EFTA00149800.pdf

From: To: Subject: - u is airs ews rie Ing urs ay, ay , 2021 Date: Thu, 06 May 2021 10:30:48 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ; ATBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Suspect: Alaska Raid Seeking Laptop Stolen During Capitol Riot Case Of Mistaken Identity. CAPITOL RIOTS • Secret Service Director To Testify Before House For First Time Since Capitol Insurrection. • Grandmother's Tip Helps FBI Identify Capitol Insurgent. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Federal Documents Detail Weaponry, Explosives Found At Right-Wing Protests. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • DO) Working To Counter China's Efforts To Obtain Research, Technology From US Universities. • Napolitano Criticizes FISA As Unconstitutional Enabler Of "Security State." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Former Zelensky Adviser Details Giuliani's Ukraine Dealings. • California Bar Owner Arrested For Selling Bogus COVID-19 Vaccine Cards. • Missing Colorado Woman's Husband Charged With Murder. • Co-Conspirator Testifies In Former Massachusetts Mayor's Corruption Trial. • Columnist Dismayed That Some Los Angeles City Hall Corruption May Be Legal. • Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Pornography Charges. • Arkansas Residents Charged With Selling Non-Existent Purebred Puppies. • Minnesota Man Facing Federal Sextortion, Child Pornography Charges. • Former Maui Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Sex In Exchange For Sabotaging Criminal Case. • Alabama Trooper Facing Child Sex Charges Is Former FBI Agent. • Arizona Man Arrested In Serial Rapes Is Former Border Patrol Agent. • Chicago Rapper G Herbo Accused Of Lying To FBI. • Alabama Man Faces Charges For Threatening Huntsville Schools. • Body On California Beach Is Convicted Bank Robber. • Kentucky Man Guilty Of Murder In Multi-state Robberies. • FBI Assisting Investigation In Southeast Kansas Armed Bank Robbery. • FBI Assisting Missouri Police Department In Cold Case. EFTA00149800 • FBI Assisting Search For Suspect In Pennsylvania Bank Robbery. • Colorado Man Pleads Not Guilty Gang Murder. • Longtime Eco-terror Fugitive Pleads Not Guilty To Charges In 2001 California Fire. • Target In Illinois FBI Raid Now Faces Multiple Child Sex Charges. • In Iowa, Sex Offender Faces Murder Charges In Death Of 10-year-old Girl. • Opioids Case Leads To Prison Time For Alabama Doctor And Her Husband. • Three Rhode Island Residents Plead Guilty To Drug Charges. • Texas Lawyer Gets Long Prison Sentence In Case Involving Cocaine Traffickers. • Drug Investigation Leads To Decade In Prison For Florida Man. • Drug Case Defendant Gets 71-Month Prison Sentence After Pleading Guilty. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Former Adidas Consultant Says Firm Gave Airline Tickets, Gifts To College Players. • Actor Faces Federal Fraud Charges In Movie Distribution Ponzi Scheme. CYBER DIVISION • Washington State Doctor Indicted in Dark Web Kidnapping Plot. • Biden Administration To Keep Trump Doctrine On Cybersecurity In Space. • DHS Giving More Attention To Ransomware Attacks. • Lawmakers Seek More Funds, Authorities For CISA. LABORATORY • Attorneys For Accused "Killer Clown" Say Evidence May Be Tainted. OTHER FBI NEWS • Study Points To Significant Spike In Hate Crimes Targeting Asians In US Cities. • Many Native American Missing Persons Cases Go Unsolved. • FBI's Closing Of 2004 Child Murder Case Contrasted With Local Detectives' Unsuccessful Investigation. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Atlanta Police Officer Reinstated Following Brooks Shooting. • States Embrace Bans Of Police Facial Recognition Usage. • Army Will Reportedly Appoint Civilian To Criminal Investigations Department. • South Carolina Votes To Add Firing Squad To Execution Methods. • Administration Backs Proposed WTO Vaccine Patent Waiver. • CDC Expects "Sharp Decline" In US COVID Cases By July. • US Daily Vaccination Average Down To 2.2M From Peak Of 3.4M. • Walensky Says She Is "Really Enthusiastic About Relaxing Restrictions." • Public Heath Experts Praise Administration Over Vaccine Stockpile Program. • Moderna Study Finds Vaccine Is Effective Against Variants. • Pfizer Studies Show Vaccine Is Effective Against Variants. • California COVID Hospitalizations Drop To Lowest Levels Since 2020. • Asian Americans Are Most Vaccinated Group In NYC. • Cuomo Announces September Resumption For Broadway. • Biden Open To Compromise On Jobs Plan, But Says He Will Not "Deficit-Spend." • Biden Touts High Demand For Restaurant Assistance Funds. • Harris Takes Lead On Small Business Outreach As Administration Sells Recovery Plans. • Raimondo Says Infrastructure Bill Has Bipartisan Support. • Analysis Concludes White House Underestimated Cost Of Families Plan By $700B. • Judge Rules CDC Exceeded Its Authority With Eviction Moratorium. EFTA00149801 • Administration Officials Receiving Reports Of Worker Shortages. • IRS Announced Distribution Of Another Batch Of Stimulus Payments. • Fed Officials Not Concerned About Potential For Accelerating Inflation. • Treasury Urges Congress To Increase Debt Ceiling This Summer. • Labor Department Blocks Rule Classifying Gig Workers As Contractors. • Apple Investing $410M In Texas Manufacturing Firm. • GM Reports $3.3B Q1 Net Profit. • Ford Says Summer Deliver Of Bronco "On Track" Despite Supply Chain Challenges. • Dow Hits Record As Major Indexes Post Mixed Finish. • Lawmakers Seek Administration's Help To Eliminate Vietnamese Pork Tariffs. • EU Moves To Limit Chinese Investments And Imports. • ABC Examines Growing Rate Of Attacks On Asian Americans. • State Law Enforcement Steps Up To Assist At Border. • Mayorkas Says DHS Probe Will "Root Out" Domestic Extremists Internally. • WPost: Biden "Has More Work To Do" On Refugees. • Biden Says GOP Going Through "Mini-Revolution" As Leaders Turn Against Cheney. • Biden Responds To McConnell's Pledge To Work Against "This New Administration." • Biden: Philadelphia Sports Fans "Are The Most Informed And Most Obnoxious." • Biden Reportedly Backs Nuclear Power Subsidies. • NYTimes Analysis: Biden's Approach To Oval Office Art "Distinct" From Predecessors. • DC Mayor Admitted Into Democratic Governors Association. • Democratic Lawmakers Revise Voting Bill Ahead Of Committee Vote. • DO) Expresses Concern About GOP-Led Arizona Ballot Recount. • US Birth Rate Declined For Sixth Straight Year In 2020. • Board Says Facebook Needs To Make Consistent, Transparent Ruling On Trump. • NYTimes Analysis: Swing District Departures Put Democrats' House Majority At Risk. • Jenner Expresses Support For US-Mexico Border Wall. • Hohmann Says Virginia GOP Likely To Throw Away Chance At Gubernatorial Win. • Adams Leads Yang In NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary Poll. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WPost Analysis: Biden Shuns Trump-Friendly "Strongmen." • Austin Makes Case For "Integrated Deterrence." • US Considers Sanctioning Officials In Central America For Corruption. • Colombian Police Lead Forceful Crackdown On Protests. • Afghan Militants Kill Four Pakistani Soldiers In Ambush. • In Ukraine, Blinken To Offer Support Against Russia, Pressure On Graft Issues. • Spanish Voters Favor "Right-Wing Leader" In Regional Elections. • Tories, Scottish Nationalists Likely To Gain In UK Local Elections. • Two Americans Convicted Of Murdering Rome Police Officer. • Negotiations With Iran Stall Over Centrifuge Issue. • Opposition Leader Lapid Has Four Weeks To Form New Israeli Government. • Duckworth Calls For Biden To Pressure Turkey To Stop Attacks On Syrian Kurds. • In Video, French Journalist Claims To Be Kidnapped In Mali, Pleads For Rescue. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. EFTA00149802  FATITNIC TWF Suspect: Alaska Raid Seeking Laptop Stolen During Capitol Riot Case Of Mistaken Identity. The AP (5/5) reports on the recent raid of the home of Marylyn Hueper of Homer, Alaska, during which FBI agents reportedly said they were looking for a laptop stolen from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the Capitol insurrection. The AP says that "even though Hueper looks strikingly similar to the thief," the raid could be based on mistake identity. "The Justice Department's massive prosecution" of participants in the attack "has not been without its problems. ... And as Republicans are increasingly seeking to minimize the insurrection and play down the horror of the day, any missteps by federal prosecutors could be used in that effort to discredit what actually happened." KTUU-TV Anchorage, AK (5/5) reports, "Newly unsealed court records show why Joint Terrorism Task Force investigators and a judge believed there was probable cause to search the premises of Paul and Marilyn Hueper in Homer in late April." While they attended the "Jan. 6 rally at the nation's Capitol," the couple "have said they did nothing wrong." The couple says "the FBI mistook Marilyn Hueper for a woman who'd entered the Capitol that day, and that during the search, agents said they were looking for Nancy Pelosi's laptop." CAPITOL RIOTS Secret Service Director To Testify Before House For First Time Since Capitol Insurrection. CNN (5/5, Wild, 89.21M) reports Secret Service Director James Murray is scheduled to testify before the House Appropriations Committee's Homeland Security Subcommittee Thursday, "the first time the agency is appearing in an open hearing since the January 6 riot, during which agents swiftly moved then-Vice President Mike Pence to an unknown location." Murray's prepared remarks "make only brief mention of the events of January 6, but he does note that the agency has made some operational adjustments because of civil unrest and the rise in domestic violent extremism." The remarks say, "The Secret Service has reviewed its operational security posture over the past 10 months due to the increase in civil unrest and domestic violent extremism, as well as our open source intelligence capabilities given the proliferation of social media platforms." Grandmother's Tip Helps FBI Identify Capitol Insurgent. The New Jersey Star-Ledger (5/5, 1.47M) reports in January one grandmother told another "that her son was actually one of the hundreds who stormed" the US Capitol. "By Jan. 17, the other grandmother had told one of her grandchildren about what she had learned and the grandchild soon informed the FBI that Robert Petrosh Jr., of Mays Landing, was among" the insurgents. "Investigators soon learned more after a current FBI Task Force officer, who has known Petrosh for approximately 15 years, identified the South Jersey man in screenshots" of Capitol surveillance video. COUNTER-TERRORISM Federal Documents Detail Weaponry, Explosives Found At Right-Wing Protests. The Guardian (UK) (5/5, Wilson, 5.53M) reports federal documents "show a wide range of explosives, flamethrowers and incendiary devices found by law enforcement agencies outside political conventions, public buildings and protests during 2020 and 2021. The extent of the weaponry - including timed devices deposited as part of a suspected pro-Trump bomb plot - EFTA00149803 reveals the perils and potential violence circulating through American politics in the grip of unrest linked to pandemic shutdowns, anti-racism protests and rightwing activism and insurrection that culminated in the attack on the Capitol in Washington." