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For Immediate Release
December 26, 2007
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Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
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FBI’s
Year in Review: Top News Stories of 2007
01/05/07
Boston: Former House Speaker Pleads Guilty
to Obstruction of Justice
Thomas
M. Finneran, the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House
of Representatives, pled guilty to obstructing justice by
making false and misleading statements under oath. Full
Story
01/12/07
Chicago: Deputy U.S. Marshal
Charged with Illegally Disclosing Information on Protected
Organized Crime Witness
Deputy
U.S. Marshal John Thomas Ambrose, Supervisory Inspector
on the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, was charged
with revealing information relating to the status of a “made” member
of the “Chicago Mob.” Full
Story
01/19/07
Washington Field Office: Former Congressman
Sentenced on Corruption Charges
Former
Congressman Robert W. Ney was sentenced on multiple charges
including honest services fraud and making false statement
to the U.S. House of Representatives. Full
Story
01/26/07
Jackson: Former Klansman Indicted for 1964
Kidnapping and Murder
James Seale, former member of the Ku Klux Klan, was charged
with the kidnapping and murder of two African/American men:
Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charlie Eddie Moore. Full
Story
02/02/07
Atlanta: Former Coke Employee Pleads Guilty
to Stealing Trade Secrets
Joya
Williams pled guilty to conspiring to steal and sell the
Coca Cola Company’s
highly classified trade secrets.
Full
Story
02/09/07
New York: 19 Members of Bonanno Family Indicted
on Racketeering Charges
Bonanno
family acting underboss, acting consigliore, and 17 capos,
soldiers, and associates were indicted on numerous charges
including racketeering, illegal gambling, extortion, and
narcotics distribution.
Full
Story
02/16/07
Houston: U.S. Citizen Charged With Training
to Fight Jihad in Somalia
Daniel
Joseph Maldonado, a.k.a. Daniel Aljughaifi, was returned
from Kenya and charged with receiving training from a foreign
terrorist organization to fight with Islamic extremist fighters
in Somalia. Full
Story
02/23/07
Miami: Four Police Officers Charged With Corruption
A
two-year undercover operation resulted in the indictment
of four Hollywood police officers on extortion and narcotics
charges. Full
Story
03/02/07
Atlanta: Head of Real Estate Investment Fund
Indicted in $69 Million Ponzi Scheme
Gene
A. O’Neal was charged with running a large scale Ponzi
scheme through his real estate investment fund, Pinnacle
Development Partners, LLC. Full
Story
03/09/07
Boston: AttorneyIndicted
for Possession of Stolen Art
Robert
R. Mardirosian was indicted for possessing, transporting,
and selling stolen paintings, including a Cezanne. Full
Story
03/16/07
Los Angeles: Iranian Media Personality Sentenced
in Visa Fraud Scheme
Henry
Hossein Haghighi Heguman, a Farsi language media personality,
was sentenced for orchestrating an immigration fraud scheme
that filed fraudulent employment visa applications. Full
Story
03/23/07
New Haven: Former Member of the U.S. Navy
Indicted on Terrorism and Espionage Charges
Hassan
Abujihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, was charged with
material support of terrorism and disclosure of classified
information relating to national defense. Full
Story
03/30/07
Newark: State Senator Indicted on Public Corruption
Charges
New
Jersey State Senator Wayne R. Bryant was indicted for unlawfully
using his power and influence to directly lobby state agencies,
high-level officials and others. Full
Story
04/06/07
Boston: Pfizer Subsidiary
Pleads Guilty to Offering Kickback; Agrees to Pay $19.68
Million Fine
Pharmacia & Upjohn
Co., Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc., agreed to plead
guilty and to pay a $19.68 million criminal fine for offering
a kickback. Full
Story
04/13/07
Cincinnati: Indictment for Conspiring to Provide
Material Support to Terrorists
Christopher
Paul, a.k.a. Abdulmalek Kenyatta, was charged with conspiring
to provide material support and resources to terrorists and
trained individuals in the U.S. in order that they might
fight violent jihad overseas. Full
Story
04/20/07
FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit Assists
in Virginia Tech Shooting Investigation
Attorney
General Alberto R. Gonzalez pledged Department of Justice
assistance to the victims of the tragic shooting at Virginia
Tech. Full
Story
04/27/07
Chicago: “The Bishop” Arrested for
Mailing Pipe Bombs on Investment Firms
John
P. Tomkins was arrested on criminal charges for mailing
threatening letters to investment companies signed “The
Bishop.” Full
Story
