Results tagged “FBI” from Crime Scene
The FBI Friday released several documents from its files on actress/model Anna Nicole Smith.
Among the files, an FBI investigation into whether or not Anna Nicole plotted a murder.
From the site:
The third matter regarding Ms. Smith that the FBI investigated was an allegation that she contemplated the murder of E. Pierce Marshall, the son of her deceased husband. There are three sections to this release: 166C-LA-223601; 166C-LA-223601, 1A, Volume 1; and 166C-LA-223601, 1A, Volume 2. This release consists of one section of investigative case file and two volumes of 1A envelopes. 1A envelopes contain case materials retained as evidence (in this instance, materials like interview notes), documents obtained from other police agencies, and other items gathered in the course of the investigation. All of these files are redacted because of laws protecting personal privacy.
Here's the link.
This from the Burbank Leader:
CITY HALL -- Four days after the city released a statement calling the latest lawsuit filed against its Police Department "baseless and disingenuous," Mayor Gary Bric on Tuesday said the FBI was investigating the allegations.
He also announced that the Burbank Police Department was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which was to turn over its findings to the county district attorney's office, paving the way for the city to bring in its own outside attorney to review the allegations.
Seven current and former members of the Burbank Police Department have filed lawsuits since May, claiming everything from unfair demotion and retaliation, to sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
From Celeste Fremon at Witness LA:
Here's what she writes:
Alex Sanchez had a second bail hearing on Wednesday afternoon. He did not get bail. Nor was he denied it.In case you are interested, here's a copy of the Alex Sanchez indictment. And, a piece written by Tom Hayden for The Nation.Alex, if you'll remember, is the former MS-13 gang member turned highly honored gang intervention leader and head of the well-regarded nonprofit, Homies Unidos. A month ago, Sanchez was named in a federal racketeering indictment and accused of plotting the murder of a rival gang member. The case alleges Sanchez was leading a double life: while a good guy by day, by night he was the premier shot caller--AKA leader--of a particularly violent clique of MS-13.
At the last bail hearing held on June 30, 110 people wrote letters of support--including city leaders and a wide array of clergy. Friends and colleagues put up $1.2 million in surities against any bail. To sweeten the deal, Tom Hayden put up his house toward the hoped for bond. Sanchez was denied bail anyway.
Sanchez's attorney appealed the bail decision, and Wednesday's hearing was the result. But rather than settle the matter, U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real decided to continue the bail issue until August 17, nearly a month from now.
On the surface this might sound like just another case of justice delayed. But, there is a lot more to this story.
At left is Susan Bendigo, also known as Susan Lim. She's a federal fugitive in a 42-defendant case involving shady nurses operating out of Santa Fe Springs. The US Attorney's office unsealed indictments against several local nurses allegedly involved in a Medicare scam. Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the US Justice Department sent out a press release referring to the caper as "Nurses Gone Wild."
Heres the nurses gone wild - indictment.pdf,
here's the nurses gone wild - Bendigo indictment.pdf
We've been following several sealed motions in this case via the Federal court's PACER system. It appeared as if West Covina resident Doc Cavazos entered into a plea deal with the feds and now the Associated Press is reporting that he's looking at 20 years in prison:
LOS ANGELES -- The former national president of the notorious Mongols
motorcycle gang has pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge in a case that
accused other members of murder, drug trafficking and violent attacks.
Prosecutors revealed January's guilty plea by Ruben "Doc" Cavazos in court papers filed on June 29. He could face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in February.
A phone message left with Cavazos' attorney Angel Navarro was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Cavazos and other Mongol leaders directed members to engage in murders, extortion,
robberies and drug trafficking to "promote and further the activities of the Mongols
gang," according to a 177-page indictment.
Among other things, prosecutors claim Cavazos was involved in negotiating with Mexican Mafia leaders over the collection of payments for drug trafficking in areas controlled by that gang and getting Mongol members to commit crimes against people who challenged the gang's authority.
The legend of John Dillinger still burns brightly throughout the Midwest. A stick-up man with a penchant for violence, Dillinger was shot to death outside the Biograph Movie Theater in Chicago by FBI agents hellbent on stopping an unparalleled crime wave.Johnny Depp plays Dillinger in the movie Public Enemies, based on the 2003 book by Bryan Burrough.
For the better part of 10 months (between Sept 1933 and July 1934) Dillinger and his gang terrorized Midwest towns from Michigan to South Dakota -- and all points in between.
Dillinger escaped prison twice, was likely responsible for 10 murders, and pulled off numerous bank robberies. FBI agents in Chicago ultimately caught up with Dillinger by using a Romanian prostitute to feed them information on his whereabouts.
The FBI's John Dillinger page describes what happened next:
On Sunday, July 22, Special Agent Samuel Cowley ordered all Agents of the Chicago office to stand by for urgent duty. Anna Sage called that evening to confirm the plans, but she still did not know which theater they would attend. Therefore, Agents and policemen were sent to both theaters. At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton strolled into the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in "Manhattan Melodrama." Special Agent Melvin Purvis phoned Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph.
