Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Fayetteville Police Alcohol Sting Nets 5 Arrests

On November 26, 2010, members of the Fayetteville Police Criminal Investigations Unit along with the Fayetteville Police Warrant Unit conducted Special Operation Beer Buy 2010. This operation used an underage informant, to attempt to purchase alcohol from the twelve convenience stores in the city. The informant attempted to purchase alcohol from all twelve stores and was successful in those attempts in five of those twelve stores. The following is a list of the convenience stores and the offenders who were arrested and turned over to the Fayette County jail:

Thomas B.P
450 North Glynn Street
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Operator / Vikki Kelly

Star B. P.
744 North Glynn Street
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Operator / Nisar Rana

Village Market
765 North Glynn Street
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Operator / Daljit Sahney

Pit Stop North/ Phillips 66
630 North Glynn Street
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Operator / Musharaf Khan

Grady B.P.
610 West Lanier
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Operator / Kelly Martin

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Seeking Information on Armored Car Robberies

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Brian D. Lamkin, FBI Atlanta, requests the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the individuals responsible for the November 29 armed robbery of a Loomis armored car courier, which occurred at the Wells Fargo Bank, 3520 Centerville Highway, Snellville, Georgia.

On Monday, November 29, 2010, at approximately 9:00 a.m., a courier for a Loomis Armored Car was robbed at gunpoint while servicing an ATM at the Wells Fargo Bank, located at 3520 Centerville Highway, Snellville, Georgia.

The courier was approached from behind by a single robber who placed a semi automatic handgun to the courier’s head. The robber departed the area with an undisclosed amount of money and was seen getting into the back seat of a light blue or silver vehicle, described as being possibly a Buick, Oldsmobile, or Jaguar.

The robber is described as being a black male, late 20’s in age, 5’5” to 5’11” in height, medium build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a black cap.

FBI agents are comparing the details of the above robbery to other similar Metro Atlanta area robberies, which include the following:

A September 14, 2010 robbery of a Garda Armored courier while at the Bank of America, located at 1775 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, Georgia. Two black males approached the courier while he was servicing an ATM at that location. Both robbers were brandishing semi-automatic handguns. During that robbery, the courier was forced to the ground and his sidearm was taken by the robbers.

An October 7, 2010, 1:00 p.m. robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier, which occurred inside of a Mex-America Latino store, located at 641 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, Georgia In that robbery, two black males, one with long black dreadlocks, waited inside of the above store for the courier to arrive. Upon arrival, the two robbers confronted the courier with handguns.

A November 11, 2010, robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier while at the Bank of America, located at 1500 Buford Highway, Buford, Georgia. In that robbery, the courier was robbed while servicing an ATM at that location. The courier was approached from behind by two black male suspects brandishing handguns.One of the robbers was described as having a gold upper tooth. The robbers were seen departing that robbery in a blue Chevrolet Tahoe, recovered shortly after the robbery and determined to have been reported stolen in Atlanta.

Anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the Atlanta office FBI at tel. (404) 679-9000.

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Saturday, November 27, 2010

ATF Offers $10k Reward for Information on Retail Gun Theft

/PRNewswire/ -- A reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and convictions of those responsible for a recent firearms armed robbery at Welsh Pawn Shop, a federally licensed gun dealer in Savannah, Ga. was announced today by Gregory K. Gant, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Savannah/Chatham County Crime Stoppers has pledged a reward of up to $2,500 for the arrest of those responsible for the robbery. The owners of Welsh Pawn have also announced an additional reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. This crime has triggered a joint investigation between ATF and the Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department.

"The people of Savannah deserve a safe community. Unfortunately, there are a few violent individuals whose illegal activities threaten to diminish our quality of life. Gun thieves play a critical and deadly role in the chain of violence. ATF will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to solve this crime," Gant said.

The armed robbery occurred around 10 a.m., Friday, at the business located at 2800 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, Ga. The suspects walked into the business, asked workers to view a few items, then started shooting. Two clerks were shot and received non life-threatening injuries. The robbers smashed glass cases and removed several items to include six firearms. The clerks could only identify the robbers as two black males, wearing dark clothing and baseball caps.

Investigators are seeking the public's help with identifying the subjects involved and providing information on the location of any or all of the stolen firearms. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or Savannah/Chatham County Crime Stoppers at (912) 234-2020. Callers can remain anonymous.

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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Senior U.S. District Court Judge Pleads Guilty to Possession of Controlled Substances and Conversion of Government Property

Senior U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp Jr., pleaded guilty today (November 19) in U.S. District Court in Atlanta to possession of controlled substances and conversion of government property, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin of the FBI’s Atlanta office and Director Vernon Keenan of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Camp, 67, a Senior U.S. District Judge in the Northern District of Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of controlled substances and one count of conversion of government property. Camp’s guilty plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Hogan for the District of Columbia, who was sitting by designation in the Northern District of Georgia. Sentencing has been scheduled for Mar. 4, 2011, at 11:00 a.m.

