EFTA00160882.pdf

From: FBI News Briefing To: "FBINewsBriefing" Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL) - FBI Daily News Briefing - December 1, 2021 Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2021 11:25:07 +0000 Importance: Normal View in Browser go,Federal Bureau of Investigation December 01, 2021 Seal Federal Bureau of Investigation Daily News Briefing (In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs) Mobile version and searchable archives available at https://fbi.barbaricumanalytics.com Table of Contents IN THE NEWS • Authorities: Student Kills Three, Wounds Eight at Michigan School • U.S. Judge Sentences Wife of Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' to Three Years in Prison • CNN Suspends Chris Cuomo for Helping Brother in Scandal • US Panel Backs First-Of-A-Kind COVID-19 Pill From Merck CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS • Prosecutors Charge Man Who Allegedly Assaulted Police at the US Capitol and Brought Hatchets to FBI Headquarters • Meadows Cooperates With January 6 House Panel After Talk of Contempt Vote • "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley to Appeal 41-Month Sentence for Role in Capitol Attack • January 6 Defendant Charged With Tasing Fanone Allegedly Talked of Assassinating President Biden • Trump Called Aides Hours Before Capitol Riot to Discuss How to Stop Biden Victory • January 6 Defendants' Grand Jury Testimony Helped Prosecutors Charge Capitol Police Officer • Judges Dubious Toward Trump Bid to Suppress U.S. Capitol Riot Records • Man Who Allegedly Assaulted Officers on January 6 Running for Texas House • Editorial: It's Long Past Time for the Senate Ethics Panel to Address Hawley's January 6 Actions • Capitol Riot Suspect Entered Air Force Basic Training in San Antonio, Then Got the Boot • Iowa Suspect in US Capitol Riot Has Status Conference Scheduled for Tomorrow • Organizer of the 'Stop the Steal' Rally Leading to Capitol Riot to Comply With a Congressional Subpoena • FBI Continues to Search for Suspects Almost a Year After US Capitol Insurrection CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS EFTA00160882 CYBER DIVISION LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES OTHER FBI NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Putin Warns West: Moscow Has 'Red Line' About Ukraine, NATO • NATO Chief Says Allies Must Prepare for the Worst in Ukraine • Belarus President Offers to Host Russian Nuclear Weapons • MI6 Spy Chief Says China, Russia, Iran Top UK Threat List • Iran Strikes Hard Line as Talks Over Nuclear Deal Resume • German Court Convicts Ex-IS Member in Yazidi Girl's Death • Honduras Leftist Leader Could Present Opportunities for U.S. • Former PM Abe Says Japan, U.S. Could Not Stand by if China Attacked Taiwan • U.S. in Hypersonic Weapon 'Arms Race' with China EFTA00160883  • U.S. Delegation Met With Afghan Taliban Representatives in Qatar OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Stricter Coronavirus Testing Being Weighed for All Travelers to U.S. • Merck's Covid Treatment Pill Wins Blessing of F.D.A. Panel • Trump-Appointed Judges Block Biden Administration Vaccine Mandate for Health-Care Workers • Future of Abortion Rights at Stake as Supreme Court Considers Mississippi Case • GOP Lawmakers Trade Insults on Twitter in Latest Intraparty Blowup • House GOP Leaders Face Calls to Confront Islamophobia Among Their Ranks BIG PICTURE • Wall Street Journal • New York Times • Washington Post • Financial Times • ABC News • CBS News • NBC News • Fox News WASHINGTON SCHEDULE IN THE NEWS Authorities: Student Kills Three, Wounds Eight at Michigan School The Associated Press (11/30, Householder, Kryska) and the New York Times (11/30, Atkinson, Smith, Boudette) reported that a 15-year-old male sophomore shot 11 people, killing three, at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan on Tuesday. According to the articles, the suspect's identity has not been disclosed, and that the suspect used a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun, which was purchased by the suspect's father four days prior. Coverage also noted that deputies arrested the suspect "within minutes of arriving at the school in response to a flood of 911 calls about the attack" and that the deputies arrested him "after he emerged from a bathroom with the gun, which he said had seven rounds of ammunition still in it." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Abdel-Baqui, Chapman) reported that a law enforcement official said that the suspect "appears to have acted alone and didn't resist arrest or fire at officers" and that law enforcement officers "were still investigating possible motives for the shooting." The story was also reported on by the Washington Post (11/30, Thebault, Knowles, Bailey, Paul, Beachum, Kornfield), Fox News (11/30, Colton, Best), NBC News (11/30, Burke, Madani), CBS News (11/30, Albert, Freiman, Reardon), Reuters (11/30, Szekely), United Press International (11/30, Haynes, Coote), CNN (11/30, Vera, Romine), The Hill (11/30, Oshin), HuffPost (11/30, Ruiz-Grossman, Visser, Russo), Washington Examiner (11/30, Seven), Forbes (11/30, Walsh), The Guardian (11/30, Yang) and Newsweek (11/30, Roos). U.S. Judge Sentences Wife of Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' to Three Years in Prison Reuters (11/30, Lynch) reported that a U.S. judge sentenced the wife of imprisoned Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to three years in prison on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to helping the Sinaloa drug cartel. According to the article, before her sentencing in a federal court in Washington, Emma Aispuro, 32, pleaded with U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to show her mercy. "With all due respect, I address you today to express my true regret for any and all harm that I may have done, and I ask that you and all the citizens of this country forgive me," she said in Spanish through an interpreter. The Associated Press (11/30, Whitehurst) reported that Aispuro also helped her husband plan a dramatic escape through a tunnel dug underneath a prison in Mexico in 2015 by smuggling a GPS watch to him disguised as a food item. The article noted that the charges included Aispuro EFTA00160884 knowingly and willfully conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine for several years. She also pleaded guilty to a money-laundering conspiracy charge and to engaging in transactions with a foreign narcotics trafficker. The New York Times (11/30, Feuer) added that the Sinaloa cartel remains one of Mexico's most powerful criminal mafias, even in El Chapo's absence. It is said to be run by an uneasy alliance of his sons, one of his brothers, and his longtime partner, Ismael Zambada Garcia, all of whom have been indicted in the United States. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, de Cordoba), CNBC (11/30, Macias), NBC News (11/30, Planas), Newsweek (11/30, Klawans), the Washington Examiner (11/30, Aabram), Business Insider (11/30, Mitchell), CNN (11/30, Santana), BBC (11/30, Staff Writer), the Washington Post (11/30, Duggan), and Fox News (11/30, Conklin) also reported on the story. CNN Suspends Chris Cuomo for Helping Brother in Scandal The Associated Press (11/30, Bauder) reported that CNN indefinitely suspended anchor Chris Cuomo on Tuesday after details emerged about his efforts to help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment earlier this year. According to the article, CNN said that documents newly released by New York's attorney general "indicated Cuomo took a greater level of involvement in his brother's efforts than CNN executives previously knew:" Coverage also noted that according to the documents, Chris Cuomo "pressed sources for information on his brother's accusers and reported back to the governor's staff, and was active in helping craft their response to the charges." The Washington Post (11/30, Barr, Ellison) reported that CNN has not yet announced who Cuomo's replacement will be, but that on Tuesday evening, anchor Anderson Cooper extended his 8 p.m. show into Cuomo's usual 9 p.m. slot. The story was also covered by the New York Times (11/30, Grynbaum, Koblin), Wall Street Journal (11/30, Mullin), Reuters (11/30, Serjeant), CNN (11/30, Darcy, Stelter), NBC News (11/30, Stelloh), CBS News (11/30, Albert, Cates), Fox News (11/30, Wulfsohn), USA TODAY (11/30, Spector), Bloomberg (11/30, Eckhouse, Smith), Politico (11/30, Hooper), Forbes (11/30, Bissada), Newsweek (11/30, Villarreal), The Guardian (11/30, Staff Writer) and The Epoch Times (11/30, Nguyen Ly). US Panel Backs First-Of-A-Kind COVID-19 Pill From Merck The Associated Press (11/30, Perrone) reported that a panel of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health advisers voted 13-10 in support of Merck's new COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, stating that the antiviral drug's benefits outweigh its risks. According to the article, the vote "specifically backed the drug for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who face the greatest risks, including older people and those with conditions like obesity and asthma." The panel also recommended that the treatment "shouldn't be used in vaccinated people, who weren't part of Merck's research and haven't been shown to benefit!' The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Hopkins, McKay) reported that according to a final analysis, the drug was found to be 30% effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk people, lower than the S0% efficacy first announced. The New York Times (11/30, Robbins, Zimmer) reported that due to the FDA panel's vote of support, Merck's pill "could be authorized for use in the United States within days and available to patients within weeks." The story was also covered by the Washington Post (11/30, Johnson, Shepherd), Reuters (11/30, Maddipatla), CNN (11/30, Fox, Christensen), NBC News (11/30, Lovelace Jr.), CBS News (11/30, Tin), Politico (11/30, Foley), The Epoch Times (11/30, Nguyen Ly), The Independent (11/30, Woodward), CNBC (11/30, Kimball), Newsweek (11/30, Brady), Forbes (11/30, Kaplan), The Hill (11/30, Coleman), Axios (11/30, Staff Writer) and Business Insider (11/30, Staff Writer). Back to Top CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS Prosecutors Charge Man Who Allegedly Assaulted Police at the US Capitol and Brought Hatchets to FBI Headquarters CNN (11/30, Rabinowitz) reported that federal prosecutors unsealed charges against Timothy Desjardins on Monday, who allegedly attempted to hop over security chains behind the FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, with two hatchets just hours after the US Capitol riot on January 6. According to the article, Desjardins was caught on video using a broken wooden table leg to beat Capitol Police officers on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, the site of some of the most brutal fighting between officers and the mob. The article noted that at 2 a.m. on January 7, FBI agents reported a security breach when they found Desjardins attempting to climb over security chains outside FBI headquarters. Reuters (11/30, Hosenball) noted that the FBI said that Desjardins' alleged participation in the riot was corroborated when, the morning after the riot, Washington police recovered a backpack which EFTA00160885 investigators believe Desjardins was wearing during the riot. The FBI said that inside the backpack was a Desjardins identification card, two walkie-talkies, and three axes. Newsweek (11/30, Strozewski), the Providence Journal (11/30, Mulvaney), MassLive (11/30, Bonner), and the Boston Herald (11/30, Sobey) also reported on the story. Meadows Cooperates With January 6 House Panel After Talk of Contempt Vote The Associated Press (11/30, Jalonick, Tucker) reported that Mark Meadows, Donald Trump's former chief of staff, is cooperating with a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, putting off the panel's threat to hold him in contempt, the committee's chairman said Tuesday. The panel "will continue to assess his degree of compliance," Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement. He