Cowley also phoned Hoover for instructions. Hoover cautioned them to wait outside rather than risk a shooting match inside the crowded theater. Each man was instructed not to unnecessarily endanger himself and was told that if Dillinger offered any resistance, it would be each man for himself.
At 10:30 p.m., Dillinger, with his two female companions on either side, walked out of the theater and turned to his left. As they walked past the doorway in which Purvis was standing, Purvis lit a cigar as a signal for the other men to close in. Dillinger quickly realized what was happening and acted by instinct. He grabbed a pistol from his right trouser pocket as he ran toward the alley. Five shots were fired from the guns of three FBI Agents. Three of the shots hit Dillinger and he fell face down on the pavement. At 10:50 p.m. on July 22, 1934, John Dillinger was pronounced dead in a little room in the Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Some Dillinger links of note:
FBI famous cases -- John Dillinger
FBI case file -- John Dillinger
Google Wonder Wheel
TruTV Crime Library
Wikipedia -- John Dillinger
When gangsters flourished in the Middle America during the Great Depression, none was more cold-blooded than Alvin "Creepy" Karpis. Public Enemy No. 1, Karpis is briefly profiled in the movie of the same name, starring Johnny Depp, as John Dillinger.*Born in Montreal on Aug. 10, 1907, Karpis grew up in Topeka, Kansas -- America's Heartland.
After he joined up with Fred and Doc Barker of the Ma Barker gang, Karpis became a notorious killer and kidnapper -- on top of being a bank robber.
In all, Karpis was believed responsible for 10 killings and a half dozen kidnappings between 1931 and 1936.
In 1936, Creepy was sentenced to life for kidnapping William Hamm, of Hamm's Brewery.
The FBI's own head, J. Edgar Hoover took credit for arresting Karpis, although in his biography, Karpis said he was surrounded by a team of agents who alerted Hoover when the scene was secure.
Karpis ended up in Alcatraz for 25 years. When the Rock finally was shut down, Karpis spent time in a state of Washington federal prison. There ol' "Creepy" met someone even creepier -- Charlie Manson. Karpis takes credit for teaching Manson how to play guitar.
There's some interesting Web pages about Karpis and more photos.
Here's some links:
FBI summary of the Barker-Karpis gang's activities
True Crime Library -- story of Alvin Karpis
Google timeline search -- pretty interesting way to look at Karpis biography.
AP article on Karpis 1979 death from the Toledo Blade
Photos of Karpis in Spain in late 1970s
(FYI: between now and Friday I'll run profiles of 1930s gangsters including Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, "Machine Gun" Kelly and others. I think there are some interesting parallels between that era and our own)
An FBI investigation that lead to the federal indictment of several members of MS13 details murders, drug deals, robberies and witness intimidation that even in dry legal language is quite chilling.
This from the AP. I'll get a copy of the indictment up as soon as I have it:
LOS ANGELES - Federal and local authorities in the Los Angeles area have arrested the executive director of a high-profile anti-gang nonprofit organization as part of an action against the notorious Mara Salvatrucha street gang.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says Alex Sanchez, who heads Homies Unidos, was arrested at his home in Bellflower early Wednesday on federal racketeering charges. In all, about eight people have been arrested.
The indictment names 24 members of Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, and alleges crimes including several murders, conspiracies to commit murder and narcotics offenses. Several of those named were already in custody.
Homies Unidos works to rescue kids from gangs in Los Angeles and Sanchez's native El Salvador. A message left at the organization's offices was not immediately returned
From the Associated Press:
LOS ANGELES - Federal authorities have unsealed a racketeering indictment charging about 40 members and associates of a clique of Los Angeles' 18th Street gang with a slew of offenses, including the murder of a 3-week-old baby.
The FBI said Tuesday that federal and local agents had arrested eight of those named in the indictment. Several others were already in state and local custody.
Among the crimes outlined in the indictment, members of the gang are accused of the 2007 killing of the baby near MacArthur Park, as well as the 2001 murder of an innocent man who was mistaken for a rival.
The indictment also charges a defense attorney with laundering illegal proceeds on behalf of the Mexican Mafia, a prison-based gang.
*Here's a copy of the 144-page indictment: clcs 2nd superseding rico final.pdf
From an FBI press release:
EL MONTE MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY MOLESTED MINORS AND IS
CHARGED FEDERALLY WITH PRODUCTION & POSSESSION OF CHILD
PORNOGRAPHY ATTEMPTED TO WORK FOR LAW ENFORCEMENTLos Angeles - An El Monte man who was arrested for molesting a minor, has been charged federally with the possession and production of illegal pornographic images of his victim. The SAFE Team (Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement), which includes investigators with multiple state, local and federal agencies, is releasing the man's photograph in order to locate additional victims that may not yet have been identified.