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE DO) Working To Counter China's Efforts To Obtain Research, Technology From US Universities. The Washington Examiner (5/5, Dunleavy, 888K) reports the DOJ is "increasingly sounding the alarm about the economic challenge and national security threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, especially as the Chinese government's Thousand Talents Program exploits the openness of academia in the United States to steal advanced research to increase China's wealth and enhance its power" DOJ's China Initiative "is shining the spotlight on the Chinese Communist Party's coordinated and multifaceted efforts to steal research and technology from academic institutions across the country, with prosecutors mounting aggressive efforts over the past few years to crack down on Chinese malign influence at U.S. universities." The piece quotes Attorney General Merrick Garland saying in House Appropriations testimony this week, "Well, within the last month or so, the intelligence community has identified China as a threat ... with respect to espionage, with respect to theft of intellectual property, so the FBI is working very hard on these issues. There's also obviously a very important cybercrime and cyberhacking element of this, so a lot of money and new resources are being put into protecting against that hacking, then prosecuting where we're unsuccessful at protection and then plugging the holes." Napolitano Criticizes FISA As Unconstitutional Enabler Of "Security State." In commentary for the Washington Times (5/5, 626K), former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew P. Napolitano writes that recent revelations about the FBI and US Postal Service's use of FISA warrant surveillance violate the Fourth Amendment. He argues that the FBI's access to NSA data is "deeply troubling because it violates both the Fourth Amendment and federal law" and contributes to the reach of "America's security state." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Former Zelensky Adviser Details Giuliani's Ukraine Dealings. On NBC Nightly NewsVI (5/5, story 6, 1:55, Holt, 5.3M), Andrea Mitchell interviewed Igor Novikov, former adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky, for "a first-person account of how Rudy Giuliani was trying to damage" President Biden's campaign. Novikov, who "listened in as Giuliani pressed for Ukraine's president to investigate Biden," described Giuliani as seeking "a smear campaign" on Biden, and said, "He was especially interested in getting Ukraine to make a public statement and possibly back it up, this crazy allegations that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that meddled in 2016." Mitchell added that Giuliani is "now under investigation for his role in Ukraine," though "he's not been charged with any crime." California Bar Owner Arrested For Selling Bogus COVID-19 Vaccine Cards. McClatchy (5/5, Capron, 29K) reports Todd Anderson, owner of the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, California, "was arrested after officials said he sold fake COVID-19 vaccine cards from his business." Anderson "was arrested Tuesday after undercover agents bought bogus coronavirus vaccination cards from the bar." Since having the cards could be necessary for travel or other purposes in the coming months, "it's become a growing trend to buy or sell fake cards. The FBI has said that's illegal." ABC News (5/5, 2.44M) reports the bar owner "was arrested this week for making fake IDs that had nothing to do with drinking," saying the California Department of Alcoholic EFTA00149804 Beverage Control "announced on Wednesday that it arrested the owner of the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, California, allegedly for selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards." The agency launched an undercover investigation on a tip that Anderson "was making and selling the cards at his bar." In March, the FBI released a statement saying, "By misrepresenting yourself as vaccinated when entering schools, mass transit, workplaces, gyms or places of worship, you put yourself and others around you at risk of contracting COVID-19." Missing Colorado Woman's Husband Charged With Murder. The New York Post (5/5, Fitz-Gibbon, 7.45M) reports Chaffee County, Colorado, Sheriff John Spezze said Wednesday that Barry Morphew, "the husband of Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew, who went missing on Mother's Day last year, has been charged with first-degree murder." Barry Morphew was arrested "and charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempting to influence a public servant, authorities said." Though Suzanne Morphew's body has yet to be found, Spezze said, "our belief is that Suzanne is not alive at this time." Fox News (5/5, Pagones, 23.99M) reports Spezze "thanked the FBI, Colorado's Bureau of Investigation and the office of 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley for their roles in breaking the case almost a full year after Morphew's disappearance. ... Stanley said the investigation remained active and that the missing woman's remains have still not been found." Co-Conspirator Testifies In Former Massachusetts Mayor's Corruption Trial. The Providence (RI) Journal (5/5, 376K) reports on the "corruption and fraud trial against" former Fall River, Massachusetts, Mayor Jasiel Correia II Tuesday, "with a focus on allegations that the former Fall River mayor extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from marjivana companies. The day was capped by stunning testimony from" alleged co-conspirator Hildegar Camara, who "testified that though he arranged the terms of a $250,000 bribe for David Brayton, he became concerned around the time co-conspirator Tony Costa placed a bribe from Brian Bairos in his garden shed. Camara said when he retrieved an envelope from the shed, he brought it to his basement, where Correia was sitting, and opened it to see a stack of bills totaling $50,000." Columnist Dismayed That Some Los Angeles City Hall Corruption May Be Legal. In a column in the Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram (5/4, 121K), Susan Shelley writes, "As the FBI's investigation into public corruption at Los Angeles City Hall drags into another year, the really astonishing revelation so far is how much of the corruption is allowed by law," citing a recent Los Angeles Times article describing "what the U.S. attorney's office is calling 'indirect bribes." Prosecutors say former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan "made some arrangements that benefited close family members of city employees and officials who had a hand in the approval process for the developers' projects. ... Chan's attorney, Harland Braun, says his client's activities were just ordinary business dealings. It could turn out that both things are true - pay- to-play is simply business as usual." Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Pornography Charges. The Daily Caller (5/5, Safi, 375K) reports George Goodwin of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and to owning videos that showed the 'sadistic and masochistic abuse' of young children, the Justice Department announced Tuesday." Goodwin "pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing material depicting the sexual exploitation of children." The article notes that the FBI took part in the investigation. Arkansas Residents Charged With Selling Non-Existent Purebred Puppies. KTHV-TV Little Rock, AR (5/5, 125K) reports Helda Berinyuy and Thierry Ekwelle of Malvern, Arkansas, "have been accused of fraudulently selling purebred puppies to 153 victims from EFTA00149805 multiple states, receiving over $110,000 between August 2018 and November 2020." The suspects "reportedly used websites to advertise the sale of purebred, AKC registered puppies such as French Bulldogs, Boxers, Toy Poodles, English Bulldogs, and others, when in fact they never had puppies to sell." The article notes that the FBI is conducting the investigation. Minnesota Man Facing Federal Sextortion, Child Pornography Charges. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (5/4, 855K) reports Mitchell James Ottinger of Carver, Minnesota, "has been charged in a case involving child pornography and sextortion." Ottinger, who worked as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional, "was charged with two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and two counts of threatening extortion, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office." Former Maui Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Sex In Exchange For Sabotaging Criminal Case. Honolulu Civil Beat (HI) (5/5) reports former Maui police officer Brandon Charles Saffeels "admitted in federal court on Wednesday that he told a suspect he would lie on the stand for her if she engaged in a sexual relationship with him, the Department of Justice announced." Federal authorities say Safeels "pleaded guilty to a seven-count indictment that includes public corruption in the form of honest services wire fraud. ... Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Judith A. Philips said in a statement that Saffeels violated the core principles of the Maui Police Department: Integrity, fairness and service." Alabama Trooper Facing Child Sex Charges Is Former FBI Agent. The Hill (5/5, Lonas, 5.69M) reports that Christopher Bauer, an Alabama state trooper who was arrested last week on charges of raping an 11-year-old girl, "was previously kicked out of the FBI while facing sexual misconduct claims." The AP (5/5) reports that, despite losing his federal security clearance, Bauer managed to become an Alabama state trooper "with the apparent help of a fake bureau letter that scrubbed his record clean." According to the AP, "Bauer is the latest - and perhaps most extreme - example yet of an FBI agent accused of sexual misconduct moving on." Arizona Man Arrested In Serial Rapes Is Former Border Patrol Agent. The AP (5/5) reports the FBI and US Marshals assisted the Mesa Police Department in the arrest of John Daly III, a former Border Patrol agent, who investigators recently linked to at least eight rapes that occurred from 1999-2001 through the use of new DNA technology. The Arizona Republic (5/5, White, 1.05M) reports that Rob Daniels, a spokesperson for CBP, "confirmed Daly was a Supervisory Border Patrol Agent at the Douglas Station in southeast Arizona from November 1999 until he retired in December 2019." Newsweek (5/5, Anglesey, 2.67M) reports the FBI provided local law enforcement with "analytical, investigative and support resources" as they pursued the case against Daly. Chicago Rapper G Herbo Accused Of Lying To FBI. The Chicago Tribune (5/5, Meisner, 2.03M) reports "Chicago rap sensation G Herbo has been hit with new federal charges alleging he lied to an FBI agent investigating whether his crew used stolen identities to make up to $1.5 million in fraudulent charges for extravagant services." UpRoxx (5/5, Okon, 1.13M) reports, "After being charged with identity fraud late last year, G Herbo has been hit with new charges related to that case. ... for allegedly lying to a federal agent about his connection to one of the co-defendants in the case. Wright reportedly denied having a direct relationship with Antonio Strong, his friend and business associate. The FBI believes Wright and Strong have known each other since 2016 and maintained frequent contact since." EFTA00149806 Alabama Man Faces Charges For Threatening Huntsville Schools. The Huntsville (NJ Times (5/5, Koplowitz, 623K) reports that the FBI North Alabama Violent Crimes Task Force assisted the Madison County Sheriff's office and the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force in locating Darren Pullen after he made bomb threats against two Huntsville City schools. WZDX-TV Huntsville, AL (5/5) reports that "no suspicious packages or devices were found at either campus" and the Sheriff's Office has now brought charges against Pullen. WAFF-TV Huntsville, AL (5/5, 28K) also reports. Body On California Beach Is Convicted Bank Robber. The San Diego Union-Tribune (5/5, 587K) reports that the San Diego Medical Examiner's office identified "a man found dead on an Encinitas beach early Tuesday morning...as Christopher Andrew Gibson...who had been convicted of robbing banks in San Diego County in his 20s." The AP (5/5) reports that the FBI said Gibson committed his "first robbery in 2014...hours after" he was released from "a detention center where he was being held on unrelated charges." According to the AP, the cause of Gibson's death remains under investigation. Kentucky Man Guilty Of Murder In Multi-state Robberies. The Lexington (En Herald-Leader (5/5, 205K) reports that jurors in federal court "convicted Cabellero Melgar this week on charges that included conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, conspiring to use guns during crimes of violence, murder during a crime of violence, and illegal reentry into the United States after being deported." Prosecutors accused Melgar of participating in a team that carried out robberies of "15 businesses in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Indiana in 2016 and 2017." During one of the incidents, a bystander, Jose Cruz, was shot and killed after attempting to defend himself when one of the robbers who became violent towards him. The Herald-Leader quoted Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Louisville field office, as saying, the group of robbers "'demonstrated a penchant for violence and would have no doubt continued their path of carnage' had authorities not caught them." FBI Assisting Investigation In Southeast Kansas Armed Bank Robbery. KOAM-TV Pittsburg, KS (5/5, Strader) reports that the FBI has joined an investigation into an armed robbery at the Kansas Equity Bank in Independence, Kansas. The robbery occurred Wednesday afternoon, and KOAM-TV reports that deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff's office arrested a suspect the same day. FBI Assisting Missouri Police Department In Cold Case. KTVI-TV St. Louis (5/5, Willeke, 289K) reports the FBI is assisting the Berkeley Police Department in Missouri in the investigation into the 2017 "murder and carjacking of Jayvon Vance." KMOV-TV St. Louis (5/5, 251K) adds the FBI and Berkeley Police are asking for public help in locating a person who used the moniker `Tony King' to communicate with Vance in a Facebook group shortly before the man's death and arranged to meet with him at the location where he was shot and killed. FBI Assisting Search For Suspect In Pennsylvania Bank Robbery. WFMZ-TV Allentown, PA (5/5, 176K) reports the FBI is assisting the Upper Dublin Township Police Department in its efforts to catch the suspect in the robbery of a BB&T bank branch that occurred on Wednesday morning. According to WFMZ, "police say the man they are looking for is black, around the age of 30, approximately 6' tall, large build." Colorado Man Pleads Not Guilty Gang Murder. EFTA00149807 The Pueblo (CO) Chieftain (5/5, Boczkiewicz, 61K) reports that, on Tuesday in Colorado, Emilio Hall, an alleged member of the "Ace gang," pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he murdered a fellow gang member. The Chieftain adds the case against Hall comes "after many months of investigation by the Safe Streets Task Force of Pueblo police and the FBI, as well as several other Pueblo, state and federal law enforcement agencies." Longtime Eco-terror Fugitive Pleads Not Guilty To Charges In 2001 California Fire. The Sacramento (CA) Bee (5/5, Stanton, 519K) reports that Joseph Mahmoud Dibee pleaded not guilty to federal arson charges in a case that originates from a 2001 incident in which Dibee is accused of setting fire to a horse corral at a federal facility near Susanville, California. According to the Bee, Dibee was a member of an eco-terror group called "the Family," which carried out more than "40 attacks that caused more than $45 million in damage." The FBI began targeted the group as part of Operation Backfire, which led to charges against Dibee in 2006. However, Dibee fled and managed to avoid capture for about 12 years until he was finally apprehended in Cuba in 2018. Target In Illinois FBI Raid Now Faces Multiple Child Sex Charges. The Chicago Daily Herald (5/5, Graham, 360K) reports that Jose Torrez, "whose home was raided Tuesday morning by the FBI and local police," faces charges "of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13." The FBI became involved in the case when local police discovered that, at one point, Torrez had taken the child out of the country. In Iowa, Sex Offender Faces Murder Charges In Death Of 10-year-old Girl. The AP (5/5, Foley) reports that local prosecutors in Iowa have brought murder and kidnapping charges against Henry Dinkins, a registered sex offender, in connection with the death of 10- year-old Breasia Terrell, the half-sister of Dinkins' son. According to the AP, the FBI provided assistance to local police while they investigated the case after Terrell disappeared last July. Opioids Case Leads To Prison Time For Alabama Doctor And Her Husband. The AP (5/5) reports Dr. Elizabeth Korcz "and her husband, who managed her" Alabama practice, "will serve federal prison sentences for providing opioids to people without a legitimate medical purpose." The FBI and the DEA investigated the Korcz case, according to the AP report and an online WBRC-TV Birmingham, AL (5/5, 57K) article that says Korcz and her husband were sentenced to 52 months and 30 months, respectively, in prison. The article quotes DEA New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, who said the Korcz investigation shows that the DEA is committed to holding people accountable when they illegally dispense controlled substances. The Birmingham (a) News (5/5, 656K) publishes a similar article. Newsweek (5/5, 2.67M) quotes the FBI's Johnnie Sharp Jr., who said healthcare professionals should "not exploit their profession to line their pockets." Reuters (5/5, Pierson) also covers this story. Three Rhode Island Residents Plead Guilty To Drug Charges. An online WLNE-TV Providence, RI (5/5, LaFrance) report says Rhode Island residents Angel Aviles, Juan Batista and Natalie Cassidy have pleaded guilty to drug charges. The report highlights that "the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force" investigated this case, which involved a "scheme to distribute large amounts of crack cocaine and fentanyl in" Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Texas Lawyer Gets Long Prison Sentence In Case Involving Cocaine Traffickers. The New York Times (5/5, Paybarah, 20.6M) reports Texas attorney James Morris Balagia "was sentenced this week to more than 15 years in prison for" participating in a "scheme to pocket money that Colombian cocaine traffickers had been told would go to