Category: Security

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Phillip E. Bates as the special agent in charge of the Mission Services Division at the Washington Field Office. Mr. Bates most recently served as section chief of the Inspection Division’s Internal Affairs Section.

In July 2008, Mr. Bates began his career at the FBI as a special agent. He reported to the Seattle Division’s Everett Resident Agency, where he worked on their Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and covered Indian country matters.

In 2013, he transferred to the Phoenix Field Office, where he was a member of the Violent Street Gang Task Force. He was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at FBI Headquarters in 2014. During his time in WMDD, he oversaw weapons of mass destruction (WMD) investigations in the western United States and Asia before returning to Phoenix in 2016 to serve as the primary WMD coordinator. 

In 2018, he was promoted to supervisor of the Phoenix JTTF, where he led the Threat Assessment and Mitigation squad, moving to lead the Domestic Terrorism and WMD squad in May 2019. In April 2021, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over the counterterrorism program at the Phoenix Field Office.

Prior to becoming a special agent, Mr. Bates served for six years as a police officer and a member of the special weapons and tactics team for the City of Mesa, Arizona Police Department. Mr. Bates graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in education and graduated in 2012 from Norwich University with a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Source: US FBI

The FBI is committed to providing assistance and support to the victims of the January 1, 2025, attack on Bourbon Street. FBI victim specialists are engaging with the victims and family members impacted by the brutal attack, which took the lives of 14 innocent people. 

The FBI has established a victim resource page where victims can complete a seeking victim form and be contacted directly for assistance by FBI victim specialists. 

The FBI is working with our local, state, and federal partners to open a centralized location where victims and their loved ones can receive in-person information and assistance. At this Family Assistance Center (FAC), victims and family members will also be able to recover personal items left at the scene of the attack. Media will not be allowed to enter the FAC out of respect for the privacy of victims and their families. The FAC will open at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church at 5621 Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans on Sunday, January 5 from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Regular operations will begin, Monday, January 6, when the FAC will provide services from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) is leading the Bureau’s effort to ensure that victims and their families receive the services and support they need in the aftermath of this attack, in coordination with many local, state, and federal partners.   

VSD’s Victim Services Response Team (VSRT) is one of the many specialized FBI assets deployed to New Orleans. VSRT is a multi-disciplinary team of agents, analysts, and victim specialists who are specially trained to provide support in crisis following mass violence incidents. VSRT provides a number of different services, including coordinating emergency victim assistance funding for emergency expenditures like travel and lodging, repatriation of remains, child and dependent care, medical services, and mental health services.

The seeking victim form can be found at https://forms.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetvictims.

More information about FBI victim services can found at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services.

For updates on the Bourbon Street Attack, visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetupdates.

Source: US FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel from across the country continue to work diligently to further this investigation and evaluate evidence, interview victims and witnesses, and analyze tips related to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack. Two days into the investigation, the FBI has received almost 1,000 tips, and leads have been sent to FBI field offices across the country for investigation.

As of Thursday, January 2, 2025, all evidence recovery along Bourbon Street and at a short-term rental home on Mandeville Street in New Orleans used by subject Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been completed. At the Mandeville Street location, bomb-making materials—which were rendered safe—and other items were found and collected for further processing. FBI special agents located similar materials at the search of Jabbar’s home on Crescent Peak Drive in Houston, Texas. 

On January 1, at 5:18 a.m. CST, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a fire at the Mandeville Street location after the attack on Bourbon Street. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has determined that Jabbar was the only person who could have had access to the residence when the fire was set. ATF also determined that Jabbar set a small fire in the hallway and strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime. After Jabbar left the residence, the fire burned to a point that it extinguished itself prior to spreading to other rooms. The ATF investigation revealed that when the NOFD arrived at the scene, the fire was smoldering, allowing for the recovery of evidence, including pre-cursors for bomb-making material and a privately made device suspected of being a silencer for a rifle. 

Evidence collected from multiple sites are being evaluated to further the investigation. The FBI assesses that, during his attack on Bourbon Street, Jabbar intended to use a transmitter, which was found in the F150 truck, to detonate the two IEDs he placed on Bourbon Street. The transmitter, along with two firearms connected to Jabbar, is being transported to the FBI Laboratory for additional testing, as well as clothing and shell casings from the truck. FBI personnel are also evaluating terabytes worth of video and other data collected by street cameras monitored by the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center.  

