on charges arising from a plot to detonate explosives near a synagogue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York, and to shoot military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles. In their efforts to obtain weapons, the defendants dealt with an informant acting under law enforcement supervision, and the FBI and other agencies monitored the defendants' actions up to the time of arrest, including providing an inactive missile and inert explosives to the informant for the defendants.

The charges, which are contained in a criminal Complaint filed May 19 in White Plains federal court, include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. The defendants are expected to appear in White Plains federal court today. According to the Complaint:

In June 2008, an informant working with the FBI met CROMITIE in Newburgh, New York. CROMITIE explained to the informant that his parents had lived in Afghanistan and that he was upset about the war there and that many Muslim people were being killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the United States Military forces. CROMITIE expressed interest in returning to Afghanistan and spoke to the CW about how if he, CROMITIE, were to die a martyr, he would go to "paradise." CROMITIE also expressed an interest in doing "something to America." The following month, CROMITIE and the informant discussed the organization Jaish-e-Mohammed, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization based in Pakistan, with which the informant claimed to be involved. CROMITIE stated to the informant that he, CROMITIE, would be interested in joining Jaish-e-Mohammed to "do jihad."

Beginning in October 2008, the informant began meeting with CROMITIE at a house in Newburgh, New York that the FBI had equipped with concealed video and audio equipment. During meetings at this location, CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN discussed their desire to attack certain targets in New York, including a synagogue in the Bronx and military aircraft located at the Air National Guard Base. CROMITIE asked the informant to supply surface-to-air guided missiles and explosives for the planned operations. The informant responded that he could provide CROMITIE with C-4 plastic explosives.

Beginning in April 2009, CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN selected the synagogue and Jewish community center they intended to target, and conducted surveillance, including photographs, of military planes at the Air National Guard Base. In late April 2009, CROMITIE and DAVID WILLIAMS purchased a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol for use during the planned terrorist operations. At around the same time, CROMITIE and DAVID WILLIAMS traveled to the location from which they could shoot at the military planes using surface-toair guided missiles. In early May 2009, CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, and PAYEN drove with the informant toward Stamford, Connecticut, to obtain what the defendants were told would be a surface-to-air guided missile system and three improvised explosive devices ("IEDs") containing C-4 plastic explosive material. The informant provided the defendants with a Stinger surface-to-air guided missile provided by the FBI that was not capable of being fired, telling the defendants that he had obtained it from Jaish-e-Mohammed. The informant also provided three IEDs that each contained over 30 pounds of inert C-4 plastic explosives, again telling the defendants that he had obtained them from Jaish-e-Mohammed. CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, and PAYEN transported these apparent weapons back to Newburgh. Two days later, CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN met to inspect the "missile system" and the "explosive devices" and to further discuss the logistics of the operation.

CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN each are charged with one count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the U.S., which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and one count of conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison.

CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN currently reside in Newburgh, New York.

The charges filed yesterday were the result of the cooperative efforts of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, FBI, NYPD, NYSP, Newburgh City Police Department, Town of New Windsor Police Department, United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and New York State Office of Homeland Security. Mr. DASSIN praised the investigative work and efforts of these agencies.

"As alleged in the Complaint, the defendants wanted to engage in terrorist attacks. They selected targets and sought the weapons necessary to carry out their plans. Fortunately, the defendants sought the assistance of a witness cooperating with the Government. While the weapons provided to the defendants by the cooperating witness were fake, the defendants thought they were absolutely real," said Acting United States Attorney LEV L. DASSIN. "The defendants planned to strike military planes with surface-to-air guided missiles and to destroy a synagogue and a Jewish community center with C-4 plastic explosives. Thanks to the extraordinary, collaborative work of our law enforcement partners, the defendants' plans were thwarted and the defendants are under arrest."

Assistant United States Attorneys ERIC SNYDER and DAVID LEIBOWITZ are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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FBI Warning: Scheme Purportedly Announcing a Millionaire Contest

The IC3 has been alerted to the circulation of a fraudulent e-mail, purportedly from The Oprah Winfrey Show, notifying recipients of their nomination for the “Oprah Millionaire Contest Show.” To participate, recipients are requested to mail their contact information such as full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address; however, no mailing address was provided. Verified contestants are then required to purchase airfare and a ticket to attend The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as complete a forthcoming contest form containing personal questions. The contestants are then promised a seat for The Oprah Winfrey Show in April and asked to provide their responses to the personal questions for a chance to win a million dollars.

