FBI
Justice Department Gives Agent Permission to Publish Book Critical of Agency
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Justice Department has switched its position and said an ATF agent may publish a book about the agency’s bungled gun smuggling sting operation “Fast and Furious,” the Associated Press reports. The department said it was notifying the ACLU, which is representing ATF agent John Dodson, that the book could be published….
Man Impersonates DEA Agent For Special Access to Clubs
Benjamin William Mejias wanted special access to Orlando-area strip clubs and nightclubs. To do so, the 41-year-old convicted felon posed as a DEA agent, even wearing a shirt with the bureau’s initials and carrying fake badges, ABC News reports. Meijas is in the Orange County Jail on federal charges of impersonating a federal agent and…
Defense: FBI’s Tests On Ricin Were Unreliable, Shouldn’t be Allowed in Court
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com An Ohio man charged with creating the deadly toxin ricin is arguing that the FBI’s tests on the white powder found in his home were faulty, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The defense team for Jeff Boyd Levenderis, 65, argued during an evidentiary hearing Tuesday that the FBI’s findings were unreliable and…
FBI’s Facial-Recognition Technology Could Fail Up to 20% of the Time
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI has said its facial-recognition technology is a critical component of fighting the war on terror and other serious threats. But new records indicate the technology could fail 20% of the time, the National Journal reports. “An innocent person may become part of an investigation because the technology isn’t completely accurate,”…
West Virginia Homeland Security Officer Critically Shot at Home Near Charleston
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The training coordinator for the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security was shot in the chest and was in critical condition as of late Monday, the West Virginia Gazette reports. Frank Kennedy was found at his home near Charleston where he apparently shot himself intentionally. Kennedy underwent surgery Sunday night and remained…
Border Patrol Agents Continue to Work With Less Pay
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Border Patrol agents will begin receiving smaller paychecks because of the government shutdown, the Monitor reports. “It’s going to have a severe negative impact because people still have to pay bills,” said Agent Paul Perez, president of National Border Patrol Council Local 3307, the sector union. “Unless their creditors are willing to…
FBI Increases Number of Digital Billboards Along Highways Nationwide
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI’s digital billboard program started as a one-city pilot in Philadelphia in 2007 and exploded into 3,200 locations nationwide today, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The increase is due to the program’s success, the FBI said. “We reach a wider audience,” said FBI Special Agent Barbara Woodruff, a spokeswoman for the Newark…
Feds Bust Underage Sex Slave Operation in Houston Area
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A federal investigation has broken up an alleged sex slave operation involving girls as young as 14 and 15 years old in the Houston area, ABC 13 reports. Several people are in custody after agents raided Houston bars that doubled as brothels Thursday, according to feds. An indictment recently obtained by ABC…