This investigation was initiated when investigators with the California Highway Patrol uncovered alleged criminal activity during a preliminary employment background check. Written responses made during the applicant process led to a CHP investigation of Christian Hernandez, 29, for the alleged molestation of a five year-old child. According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Hernandez applied to be an officer with the California Highway Patrol in October 2008.
Hernandez admitted on an employment questionnaire that he had accessed illegal pornography on the Internet, and had viewed illicit photos of a minor as recently as one-month prior to applying for employment, according to the complaint.
Craig Monteith, a West Covina native who inflitrated several Southern California mosques filed suit against the FBI asking for $10 million in damages for an informant fee he never received.
Here's a bit from the Associated Press:
The claim, dated Saturday, alleges the FBI failed to pay Monteilh $100,000 and provide witness protection as part of an exit strategy from his work as an undercover informant in Southern California mosques.
Monteilh, 46, also accuses the FBI of letting him serve eight months in prison on a grand theft charge he said was related to his work on a case involving the illegal distribution of steroids and human growth hormone.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the agency does not comment on claims.
They also want to find little Briant Rodriguez, kidnapped from his home in San Bernardino this week.
Here's the bureau's Facebook page. One can only wonder what J Edgar would have thought about this technology ... Below, the FBI (as I remember it)
During a 2007 remodeling of the presbyterian Church in Covina, workers uncovered several disturbing images of child pornography,
A subsequent FBI investigation led to a registered sex offender who was living at working at an auto repair shop in town.
The sex offender, Richard Welton, 47, is now behind bars in federal custody.
Here's the FBI docs from the case:
SAFE_-_Welton_arrest_warrant.pdf
Welton has a long criminal history that includes making obscene phone calls from churches claiming to have abducted a young girl.
A report in USA Today notes that the FBI claims criminal gangs are responsible for 80 percent of our nation's crime. Here's the story.
No Chargers in Industry this year, at least that's a what a report in the San Diego Business Journal claims.
Local soldier Sgt. Hy Thai, of Monterey Park is profiled on News Blaze, for his work in Iraq.
Detroit cops slow to respond to reports of frozen body in abandoned warehouse, according to the Detroit News and the Associated Press, which cites the indifference of cops there as part of the city's overall problem.
LASO unveils new technology in the pursuit of criminals.
This from staff writer Robert Hong:
A former teacher at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography.
The illegal images were found on a computer belonging to 63-year-old David Hassler when authorities searched his home in November 2007, authorities said. He was among about 10,000 of people arrested in nationwide federal investigation into on-line child pornography.
Hassler, who pleaded guilty in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison.
A federal grand jury handed down an extensive indictment Tuesday charging a group of Californians and Canadians in a conspiracy to move MDMA from local cities to Canada.
A portion of the indictment talks about how defendant Nathanael Lineham used his position with a company called beStealth to supply encrypt BlackBerrys to drug dealers. Here's a link to the beStealth site.
Here's the indictment:
Candystore_-_Lineham_indictment[1].pdf
Here's a portion of our Web story:
Prosecutors allege the organization was overseen by Temple City resident Jason I. Ming Wei, 30, a Canadian national. He was arrested Sunday night at Los Angeles International Airport while preparing to board a flight to Canada.
A total of 18 people, including seven residents of the San Gabriel Valley, have been named in two federal indictments that outline the operations of the organization. Marijuana and ecstasy were allegedly brought to the United States from Canada, while cocaine was shipped from the United States to Canada.
The other suspects arrested Monday morning include: Jerry Fanyuan Lin, 32, of Temple City; Jose G. Garibay, aka "Guero," 28, of La Puente; Ming Chien Hsieh, aka "Sonny," 24, of San Gabriel; and four others from California and Canada.
The ten others being sought by authorities include Ren Sui, aka "Jeffrey," 31, of Rosemead; Erik Damien Vicente, 41, of Baldwin Park; Hong Yee "Annie" Chow, 28, of Rowland Heights.
The FBI hopes to catch a man suspected of opening fire on two cops in Whittier by erecting a billboard at the border. Here's the top portion of their press release:
The FBI has purchased a billboard, visible to vehicles traveling across the Tijuana/San Diego border, as part of its ongoing publicity campaign to find and capture Emigdio Preciado, a fugitive on the FBI's national list of "Ten Most Wanted," announced Salvador Hernandez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles . The billboard, which will be posted for approximately three months, displays three photographs of Preciado and contact numbers for the FBI in Los Angeles, the United States Consulate General in Guadalajara, Mexico, and a special number established by the FBI's Fugitive Task Force to directly respond to tips, (888) CANT-HIDE
A similar billboard that was errected in Whittier last year has been defaced several times by thugs hoping to hide the face of Preciado.
That's his mugshot and here's a link to the wanted information from the FBI.
Other's on the FBI's 10 most wanted list include Osama Bin Laden and "Whitey" Bulger.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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