Consumers always need to be alert to unsolicited e-mails. Do not open unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware. Providing your personally identifiable information will compromise your identity!

Individuals who receive such e-mails are encouraged to file a complaint at www.ic3.gov.

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FBI Statement Regarding Conficker Worm

"The FBI is aware of the potential threat posed by the Conficker worm. We are working closely with a broad range of partners, including DHS and other agencies in the U.S. government, as well as throughout the private sector, to fully identify and mitigate the threat.

“The public is once again reminded to employ strong security measures on their computers. That includes the installation of the latest anti-virus software and having a firewall in place. Additionally, the public should be aware of the potential dangers associated with spam e-mail. Opening, responding to, or clicking on attachments contained in unsolicited e-mail is particularly harmful and should be avoided."

Shawn Henry, Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division

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Department of Justice Announces Resources for Fight Against Mexican Drug Cartels

/PRNewswire / -- Today Deputy Attorney General David Ogden announced increased efforts and reallocation of DOJ personnel to combat Mexican drug cartels in the United States and to help Mexican law enforcement battle cartels in their own country. Deputy Attorney General Ogden was joined in announcing a comprehensive response to the situation on the Southwest border by Department of Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg.

"For more than a quarter century, U.S. law enforcement agencies have recognized that the best way to fight the most sophisticated and powerful criminal organizations is through intelligence-based investigations to target the greatest threats," said Deputy Attorney General David Ogden. "The Department's Mexican Cartel Strategy confronts those cartels as criminal organizations. As we've found with other large criminal groups, if you take their money and lock up their leaders, you can loosen their grips on the vast organizations they use to carry out their criminal enterprises. The Department of Justice is committed to taking advantage of all available resources to target the Mexican cartels and to help our Mexican counterparts in their courageous effort to take on these criminal organizations."

Today the United States announced it will be investing $700 million this year in enhancing Mexican law enforcement and judicial capacity and working closely to coordinate efforts against the cartels. The Department of Justice, through the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the Criminal Division and the Office of Justice Programs, will work to investigate and prosecute cartel members for their illegal activities in the United State and with law enforcement colleagues to disrupt illegal flows of weapons and bulk cash to Mexico.

The Mexican Cartel Strategy, led by the Deputy Attorney General, uses federal prosecutor-led task forces that bring together all law enforcement components to identify, disrupt and dismantle the Mexican drug cartels through investigation, prosecution and extradition of their key leaders and facilitators, and seizure and forfeiture of their assets. The Department is increasing its focus on investigations and prosecutions of the southbound smuggling of guns and cash that fuel the violence and corruption and attacking the cartels in Mexico itself, in partnership with the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR) and the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP).

DEA, already the largest U.S. drug enforcement presence in Mexico with 11 offices in that country, is placing 16 new positions in its Southwest border field divisions. With this increase, 29 percent of DEA's domestic agent positions (1,180 agents) are now allocated to its Southwest border field divisions. DEA is also forming four additional Mobile Enforcement Teams (METs) to specifically target Mexican methamphetamine trafficking operations and associated violence, both along the border and in U.S. cities impacted by the cartels.

ATF is increasing its efforts by relocating 100 personnel to the Houston Field Division in the next 45 days as part of a new ATF intelligence-driven effort, known as Gunrunner Impact Teams (GRITs). The teams will focus ATF's violent crime-fighting and firearms trafficking expertise, along with its regulatory authority and strategic partnerships to combat violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

As part of the Recovery Act funding, ATF received $10 million for Project Gunrunner efforts, aimed at disrupting arms trafficking between the U.S. and Mexico, to include hiring 25 new special agents, six industry operations investigators, three intelligence research specialists and three investigative analysts. The funding will establish three permanent field offices, dedicated to firearms trafficking investigations, in McAllen, Texas; El Centro, Calif.; and Las Cruces, N.M. (including a satellite office in Roswell, N.M.). Project Gunrunner has resulted in ATF referring more than 1,500 defendants for prosecution involving more than 12,000 weapons.