As part of his guilty plea, Camp admitted that between May 2010 and Oct. 1, 2010, he unlawfully possessed and used cocaine, marijuana, and Roxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Camp also admitted to giving an individual, whom he knew had a prior felony drug conviction, money to purchase cocaine, Roxycodone, and marijuana. Camp admitted that he unlawfully gave the individual a U.S. District Court laptop computer for her personal use. Camp was arrested on Oct. 1, 2010, after attempting to purchase drugs from an undercover FBI agent posing as a drug dealer.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Deborah Sue Mayer and Tracee Joy Plowell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta’s Public Corruption Squad. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provided substantial assistance in this case.

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Fayetteville Police Offer Safety Tips for Holiday Shoppers

The Fayetteville Police Department would like to offer some tips to help you be more aware during the Holiday season. It’s that time of year! Shopping during the holiday season can present unique dangers when busy people become careless and vulnerable to theft and other crime. Taking a few prevention measurers can help keep your holiday season joyous.

Shop during daylight hours whenever possible.

If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.

Valuables and packages left in vehicles should be kept out of sight.

Lock your car and close the windows, even if you will be away for only a few minutes.

Watch your purse, wallet and checkbook while you shop.

Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.

Do not let people distract you (some thieves work in pairs-while one person asks for your help reading a label or retrieving items off of shelves the other is sealing your stuff).

Always double check that the sales clerk returned your credit card and driver’s license.

Never let your credit card out of your sight.

Be cautious of money scams (putting your money with their money, cashing a check for someone).

Drive safely and always wear your seatbelt - even on short trips.

Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.

Be alert to any activity near your car.

Report suspicious activity immediate!

Do not be afraid to call 911; that’s what we are here for!

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Carjacking and Firearms Conviction Results in 77-Year Prison Sentence

Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Albert Eugene Dunn, age 27, of Valdosta, Georgia, was sentenced by the Honorable W. Louis Sands, United States District Judge, on November 17, 2010, to 924 months (77 years) in federal prison without parole.

Dunn was charged in a seven-count indictment with three counts of carjacking and four counts of federal firearm violations arising from two separate home invasions. The jury trial concluded on May 10, 2010 with Dunn being convicted on all counts.

Evidence presented during the course of the trial revealed that Dunn, with the help of an accomplice, invaded the homes of college students while armed with and using firearms and knives. He demanded valuables and took vehicles belonging to the victims with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury.

Judge Sands granted the government’s request to impose a harsher sentence than that normally provided for such cases by Federal Sentencing Guidelines, commenting that this sentence was appropriate to provide punishment and to protect the public from future crimes of the defendant.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation sponsored Multi Agency Task Force with Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Tim Davis and Valdosta Police Department’s Sergeant Kari Williams. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Verda Colvin.

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Friday, November 19, 2010

ATF Launches Text-Based Crime Tip Submission System

/PRNewswire- -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information, today announced the launch of a text messaging crime tip submission system. During the course of this six-month pilot program, crime tips can be submitted anonymously by text message to ATF's Joint Support and Operations Center for review and processing.

The general public will benefit from the easy to use, anonymous system that will allow them to readily relay information from any cell phone. ATF will benefit from an increased flow of real-time intelligence, which will enhance its investigative capabilities and help keep communities safer.

To submit a crime tip, one can begin by texting a message with "ATF" in the body of the message to the number "274637" (CRIMES).

The initial submission will trigger an auto response from the secure transaction server. The text sender will receive a response, including a unique code number, which must be remembered for encryption and identification purposes. The sender and ATF coordinator may then elect to engage in a secure and encrypted two-way dialog with no additional keywords being required.

The sender can also text "STOP" to the number "274637" (CRIMES) at anytime to pause the system. This is helpful in situations where you cannot be replied to by ATF. If you send "STOP" to the short code number, messages from that point will not get a reply, but are received by ATF. Any new text messages would require repeating these steps from the beginning, utilizing a new code number generated by the system.

For additional information on ATF's SMS text messaging capability, please visit http://www.atf.gov/contact/sms/. For additional information concerning submission of crime tips to ATF, please refer to http://www.atf.gov/contact/hotlines/.

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Crime Victim Law Group to Release 'Choosing a Safer Apartment Community in Georgia.'

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Crime Victim Law Group announced the release of a guide designed to help Atlanta renters avoid crime and find a safe place to live. "Choosing a Safer Apartment Community in Georgia" presents simple, effective guidelines for finding a safe apartment complex; tips on how to make your current apartment safer; and, precautions to take to avoid being a victim of crime at any apartment property.

