Category: Security

Source: US FBI

“The Italian government and the U.S. government work very closely on art crime matters, and we’ve been doing so for years,” said Special Agent Marc Gervasi of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, who worked this case. “We’ve had a lot of success in repatriating items stolen from Italy, and Italy helps the FBI with investigations in significant ways.”

Gervasi and his colleagues approached the owner, who had bought the tapestry 22 years prior, and explained that the piece belonged to Italy. It had been stolen before the current owner bought it. The owner graciously agreed to return it.

Considering the owner purchased the piece for $27,000, it was no small sacrifice.

“They could’ve said talk to my attorney, or Italy can talk to my attorney,” Gervasi said. “It could’ve been a battle, but they chose to help law enforcement. They really wanted it to go back to the original owner.”

Similarly, the FBI’s Miami Field Office learned in May that a gallery in Jacksonville had another Italian tapestry, also believed to be from the 16th century, for sale on their website.

It had been stolen from the same gallery in Milan, Italy, in 1995. It entered the legitimate art market sometime after that and was sold for $55,000 in 2003.

Neither the gallery owner nor the homeowner had the provenance, or the ownership history, of the tapestries.

“Requesting a provenance on a piece of art can help the buyer determine the veracity and history the art,” Gervasi said. “If a seller cannot provide a provenance, the buyer should consider if they want to continue with that purchase.”

The gallery, upon learning of the history of the tapestry agreed to turn it over. “The gallery owner showed us the tapestry and said it was his favorite piece in the gallery. He had an emotional attachment to it,” Gervasi said.

By June, the FBI had the second tapestry.

Both tapestries, along with several other pieces of Italian art that the FBI had helped track down in the U.S., were then returned.

Historic Gold Coins

In 1977, 6,000 gold coins were stolen from the National Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy, as part of a massive art heist.

Source: US FBI

Another area the FBI helps our state and local partners is by investigating groups of violent criminals, just as the agency has done throughout its history.

“We can supplement local resources and bring that expertise to the table. We can help our partners investigate the full scope of a violent criminal organization that’s maybe not immediately visible and then come up with ways to disrupt or dismantle that organization,” Perez said.

As a result of these joint efforts, law enforcement was able to disrupt the operations of nearly 845 gangs and violent criminal enterprises and get to the heart of more than 100 of these groups by arresting key leaders and seizing their assets. 

“I believe the FBI’s most sacred duty is to ensure people can live free from fear in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To that end, we dedicate agents, analysts, and technical resources across the country to work with state and local law enforcement on these operations.”

Learn more about the FBI’s work in investigating violent crime at fbi.gov/violentcrime. Report tips to tips.fbi.gov; you can remain anonymous.

Source: US FBI

“He used deceit and lies and vindictiveness to torture the young women he caught in his snare,” Green said. “And we believe that he will continue to look for the opportunity to victimize more women and more people for his own financial gain.”

Several of Pratt’s co-conspirators have faced justice for their roles in the scheme. The websites’ cameraman and its bookkeeper each pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in 2021. One of the websites’ lead recruiters and producers, Ruben Garcia, of San Diego, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the trafficking conspiracy. Pratt’s alleged co-owner, Matthew Isaac Wolfe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Wolfe is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2022.

Pratt is the only major player in the conspiracy who is still at large.

Pratt is 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes, and speaks with the accent of his native New Zealand. In addition to his connection to New Zealand, Pratt has ties to Australia and the financial means to travel the world.

“We feel that there are people out there who have been helping Michael Pratt to hide,” Green said. “He has probably promised them the world—giving them money, buying them gifts in return for providing him a safe haven.” Green encouraged anyone who may be aiding Pratt to consider their own best interests—along with the interests of the many victims in this case—and come forward with information.

To provide a tip or information about the whereabouts of Michael James Pratt, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

The next challenge was logistical. The mosaic had to be carefully packed and shipped in such a way that it would arrive undamaged. Luckily, the anonymous individual who had possession of the work agreed to pay for specialized shipping crates.

“We worked with the owner and made sure we documented the condition and had everything we needed to ship it back to Italy,” Grove said. “We then worked with the Italian consulate here in Los Angeles. This is something of great interest to Italy; they came and inspected the mosaic and helped us facilitate the logistics of actually getting it back to Italy.”

The art arrived safely in April, and experts are now working to clean and restore it so the art can be enjoyed by generations to come.

“The mosaic was handcrafted from an age where people put an amazing amount of care and effort into it. It really speaks to the ingenuity and creativity of the time,” Grove said. “It’s not meant to be in Los Angeles. The mosaic belongs to the people of Rome. It allows us to understand a bit about the history of humans 2,000 years ago.”

The ability to work closely and collaboratively with the Italian government was key to the success of the repatriation, as was the willingness of the art lawyer to reach out to Special Agent Rivas about the piece.

“We were very happy they contacted us,” Rivas said. “If they hadn’t, it could’ve been in storage for another hundred years. It’s a successful example of how we can work together to get pieces back to where they belong.”

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

While at Quantico, the first female agents toured the campus to see the changes that have been made since they were students 50 years ago. One of the first two female special agents, Joanne Pierce (Misko), noted: “I am impressed with how much the FBI has grown over the last 50 years.” 

But beyond the growth in the Training Academy, she observed a more important change: “It is amazing to see so many female agents serving in leadership roles.” 