bribe officials." During Balagia's trial, FBI Special Agent Jason Rennie "testified about a recording of a meeting Mr. EFTA00149808 Balagia and his associates held inside a Colombian prison with Segundo Villota Segura, who was facing extradition to Texas." The New York Daily News (5/5, Feldman, 2.51M) and the iHeartRadio (5/5, 5.47M) website also cover Balagia's sentence. Drug Investigation Leads To Decade In Prison For Florida Man. The Osceola (a) News-Gazette (5/6) reports Florida resident Eddie Quinones Santiago has been sentenced to 10 years in prison "for conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of 100 grams or more of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute." The DEA and the FBI were involved with the drug investigation that led to the sentence. The WESH-TV Orlando, FL (5/5, 255K) website publishes a similar article. Drug Case Defendant Gets 71-Month Prison Sentence After Pleading Guilty. The Martinsburg (14/) Journal (5/5, 51K) reports Martinsburg resident Michael Pierre Christian, who "pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base," has been sentenced to 71 months in prison. A number of law enforcement organizations investigated this case, including the FBI and "the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force," which is a "HIDTA-funded initiative." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Former Adidas Consultant Says Firm Gave Airline Tickets, Gifts To College Players. The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (5/5, Wolfson, 554K) reports former Adidas consultant Dan Cutler says in a sworn deposition that the firm "provided airfare and other benefits to college players, including former Duke basketball star Zion Williamson." Cutler "said an Adidas representative provided four airline tickets for Williamson's family before he enrolled at Duke." The deposition is part of "a lawsuit filed by disqualified University of Louisville recruit Brian Bowen Jr." The piece explains that a number of colleges have "been accused of misconduct by the NCAA stemming from an FBI investigation into men's college basketball that resulted in the 2018 trial and convictions of James Gatto, an Adidas executive; Merl Code, an Adidas consultant; and Christian Dawkins, an aspiring sports agent." The Louisville (a) Courier-Journal (5/5, 554K) reports the University of Louisville "insists the bribery scheme preceding former basketball recruit Brian Bowen's enrollment was all Adidas' doing and should not be held against the school that stood to benefit from his five-star talents." However, depositions and other court documents filed in the case "could undermine that argument in U of L's infractions case with the NCAA's Independent Accountability Resolution Process." Bowen "was prevented from playing college basketball amid allegations arising from an FBI probe that his signing was induced by a promise of $100,000, in violation of NCAA rules." Actor Faces Federal Fraud Charges In Movie Distribution Ponzi Scheme. The New York Daily News (5/5, Feldman, 2.51M) reports "small-time actor" Zachary Horowitz, who goes by the stage name Zach Avery, "allegedly bilked investors out of $690 million." Horowitz "was indicted Tuesday for an elaborate Ponzi scheme" and faces "five counts of securities fraud, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft." Horowitz "told investors that he would use their money to buy distribution rights to movies and then license them to Netflix and HBO, according to the Department of Justice." The New York Post (5/5, Rhett Miller, 7.45M) reports Horowitz "has been indicted for running a massive Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of roughly $230 million." The suspect "falsely claimed his company, 1inMM Capital LLC, would acquire the films due to its `solid relationships' with online platforms, but reps from HBO and Netflix say the companies had no dealings with the firm, federal prosecutors said earlier this month." EFTA00149809 CYBER DIVISION Washington State Doctor Indicted in Dark Web Kidnapping Plot. KREM-TV Spokane, WA (5/5, 307K) reports Ronald Ilg, "an influential Spokane doctor was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of attempted kidnapping." Ilg pleaded not guilty to "finding someone on the dark web to kidnap his estranged wife before assaulting, drugging and extorting her. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison." In an interview with the FBI, Ilg denied accusations the he tired "to hire someone to carry out a week-long kidnapping and trying to pay them in Bitcoin. He wanted the kidnapping to coincide with his trip to Mexico." Biden Administration To Keep Trump Doctrine On Cybersecurity In Space. NextGov (5/5) reports a presidential directive "aimed at implementing cybersecurity in space systems is under review but will likely remain in effect as the Biden Administration looks to sustain commercial enterprise in the domain." Brian Scott, director of critical infrastructure cybersecurity for the National Security Council, said, "The government needs the private sector and the private sector needs the government. Space Policy Directive 5, SPD 5, cybersecurity for space systems issued last September, outlines key cybersecurity principles to guide and continues to serve as the foundation for the US approach to the cyber protection of space systems." Scott "spoke Wednesday along with officials from the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security as well as the intelligence community at a symposium on cybersecurity in space that was attended by participants from around the world." DHS Giving More Attention To Ransomware Attacks. Defense Systems (5/5, 93K) reports DHS and the White House are "putting the spotlight on combatting ransomware, actively developing plans to confront the issue." DHS has "assembled a task force with representatives from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Secret Service, Coast Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit," according to Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The