Category: Security

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been charged in a two-count information with conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud for using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He previously served as an elected Cleveland city council member representing Ward 7.

According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, Jones allegedly misrepresented and concealed material facts to induce nonprofit organizations to enter into a variety of arrangements that would benefit Jones and his romantic partner co-conspirator. Under the guise of working on projects to benefit the city of Cleveland and revitalize Ward 7, Jones fraudulently sought and obtained funds from local nonprofits while he concealed his connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements.

Jones’s schemes were devised to deceive nonprofit entities into making payments toward projects they thought were for the community’s benefit. Instead, the money ultimately went into bank accounts controlled by Jones’s romantic partner. Jones would then direct her to divert those funds to herself, Jones, and to other associates who were involved.

The information alleges that Jones deceptively advised nonprofits to provide funding to move community projects forward or to hire a purported “consultant,” with the full knowledge that the funds would flow back to himself. For example, Jones recommended that a nonprofit hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the “consultant” who quickly submitted a proposal and whose business was ultimately contracted, was Jones’s co-conspirator and romantic partner. She submitted the proposal and requested $5,000 per month at Jones’s prompting. The investigation discovered that she did not provide the nonprofit with substantial services in exchange for payments she received.

Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his romantic partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others associated with the scheme.

Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she too would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately the scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase.

Jones and his partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was helping them to acquire the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his romantic partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000.

These charges are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

Source: US FBI

With the world’s attention drawn to the crisis unfolding in the Middle East, he also offered condolences to the people of Israel and the innocent lives lost at the hands of Hamas.

Wray described the targeting of a community because of its faith as “totally unacceptable” and said the FBI remains committed to continue confronting such threats, both in the United States and overseas.

“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats,” he said, urging partners to stay vigilant and continue sharing any intelligence or observations.

Wray headed an FBI team of approximately 75 executives and other employees at the four-day IACP conference, many of them participating in sessions focusing on mass violence and school shooting threats, today’s crisis negotiators, and gang-involved child sex trafficking, among other topics.

Surging resources, Wray explained, have been critical in tackling violent crime, and he cited several examples of successful partnerships, ranging from the deployment of FBI agents to Tucson to reduce a backlog of old state warrants and take criminals off the street to a violent gang crackdown in Houston.

Working together with state, local, and federal authorities in Houston, the FBI participated in a violent crime initiative that led to arrests and indictments against members of the 100% Third Ward Gang that operates in and around the city.

“By February,” Wray said, “the Houston Police Department reported a drop of more than 10% in overall crime in just five months.”

Working together has been just as critical outside of large cities. In September, Wray said the FBI began surging resources to tribal areas to focus on crimes affecting Native American women and children.

In Charleston, West Virginia, he said authorities seized more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs and made close to 50 arrests in one of the largest illegal narcotics investigations in state history.

Wray also recognized the work of an FBI-led task force operating out of Brunswick, Georgia, for arresting dozens of gang members and seizing a number of illegal guns and drugs in January.

Source: US FBI

“This case is one of the highest priorities for the San Francisco Field Office,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “Law enforcement officers bear a tremendous responsibility to police our communities lawfully in keeping with the Constitution, and we must always be true to that guiding principle…The citizens of our communities deserve law enforcement personnel who practice what they enforce. Any breach to the public’s trust is absolutely unacceptable.” 

Four separate indictments were issued on August 17, 2023. In the first indictment, referred to as the “college degree benefits fraud indictment,” six defendants allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to defraud Antioch and Pittsburg police departments out of taxpayer dollars by claiming they had earned college credits toward degrees when, instead, they paid others to attend classes and take exams for them.

In June of 2019, an officer of the Pittsburg Police Department allegedly used a person identified as “Individual 1” to complete multiple college courses on his behalf that were credited toward the officer’s Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. Once the officer allegedly received a degree, they applied for and received reimbursements and pay increases from the Pittsburg Police Department. The same officer allegedly promoted the services of Individual 1. Five other members of the police departments ended up paying Individual 1 to complete similar coursework towards their degrees. As with the initial officer, they also applied for reimbursements and pay increases from their law enforcement employer.  

In the second indictment, two officers from the Antioch Police Department allegedly conspired to illegally distribute anabolic steroids to an unnamed customer. One of the officers allegedly possessed the drugs, and the other officer attempted to delete incriminating evidence from their cell phone before handing it over to law enforcement for investigation. 

In the third indictment, a defendant from the Antioch Police Department received three charges, two involving alleged interference with a wiretap investigation, and the third involving the illegal seizure and destruction of a telephone. On March 23, 2021, the defendant was assigned to a wire room where they were supposed to monitor communications between a target and others who contacted the target by telephone. The defendant allegedly used his personal cellphone to call a target, covering up any evidence of the call. On May 6, 2021, the defendant was present when another officer used a deployed a police dog while making an arrest. When the defendant saw a witness recording the aftermath of the incident on a cell phone, they allegedly seized and destroyed it. 

The fourth indictment charges three Antioch police officers with conspiracy against rights and deprivation of rights under color of law. The indictment describes several incidents of excessive force, among others. Allegedly, the defendants deployed excessive force as “punishment” to subjects “beyond any punishment appropriated imposed by the criminal justice system.”   

For example, on August 24, 2021, one of the defendants, along with Antioch police officers, executed a search warrant at a residence, located a subject inside a locked bedroom holding a video game controller with a video game on a television screen. When the defendant and other officers entered the room, the subject raised his hands. The officers surrounded the subject, and while one of the officers held down the subject’s arm to arrest him, the defendant deployed the 40mm less lethal launcher, injuring the subject.  

