Sam Hicks/fbi photo

WASHINGTON — Last November, the Baltimore FBI office was named after Sam Hicks, a slain Pittsburgh FBI agent who had worked as a Baltimore cop.

Now his name lives on in a piece of national legislation.

The House on Tuesday passed a bill named after Hicks that will allow federal law enforcement agencies to assist with relocation costs for families of slain agents who want to return to their hometown, according to a release by the FBI Agents Association.

“Today the House of Representatives passed the same version of the Special Agent Samuel Hicks Families of Fallen Heroes Act that was recently passed by the Senate by a vote of 412 to 0, clearing the legislation for Presidential signature,” the Association said in a statement. “This legislation will allow federal law enforcement agencies to assist families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty with relocation costs if they need to move back to their home communities.”

Hicks was slain in Nov. 19, 2008 while executing an arrest warrant.

The story about the House passing the legislation was first reported by the law enforcement website Main Justice.

By Allan Lengel

Some crooks are using the name of the head of the Detroit FBI to run what amounts to a Nigerian scam letter, according to the FBI.

The FBI issued a warning saying a bogus letter is being emailed that says the recipient is the beneficiary of millions of dollars and needs to send money to release the funds.

The “Guarantee of Payment” letter is signed by Andrew Arena, special agent in charge of the FBI in Detroit.

The letter says that “the International clamp down on Terrorists” has put a hold on the funds. But the recipient of the letter can release the funds by sending money.

Along with the letter, is a second email/letter assuring a “100% Payment Guarantee” that is written on the letterhead of a legitimate institution and is signed also by Arena of the FBI, the FBI said.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Feds In NY Built Case Against Jamaican Kingpin With Wiretaps and Interviews (NY Times)
• Two Arrested for Insider Trading in Disney Case (NY Times)
• Police Chiefs Voice Concerns to Atty. Gen. About Az Immigration Law (Arizona Republic)
• Arkansas Police Mourn Loss of Officers Killed by Teen and Dad (AOL News)
• Amtrak Conducts Security Drills from NH to Virginia (AP)
• Feds Shut Down Child Porn Social Network (AP)
• More Details on Phoenix Cop Who was Fatally Shot (AP)
• NY Teen Gets 25 Years in Hate Crime Stabbing (AP)
• Ohio Coroner Fires Worker After Wrong Baby Cremated (AP)
• Feds Issue Terrorist Lookout Along U.S.-Mexico Border For Somali Terrorist (Fox News)
• GOP Wants Probe Into White House Job Offer to Sestak (Newser)

Sen. Mary Landrieu/govt photo

Four conservative activists including political prankster James O’Keefe,  pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to misdemeanor charges stemming from their prank in January to tamper with Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office phones in New Orleans, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.

O’Keefe, the group leader and the most prominent of the four, was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service and fined a $1,500 fine, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.

He gained notoriety for wearing a pimp costume in a video that embarrassed ACORN and exposed some less than admirable traits — or at least less than admirable employees — of the non-profit organization.

The other three people were sentenced to  two years probation, 75 hours of community service and fined them $1,500, the paper reported.. They pleaded guilty to entering real property belonging to the United States under false pretenses.

O’Keefe tried using his cell phone to capture two men posing as telephone repairmen in the Senator’s office.

The defendants said in court they did not intend to commit a crime, the Picayune reported.

Warren Bamford

Warren Bamford, a well-respected figure in the FBI who heads the Boston office, will retire next month after 24 years with the agency to take a job with a private utility, the Boston Globe reported.

Gail Marcinkiewicz, a spokeswoman for the Boston FBI, told the Globe Bamford’s last day will be June 18. He will take a job with the National Grid.

His departure leaves open two big FBI offices. Director Robert Mueller III is looking to fill the head job in New York.

Bamford, 51, was named “Fed of the Year” by ticklethewire.com in 2009. The award went to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald the year before.

Atty. Gen. Holder/doj photo

WASHINGTON – About a dozen police chiefs from cities like Phoenix, Tuscon, Houston and Los Angeles plan to meet Wednesday with Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. to express concerns about Arizona’s new immigration law, CNN is reporting.

CNN said the chiefs will voice concerns that the new law will “drive a wedge” between the community and harm the trust officers have built up.

The Arizona law, which allows police to check residency status of people suspected of a crime.

The meeting comes in the wake of the announcement by the President Obama that he plans to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border and increase spending for the Justice Department and Homeland Security to battle drug smuggling along that corridor.

To read more click here.

Rep. John Murtha/gov photo

WASHINGTON — The late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) was on the radar screen of the FBI for many decades and died in February while under investigation for possible kickbacks from defense contractors, according to FBI documents released.

“This release contains public source information found in a Pittsburgh Division investigation into allegations of kickbacks involving government defense contractors,” the FBI said on its website. “Redactions were made to protect personal privacy. As this investigative file is still in “pending status,” the bulk of the file’s FBI documents are not releasable until the conclusion of the investigation.”

The released  files included information on the FBI undercover operation known as ABSCAM that resulted in indictments of several politicians.

The FBI documents stated that “during the course of the operations, Abscam has developed prosecutive federal cases against” 15 people, including Murtha, the Associated Press reported.

Murtha was never charged, but he was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Read Associated Press story for more information

Read FBI Files

By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate gave the final nod Tuesday to assistant U.S. Attorney R. Booth Goodwin II to become the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston.

He will replace Charles T. Miller.

Goodwin is the son of Joseph R. Goodwin, the district’s chief federal judge.