The purpose of the guide is to alert renters to conditions that enable criminals to victimize apartment dwellers and their guests. Being able to recognize certain conditions and situations helps a renter make a well-informed decision when choosing an apartment.

The guide details how inadequate or poor security can create an environment that not only encourages crime, it practically invites it. Properly functioning gated entries, effective security guards, and active neighborhood watch programs can make a substantial difference in deterring criminals who often operate in apartment communities.

The Crime Victim Law Group guide "Choosing a Safer Apartment Community in Georgia" is available as a PDF download at: http://www.victimattorneys.com/choosing-a-safer-apartment-community-in-georgia-download-the-pdf

From finding a safe apartment to making a current home safer, this Guide is intended to empower Atlanta renters so they might avoid becoming victims. Knowledge is power when choosing a home environment that is relatively free from violent crime. And, knowing the right questions to ask and the right things to look for can make all the difference when the safety, health and well-being of family and friends is at stake.

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Federal Jury Convicts Georgia Man for Armed Bank Robbery in Munford

A federal jury today (November 12) convicted a Georgia man for conspiring with and committing an armed bank robbery with three other individuals in Munford in June, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley.

The jury convicted TYCORY “T.C.” HILL, 24, of Decatur, Ga., of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence, all in connection with the June 10 robbery of the Munford Branch of the First National Bank of Talladega. Jurors returned their verdict after deliberating about three hours on the two days of testimony before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler.

“Good, solid police work by local and federal law enforcement, working together, led to one of the defendants, who cooperated and provided information that led to the other defendants in the bank robbery,” Vance said. “Three men burst into the Munford bank brandishing guns, threatening the lives of everyone inside and taking more than $177,000. The law enforcement officers in this case deserve to be commended for apprehending the bank robbers and helping bring them all to justice,” she said.

Two of the co-defendants, cousins JUSTIN COLE, 21, and JOHNATHAN COLE, 20, both of Gadsden, pleaded guilty in August to the conspiracy, armed robbery and firearm counts. BRITTNEY TRIMBLE, 20, also of Gadsden, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and armed robbery. All three testified for the government in HILL’s trial.

According to testimony, the bank robbery occurred as follows:

HILL and the two other men, JUSTIN and JOHNATHAN COLE, entered the bank in Munford on June 10 armed and wearing either a mask or bandana over their faces. The robbers jumped the teller counter, pointed guns at tellers, demanded money and threatened to kill tellers if they did not comply. The robbers took money from the bank vault and from teller drawers, escaping with about $177,795.

The robbers fled the bank in a stolen car, which they drove to a nearby apartment complex and abandoned. TRIMBLE was waiting at the complex with another getaway car.

The maximum prison sentence for conspiracy to commit armed robbery is five years. The maximum prison sentence for armed bank robbery is 25 years. The firearms charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years and a maximum of life in prison. The firearms sentence must be served consecutively to any sentence on the other convictions.

This case was investigated by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office, special agents of the FBI field office in Gadsden, the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit and the Gadsden Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Weil and Praveen Krishna.

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Rome Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million-Dollar Timber Fraud Scheme

AARON WILBERT FREEMAN, 50, of Rome, Georgia, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Robert L. Vining in federal district court late yesterday (November 2) to multiple charges relating to a $4 million scheme involving timber that did not exist. A jury had been selected and FREEMAN’s trial was set to begin today when FREEMAN pleaded late yesterday.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of yesterday’s guilty plea, “Paper is made from trees, but in this case, Freeman created trees out of paper. He did so by manipulating his employer’s computer system to create phony receipts for timber deliveries that never took place. He also recruited timber truck drivers to redeem the fake receipts for payment, then laundered the proceeds through multiple financial institutions.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, stated, “The level of fraud that Mr. Freeman conspired to commit against his former employer, the Temple-Inland Company, was significant. The FBI is pleased that, through its investigation and the resulting prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office, not only was any additional fraud stopped, but now Mr. Freeman will be held accountable for his actions.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: FREEMAN worked as a scale house operator at the Temple-Inland Co. paper mill in Floyd County, Georgia until June 2006. The scale house received and weighed approximately 350 timber trucks each day, providing a delivery receipt, known in the industry as a “scale ticket,” to each driver as proof of delivery. Between 2003 and 2006, FREEMAN worked primarily during the night shift, often alone, processing timber deliveries through the scale house computer system.

While working in the scale house during this time frame, FREEMAN manipulated the computer system to produce multiple weight readings when a single timber truck passed through the paper mill’s scale, making it appear as if there had been two or more deliveries when there had only been one. FREEMAN then caused the computer system to generate false scale tickets for the phantom loads, along with valid scale tickets for the legitimate deliveries. The Rome scale house computer system would simultaneously transmit the delivery information electronically to Temple-Inland’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, ultimately resulting in electronic funds transfers from Temple-Inland’s bank to timber suppliers’ bank accounts in Georgia and South Carolina.