ATF will also continue its eTrace initiative with Mexican officials, which allows law enforcement agencies to identify trafficking trends of drug trafficking organizations and other criminal organizations funneling guns into Mexico from the United States, as well as to develop investigative leads in order to stop firearms traffickers and straw purchasers (people who knowingly purchase guns for prohibited persons) before they cross the border. In FY08, Mexico submitted more than 7,500 recovered guns for tracing, showing that most originated in Texas, Arizona and California.

The FBI is stepping up its efforts along the Southwest border by creating a Southwest Intelligence Group (SWIG), which will serve as a clearinghouse of all FBI activities involving Mexico. The FBI will also increase its focus on public corruption, kidnappings and extortion relating to Southwest border issues.

Already, the FBI has undertaken successful initiatives in Mexico and Central America, including the Central American Fingerprint Exchange (CAFE) initiative. The FBI will continue this initiative, which was developed to collect, store, and integrate biometric data from El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and the Mexican state of Chiapas into a central database accessible to U.S. law enforcement, as well as the Transnational Anti-Gang initiative, which coordinates the sharing of gang intelligence between the U.S. and El Salvador.

USMS has stepped-up its efforts along the Southwest border, deploying 94 additional Deputy U.S. Marshals during the last eight months and sending four additional deputies to Mexico City to assist the Marshals Service Mexico City Foreign Field Office.

USMS is increasing its efforts in the Southwest border region under the Mexico Investigative Liaison Program, a cross-border violent fugitive apprehension initiative where USMS personnel, through daily contact with Mexican law enforcement, provide a rapid international response to law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border in the apprehension of fugitives who commit crimes and flee across the international border.

Twenty-five new Criminal Investigators-Asset Forfeiture Specialists have been placed in USMS asset forfeiture units in the field. The new positions are unique in that they will be solely dedicated to the USMS Asset Forfeiture Division and will support U.S. Attorneys Offices and investigative agencies in investigations of cartels and other large-scale investigations.

In addition, DOJ's Organized Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program (OCDETF) is adding analyst personnel to its strike force capacity along the Southwest border and the Office of Justice Programs will be investing $30 million in stimulus funding to assist with state and local law enforcement to combat narcotics activity coming through the southern border and in high intensity drug trafficking areas. State and local law enforcement organizations along the border can apply for COPS and Byrne Justice Assistance grants from the $3 billion provided for those programs in the stimulus package.

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Forty-Eight Children Recovered in Operation Cross Country III

During the past week, the FBI joined our law enforcement partners in a three-day national enforcement action as part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative. This operation, known as Operation Cross Country III, included enforcement operations in 29 cities across the country and led to the recovery of 48 children being prostituted domestically. Additionally, 571 criminals were arrested on a combination of state and federal charges for the domestic trafficking of children for prostitution and solicitation.

“We continue to pursue those who exploit our nation's children,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III. “We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence.”

In the spring of 2003, the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Child Exploitation-Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), formed the Innocence Lost National Initiative to address the growing problem of children forced into prostitution. This program brings state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers all from around the country to NCMEC, where the groups are trained together. In addition, CEOS has reinforced the tr aining by assigning prosecutors to help bring cases in those cities plagued by child prostitution. To date, the 32 Innocence Lost Task Forces and Working Groups have recovered 670 children. The investigations and subsequent convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including multiple 25-years-to-life sentences and the seizure of more than $3 million in assets.

The FBI would like to thank its partners who participated in Operation Cross Country and ongoing enforcement efforts, specifically:

Alsip Police Department (IL); Anaheim Police Department (CA); Anchorage Police Department (AK); Ann Arbor Police Department (MI); Atlanta Police Department (GA); Aurora Police Department (CO); Beaverton Police Department (OR); Bensenville Police Department (IL); Beverly Police Department (MA); Birmingham Police Department (AL); Boston Police Department (MA); Brandon Police Department (MS); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CA); California Department of Justice (CA); Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (NC); Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office (OR); Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (OR); Clackamas County/Multnomah County Victims Assistance (OR); Clarendon Hills Police Department (IL); College Park Police Department (GA); Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department (IL); Corvallis Police Department (OR); Dallas Police Department (TX); Metropolitan Police Department (DC); Denver Police Department (CO); Des Plaines Police Department (IL); Detroit Police Department (MI); Downers Grove Police Department (IL); DuPage County Sheriff’s Police Department (IL); Elk Grove Village Police Department (IL); Essex Police Department (MA); Eugene Police Department (OR); Evanston Police Department (IL); Everett Police Department (MA); Everett Police Department (WA); Florida Attorney General’s Office (FL); Flowood Police Department (MS); Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (OH); Glenview Police Department (IL); Glenwood Police Department (IL); Gloucester Police Department (MA); Grayslake Police Department (IL); Gurnee Police Department (IL); Gwinnett County Police Department (GA); Hapeville Police Department (GA); Harris County Sheriff's Office (TX); Highland Park Police Department (IL); Hillsboro Police Department (OR); Hinds County Sheriff's Office (MS); Houston Police Department (TX); Immigration and Custom Enforcement; Internal Revenue Service; Jackson Police Department (MS); Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (FL); Janus Youth Services (OR); Kent Police Department (WA); Lake County Sheriff’s Department (IL); Lakewood Police Department (CO); Lakewood Police Department (WA); Lane County Parole (OR); Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (NV); Lifeworks NW (OR); Lima Police Department (OH); Lombard Police Department (IL); Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (VA); Lynwood Police Department (WA); Madison Heights Police Department (MI); Malden Police Department (MA); Marblehead Police Department (MA); Massachusetts State Police Department (MA); Melrose Park Police Department (IL); Melrose Police Department (MA); Miami Dade Police Department (FL); Miami Police Department (FL); Michigan State Police (MI); Minneapolis Police Department (MN); Minnetonka Police Department (MN); Mississippi Attorney General’s Office (MS); Montgomery County Police Department (MD); Moreno Valley Police Department (CA); Mount Prospect-Arlington Heights Police Department (IL); Mount Vernon Police Department (IL); Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (OR) ; Multnomah County Juvenile Services Division (OR); Mundelein Police Department (IL); Naperville Police Department (IL); National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; Norwood Police Department (MA); Oak Brook Police Department (IL); Oak Lawn Police Department (IL); Oakland Police Department (CA); Ontario Police Department (CA); Orange County District Attorney’s Office (CA); Oregon Department of Human Services (OR); Peabody Police Department (MA); Phoenix Police Department (AZ); Portland Police Department Victim Assistance (OR); Portland Metro Gang Task Force (OR); Miami Beach Police Department (FL); Portland Police Bureau (OR); Prince William County Police Department (VA); Rankin County Sheriff's Office (MS); Richton Pack Police Department (IL); Riverside Police Department (CA); Rosemont Police Department (IL); Sacramento County Sheriff's Office (CA); Sacramento Police Department (CA); Salem Police Department (MA); San Diego Police Department (CA); San Francisco Police Department (CA); Sandy Springs Police Department (GA); Saugus Police Department (MA); Sauk Village Police Department (IL); Seattle Police Department (WA); Sexual Assault Resource Center (OR); Skokie Police Department (IL); Southfield Police Department (MI); St. Louis Park Police Department (MN); Swampscott Police Department (MA); Tacoma Police Department (WA); Tigard Police Department (OR); Toledo Police Department (OH); United States Attorney’s Office; Walpole Police Department (MA); Washington County Sheriff's Office (OR); Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (MI); Wayne County Sheriff's Office (MI); Wellesley Police Department (MA); Westmont Police Department (IL); Will County Sheriff’s Police Department (IL); and Willowbrook Police Department (IL).

All of the charges announced today are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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FBI to Assist FDA in Ongoing Investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America‏

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces the FBI’s assistance to the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA/OCI), in the ongoing investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America.

The FBI was asked to assist FDA/OCI in this matter, due to its ability to bring to bear a considerable amount of investigative resources. Although the FBI is fully involved in this investigation, FDA/OCI remains the lead federal investigative agency. As such, the FBI will defer to FDA/OCI for all public commentary regarding the details of this ongoing investigation.

For the time being, the FBI will make no further public comment on this matter.

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FBI and Local Community Offer Reward for Missing Six year Old

The FBI is contributing $10,000.00 to the reward being offered for information leading to the recovery of six year old Adji Desir. Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers of Southwest Florida have raised $13,000.00 to date, bringing the total reward amount to $23,000.00.

The FBI, at the request of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, has assigned special agents to assist with the ongoing investigation, deployed the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Team, several behavioral analysis experts, polygraph support, victim witness assistance resources, and has placed the Tampa FBI Field Office Evidence Recovery Team on standby.

Anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 1-239-793-9300 or the Tampa FBI office at 1-866-838-1153 (toll free).

Adji Desir was last seen playing outside of his house in Immokalee, Florida, on January 10, 2009. He was last seen wearing a blue and yellow t-shirt, blue and yellow shorts, and black and gray sneakers. Adji’s description and photograph provided below:

Adji is mentally handicapped and functions at a two year old level – with very limited vocabulary.

DOB: Oct 15, 2002
Missing: Jan 10, 2009
Age Now: 6
Sex: Male
Race: Black
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 3'0" (91 cm)
Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg)

The FBI and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s assistance with this search.

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Seeking Public's Assistance in Identifying Armed Robbers in Metro Atlanta

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, is requesting the public's assistance in identifying a violent group of associates believed responsible for at least four armed bank robberies in Metro Atlanta over the last ten days.

On Monday, December 8, 2008, around 12:30 p.m., three unidentified black males entered the lobby of the Wachovia Bank located at 6756 Covington Highway in Lithonia. Two of the robbers controlled the customers in the lobby, while the third robber jumped the teller counter and took an undisclosed amount of cash.

On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at approximately 3:20 p.m., three unidentified black males, believed to be the same as those who robbed the Lithonia Wachovia, entered the lobby of the Wachovia Bank located at 3615 Flat Shoals Road in Decatur. Again, two of the robbers stayed in the lobby area while a third jumped the teller counter and took an undisclosed amount of cash. While leaving the bank, one of the robbers fired a single shot, which did not strike any bank employees or customers.

On Monday, December 15, 2008, the same group robbed the Suntrust Bank located at 3590 Club Drive in Duluth, using the same method of operation.

Today, Wednesday, December 17, 2008, the same group struck again, this time at the Bank of America located at 3040 Panola Road in Lithonia. As with the previous robberies, two of the robbers controlled customers in the lobby while the third jumped the teller counter and took an undisclosed amount of cash. As the robbers were leaving the bank, they were briefly confronted by an off-duty Dekalb County Police Officer, who identified himself as such. One of the robbers fired a single shot in the direction of the officer, and the officer fired a single shot in return. The officer was not struck; it is unknown if any of the robbers were hit by the shot fired by the officer.

The robbers fled the bank on foot in a Southbound direction, and may have shortly thereafter left the area in a white vehicle.

The robbers took steps to conceal their identities prior to entering the bank, but before doing so, they visited a business nearby, where excellent photographs of their faces were recorded on the business' security system . The public is asked to closely review these photographs, and report any information concerning the robbers' identity immediately to the FBI at (404) 679-9000.

The female featured in one of the attached photographs is believed to be an associate of the robbers, and may have been the getaway driver in today's robbery.

The public can also review information concerning these and other bank robberies at www.georgiabankrobbery.com, an interactive site which provides bank robbery details, photographs, and the opportunity for the public to provide information to the FBI via the Internet.

The FBI considers these robbers armed and dangerous, and cautions the public not to take any action other than to notify the FBI's Bank Robbery Squad.

The public is reminded that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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FBI Wants to Hear from You if You're a Victim of the Madoff Financial Fraud Case

U.S. v. Bernard L. Madoff

If you believe that you have been a financial fraud victim in the above captioned matter, please provide the following information:

(1) full name
(2) mailing address
(3) phone number
(4) COPIES of any documents that substantiate your loss (do not send original documents)

Please mail this information to:

FBI New York
ATTN: Victim Assistance Office
26 Federal Plaza
23rd Floor New York, NY 10278

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Federal Jury Finds Chiropractor Guilty of $3 Million Health Care Fraud Scam

A jury in federal district court has returned a guilty verdict against DR. WILLIAM STEARNS, DC, 47, of Marietta, Georgia, on 18 charges of health care fraud and five charges of money laundering.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “Today’s verdict sends the message that health care providers who fraudulently bill for their services will be held accountable for their crimes. The Defendant and his partners received millions of dollars to which they were not entitled, by lying to insurers about the services they were providing patients. These lies contribute to the problem of soaring health costs for all, and will be vigorously prosecuted.”