new task force is "part of the secretary's planned `60-day sprint' on ransomware that was announced in March as the first in a series of new efforts." Mayorkas said at an April 29 event hosted by the Institute for Security and Technology, "Beyond CISA...the entire federal government is stepping up to face this challenge. The White House is developing a plan dedicated to tackling this problem." He "confirmed the Justice Department recently established its own task force focused on ransomware." The Hill (5/5, 5.69M) reports DHS, the Department of Justice and Capitol Hill are all "spearheading efforts to get a handle on ransomware attacks, which have skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic as cyber criminals targeted vulnerable networks that came under increased strain." DHS has played a "leading role in prioritizing cybersecurity and made tackling ransomware attacks the first of several 60-day sprints to focus agency resources on the problem." The agency last month "established a Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force, while Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said last week that the Justice Department would also launch a 120-day review of cybersecurity challenges under her leadership." Lawmakers Seek More Funds, Authorities For CISA. The Washington Post (5/5, Riley, 10.52M) reports in its Cybersecurity 202 column that leading voices in Congress "say the nation's top cybersecurity agency needs better resources to handle growing threats to critical services like water and power." Rep. John Katko (R-NY) "said yesterday recommended centralizing CISA's authority to track vulnerabilities in industrial control systems that power the nation's critical infrastructure." The top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee "touted legislation he helped introduce earlier this year that EFTA00149810 would grant CISA leadership the authority to coordinate federal response to such vulnerabilities." Katko and other leaders "stressed the agency will need significant additional resources to expand its mission." Katko has "urged Congress to give CISA a $5 billion budget, a number more than double its current budget." LABORATORY Attorneys For Accused "Killer Clown" Say Evidence May Be Tainted. WPBF-TV West Palm Beach, FL (5/5, Parker, 69K) reports, "Lawyers for the accused "Killer Clown" defendant Sheila Keen Warren are trying to take a sworn deposition from the Palm Beach County State Attorney spokesman, saying he may have critical information about possible contaminated evidence against their client in the 31-year-old case." Prosecutors say the deposition would encourage "other 'fishing expeditions." The article says investigators at the scene of Marlene Warren's 1990 murder "recovered a balloon ribbon dropped by the bouquet-bearing killer clown. Prosecutors said there was a 6 to 8-inch long fiber attached to that ribbon - one that the FBI said was similar in composition to fibers in a clown wig prosecutors said they've connected to Keen Warren." However, Keen Warren's attorneys say "no detective, crime scene analyst or even the FBI had ever noted this 'long fiber' in their lists of evidence until 2013 - when a cold case unit reopened the case." OTHER FBI NEWS Study Points To Significant Spike In Hate Crimes Targeting Asians In US Cities. CNN (5/5, Campbell, 89.21M) reports according to a new study from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, reports of "hate crimes against Asians in 16 of the nation's largest cities and counties are up 164% since this time last year." Researchers spotted "95 anti-Asian hate crimes reported to authorities in the first quarter of 2021, compared with 36 reported incidents in the first quarter of 2020." The spike was particularly sharp in New York City, "which saw a 223% spike in early 2021 as reported incidents rose from 13 to 42 compared to the same time last year; followed by San Francisco with a 140% increase as reported incidents rose from 5 to 12, and Los Angeles with an 80% increase associated with a rise from 5 to 9 reported anti-Asian hate crimes." In a letter to law enforcement agencies around the country last year, FBI Director Christopher Wray "wrote that his agency remained 'concerned about the potential for hate crimes by individuals and groups targeting minority populations in the United States who they believe are responsible for the spread of the virus." ABC Examines Growing Rate Of Attacks On Asian Americans. ABC World News TonightVi (5/5, story 4, 2:00, Muir, 6.42M) reported that US law enforcement authorities are "increasingly concerned with new attacks from New York to California on Asian Americans." Hate crimes targeting Asian American hate crimes "are up over 160% in major cities across the country," and New York City data shows a 223% increase in such attacks. Many Native American Missing Persons Cases Go Unsolved. Great Falls (MT) Tribune (5/5, Mabie, 108K) reports Native Americans in the US "go missing and are killed at disproportionately high rates nationwide," and "with jurisdictional challenges among law enforcement entities and little public outrage, political consequence or media attention, cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people often go unsolved." Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte "in April signed three bills addressing the missing persons crisis in Montana. Two bills will extend a task force and grant program to help tribes report missing people and the other will create a review commission under the state Department of Justice to recommend policy changes." EFTA00149811 FBI's Closing Of 2004 Child Murder Case Contrasted With Local Detectives' Unsuccessful Investigation. ABC News (5/5, 2.44M) reports after Kevin Fox of Wilmington, Illinois, was exonerated in the killing of his three-year-old daughter Riley, and five years after the murder, the FBI began investigating the case. FBI Special Agent Lori Warren "said the FBI started the investigation from scratch, as if the murder had just happened." The article contrasts the FBI's investigation with that of local detectives. "In 2010, then-Sheriff Paul Kaupas admitted his department 'obviously dropped the ball' and commissioned an outside review to see what mistakes were made during its handling of the case." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Atlanta Police Officer Reinstated Following Brooks Shooting. The AP (5/5, Brumback) reports former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who has been "charged with murder in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks," was reinstated after a review panel "found the city failed to follow its own procedures for disciplinary actions." The Atlanta Civil Service Board said in its statement, "Due to the City's failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses' testimony, the Board concludes the Appellant was not afforded his right to due process." Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) added that Rolfe will "remain on administrative leave until the criminal charges against him are resolved." The New York Times (5/5, Fausset, 20.6M) reports that the decision "turned not on whether the shooting was justified, but on whether the city had followed proper procedures when firing him." The decision "cited the testimony of Sgt. William Dean of the Atlanta police's internal affairs division, who said that the firing 'seemed rushed." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (5/5, 1.46M) reports that the Atlanta Police Department said of the ruling, "The Civil Service Board (CSB) has reversed the termination of officer Garrett Rolfe only on the basis that they were not done in accordance with the Atlanta City Code." It added, "It is important to note that the CSB did not make a determination as to whether officer Rolfe violated Atlanta Police Department policies. In light of the CSB's rulings, APD will conduct an assessment to determine if additional investigative actions are needed." The Washington Post (5/5, 10.52M) reports Rolfe "shot Brooks on June 12 after he and his partner responded to calls about a man sleeping in a car at a Wendy's drive-through." While Brooks "was cooperative at first," he "was shot by Rolfe as he tried to run away, surveillance video showed, sparking protests across the city." USA Today (5/5, Miller, 12.7M) reports Rolfe's attorney Lance LoRusso said of the ruling, "We are very pleased at this action and consider it the first step in the total vindication of Officer Garrett Rolfe." The Los Angeles Times (5/5, 3.37M) reports Atlanta attorney and civil rights activist Gerald Griggs criticized the decision, saying, "Average citizens who are charged with murder don't go back to work. They wait for the process to play itself out - either in custody or on bond - and then after there's a determination made criminally, then the civil matter proceeds. This is backwards." The CBS Evening NewsVi (5/5, story 4, 1:50, O'Donnell, 4.03M) reported that the Brooks family condemned the ruling. Brooks family attorney Chris Stewart said, "It appears that Rayshard Brooks' life didn't really matter, and that the world has moved on." The New York Post (5/5, Fitz-Gibbon, 7.45M) reports that Atlanta city officials had "argued that the mayor has the authority to fire a police officer on a number of grounds, including for 'unnecessary or unreasonable use of force' - but the board disagreed." The New York Daily News (5/5, Oliveira, 2.51M) reports Rolfe "is not allowed to carry a firearm because of the conditions of his bond and is expected to be placed on administrative leave as the criminal case moves through the courts." States Embrace Bans Of Police Facial Recognition Usage. EFTA00149812 The AP (5/5, Smyth) examines the growing trend of states banning police departments from using facial recognition software. Seven states and nearly 24 cities "have limited government use of the technology amid fears over civil rights violations, racial bias and invasion of privacy," and an additional 20 state capitols have started debating "additional bans, limits and reporting requirements." The effort to restrain police abuses "caught fire in statehouses after law enforcement applied facial recognition technology to images taken from street cameras during last year's racial justice demonstrations - and in some cases used those to make arrests." Army Will Reportedly Appoint Civilian To Criminal Investigations Department. The AP (5/5, Baldor) reports that, according to anonymous sources, the Army "plans to put a civilian in charge of the command that conducts criminal investigations, a response to widespread criticism the unit is understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators." The decision "reflects recommendations made by an independent commission in the wake of violent crimes and murders at Fort Hood, Texas, including the death of Vanessa Guillen, whose remains were found about two months after she was killed." South Carolina Votes To Add Firing Squad To Execution Methods. The AP (5/5, Collins) reports that the South Carolina House of Representatives "voted Wednesday to add a firing squad to the state's execution methods amid a lack of lethal- injection drugs - a measure meant to jump-start executions in a state that once had one of the busiest death chambers in the nation." The 66-43 vote will "require condemned inmates to choose either being shot or electrocuted if lethal injection drugs aren't available." Administration Backs Proposed WTO Vaccine Patent Waiver. The AP (5/6, Keaten, Miller) reports the Biden Administration on Wednesday "joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the U.S. alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy." The proposed temporary waiver of World Trade Organization protections "would allow more manufacturers to produce the life-saving vaccines." Reuters (5/5) reports President Biden, "who had backed a waiver during the 2020 presidential campaign, voiced his support after a speech at the White House. `Yes, I'm going to talk about that later today, yes,' Biden told reporters in reply to a question about whether he