05/04/07
Sacramento: Four Russians
Indicted on Identity Theft and Fraud Ring
Four
Russians were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and
wire fraud, credit card fraud, and interstate transportation
of stolen goods. Full
Story
05/11/07
Philadelphia: Six Charged With Plotting to
Murder US Soldiers at New Jersey Military Base
Five
individuals were charged with conspiracy to murder members
of the uniformed services and a sixth individual was charged
with aiding and abetting. Full
Story
05/18/07
Los Angeles: Top Ten
Fugitive Arrested in Canada
Richard
Steve Goldberg, one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted
Fugitives, was arrested in Montreal. Goldberg was wanted
in connection with various crimes against children. Full
Story
05/20/07
New York: Doctor Convicted of Conspiring to
Support al Qaeda
Rafiq
Sabir, a Florida doctor, was convicted of conspiracy to provide
material support to the al Qaeda terrorist organization. Full
Story
06/01/07
Dallas: Businessman Admits to Defrauding
Employer of more than $2 Million
Donovan
Frank Laughlin, the General Manager of Wool Growers Central
Storage Co., Inc., pled guilty to money laundering charges. Full
Story
06/08/07
New York: International Arms Dealer Charged
With Conspiracy to Kill Americans
Monzer
Al Kassar, a.k.a. Abu Munawar, an international arms dealer,
was charged with conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth
of weapons to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia,
a designated foreign terrorist organization. Full
Story
06/15/07
Cincinnati: Police Officer Pleads Guilty
to Bank Fraud
Police
Officer James L. Cook with the Whitehall Police Department
pled guilty to bank fraud for knowingly depositing a counterfeit
check into his bank account. Full
Story
06/22/07
Memphis: Operation Mainstreet
Sweeper Results in Councilman’s Guilty Plea
Former
Memphis City Councilman Rickey Peete pled guilty to receiving
cash payments for securing city council approval for a real
estate development project. Full
Story
06/29/07
Philadelphia: Original
Manuscript by Pearl S. Buck Recovered
The
original typewritten and hand-edited manuscript of “The
Good Earth” by
Pearl S. Buck was recovered by the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Full
Story
07/06/07
Houston: Former Police Officer Sentenced for
Bank Robbery Scheme
Stephen
Paul Presley, former Texas City police officer, was sentenced
on charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Full
Story
07/13/07
San Diego: Retired Rear Admiral Pleads Guilty
Retired Rear Admiral Jose Luis Betancourt pled guilty
to prohibited representation of private party by former
government employee before employing agency. Full
Story
07/20/07
New York: Police Officer Charged in Narcotics
Trafficking
New
York City Police Officer Darren Moonan was charged with conspiracy
to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit robberies
of drugs from narcotics traffickers. Full
Story
07/27/07
Honolulu: Individual
Charged With Theft of Government Property
Joseph
U.R.M. Elibosang was charged with theft of government property
for selling at least 23 of the 34 bronze name plates stolen
from the Pacific National Park, Asian Overlook in Guam.
The plates bore the names of Guam citizens and U.S. soldiers
who lost their lives in WWII. Full
Story
08/03/07
Washington Field Office: British Airways and
Korean Air Lines Plead Guilty and Agree to Pay $300
Million Each
U.K.-based
British Airways Plc and South Korean-based Korean Air Lines
Co. Ltd. have agreed to pay separate $300 million criminal
fines for their roles in conspiracies to fix the pieces of
passenger and cargo flights. Full
Story
08/10/07
FBI Continues to Assist in Minneapolis Bridge
Collapse Investigation
The
FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office provided special agents,
its Evidence Response Team, as well as Evidence Response
Team (ERT) members from the FBI’s
San Antonio, Pittsburgh, and Chicago Field Offices to assist in the investigation
of the Minneapolis bridge collapse investigation. Full
Story
08/17/07
Washington Field Office: Former Congressional
Chief of Staff Sentenced on Corruption Charge
William
J. Heaton, former Chief of Staff for former Congressman Robert
W. Ney, was sentenced on the charge of conspiracy to commit
honest services fraud. Full
Story
08/24/07
San Antonio: US Army Major, Wife, Sister
Indicted in Procurement Fraud
Major
John Cockerham, Jr., his wife Melissa Cockerham, and his
sister Carolyn Blake, were indicted on bribery, money laundering,
obstruction charges, and conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
government arising out of the major’s service as
an army contracting officer in Kuwait. Full
Story
08/31/07
New York: U.S. Army Captain Arrested for Accepting
Bribe
U.S.