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court:

In 2004, STEARNS and two partners, fellow chiropractors STEVEN LEVINE and CHRISTOPHER TOPEL, operated three clinics around the Atlanta area under the name Comprehensive Care Medical Group (“CCMG”). CCMG, under the Defendant’s direction, fraudulently billed Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia for two separate back pain procedures, costing that insurer alone approximately $3 million. Both LEVINE and TOPEL previously pleaded guilty to the charges.

First, the Defendant and his partners fraudulently billed for a procedure known as Vertebral Axial Decompression (“VAX-D”) – a non-invasive back pain procedure that uses a mechanical table to stretch a patient’s spine. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia considers VAX-D to be investigational and not medically necessary, and made clear to health care providers that it did not cover the procedure. Thus, the Defendant, along with LEVINE and TOPEL, were convicted of having lied to Blue Cross about what procedures they were performing in order to get paid for this non-covered procedure. Specifically, instead of using the specific billing code assigned to VAX-D, CCMG used a different code that pertained to surgical nerve decompression procedures. The Indictment charged that the Defendant used that code because he and the others knew Blue Cross would pay for it, and would not pay for VAX-D. The proof at trial included testimony from the Defendant’s former employees, several of whom were explicitly instructed to not refer to the procedure as “VAX-D” in patient files.

Second, the Defendant also fraudulently billed for an electrical stimulation procedure using a device known as “Hako-Med.” Instead of billing for a relatively low-paying electrical stimulation procedure, the Defendant instead claimed to be performing surgical procedures known as nerve block injections. This was false, but allowed the Defendant to bill for rates 5-10 times as high as if he had correctly billed for electrical stimulation.

STEARNS could receive a maximum sentence of 230 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,750,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2009 at 4:00 pm before United States District Judge Clarence Cooper.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Assistant United States Attorneys Teresa D. Hoyt and Justin S. Anand are prosecuting the case.

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Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to Prison for over 25 Years

DONNIE ATKINS, 58, of Atlanta , Georgia , was sentenced November 7, 2008, by United States District Judge Marvin H. Shoob to over 25 years in federal prison on a charge of armed bank robbery.

“This defendant terrorized bank tellers and employees whose only mistake was to show up at the bank to do an honest day’s work,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “Then he brazenly and recklessly shot at Atlanta Police officers who arrived at the scene to stop the robbery. Fortunately, no officer or bank employee suffered any physical injuries. The sentence imposed on this defendant shows the harsh consequences for anyone who would dare to rob a bank at gunpoint, including significant time in federal prison.”

ATKINS was sentenced to 25 years, 8 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. ATKINS pleaded guilty to the charge on August 22, 2008.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On December 13, 2007 , at approximately 9:10 a.m. , ATKINS and an unidentified accomplice robbed the Capitol City Bank at gunpoint, located at 2358 Cascade Road , Atlanta. Employees of the bank noticed the two men as they approached the bank, and thought that the men looked suspicious because they were wearing sweatshirts with hoods covering their heads and faces. An armed security guard attempted to block their entry into the back door of the bank, but the men overpowered him, forced him to the ground, removed his weapon, and handcuffed him. The accomplice stayed with the guard during the robbery, keeping a gun pointed at the guard’s head. ATKINS forced at gunpoint bank employees who were hiding in a break room to come into the lobby and to lie on the floor. One of the employees was on the phone with an emergency dispatch operator when ATKINS came into the break room. ATKINS took more than $15,000 from the teller drawers. ATKINS demanded access to the vault, but the tellers told him that they did not have the keys to the vault. ATKINS began kicking the iron gate to the vault to gain access when his accomplice alerted ATKINS that two police cars had pulled up to the bank. ATKINS and his accomplice ran out of the bank and separated. Atlanta Police Department officers chased ATKINS, and he turned around and fired several shots at them. ATKINS continued to run and, as he attempted to shoot at the pursuing police officers again, he shot himself in the shoulder. At that point, ATKINS was taken into custody. ATKINS had all of the robbery money in a bag that he was carrying. Moreover, ATKINS also had on him a gun that was taken from the armed security guard at a robbery of the same bank on June 22, 2007.