said Meadows has produced records and will soon appear for an initial deposition. According to Reuters (11/30, Zengerle), Thompson did not rule out future action against Meadows. Noting that the panel expects all witnesses to provide all the information requested that it is lawfully entitled to receive, Thompson said: "The committee will continue to assess his degree of compliance with our subpoena after the deposition." CNN (11/30, Grayer, Cohen, Gangel, Nobles), the New York Times (11/30, Broadwater), the Washington Post (11/30, Blake), the Wall Street Journal (11/30, Tau, Hughes), CBS News (11/30, Kim, Quinn, Linton), NBC News (11/30, Gregorian), Fox News (11/30, Singman), USA Today (11/30, Jansen), New York Post (11/30, Brufke, Chemberlaine), and The Guardian (11/30, Sing, Ho) also reported on the story. "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley to Appeal 41-Month Sentence for Role in Capitol Attack CNBC (11/30, Mangan) reported that Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon shaman, filed an appeal seeking to void his guilty plea and 41-month prison sentence for his notorious role in the Jan 6 Capitol riot. According to the article, Chansley became a symbol of the insurrection, when hundreds of other supporters of then-President Trump disrupted the ongoing confirmation of the election victory of President Biden. The article noted that the appeal came after Chansley replaced his defense attorney Albert Watkins with a new lawyer, John Pierce, who at one point had represented Kyle Rittenhouse. CBS News (11/30, Quinn, Legare) and Business Insider (11/30, Balevic) also reported on the story. January 6 Defendant Charged With Tasing Fanone Allegedly Talked of Assassinating President Biden Newsweek (11/30, Villarieal) reported that Daniel Rodriguez, a Capitol riot defendant accused of tasing Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone, said that he would assassinate President Joe Biden if he got the chance, court documents allege. According to the article, Rodriguez allegedly made his comments on a Telegram group chat called "Patriots 45 MAGA Gang," prosecutors said in court documents. Participants in the group chat advocated violence against certain groups and individuals who supported the results of the 2020 presidential election. The article noted that FBI agents arrested Rodriguez on March 31. In a three-hour interview with agents following the arrest, Rodriguez repeatedly cried, Courthouse News reported. He also told agents that he tased Fanone, who has since spoken often about the assault he endured during the January 6 insurrection and the traumatic stress he has felt since. The Los Angeles Daily News (11/30, Emery), and KABC (ABC-7) (11/30, Staff Writer) also reported on the story. Patriots 45 MAGA Gang' Planned Violence on January 6, Prosecutors Say CNN (11/30, Polantz) added that the "Patriots 45 MAGA Gang" riffed about their anger toward officials who supported the 2020 election result and gloated about the violence of the siege. They also attended pro-Trump and anti-coronavirus mask mandate rallies in Southern California. Before January 6, they collected weapons and gear, including a stun gun, pepper spray, gas masks, and walkie-talkies, and traveled together to the January 6 Stop the Steal rallies. The day before the riot, they "joined a caravan" in Kentucky headed toward DC, setting up a radio app on cellphones so the caravan could communicate. Trump Called Aides Hours Before Capitol Riot to Discuss How to Stop Biden Victory The Guardian (11/30, Lowell) reported that hours before the deadly attack on the US Capitol this year, Donald Trump made several calls from the White House to top lieutenants at the Willard Hotel in Washington and talked about ways to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election win from taking place on 6 January. According to the article, the former president first told the lieutenants his vice-president, Mike Pence, was reluctant to go along with the plan to commandeer his largely ceremonial role at the joint session of Congress in a way that would allow Trump to retain the presidency for a second term. The article noted that the former president's remarks came as part of strategy discussions he had from the White House with the lieutenants at the Willard — a team led by Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, and Trump strategist Steve Bannon — about delaying the EFTA00160886 certification. The Daily Mail (11/30, Elkind), Forbes (11/30, Reimann), and The Week (11/30, Weber) also reported on the story. January 6 Defendants' Grand Jury Testimony Helped Prosecutors Charge Capitol Police Officer Politico (11/30, Cheney) reported that Jacob Hiles, who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, became a crucial grand jury witness who helped the Justice Department charge Michael Riley, a Capitol Police officer, for seeking to obstruct the investigation into the attack. According to the article, prosecutors say Riley, who didn't know Hiles but shared an interest in fishing, sent Hiles Facebook messages urging him to delete incriminating posts about entering the Capitol. But Hiles never deleted the posts, prosecutors say, and instead, the Justice Department used them to charge Riley for his attempted obstruction. The Epoch Times (11/30, Steiber) also reported on the story. Judges Dubious Toward Trump Bid to Suppress U.S. Capitol Riot Records Reuters (11/30, Wolfe) reported that U.S. appeals court judges on Tuesday signaled skepticism toward former President Donald Trump's bid to keep records about his conversations and actions before and during the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot by a mob of his supporters away from congressional investigators. According to the article, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard a three-hour oral argument in Trump's appeal of a judge's decision that the records should be turned over to a House of Representatives committee. The article noted that the House select committee investigating the riot has