The FBI continues to surge resources from across the country to assist the New Orleans Field Office. In addition to FBI special agents and personnel based in Louisiana, more than 200 additional personnel have been brought in to assist in this investigation in order to process evidence, support victims, and investigate leads and tips. Personnel support includes, but is not limited to, special agents, victim specialists, evidence technicians, specially trained crisis management personnel, and intelligence analysts. 

FBI victim specialists and special agents continue to interview survivors and witnesses. As of January 3, the FBI has identified 35 known injured individuals. The number of injured is expected to rise in the coming days as additional people either take themselves to hospitals with injuries or ask for assistance from the FBI. Fourteen innocent people were killed in the attack. Courageous New Orleans Police Department officers shot and killed Jabbar after he opened fire on them and the crowd on Bourbon Street. 

For updates, visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetupdates. 

Source: US FBI

The FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) today released additional information about the suspect who placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021.

As part of a renewed call for tips from the public, the FBI posted on its Seeking Information webpage previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs near the DNC and announced that it estimates the suspect to be approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. A reward of up to $500,000 is available for information leading to the individual’s arrest and conviction.

Four years into the investigation, identifying the perpetrator of this attempted attack remains a priority for WFO; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division; the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD); and the U.S. Capitol Police Department (USCP). 

The suspect placed pipe bombs in a Capitol Hill neighborhood near the RNC, located at 310 First St. SE, and the DNC, located at 430 South Capitol St. SE, #3, on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.—the night before the riots at the U.S. Capitol. 

Although these bombs did not detonate, the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders.

“Over the past four years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, data scientists, and law enforcement partners has visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, reviewed approximately 39,000 video files, and assessed more than 600 tips about who may have placed pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

“The tips the FBI has received so far have helped us advance the investigation, but they have not led us to identify the suspect. Today, we are releasing additional information about the suspect—including that we estimate the person to be approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall—to encourage the public to take a fresh look at the Seeking Information webpage and contact the FBI if they recognize or have information about the suspect,” Sundberg said.

The website includes a new video with updated maps of the route the suspect walked the night the bombs were placed; previously unreleased footage of the suspect placing one of the bombs near the DNC; and closeup images of the distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes the suspect wore.

“We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward, or who may not have realized they had important information, to contact the FBI. A reward of up to $500,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for this dangerous attempt to harm our community,” Sundberg said.

If you have any information, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.

The FBI asks those providing tips about potential persons of interest to compile and provide as many details as possible (biographic info, contact info, demographic info, proximity to Washington, D.C., in early January 2021, and access to pipe bomb components) to ensure the FBI can adequately vet the information. 

Follow the FBI’s Washington Field Office on X and Facebook at @FBIWFO and on Instagram at @FBI.WFO for updates.

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Sean T. Ryan as the special agent in charge of the Criminal/Cyber Division at the Washington Field Office. Mr. Ryan most recently served as the section chief of the Counterterrorism Division’s HUMINT (human intelligence) Section.

Mr. Ryan entered on duty as a special agent for the FBI in February 2004 and was first assigned to investigate counterterrorism and counterintelligence matters at the Washington Field Office (WFO). Mr. Ryan then transitioned to a public corruption squad and later became a member of the Evidence Response Team.

Mr. Ryan deployed to Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2006 to support the bombing investigation at the United States consulate. In March 2008, Mr. Ryan deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan, to support another bombing investigation.
 
In 2010, Mr. Ryan was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) and served as a program manager in the Counterterrorism Division.

Mr. Ryan moved to the Fort Worth Resident Agency in Texas as the white-collar crime SSA. In 2013, Mr. Ryan was asked to lead the Dallas Field Office’s Cyber Task Force.

In 2016, Mr. Ryan was promoted as a unit chief in the Counterterrorism Division. Mr. Ryan was selected as the chief of staff for the assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division in 2018. Mr. Ryan has also instructed at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary, on multiple occasions.

In January 2019, Mr. Ryan was named assistant special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Field Office’s National Security Branch. In December 2019, Mr. Ryan was the deputy on-scene commander during the response to the Naval Air Station–Pensacola terrorist attack. In 2022, Mr. Ryan assumed the role of ASAC of Jacksonville’s Criminal and Administrative Branch.

Mr. Ryan held various positions in the financial services industry from 1996 to 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of South Florida in 2002.

Source: US FBI

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Evans, age 28, a federal inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Allenwood (FCI Allenwood), Allenwood, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for possession of a weapon.   