It is a big change from the days she and Susan Roley (Malone) were labeled “the experiment” after the FBI changed a long-standing policy that prohibited women from applying to be special agents. They entered the Training Academy on July 17, 1972. Today, more than 3,000 women serve as special agents.

Source: US FBI

“The United States continues to be in a heightened threat environment, and the FBI is fully engaged to detect and stop any potential threats to the American people. As we mark one year since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East calls for vigilance by the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and members of the public. 

It is essential to be watchful for threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions and to immediately contact law enforcement to report any suspicious activity. We continue to share intelligence with our law enforcement partners here and overseas and continue discussions with faith-based organizations, the private sector, and others about their concerns.

We must remember the hostages and the innocent lives lost throughout the Mideast over the last year. At the same time, the FBI remains focused on our mission to protect the American people and prevent acts of terrorism and hate.”

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Joseph E. Carrico as the special agent in charge of the newly reopened Nashville Field Office. He most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Knoxville Field Office.

Mr. Carrico joined the FBI as a special agent in 1999 and was assigned to the Dallas Field Office, where he investigated securities and bank fraud. He was also a member of the Evidence Response Team. In 2005, he was promoted to supervisory special agent and moved to the Human Resources Division at Headquarters.

In 2007, Mr. Carrico served as an assistant inspector in the Inspection Division. He returned to the Human Resources Division in 2008 as chief of the Special Agent Recruitment and Selection Unit.

In 2009, Mr. Carrico was selected as the supervisory senior resident agent in charge of the Covington Resident Agency in Kentucky, part of the Louisville Field Office. He returned to the Inspection Division in 2011 as special assistant to the assistant director.

In 2013, Mr. Carrico was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Administrative Branch of the Chicago Field Office. Three years later, he was promoted to chief of the Digital Forensics and Analysis Section of the Operational Technology Division. In 2018, Mr. Carrico was promoted to deputy assistant director in the division, overseeing digital and forensic analysis, computer network exploitation, and lawful electronic surveillance.

In 2019, Mr. Carrico was promoted to special agent in charge of the Knoxville Field Office, where he oversaw FBI work in eastern Tennessee. In 2024, Mr. Carrico was named the special agent in charge of the Nashville Field Office following the merger of the Knoxville and Memphis Field Offices, which will remain as resident agencies. 

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Carrico was a reserve deputy sheriff and a financial advisor in his hometown of Louisville. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky.

Source: US FBI

Note: View the indictment here. 

Former Federal Aviation Administration contractor, Abouzar Rahmati, 42, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, was indicted for acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States without prior notice to the Attorney General. He made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia today this afternoon.

According to the indictment, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati conspired with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives to act on their behalf in the United States, including by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran, communicating with coconspirators using a cover story to hide his conduct, obtaining employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive non-public information, and obtaining open-source and non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry and providing it to Iranian intelligence.  

“As alleged, the defendant conspired with Iranian officials and intelligence operatives, even lying to obtain employment as a U.S. government contractor only to then share sensitive government materials with Iran,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “When undisclosed agents of Iran or any other foreign government seek to infiltrate American companies or government agencies, the Justice Department will use every available tool to identify them and bring them to justice.”  

“This defendant is charged with infiltrating a U.S. agency with the intent of providing Iran with sensitive information vital to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Thanks to the great work of the FBI and the FAA’s investigators, this defendant was stopped in his tracks and a known adversary’s plot was exposed.”

“This indictment describes the reprehensible actions of an individual who allegedly betrayed his country by transferring sensitive U.S. information to a foreign power. This alleged betrayal not only undermines our national security but also puts U.S. jobs and livelihoods at risk,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “We will not tolerate any actions that compromise U.S.-based sensitive information and are committed to ensuring that justice is served swiftly and decisively.”

According to the indictment, from June 2009 to May 2010, Rahmati served as a First Lieutenant in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — an Iranian military and counterintelligence organization under the authority of the Supreme Leader of Iran. After being discharged from the IRGC, Rahmati lied to the United States government regarding his military service with the IRGC in order to, among other things, gain employment as a U.S. government contractor.

In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university. Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics.

After Rahmati returned to the United States in December 2017, he obtained various non-public and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar energy industry and provided them to an Iranian government official. Rahmati also applied for multiple positions with private companies and U.S. government entities that would provide him with access to sensitive information, eventually obtaining a position with U.S. Company 1 supporting the FAA on a contract related to the power and electrical architecture of the FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS). After Rahmati obtained the position, he informed an Iranian intelligence officer that he was “in the process of moving to and joining a new company” and that they could “work more effectively if it is finalized.”

In response to tasking from Iranian officials, and in furtherance of his agency relationship with the Government of Iran, Rahmati exploited his employment with U.S. Company 1 by downloading sensitive non-public U.S. Company 1 documents related to the FAA, storing them on removable media, and taking them to Iran, where he provided the documents to the Government of Iran in April 2022. These included documents related to the NAS that would give a person unfamiliar with NAS facility engineering a reasonable understanding of how the NAS power and electrical architecture is configured.

After he returned to the United States in April 2022, in response to tasking from Iranian government officials, Rahmati sent additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers to his brother, a co-conspirator, so that he would provide those files to Iranian intelligence on behalf of Rahmati.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. FAA’s Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia provided significant assistance.