ATKINS’ accomplice has not yet been located, and the FBI’s investigation and search continues. Anyone with information about the accomplice is asked to call the FBI at 404-679-9000.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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Several Members of the “South Side Myfas” Street Gang Indicted for Cocaine Trafficking

RICARDO LARIOS-TRUJILLO, a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; RIGOBERTO DELGADO-OROZCO, a/k/a “Chapparo,” 30, of Buford, Georgia; RAMON CORTEZ, a/k/a “Toro,” 20, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; HOMER LARIOS, a/k/a “Hummer,” 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and ALEXANDER I. ACHER, 29, of Southborough, Massachusetts, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, more than five kilograms of cocaine. Their initial court appearances have not yet been scheduled, but are expected within a week before a United States Magistrate Judge.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of today’s indictment, “Metro Atlanta unfortunately continues to be a major drug distribution center for gangs in the Southeast and beyond. The South Side Myfas street gang, which originated near Bakersfield, California, and has organized drug distribution organizations in various parts of the country, is a sub-set of the notorious Surenos gang – one of the oldest, largest, and most violent of the Mexican-American street gangs active in the United States. Today’s indictment is a warning to all South Side Myfas and other gang members in our community that we will fight to eliminate their presence.”

“ICE is committed to partnering with other law enforcement agencies to target the transnational street gangs that terrorize our community through their involvement with drugs and violence,” said Kenneth A. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Atlanta. “By combining our resources and enforcement authorities, we can impact these gang and drug cells on multiple levels by seeking both criminal prosecution and removal from the country after their debt to society has been paid.”

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, and other information presented in court: Between 2007 and 2008, LARIOS-TRUJILLO, DELGADO-OROZCO, CORTEZ and LARIOS, members of an Hispanic street gang called “South Side Myfas,” along with ACHER, allegedly utilized “Monster Car Audio,” a audio installation business belonging to LARIOS-TRUJILLO and located at 134 South Clayton Street in Lawrenceville, Georgia, to store and distribute cocaine. After a lengthy investigation, on November 3, 2008, FBI and ICE agents conducted a joint undercover operation at the “Monster Car Audio” business, during which the defendants allegedly purchased more than five kilograms of cocaine from an undercover FBI agent. On November 3, 2008, at the times of the arrests, FBI agents also seized $130,000 in cash from the defendants.

LARIOS-TRUJILLO, DELGADO-OROZCO, CORTEZ, LARIOS and ACHER are charged in a two-count indictment with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine. The indictment also includes a forfeiture count in which the United States seeks the forfeiture of all proceeds from the alleged criminal scheme. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $8,000,000.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and ICE.

Assistant United States Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.

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Black Mafia Family Sentencing

A federal judge has sentenced 10 of the 16 defendants indicted for their participation in the cocaine distribution activities of the “Black Mafia Family” (BMF), a violent drug gang that has been the focus of federal prosecution in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Louisville, Orlando, and elsewhere.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “These sentencings help bring to a close the Justice Department’s successful dismantling of the Black Mafia Family, a coast-to-coast drug empire once so brash and powerful that it purchased freeway billboards proclaiming that the world was theirs. Their ‘world’ – one built on illegal drugs and gun violence – has crumbled, thanks to the hard work of many law enforcement agents and prosecutors. Now all that is left for the BMF criminals is prison time.”

SAC Rodney G. Benson of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said, “The government has successfully dismantled a violent and notorious drug trafficking organization. The Black Mafia Family wreaked havoc from coast to coast by distributing cocaine and leaving a destructive path of violence along the way without regard for public safety. Their bold image once propelled them into the media spotlight. Today they are again in the spotlight, this time for the right reason. These defendants are deserving of the sentences that were handed down today. Through the concerted efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts, we were able to successfully investigate, prosecute and remove these violent criminals from the street.”

The defendants sentenced yesterday and today, and their terms of incarceration, are:

•DIONNE E. BEVERLY, 36, of Hurricane, West Virginia, 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•LAMAR K. FIELDS, 40, of Atlanta, 5 years, 10 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•DERON HALL, 32, of St. Louis, Missouri, 7 years, 6 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•VICTOR D. HAMMONDS, 44, of Conyers, Georgia, 4 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•BARIMA P. McKNIGHT, 30, of Las Vegas, Nevada, 5 years, 4 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•JAMAL S. MITCHELL, 39, of East Orange, New Jersey, 5 years, 3 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•FRANKLIN D. NASH, 57, of Decatur, Georgia, 6 months to be served in a halfway house; •DERREK Q. PITTS, 34, of East Orange, New Jersey 16 years, 8 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release;