According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on July 15, 2024, while an inmate at FCI Allenwood, Evans possessed an inmate manufactured weapon commonly referred to as a “shank.”  The manufactured weapon, which was a piece of metal sharpened to a point with a cloth handle measuring six inches in length, was discovered by a correctional officer during a search of Evans.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Xing Zheng, 35, of Queens, New York, was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to launder approximately $2.98 million of fraud proceeds from various sources, including more than $426,000 in stolen Social Security retirement funds and COVID-19 funds from the state workforce agencies of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Arizona, and Ohio. Zheng was also ordered to pay $426,044 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and the various state workforce agencies, and a forfeiture judgment of $745,000.

In December of last year, Zheng pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

As stated in the information and admitted to by Zheng, he and an unidentified coconspirator, who operated under the pseudonyms “Christian Dasilva” and “Christian Hernandez,” agreed to launder fraud proceeds. In furtherance of the conspiracy, fraudulent applications were filed online for SSA Retirement Insurance Benefit (RIB) and COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Act (PUA) funds, using the stolen identities and personal information of eligible retirees and other individuals, and those benefit payments were directed to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators.

“Christian” also conspired with a related defendant, Myrna Ortiz, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whom “Christian” met through an online dating website. The two started a relationship via digital messaging, and Ortiz began helping her online paramour execute the fraud scheme, filing fraudulent claims for SSA RIB payments. The scheme targeted high wage earners over the age of 62 who had not yet filed for Social Security retirement benefits and impacted at least 23 victims.

Ortiz admitted opening 10 bank accounts at “Christian’s” direction, in order to receive the fraudulently issued government funds, and then withdrawing the funds, purchasing gift cards with the cash, and laundering the funds back to her coconspirator through the gift cards, by providing him with the account number and unique four-digit personal identification number (“PIN”) for each gift card.

Beginning in or about May 2020, “Christian” instructed Ortiz to provide him with the debit cards for the bank accounts into which the stolen funds were electronically deposited. Using various encrypted communications platforms, “Christian” and Zheng then conspired to further launder these funds.

They agreed that “Christian” would sell debit cards and gift cards to Zheng in exchange for cryptocurrency, both knowing that the funds were the proceeds of unlawful activity and that the transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds.

During the course of the conspiracy, Zheng purchased approximately 1,565 debit cards and/or gift cards from “Christian,” valued at approximately $2.98 million, which he laundered and exchanged for cryptocurrency for “Christian.” In all, Zheng retained approximately 25% of the value of the debit and gift cards that he exchanged.

Of the approximately $2.98 million laundered, approximately $96,500 worth of fraud proceeds were traceable to Myrna Ortiz’s bank accounts, which contained the stolen SSA RIB and PUA fraud proceeds. All told, through these schemes, Ortiz conspired to defraud the government and to launder stolen government funds totaling almost $600,000. She was sentenced in January to one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and restitution of $688,049.

“While Zheng did not personally participate in the fraud against the government, he knew that the money he was laundering was criminally derived,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Nonetheless, he was happy to participate, launder funds on a near-daily basis, and take his 25% cut, even as his crimes helped perpetuate the underlying fraud. My office will continue to target crooks who steal from the government — and those who enable them — dismantle their schemes, and bring them to justice.”

“The millions of dollars fraudulently obtained in this case were intended to support struggling Americans during a time of unprecedented crisis — not to line the pockets of those driven by greed,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of these vital relief programs, and we’re grateful for the continued collaboration of our partners as we hold accountable those who exploit them through egregious and complex financial schemes.”

“This 28-month prison sentence holds Mr. Zheng accountable for stealing money from rightful beneficiaries who rely on these funds to survive,” said Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, SSA Office of the Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”

“Xing Zheng and his co-conspirators defrauded multiple state workforce agencies by filing for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. As a result, Zheng enriched himself by stealing taxpayer resources intended for unemployed American workers. This sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who seek to exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.

Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Naim-Shahid Jumah Austin, 28, of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe on Monday to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release for a spate of armed robberies targeting local hotels in late 2022.

In January 2023, Austin was charged by indictment with six counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), and firearms offenses. In December of last year, the defendant pleaded guilty to all the robberies, and to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, between September 2022 and December 2022, Austin targeted the hotels in the early morning hours, when one employee was usually working alone at the front desk. He terrorized his victims at gunpoint, demanding that they hand over cash from the registers.