asked the National Archives, the U.S. agency housing Trump's White House records, to produce visitor logs, phone records, and written communications between his advisers. The panel has said it needs the records to understand any role Trump may have played in fomenting the violence. Politico (11/30, Gerstein, Cheney) also reported on the story. Man Who Allegedly Assaulted Officers on January 6 Running for Texas House The Washington Post (11/30, Bella) reported that Mark Middleton is running for a seat in the Texas House, months after he and his wife were indicted on charges of assaulting two D.C. police officers, according to a public filing on the Texas secretary of state's website. According to the article, Mark Middleton said he was among "the first group to storm the Capitol." He joined the pro-Trump mob in allegedly yelling expletives and striking officers who stood between them and their goal of disrupting the validation of the 2020 presidential election results, according to the FBI. "No more fooling around!" he said in a video posted to his Facebook page shortly after he and his wife, Jalise, were at the Capitol, prosecutors say. "Make America great again! Freedom!" The Hill (11/30, Schnell) and Business Insider (11/30, Snodgrass) also reported on the story. Editorial: It's Long Past Time for the Senate Ethics Panel to Address Hawley's January 6 Actions The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that ten months after a group of Senate Democrats lodged ethics complaints into the conduct of Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas regarding their roles in sparking the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the Senate Ethics Committee has shown no sign of movement. According to the article, Hawley and Cruz were the first two senators to object to the certification of Joe Biden's clear victory in the 2020 election results, citing (with zero evidence) supposed concerns about the election's integrity. That was the same baseless, toxic nonsense then-President Donald Trump had been spewing since before the election. Such talk whipped up the mob of Trump loyalists to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, the article opined. Capitol Riot Suspect Entered Air Force Basic Training in San Antonio, Then Got the Boot The San Antonio Express-News (11/30, Christenson) reported that Aiden Bilyard, a U.S. Capitol riot suspect, entered basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in July and was later charged with attacking police during the Jan. 6 assault on Congress. According to the article, the FBI identified Bilyard as a possible suspect in the riot while conducting a security clearance investigation for Bilyard's future job specialty in the Air Force, which officials could not immediately describe. Iowa Suspect in US Capitol Riot Has Status Conference Scheduled for Tomorrow WHO (NBC-13) (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that a status conference is being held Tuesday for a Des Moines man charged in the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. According to the article, Doug Jensen faces multiple federal charges. Jensen was featured prominently in videos and photos from the storming of the Capitol, wearing a "Q" shirt to reference the "QAnon" conspiracy theory. The article noted that in a bid for pretrial release, his attorney said Jensen realized the conspiracy theory, which claims elected officials in Washington, DC are the controlling forces behind an international child sex trafficking organization, including Satan-worshipping "lizard people," was entirely false and he no longer believes in "Q". EFTA00160887 Organizer of the 'Stop the Steal' Rally Leading to Capitol Riot to Comply With a Congressional Subpoena Business Insider (11/30, Dzhanova) reported that Ali Alexander, the organizer behind the "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, DC, said he will comply with a congressional subpoena over his role in the Capitol riot on January 6. "The only reason I'm going is because I don't want to go to jail," he said. "So under the threat of imprisonment and spending tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers, I will be privately deposed before this committee in December." FBI Continues to Search for Suspects Almost a Year After US Capitol Insurrection MassLive (11/30, Hook) reported that the FBI tweeted Tuesday that it is continuing to ask the public for information in the search for people who allegedly assaulted law enforcement personnel at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. "The FBI is seeking the public's assistance in identifying individuals who made unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol building and committed various other alleged criminal violations, such as destruction of property, assaulting law enforcement personnel, targeting members of the media for assault, and other unlawful conduct." Back to Top CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS New York Explosion: Police and FBI Search for Person Behind Blast Amid Potential Terror Concerns Fox News (11/30, Wallace) reported that Suffolk County Police Department is working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force after an "unspecified device" was detonated Sunday morning, forming a crater on Fox Island in New York. According to the article, investigators said the crater is about four feet wide and two feet deep. There were no injuries reported and the island is uninhabited and typically visited by duck hunters. Acting Suffolk Police Commissioner Stu Cameron said that investigators didn't find any "fragmentation" from the blast site and added that a possible "test run" for terrorist activity is "definitely a concern." "There could be a variety of explanations, but that is definitely a concern. We do know that when people produce homemade explosives, very often they want to test those explosives to make sure they function as intended." The article noted that arson detectives are looking to identify and find the operator of a vessel seen leaving the area at the time of