Army Captain Austin Key was arrested and charged with accepting
a $50,000 bribe to steer military contracts in Iraq. Full
Story
09/07/07
Los Angeles: Former Make-A-Wish Foundation
Board Member Arrested in $8.7 Million Scam
Thomas
Mitchell Johnson, former member of the boards of directors
of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Make-A-Wish
Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, was arrested for defrauding
a North Carolina man out of more than $8.7 million dollars
through a bogus investment scheme. Full
Story
09/14/07
Miami: Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in
Colombia
Diego
Leon Montoya Sanchez was arrested by Colombian authorities
near Zarzal in Valle del Cauca. Montoya is the principal
leader of the North Valley Cartel, which is believed to be
the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organization
in Colombia. Full
Story
09/21/07
Columbia: Operation Falcon Nets 540 Fugitives
Operation
FALCON, a multi-city, nationwide law enforcement effort
targeting sexual offenders and persons wanted for violent
crimes and narcotics violations, resulted in the arrest
of 540 fugitives during a recent 16-day sweep. Full
Story
09/28/07
Anchorage: Former State Speaker
of the House Convicted on Public Corruption Charges
Former
Alaska State representative and former Alaska State Speaker
of the House Peter Kott was found guilty of bribery, extortion,
and conspiracy. In exchange for casting votes to benefit
a major Alaska oil company, Kott received cash, checks,
and the promise of a future job with the company. Full
Story
10/05/07
Detroit: High-Ranking Immigration Official
Charged With Bribery, Extortion, and Conspiracy
Assistant
District Director of the Detroit office of the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), Roy M. Bailey, was
charged with accepting large sums of money and other property
in return for granting immigration benefits, including
the release of several individuals who were in custody
of ICE. Four other individuals were also charged in the
case. Full
Story
10/12/07
Boston: Former House Majority Leader Charged
in Pharmacy Scheme
Former
Rhode Island House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau
was charged with honest services mail fraud for engineering
personal business dealings with a pharmacy company and
a health insurer and, in return, steering the outcome of
legislation in which those companies were interested. Full
Story
10/19/07
FBI Participates in TOPOFF 4 National Preparedness
Exercise
From
October 15-19, 2007, the FBI took part in a multi-agency
national preparedness exercise known as Top Officials, or
TOPOFF. The exercise is the fourth segment of the TOPOFF
series of congressionally mandated exercises administrated
by the Department of Homeland Security and designed to strengthen
the nation’s
capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from large scale terrorist
attacks. Full
Story
10/26/07
Anchorage/Chicago/Houston: British Petroleum
Agrees to Pay $370 Million in Environmental Crimes,
Fraud Cases
British
Petroleum and several of its subsidiaries have agreed to
pay approximately $373 million in fines and restitution
for environmental violations and fraud for conspiring to
corner the market and manipulate the price of propane. Full
Story
11/02/07
Philadelphia: Abdullahu Admits to Supplying
Weapons in Plot to Kill U.S. Soldiers
Agron
Abdullahu pled guilty to conspiring to provide firearms
and ammunition to illegal aliens who allegedly plotted
to kill U.S. soldiers at various installations. Full
Story
11/09/07
Washington Field Office: Five Arrests in Massive
Property Tax Refund Fraud Scheme
Harriette
Walters, Manager of the D.C. Real Property Tax Administration
Adjustments Unit; Diane Gustus, Real Property Program Specialist
with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue; and three of their
co-conspirators were arrested for their roles in a scheme
to defraud D.C. out of millions of dollars in real estate
property tax refunds. To date, the loss has been assessed
at over $16 million. Full
Story
11/16/07
Detroit: Former Employee of FBI and CIA
Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S.
Nada
Nadim Prouty engaged in a pattern of deceit to secure U.S.
citizenship, to gain employment in the intelligence community,
and to obtain and exploit her access to sensitive counterterrorism
intelligence. Full
Story
11/23/07
New York: Former District Court Judge Sentenced
Former
Nassau County District Court Judge David A. Gross was sentenced
for conspiring to launder money obtained through the sale
of purportedly stolen diamonds and watches. Full
Story
11/30/07
Operation Bot Roast II Reveals Growing Criminal
Use of Botnets
The
FBI announced the results of the second phase of its investigation
into a growing and serious problem involving the criminal
use of botnets, collections of compromised computers under
the remote command and control of a criminal “botherder.” Full
Story
12/07/07
Detroit: Marine Corps Captain Pleads Guilty
to Citizenship Fraud Conspiracy
Samar
Khalil Spinelli (nee Samar Khalil Nabbouh), a Captain in
the U.S. Marine Corps, pled guilty to conspiring with former
FBI and CIA employee, Nada Nadim Prouty, to commit citizenship
fraud and passport fraud. Full
Story
12/14/07
New Orleans: Chief of Police Indicted on
Firearms Charges
Chief
of Police (Boyce, Louisiana) Claude Williams was indicted
on federal charges of possession of illegal firearms and
on state charges of malfeasance in office. Full
Story
12/21/07
St. Louis: Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo!
Pay Millions for Promoting Online Illegal Gambling
Microsoft
Corporation, Google, and Yahoo! agreed to pay a total of
$31.5 million to resolve claims that between 1997 and 2007
they received payments from online gambling businesses
for advertising online gambling. Full
Story
12/28/07
Miami: Five Foreign Agents Indicted
Four
Venezuelans and an Uruguayan were indicted on charges of
acting and conspiring to act as agents of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela. Full
Story
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