•BRYANT SHAW, 28, of Atlanta 10 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release; and

•DARRYL C. TAYLOR, 48, of Rex, Georgia, 7 years, 3 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to Nahmias, court records, and other publicly-available information: The defendants were members or associates of the Black Mafia Family, a nationwide gang that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine during 2002-2005. Federal authorities first struck a blow against the BMF in October 2005 with multi-defendant cocaine conspiracy indictments returned in Detroit, Louisville, and Orlando. Dozens of other defendants were subsequently arrested as a result of related BMF investigations in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Greenville, South Carolina. In the Atlanta case, 16 defendants were indicted in July 2007. The lone Atlanta defendant who went to trial, FLEMING DANIELS, 36, of Roswell, Georgia, was convicted and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. One defendant in the case, VERNON M. COLEMAN a/k/a “Woo,” 32, of the Atlanta area, remains a fugitive.

At its peak during 2003-2004, the BMF was moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Atlanta, Detroit, and other distribution hubs every month. The drugs would arrive in vehicles – often limousines – with secret compartments or “traps.” These same trap vehicles would then be filled with cash (the proceeds from drug sales) to be sent back to the Mexican sources of supply.

Along with these massive amounts of cocaine, the BMF brought violence to the streets of Atlanta. In one incident, Rashannibal Drummond, 23, was beaten, shot and killed in the parking lot of the Midtown club Velvet Room during the early morning hours of July 25, 2004. The murder was the culmination of a one-sided brawl that was alleged to have been precipitated when the unarmed Drummond slapped one of the BMF's prized luxury vehicles to alert its driver not to back over him. Defendant FLEMING DANIELS has been indicted in Fulton County for that murder.

DEMETRIUS FLENORY and much of the BMF fled Atlanta in late November 2004 after an expensive BMF drug stash house in northwest Atlanta was raided by Atlanta Police and DEA agents. Although no arrests occurred at the unoccupied house, officers discovered three firearms, fictitious identifications, BMF paraphernalia, and marijuana. They also confiscated two vehicles, including a 2003 Hummer H2 stretch limousine that was suspected to have been used by the BMF as a drug transport vehicle. A search of the limo produced no contraband; the vehicle was later forfeited and sold at public auction. Subsequently, agents received a tip that the Hummer limousine contained concealed compartments that had not been discovered during the previous search. In August 2008, agents re-located the limousine, which was then in the possession of its fourth innocent owner since its sale by the government in November 2005.

With federal search warrant in hand, agents again searched the limousine, finally discovering the compartments, or “traps,” and removing from them seven semi-automatic firearms and nearly $900,000 in cash, believed to be proceeds from one of the BMF's last major cocaine transactions.

DEMETRIUS FLENORY and his brother and co-leader of the BMF, TERRY LEE FLENORY, 38, were named in the cocaine and money laundering indictment issued in Detroit. Both were convicted and sentenced last month to 30-year prison terms.

This case was investigated by Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by the United States Marshals Service; the Internal Revenue Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; the Tennessee Department of Safety; the Atlanta Police Department; the DeKalb County Police Department; and the Henry County Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Cassandra Schansman and Robert McBurney prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.com.

For further information please contact United States Attorney Nahmias, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Office Announce Contacts to Handle Election-Related Complaints

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias announced today that William R. Toliver, an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in Atlanta, will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2008 general elections. AUSA Toliver has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Georgia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District's handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

United States Attorney Nahmias said, "We are committed to assuring an honest and fair election, and to assuring that every lawful vote is counted. Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute and preclude honest votes. They strike at the very heart of our rights as citizens and corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. As such, we will address credible reports of election fraud and voting rights violations promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to the FBI, my Office, or the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division."

On October 8, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft established a Department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department's ability to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur--to make voting easier and cheating harder. Both goals are equally important. It is imperative that in pursuing voter integrity, ballot access is not in any way diminished or harmed. The Department's long-standing Election Day Program furthers the goals of the Initiative. The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day. The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it, while those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2008, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Nahmias stated that AUSA Toliver will be on duty while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 404-581-6000.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in the Atlanta Field Office and each resident agency in this District to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 404-679-9000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section may be contacted at 202-514-3204.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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