FBI NEWS QUIZ
Snapshot of Recent Investigations
06/20//07
A six-month undercover investigation in California dubbed “Operation Tarnished Eagle” recently halted a plot involving hundreds of automatic rifles, Stinger missiles, anti-tank rockets, claymore mines, and other arms. One federal official said of the bust: “This investigation read like a movie script, but turned out to be reality.” Here in the form of a quiz is a look at the California takedown and some other interesting recent cases from our 56 field offices.
1. In the case above, what was the alleged target of the plot?
A. Los Angeles International Airport
B. U.S. military bases in Southern California
C. The Laotian government
D. The logging industry
Answer
2. Six men were charged in New York for an elaborate “retagging” scheme that began in 1999. What were they doing?
A. Buying high-end clothes with bogus price tags
B. Altering or replacing VIN plates on stolen cars
C. Spray-painting “good” graffiti over “bad” graffiti
D. Manipulating population data on tagged wildlife
Answer
3. Our office in Los Angeles arrested a man suspected in at least 39 bank robberies since 2005. Agents gave the robber a nickname based on the clothes he was seen wearing on surveillance tapes. What was his moniker?
A. The Trenchcoat Bandit
B. The Wig Bandit
C. The Bathing Suit Bandit
D. The Goofy Hat Bandit
Answer
4. A Chicago man was charged on June 1 with uploading what to an Internet website?
A. The first four episodes of the TV show 24
B. The Fantastic Four movie sequel
C. More than a thousand images of child porn
D. A leaked copy of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series
Answer
5. One of the nation’s largest ambulance providers has agreed to pay the U.S. $2.5 million in a legal settlement. What is the company alleged to have done?
A. Refused to deliver patients after 9 p.m.
B. Moonlighted as a limo service
C. Offered hospitals discounts for referrals
D. Converted “retagged” vans into emergency vehicles
Answer
6. A 47-year-old California man was sentenced on June 11 to more than five years in prison and ordered to pay more than $1 million for a “phishing” scheme that included identity theft and credit card fraud. How was this particular sentencing significant?
A. He didn’t own a computer
B. He pleaded insanity
C. Case was the first conviction under a 2003 CAN-SPAM law
D Defendant was, in fact, a fisherman
Answer
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Answers:
1: C
An investigation by the FBI, our Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sacramento, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives disrupted a plot to overthrow the government of Laos and reduce government buildings to rubble. More than 200 federal agents and local law enforcement officers executed warrants in six cities. Among those arrested: a general in the Royal Lao Army in the 1960s and 1970s who emigrated to the U.S. in 1975. Read more
2: B
The defendants were arrested for allegedly “retagging” and selling hundreds of stolen vehicles. “Retagging” is a scheme to alter, replace, or tamper with vehicle identification number ("VIN") plates and stickers to hide the fact that they are stolen. The cars are then sold as if they have legitimate titles and paperwork. Read more
3: D
FBI agents on June 13 arrested a 56-year-old Ladera Heights man they suspect is the “Goofy Hat Bandit” responsible for bank heists in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. The bandit earned his moniker by consistently wearing hats during his robberies, including various colors of fishing hats, fedoras, and baseball caps. Read more
4: A
He uploaded to the LiveDigital.com website the first four episodes of 24 before they aired on television in January . He also put links to the illegal postings on another website. The first two episodes—the season premier of the sixth season—were leaked eight days before being broadcast back-to-back on national TV. Read more
5: C
The Arizona-based Rural/Metro Corporation allegedly had contracts with hospitals in Texas that offered illegal discounts in exchange for referrals. The full cost of the deliveries was then billed to Medicare. The company agreed to pay $2.5 for violating the False Claims Act. Read more
6: C
An Azusa man was the first person convicted by a jury under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which prohibits, among other things, deceptive subject lines in e-mails. Jeff Goodin was found guilty in January of sending thousands of e-mails to America Online users that appeared to be from AOL's billing department. The e-mails prompted recipients to "update" their personal information on phony AOL webpages that Goodin used to swipe information and make unauthorized purchases. Read more
