Law enforcement

In Letter to Attorney General Holder, Brown Expresses Concerns Over Release of Economic Recovery Funds for Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Recovery Program

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent today to Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) expressed concern over the implementation of the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Recovery Program included in the economic recovery package. Brown emphasized how funding for the program is essential for hiring and rehiring law enforcement officers to keep communities safe. The full text of the letter can be found below.

June 17, 2009

Hon. Eric Holder
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001    » read more »

Has Led To Indictment Of 8 Individuals And The Opening Of More Than 80 Cases - Unit Cracking Down On Flood Of Mortgage Fraud Cases Infecting Brooklyn

June 22, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes announced that the Kings County Mortgage Fraud and Real Estate Crimes Unit has led to the indictment of eight individuals and the opening of more than 80 cases. One such case involves Thomas Prusik-Parkin, the man accused of impersonating his deceased mother to collect Social Security benefits and rent subsidies.    » read more »

June 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, praised an agreement signed today that would give more counternarcotics authority to immigration agents to help reduce illegal drugs entering American communities.

In response to the signing of this Interagency Cooperation Agreement that increases cooperation and information sharing between the Department of Health And Human Services’ Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Sen. Carper said:    » read more »

Gov. Nixon signs bill creating new fund to benefit families of emergency personnel killed in the line of duty

June 19, 2009 -- KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Standing inside a Kansas City fire station, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon today signed a bill to benefit the families of Missouri emergency personnel killed in the line of duty. House Bill 580, which establishes the Line of Duty Compensation Act, allows a claim to be filed with the Division of Workers' Compensation on behalf of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, air ambulance pilot or air ambulance registered nurse for a benefit of $25,000.    » read more »

SEC Charges Operators of $80 Million Ponzi Scheme Targeting Korean-Americans

Washington, D.C., June 9, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged two California men and two companies they control for conducting an $80 million Ponzi scheme that targeted Korean-American investors with false promises of extraordinarily high returns from foreign currency (forex) trading.    » read more »

Ahmed Ghailani Transferred from Guantanamo Bay to New York for Prosecution on Terror Charges

June 9, 2009 -- Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian national who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility since September 2006, arrived early this morning in the Southern District of New York to face criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the Aug. 7, 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya.

After a thorough review of his case by the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force, Ghailani was recently referred for criminal prosecution in the Southern District of New York pursuant to a March 12, 2001 superseding indictment against him.    » read more »

Fact Sheet: Prosecuting and Detaining Terror Suspects in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

June 9, 2009 -- I. Terror Prosecutions in the Southern District of New York

Since the 1990s, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has investigated and successfully prosecuted a wide range of international and domestic terrorism cases—including the bombings of the World Trade Center and U.S. Embassies in East Africa in the 1990s. More recent cases include those against individuals who provided material support to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, as well as against international arms trafficker Monzer al Kassar and the Somalian pirate charged in the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama.

Major Historical Cases in SDNY:    » read more »

HARTFORD, CT -- NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous joined with Connecticut House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan to condemn Governor Jodi Rell’s veto of HB-6578.

The NAACP Connecticut State Conference launched a campaign in support of the bill which would have replaced the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole for all capital felonies committed after the bill’s enactment. The bill was recently passed by the Connecticut Judiciary Committee and by both the House and the Senate, but can be vetoed by Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell.    » read more »

Money will go to eight northern border counties

June 4, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Montana’s U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today announced that eight Montana counties will receive a combined $1.8 million to improve security along Montana’s northern border.

Eight of Montana's northern border counties will receive money to help pay for fuel, personnel, and equipment. County law enforcement agencies partner with the U.S. Border Patrol to monitor the border for suspicious activities, respond to calls, and participate in training exercises.

* Phillips - $215,719
* Valley - $ 215,068
* Blaine - $ 215,393
* Hill - $217,997
* Glacier - $210,837
* Daniels - $ 69,560
* Toole - $215,719
* Flathead - $229,659    » read more »

June 5, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today vetoed HB 6578, An Act Concerning the Penalty for a Capital Felony, which sought to eliminate the death penalty as a sentencing option in Connecticut.

A copy of the Governor’s veto message is attached.

June 5, 2009

The Honorable Susan Bysiewicz

Secretary of the State

18-20 Trinity Street

Hartford, CT 06106

Dear Madame Secretary:

I am hereby returning without my signature HB 6578, An Act Concerning the Penalty for a Capital Felony. This bill eliminates the death penalty as a sentencing option for crimes committed on or after the bill's effective date.    » read more »

FBI Director Mueller testifies before CJS Appropriations Subcommittee

04-Jun-2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, today chaired a hearing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fiscal year 2010 budget. The hearing included testimony from FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Senator Mikulski’s prepared statement follows:

“Good morning and welcome. Today the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee will hear from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller about the FBI’s budget and priorities for fiscal year 2010.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) was awarded $22.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to administer Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants across Washington.

“These recovery based grants will retain prosecutors, fight gang-related crime, and invest in critical community-based crime prevention programs across the state,” said Gregoire. “At a time when law enforcement and judicial agencies are tightening their belts, this stimulus funding will support these vital programs.”    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- Washington D.C. -- According to the FBI's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report released today, the nation experienced a 2.5 percent decrease in the number of violent crimes and a 1.6 percent decline in the number of property crimes for 2008 compared with data from 2007. The report is based on information that the FBI gathered from 12,750 law enforcement agencies that submitted six to 12 comparable months of data to the FBI for both 2007 and 2008.

Violent Crime

* In 2008, all four of the violent crime offense categories declined nationwide compared with data from 2007. Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter declined 4.4 percent, aggravated assault was down 3.2 percent, forcible rape decreased 2.2 percent, and robbery decreased 1.1 percent.    » read more »

06/01/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today offered rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction in a California court of the person or persons responsible for each of the following three unsolved murder cases in California.

The following is a brief description of each crime and the reward amount offered:

* On July 16, 1975, the body of 17-year-old Donna Joann Peeples was found in a grape vineyard in Stanislaus County. The Governor is offering a reward in the amount of $50,000. It was requested by Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2) that will marshal the resources and information of nine U.S. law enforcement agencies, as well as federal prosecutors, to collectively combat the threats posed by international criminal organizations to domestic safety and security. Attorney General Holder made the announcement today in Rome at the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial.    » read more »