the detonation. The boat is described as having stripes. The New York Daily News (11/30, Annese) and Independent (11/30, Sharma) also reported on the story. FBI Blames Bystander Effect' for Mass Shooter Who Murdered Nine The Independent (11/30, Graziozi) reported that an investigation into the 2019 Dayton, Ohio, mass shooting found that gunman, Connor Batts, acted alone and was not aligned with a specific ideological group. According to the article, Betts fired 41 shots inside Dayton's Oregon District on August 4, 2019. He killed 8 people, including his sister, Megan Betts, and injured 27. Betts was then killed by patrol officers. The article noted that the FBI said Betts had a long battle with mental health issues and "the successive loss of significant stabilizing anchors" eventually led to Betts' decision to plan and commit a mass shooting. The article also noted that the FBI blamed "bystander fatigue" as a possible explanation for why Betts's family and friends may not have noticed his worrying state of mind. The FBI explained that bystander fatigue is, "the passivity, inaction, or inattention to concerning behaviors observed by individuals who have a close, interpersonal relationship to a person of concern due to their prolonged exposure to the person's erratic or otherwise troubling behavior over time." FBI Probing Threats Made To Multiple Pennsylvania School Districts The Daily Voice (11/30, Pikora) reported that several local police departments and the FBI are investigating multiple threats against schools in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, schools mentioned that there were threats on social media, text, and emails. Police departments searched the affected schools and provided extra security, while the FBI assisted and provided additional resources. KDKA (CBS-2) (11/30, Hoffman, Guay) reported that FBI Special Agent Joe Rothrock said, "The FBI has a really good working relationship with a lot of the social media companies, and we have a number of experts here that can help us strip up some of that anonymity that comes with being online." The article noted that the FBI said they do not have national or local statistics, but it appears these social media threats against schools are increasing. Patch (11/30, Heyl) also reported on the story. Man Facing 126 Sexual Assault Charges Extradited from Ecuador, Returned to Colorado KDVR (FOX-31) (11/30, Flynn, Kruegel) reported that Peter Dettmer is facing 126 sexual assault charges from an incident in Colorado. Dettmer was accused of sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman in 2016 and was arrested EFTA00160888 by Golden Police Department. Dettmer posted a $2,000 bond and then disappeared. Dettmer was arrested in Ecuador, on April 27, by the FBI and returned to Jefferson County on November 24. The article noted that former FBI Special Agent Bob Pence said, "it's uncommon to find fugitives that far away, and says the FBI likely received a tip that Dettmer was in Ecuador. They might have an exact location, or it might just be that we hear that he might be somewhere in Ecuador. And then this fugitive investigation would be conducted by Ecuador. FBI has field offices in more than 70 countries, including one next to Ecuador in Colombia. Ecuadorian authorities would be the ones to make any sort of arrest, making worldwide partnerships extremely valuable. Outside the United States, the FBI has no authority to conduct those investigations, no authority to carry weapons normally, and no authority to make arrests. So it's a liaison-type responsibility, and we work with the host countries, and do it very successfully around the world." Florida Man Jailed on Charges of Kidnapping, Human Trafficking Florida Today (11/30, Waler) reported that Robert Johnson was arrested by Cocoa Beach police on November 21 during a traffic stop. Johnson was driving while his license was suspended and stopped by Cocoa Beach police where they later arrested him and found he had numerous charges, including one count of human trafficking. Johnson had been accused of holding a woman hostage about eight months before his arrest. According to the article, the woman mentioned that Johnson approached her in his white semi-truck while she was walking along the road. Johnson and the woman then proceeded to drive off until she wanted to go home and he refused to let her go and drove hours away to pick up a shipment for transport in his truck with the woman still in his vehicle. Johnson was aggressive towards the woman and threatened her with his weapon as she continued to flee. The woman also mentioned that Johnson would sexually batter her inside the truck while a child was present and that the child was used to keep tabs on her. The woman eventually was let go by Johnson and the child was located and taken to Brevard Child Protection Team for a forensic interview. The article noted that the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending related to the child and that the FBI is looking into the incidents that crossed state lines and possibly included international travel into Canada. Johnson was charged with human trafficking, sexual battery of a victim over the age of 18, aggravated assault with a firearm, kidnapping, and two counts of false imprisonment. U.S. Woman Found Dead in Mexico Hotel Room While on Vacation Newsweek (11/30, Angsley) reported that Sativa Transue was found dead in a Mexico hotel room in an apparent homicide. Transue was from Washington and told her family she was heading on a trip to Cancun, Mexico with her boyfriend for Thanksgiving. Transue's sister, Mykayla Bolieu, said she and others became concerned when a flurry of messages from Sativa and were sent to their phones on Friday, just hours before her body was found. The messages were sent from Transue's phone that mentioned she had gotten into an altercation and that stitches were needed. Concerned about the nature of the texts, Tansue's friends contacted the Milton Police Department to file a report and spoke to the FBI. The family was called by the U.S. consulate at 9 a.m. on Saturday who said, Transue had been found dead in her hotel room. According to the article Sativa's boyfriend is in the custody of Cancun police and remains jailed right now after his weekend arrest. San Francisco Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Murder The Reporter (11/30, Bammer) reported that Domingo Howard pleaded guilty on September 3 to several felonies, including voluntary manslaughter, in the fatal robbery of Jose Jimenez in February. According to the article, Howard pointed his gun at Jimenez and another man during a drug deal, who were both inside a parked vehicle, before shooting Jimenez once in the midsection, robbing the men, then fleeing on foot. Howard was then later arrested on March 2, a few days after the shooting, at an apartment complex in Sacramento. Howard was charged with manslaughter, two counts of robbery, a gun enhancement, and a prior strike as a juvenile by Judge William J. Pendergast. The article noted that the arrest was made by the Fairfield Police Department with the assistance of the FBI and other agencies. FBI Announces Up to $25,000 Reward in Search of Man Wanted for Murder of Pregnant Girlfriend WPVI (ABC-6) (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that the FBI issued an arrest warrant and a $25,000 reward Tuesday for Justin Smith, a man who allegedly killed his pregnant girlfriend, Dianna Brice, in April. According to the article, Brice's body was found in the woods on April 5 with multiple gunshot wounds in the head, and Smith's vehicle was discovered a mile away engulfed in flames. FBI Investigates an Ohio Man Accused of Money Laundering Through Hard Rock Casino EFTA00160889 WLWT (NBC-5) (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that the FBI is searching for Ismail Shalash, a man accused of laundering large amounts of money through Hard Rock Casino in Ohio. Shalash would sell luxury vehicles online to privately owned car dealerships and not deliver the promised product once he was paid. Shalash defrauded five victims in four states, totaling $1.7 million. According to the article, Shalash would sometimes work under the alias Armand Brigante of MDDI Inc. and deceived his victims into believing Brigante was a separate person. Shalash made multiple withdrawals with notes indicating it was for Hard Rock Cincinnati almost immediately after he defrauded his victims and would allegedly cash in large amounts of money into the casino and then cash out the money in credits. The article noted that the FBI stated that a "strong indicator of money laundering is when a player converts money into chips and then redeems those chips (or "cashes-out") within a relatively short period of time." Shalash fled the country shortly after the transactions were made and a federal warrant has been issued for his arrest for wire fraud and money laundering of monetary instruments. The FBI describes Shalash as 6 feet tall, 215 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has dual citizenship from Jordan and Palestine and ties to Cincinnati. FBI Detroit Corruption Probe Eyes Ayers Nonprofit Set Up by Friend The Detroit News (11/30, Snell) reported that FBI agents investigating Detroit public corruption are looking into a nonprofit created by a Democratic campaign consultant and high-ranking Oakland County government appointee to benefit Councilwoman Janed Ayers. According to the article, The nonprofit Progress Detroit Inc. was created by Ayers' friend, consultant Diana McBroom, in June, according to a state business filing. That was two months before FBI agents raided Ayers' home and City Council office as part of a broader hunt for evidence officials received bribes, extorted contractors, or received illegal benefits funneled through nonprofits. Ayers has not been charged in the matter. The article noted that the investigation reveals how FBI agents are building a potential criminal case by focusing on actions taken by members of a politician's inner circle. Atlanta Couple Pleads Guilty to Millions in COVID-19 and Tax-Related Fraud WXIA (NBC-11) (11/30, Boyce) reported that Tiyari Collins and Farah Collins pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration. The couple reportedly obtained nearly $2 million in fraudulent loans from both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Impact Disaster Loan program. According to the article, Tiyari Collins submitted applications for 11 different fraudulent loans between May 1 and June 30, 2020. Farah Collins was involved in submitting four of the loans as well, leading to $365,000 in distributed funds. The six fraudulent PPP loans and five fraudulent EIDL loans totaled more than $1.9 million. The couple spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulently obtained funds on unauthorized expenditures that ranged from luxury goods and personal credit card bills to office furnishings. They also filed false tax returns in relation to the fraudulent loans. FBI agents were able to recover approximately $588,900 in fraudulent proceeds. Tiyari Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Farah Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. STL News (11/30, Nawaz) also reported on the story. Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Scheme Alabama Live (11/30, Robinson) reported that Christopher Montalbano pleaded guilty to a bank fraud scheme and money laundering in Alabama. Christopher and his father, Gus Anthony Montalbano, were indicted earlier this year on a 26-count indictment in federal court charging them with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, false statements on a loan application, and money laundering. According to the article, between 2015 and 2020, Christopher fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in loans from at least sixteen different financial institutions by submitting fraudulent information to the financial institutions in loan applications and in supporting documentation and used the loan proceeds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle. The article noted that the FBI investigated the case along with other agencies. Josh Duggar Says a Family Friend Can't Testify About His Alleged Child Molestation Admissions Because of 'Priest-Penitent Privilege' Insider (11/30, Mark) reported that Josh Duggar, formerly of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," has been accused of receiving and possessing child pornography in May 2019. Duggar has pleaded not guilty, and a jury selection for his trial began Tuesday. Four of the five alleged molestation victims were Duggar's younger sisters, and the incidents occurred when Duggar himself was a minor. Two of Duggar's sisters have even spoken out about the incidents, saying they forgave their brother. According to the article, Duggar was never criminally charged in connection to the molestation allegations, but prosecutors have said they intend to submit evidence that Duggar "was EFTA00160890 investigated for, admitted to, and received counseling for touching and sexually molesting multiple minor females, including at least one instance involving the digital penetration of a prepubescent minor." Duggar's defense attorneys are trying to block a key witness from testifying about the former reality TV star's alleged child molestation admissions, saying the witness' conversations with Duggar are protected by "clergy privilege." 14-Year-Old Columbus Girl Recovered in Detroit Area in Human Trafficking Case WINE (ABC-6) (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that a 14-year-old girl from Ohio has been reunited with her family after she was a victim of human trafficking in the Detroit area. The girl's grandmother filed a missing person report on November 9, 2021, and a Columbus Police detective learned that she was in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan, and was potentially being trafficked. Police said hundreds of sex advertisements for the girl were found posted on illicit websites and a 30-year-old man from Texas was identified in connection with the case and charges are pending. The article noted that Southfield Police Department and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force found the girl with assistance from the FBI. Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Child Enticement WBAY (ABC-2) (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that Neil Frank was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison Monday for seeking to entice a child into having sexual intercourse. Frank was using a social media site to communicate with a 15-year-old, who was located in Wisconsin. Frank asked for graphic digital images, and "expressed his desire to have sexual intercourse with the child" in May of 2020. Frank was arrested by an undercover police officer with the Fox Valley Metro Police Department on May 18 after he drove to an apartment complex where he thought the child lived and at the time of his arrest, he was a registered sex offender. According to the article Frank was charged with using a computer to attempt to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. He's also charged with two counts of committing a felony sex offense as a registered sex offender. After being released from prison Frank will spend five years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sexual offender. Former Mississippi Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Filming Child Porn on His Phone Sun Herald (11/30, Lee) reported that former Picayune police Sergeant Joshua Stockstill plead guilty to producing a video on his cell phone of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct in Mississippi. According to the article, Stockstill was arrested at the police department and fired from his job in July after the FBI asked for assistance identifying him based on a photo that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children produced from a video of Stockstill shown with a child. FBI: Person of Interest in Missing Arkansas Girl Case from 1995 May Have Had Ties to Tennessee The Nashville Tennessean (11/30, Alund) reported that it's been more than 26 years since 6-year-old Morgan Nick disappeared while playing with friends at a little league game in northwest Arkansas. To this day, her kidnapper has not been identified and her disappearance remains a mystery to her family and law enforcement across Arkansas and beyond. According to the article, FBI agents are seeking any information about Billy Jack Lincks, who the agency named a person of interest in the case on Nov. 9. The article noted that Lincks was born and raised in Crawford County, Arkansas. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II and then worked at Braniff Airlines in Dallas from 1962 to 1974. He returned to Van Buren, Arkansas, in the late 1970s. About two months after Morgan's disappearance, the FBI reported, Lincks attempted to abduct a young girl in Van Buren at a location eight miles from the baseball field where Morgan was last seen. Lincks died in prison in 2000. The FBI is requesting help from anyone who knew Lincks. New York Police Arrest Wanted Fugitive Mid Hudson News (11/30, Staff Writer) reported that Anthony Beckford of Poughkeepsie was arrested on November 17 by state troopers and FBI Safe Streets Task Force on a bench warrant. According to the article, in February 2019, the troopers and FBI arrested Beckford for possession with intent to sell heroin and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number. Beckford fled the country to avoid prosecution after his release. After a Continued investigation by the State Police and FBI determined Beckford returned to the United States and located him in New York, and arrested him. Muslim Man Who Masqueraded as Orthodox Jew to Marry Jewish Woman Sparks FBI Investigation Washinton Examiner (11/30, Nothis) reported Eliyah Hawila, who posed as an Orthodox Jew and claimed to work for the National Security Agency (NSA), is now being looked into by the FBI. According to the article, the FBI became involved when Hawila's wife, identified only as Sally, discovered his Lebanese passport and asked him EFTA00160891 about it. Hawila claimed to be an