“Color of law violations strike at the very heart of our justice system. They undermine public confidence in the law and law enforcement and erode the fundamental right of our citizens,” said Tripp.  

The indictment includes several other incidents of excessive force as well as the collection and sharing of pictures and munitions to memorialize the acts of violence. 

Note that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Source: US FBI

U.S. Seeks to Forfeit 947,883 Tether Cryptocurrency Valued at nearly $1M

Source: US FBI

The Operation Not Forgotten initiative, along with the FBI’s broader Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) strategy, emphasizes the FBI’s continued dedication to address the violence impacting Indigenous communities. When the initiative was announced, agents like Kay from across the Bureau volunteered for temporary assignments in Indian Country. 

On the Yakama Reservation, Kay worked a range of investigations, including those related to homicide, missing persons, gangs, and crimes against children.

“You might not work these kinds of violations anywhere else in the FBI,” he said. “For agents working in Indian Country, it’s the closest thing to being a local police detective.”

In another investigation, Kay tried to locate a child sexual assault victim to see if they would be pressing charges. He and a Yakama Police detective met to share updates on the case and went together to the interview. Unfortunately, the victim wasn’t home, so Kay left his phone number and hoped for a call back. He also drove around the reservation hoping to find the victim before heading back to the FBI office in Yakama.

The assignment to Indian Country has been eye-opening, he said. It’s given him an opportunity to work closely with Native American partners in a part of the country where the mission is so critical.

There are multiple tribal detectives Kay now works with regularly, having quickly established a rapport. “You investigate crime scenes, generate leads, conduct interviews, and make arrests,” Kay said. “All of this is done in partnership with the tribal and local law enforcement.”

Source: US FBI

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing crimes that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. According to court documents, Reebel knowingly received and distributed CSAM for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a search warrant execution conducted at his residence, investigators found numerous books, magazines, periodicals, films, and video tapes that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession.

Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON— An Ohio man was sentenced today after he previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Adrian Schmidt, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,00 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. Schmidt previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on May 29, 2024.

            According to court documents, Schmidt traveled from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C., to attend the former President’s rally on the National Mall. At about 12:50 p.m., Schmidt made his way to a line of barricades erected by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers around the Capitol building near the Peace Circle Monument. Here, Schmidt was amongst a group of rioters pushing on the barricades, which eventually led to the breach of the outer perimeter of the Capitol.

            After breaching the Peace Circle Monument barricades, Schmidt and the mob of rioters surged toward the Capitol, into the restricted area. Schmidt then stood on top of a small wall and yelled towards other rioters, “Whose House? Our House!” Schmidt then made his way to the front of the mob that had gathered near a black metal fence on the West Plaza and jumped over the fencing as the mob surged forward toward a line of USCP officers.

            Schmidt again moved to the front of the mob and confronted the line of USCP officers on the West Plaza. He used his cellphone to record a video where he chanted, “Whose House?” Schmidt then turned towards the USCP officers guarding the West Plaza and said, “We’re right here (pointing at the ground). Whose platform? Our platform!”

            Court documents say that between 1:00 and 2:45 p.m., the mob on the West Plaza became more and more confrontational with the line of USCP officers. During this time, Schmidt again confronted the officers and, on several occasions, obstructed, impeded, and interfered with the USCP officers. Specifically, he pushed backward against police officers and their riot shields on the West Plaza and threw an object at the police line.

            Following his confrontation with police, Schmidt made his way to the Upper West Plaza and, at about 2:45 p.m., entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Doors with his fist raised in the air as fire alarms from the doors were loudly ringing. Over the next two minutes, Schmidt traveled into the Rotunda, and entered Statuary Hall. At approximately 2:51 p.m., Schmidt exited the Capitol via the East Foyer Doors. He later reentered the building through the same doors at approximately 3:15 p.m.

            Schmidt remained in the East Foyer until he was forced out of the Capitol by officers at approximately 3:30 p.m. Schmidt remained on Capitol grounds, circling from the East Foyer to the West Plaza until the early evening of January 6th.

            The FBI arrested Schmidt on July 28, 2023, in Ohio.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

         WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced to prison on Oct. 31, 2024, after he previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

         Kyle Andrew Campbell, 31, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss. Campbell previously pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain offices on July 1, 2024.

         According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Campbell and a companion traveled to Washington, D.C., from Columbus, Ohio, to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse; however, the two quickly changed direction and joined a large crowd walking toward the U.S. Capitol building. Court documents say that Campbell trampled over fencing erected by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) as part of the restricted perimeter around the Capitol and made his way toward the southern area of the West Plaza.

         Here, Campbell stood in front of a mob of rioters and was face-to-face with lines of USCP officers attempting to protect the Capitol. Campbell was then pushed from behind into an officer carrying a riot shield, who then pushed back with the shield. At that point, under his own power, Campbell forcibly rushed the officer and hit the officer and his shield several times before retreating back into the crowd.

         Campbell continued to remain on the West Plaza area for at least another hour and eventually made his way to the Upper West Terrace, where he continued to remain despite knowing that the area was not open to the public.

         The FBI arrested Campbell on Dec. 11, 2023.

         The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.

         The FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. Campbell was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #521 on the FBI’s seeking information photographs.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

         In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

         Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI