How Authorities Tracked Down Alleged ‘Silk Road’ Founder
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Authorities knew him as the “Dread Pirate Roberts” and the founder of the largest online marketplace for illegal drugs. His sophisticated site, called Silk Road, made it nearly impossible for authorities to trace him or the users because of an encryption network and digital currency called “bitcoin.” But FBI agents finally tracked…
Justice Department Accused of Keeping Public Records from Being Released
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama pledged to run a transparent administration that respects public access to records. But an internal audit of the Justice Department recently found excessive secrecy, according to Slate. The audit found “persistent misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of certain classification processes.” For example, a review of documents found that information was…
Border Patrol Agents to Work without Paychecks Until Government Reopens
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Border Patrol agents, who are considered vital to protecting the safety of Americans, are working throughout the government shutdown. But they – 52,000 of the 59,000 employees of CBP, might not see a paycheck until the government reopens, the Tucson Weekly reports. Working without pay is a “slap in the face,” said…
Wife of Slain Border Patrol Agent Speaks Out for First Time
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Border Patrol Agent Nick Ivie thought he was tracking down Mexican drug smugglers in October 2012 when a shootout unfolded. Ivie was fatally shot by a fellow officer who believed Ivie was a criminal. For the first time, his wife, Christy Ivie, spoke out about the shooting, CBS 5 reports. “There were…
Investigators Search for More Clues in Capitol Car Chase That Ended in Shooting
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com This much we know: A woman with a 1-year-old girl in her black car provoked a shootout Thursday that ended her life after she triggered a chase through the heart of Washington D.C., CNN reports. The driver was Miriam Carey, a 34-year-old dental hygienist from Connecticut. But we don’t know why. Investigators…
FBI Busts Alleged Mastermind Behind Underground Marketplace for Drugs Online
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Investigators have struggled for two years to stop an online, underground marketplace from selling more than $1 billion in cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and other illicit drugs in exchange for a virtual currency called Bitcoin, The Verge reports. But now it appears the FBI has snagged the mastermind, Ross Ulbricht, who is being…
ATF Sniper Recalls News Coverage of Deadly Waco Raid in Texas Two Decades LAter
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com One of the first snipers on the scene at the deadly Waco clash in Texas was Wendel Frost, an ATF agent at the time. Now that he’s retired, Frost, who now lives in Cleveland, can speak openly about the controversial raid in 1993. Frost said he was frustrated with new coverage that…