Austin was armed with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and drove his mother’s car to all six robberies, which occurred at hotels in Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties:

• September 16, 2022, 3:23 a.m. – Courtyard by Marriott, Tredyffrin Township, Pa.
• September 18, 2022, 4:02 a.m. – Holiday Inn & Suites, Drexel Hill, Pa. (also robbed hotel guest)
• October 10, 2022, 2:05 a.m. – Fairfield Inn & Suites, Broomall, Pa. (fled empty-handed)
• November 21, 2022, 3:35 a.m. – Home2 Suites by Hilton, Glen Mills, Pa.
• December 2, 2022, 4:04 a.m. – Marriott Philadelphia West, West Conshohocken, Pa.
• December 12, 2022, 4:41 a.m. – Holiday Inn Express & Suites, West Chester, Pa.

West Goshen Township Police located and arrested Austin minutes after the December 12, 2022, hotel robbery.

“Naim Austin was on a one-man crime spree, committing six armed robberies in less than three months,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He threatened the hotel employees he victimized at gunpoint, to terrify them into compliance. This sentence keeps him off the street and holds him accountable for what he’s done. My office and our partners are committed to making our communities safer by bringing violent offenders like this to justice.”

“Brazen violent criminals like Austin terrorize our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, FBI Philadelphia’s Special Agent in Charge. “This sentencing is a testament to the coordinated efforts between all of law enforcement. The FBI and our partners will never stop working to crush violent crime and ensure our citizens have a safe place to work and live in.”

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, Upper Darby Township Police Department, Marple Township Police Department, Newtown Township Police Department, West Conshohocken Police Department, Birmingham Township Police Department, West Goshen Township Police Department, and Chester County Detectives. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Urban.

Source: US FBI

This year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is observed from April 6 to 12, 2025. FBI Philadelphia joins our federal, state, and local partners in honoring crime victims and survivors, along with recognizing the professionals and volunteers who provide critical victim services. 

With this observance, we are shining a light on a vital piece of our Bureau mission that the public may be unfamiliar with—the work of our Victim Services Division (VSD).  

VSD’s mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience. Our victim services professionals strive to provide victims with empowerment, dignity, and justice.  

Each of the FBI’s 55 field offices have Victim Specialists. As a vital partner in the FBI’s response to crime, Victim Specialists work directly with Special Agents and serve as the critical link to ensure that victims of crimes investigated by the FBI are provided their rights and are connected to the necessary support, services, and resources.  

The Victim Services Division also manages several specialized resources, including the FBI’s Crisis Response Canine program, the Victim Services Response Team, and Trauma Notification Training. 

“When crimes occur, our job is to pursue justice—but it doesn’t end with making an arrest,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Protecting the American people means standing with victims every step of the way. Our Victim Specialists do this critical work every day, and National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a powerful reminder of our ongoing commitment to ensure victims receive the support, resources, and respect they deserve.”

Since its inception in 2001, the FBI’s victim assistance program has provided services—such as crisis intervention, emergency travel assistance, and local referrals for counseling, housing, and other services—to nearly 2 million victims. For more information about FBI resources available to crime victims, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services.  

For more information about the rights of federal crime victims, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/rights-of-federal-crime-victims.  

Source: US FBI

EUGENE, Ore.— The former owner of a Bend, Oregon-based microbrewery equipment company was sentenced to federal prison today for defrauding nearly two dozen customers out of more than $880,000.

Matthew Mulder, 52, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $887,116 in restitution to his victims.

Mulder used his company, We Can Brewing Systems, LLC, which he co-founded in 2014, to solicit payments for custom-built microbrewery systems, keg washers, and other industrial brewing products. Beginning in at least January 2017 and continuing through June 2018, Mulder solicited and accepted orders for equipment he knew his company was not capable of fulfilling. When customers asked for updates on their orders, Mulder falsely stated that they were on schedule or nearing completion.

At the same time, Mulder would entice customers to make additional payments by sending emails and text messages that included photos of nearly-completed orders prepared for other customers. He would then send the customers fake invoices for shipping costs, which they would pay. Many customers received nothing from Mulder following those final shipping payments.

During the fraud, Mulder solicited and accepted new customer contracts requiring large down payments that he would in-turn use for personal expenses, to pay off loans, and to pay suppliers.  In total, Mulder knowingly and intentionally defrauded 23 customers out of more than $880,000.

On February 19, 2020, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a seven-count indictment charging Mulder with wire and mail fraud. He pleaded guilty to all counts on April 3, 2024.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Bend Police Department. It was prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.