NSA agent and allegedly produced a "fake letter" from coworkers at the agency to prove his employment. The FBI suspected Hawila, whose real name is Ali Hassan Hawila, could be working for a terrorist group and posed as a Jew to infiltrate the Jewish community. So far, the FBI has found nothing to suggest he was involved in terrorism-related activities or falsified any document. Back to Top CYBER DIVISION FBI Seized $2.3M From Affiliate of REvil CNN (11/30, Lyngaas) reported that US law enforcement officials in August seized roughly $2.3 million in cryptocurrency tied to ransomware attacks committed by Aleksandr Sikerin, a Russian resident who is affiliated with a notorious ransomware gang known as REvil, according to a court document unsealed Tuesday. According to the article, the seizure is part of an ongoing US law enforcement effort to stymie the sources of funding for Russian and Eastern European cybercriminals following a series of damaging ransomware attacks on US infrastructure. It comes as the White House continues to appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action against hackers operating from Russian soil. The article noted that while the FBI and Secret Service track accused cybercriminals, the Treasury Department has taken aim at the services the hackers use to launder ransom payments. Bleeping Computer (11/30, Abrams) also reported on the story. Ransomware Attack Exposed Personal Info of Hancock Towers Unit Owners Loop North News (11/30, Dahlman) reported that a ransomware attack on a property management company in Chicago did not get ransom but exposed personal information about unit owners and prospective unit owners at John Hancock Center. According to the article, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were notified about the ransomware attack. "With ransomware, there is a federal government list of threat actors or terrorists that you are just not allowed to make any payments to," Alfred Saikali, a privacy, and data security lawyer said. "If you do it, you potentially go to jail and face civil sanctions." FBI Document Showcases How Secure Messaging Apps Stack Up Apple Insider (11/30, Peterson) reported that a new FBI document detailing its legal access to secure messaging apps indicates that the agency has a "limited" ability to access the content of messages sent via Apple's iMessage. According to the article, the document, which appears to have been obtained by a group called Property of the People through a FOIA request, details the FBI's ability to "legally access secure messaging app content and metadata." The article noted that the FBI has "limited" access to the content of iMessages and that Apple will provide law enforcement access to a suspect's iMessages if they are backed up to iCloud. The Daily Star (11/30, Daly) also reported on the story. Back to Top LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES Florida Police Officer Terminated for Alleged Interference With Internal Affairs Investigation WINK (11/30, Fleischer, Montoya) reported that Jason Jackson, a police officer at the center of an investigation at the Fort Myers Police Department, has been terminated. According to the article, the police department did not release the full investigation but said Jackson was found to have interfered with an internal affairs investigation, associating with convicted felons, maintaining a personal relationship with an active/confidential informant, maintaining a sexual relationship with a former confidential informant and failing to devote time and attention to the service of the city. The article noted that the audit led to a criminal investigation by the FBI that failed to return criminal charges on Jackson and three other officers who retired while they were under investigation. WBBH (NBC- 2) (11/30, Staff Writer) also reported on the story. Back to Top OTHER FBI NEWS Owner of the Last Abortion Clinic Says Protesters Harass Patients and Workers, FBI Does Not Respond to Requests for Help EFTA00160892 Business Insider (11/30, Naftulin) reported that on Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear initial arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case that has the potential to reverse 1973's Roe v. Wade decision, which granted the federal right to seek an abortion without government intervention. According to the article, Jackson Women's Health, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, says the state's 15-week ban on abortion is unconstitutional. "For the last, I'd say 30 years, we've been under assault and each year it has worsened," Jackson Women's Health owner Diane Derzis said. According to Derzis, anti-abortion protesters wait in the driveway of Jackson Women's Health every day, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. As abortion-seekers drive up to the clinic, protesters and their children stop cars in the street and bang on their windows. When clinic volunteers escort patients up the sidewalk and to the front door, protesters scream through megaphones that they're "killing babies" and "going to go to hell," said Derzis. The article noted that Derzis said she's shown videos and photos of these incidents to the FBI, but no action has been taken. How Law Enforcement Is Trying to Stop Mob Retail Thefts CNN (11/30, Sanchez, Campbell) reported that with in-store customers expected to return in droves for the holiday shopping season, law enforcement agencies are moving to halt a wave of organized "smash-and-grab" crimes at retailers across the US. According to the article, police departments in major cities are increasing patrols at retailers targeted by mobs of thieves in brazen raids. At the federal level, the FBI said it is in "close contact" with local law enforcement investigating such cases and prepared to take further action. The article noted that an FBI spokesperson told CNN Monday that federal agents are monitoring the spate of brazen thefts and remain in close contact with local police. "Should information come to our attention that constitutes a federal crime, we are prepared to take a mor