After creating the false scale tickets, FREEMAN recruited multiple co-conspirators, including KEVIN A. FIELDS, 31, of Forsyth, Georgia; JASON S. JOSEPH, 32, of Macon, Georgia; ROGER G. CARTHERN, 63, and R. ANDREW CARTHERN, 40, both of Jefferson, Georgia; J. DAVID CARTHERN, 64, of Commerce, Georgia; ROBERT FRANK FERGUSON, JR., 56, of Maysville, Georgia; and GEORGE BONNER TATE, 40, of Hartwell, Georgia, to redeem the false scale tickets for payment by timber suppliers, launder the payments through multiple banks and credit unions, and return a share of the money to FREEMAN in cash.

By manipulating the scale house computer system and creating false scale tickets, FREEMAN caused Temple-Inland to pay approximately $3.35 million for phantom timber that FIELDS claimed to have delivered; $910,000 for phantom timber that JOSEPH claimed to have delivered; $313,000 to ROGER and ANDREW CARTHERN; more than $112,000 to DAVID CARTHERN and ROBERT FRANK FERGUSON; and more than $160,000 to GEORGE TATE, all of whom shared their money with FREEMAN.

On November 2, 2009, a federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment against FREEMAN, FIELDS, JOSEPH, ROGER CARTHERN, ANDREW CARTHERN, DAVID CARTHERN, FERGUSON, TATE, and CURTIS J. HART, 52, of Macon, Georgia. JOSEPH, ROGER CARTHERN, ANDREW CARTHERN, FERGUSON, and TATE all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to cooperate in the case. FIELDS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and also agreed to cooperate. The government dismissed DAVID CARTHERN and HART from the case on May 20 and July 14, 2010, respectively.

FREEMAN pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. FREEMAN could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the wire fraud conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to approximately $3.6 million for the money laundering conspiracy. In determining FREEMAN’s actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2010, at 10:30 a.m., before Senior United States District Judge Robet L. Vining in Room 303 of the United States Courthouse in Rome, Georgia. Sentencing dates for the co-defendants have not yet been set.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Former Polk County Police Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Obstructing an Undercover Investigation

MARK HOWELL SPARKS, 40, of Felton, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy to serve over two years in federal prison on charges of obstruction of justice, tampering with a witness and possessing a vehicle with an altered vehicle identification number (VIN).

“Because this defendant was a police officer, he was privy to confidential law enforcement information about an ongoing investigation into ‘chop shop’ activity in Polk County,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “During the investigation, he encouraged an informant to conceal his friends’ involvement in that chop shop activity. Sparks then obstructed the investigation and placed the informant in danger by alerting the targets of the investigation that the informant was recording conversations on behalf of law enforcement officials. Instead of enforcing the law, Sparks broke it, and now he is going to prison.”

SPARKS was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. SPARKS was convicted of these charges on July 22, 2010, after a four-day trial.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In June 2008, while SPARKS was employed as a detective with the Polk County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Police Department began a joint investigation into motor vehicle theft and chop shop activity in Polk County. In an effort to protect SPARKS' friends who SPARKS knew were involved in chop shop activity, SPARKS encouraged an informant not to provide information about SPARKS' friends to the agents conducting the investigation. In addition, SPARKS told his friends that the informant was cooperating with law enforcement and was wearing a recording device. SPARKS told his friends that they should not talk to the informant because he was recording conversations. The informant provided much of the detailed information about SPARKS’ criminal activity which expanded the investigation, and the informant testified at length at SPARKS’ trial.

After he was arrested, SPARKS admitted that he knowingly drove a pick up truck with an altered vehicle identification number, as the informant had told investigators.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Polk County Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bartow County Drug Task Force.

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Monday, November 1, 2010

Firearms Industry Matches ATF Reward in Norcross Firearms Theft

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a September 17 firearms theft at American Classic Marksman, a federally licensed firearms retailer in Norcross, Ga. The incident has triggered a joint investigation, being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Gwinnett County Police Department. The NSSF reward offer matches a $5,000 reward offered by the ATF.

Steve Sanetti, president of the NSSF, said, "Our matching reward offer will hopefully help assist ATF and local law enforcement in solving this crime against a federally licensed firearms dealer and lead to the swift recovery of stolen firearms before they can enter the illegal underground black market where they can be misused to commit violent crimes."

The matching reward payment by NSSF will be granted only following payment of the initial ATF reward, which is up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crime.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Callers can remain anonymous.

For any questions about the theft of these firearms, please contact ATF at the number listed above.

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