News Story
Prosecutors Dismiss Charges Against Man After Questionable Handling by FBI
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Questionable ties between FBI agents and probation officers preceded Thursday’s decision by Cook County prosecutors to dismiss felony gun charges against a Chicago man Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reports. Orangelo Payne, 34, was on probation for felony possession of marijuana when his probation officer turned up at Payne’s home with an FBI…
Former FBI Employee, Wife Plead Guilty to Mortgage Fraud
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A former FBI employee and his wife were convicted in a mortgage fraud scheme and now face up to 30 years in prison, the Mercury News reports. The husband, Charles Espinel, 61, also admitted he lied to the agency about his new properties to prevent suspicion. Espinel and his wife, Jeanette 58,…
National Guard Troops May Get Authority to Arrest Undocumented Immigrants in Texas
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The 1,000 National Guard troops who were deployed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to assist with the border crisis may get the unusual authority to make arrests and apprehensions, the New York Times reports. In the past, troops who were sent by presidents were prohibited from making arrests while they helped at…
Obama Administration to Assess Need for National Guard Troops at Texas-Mexico Border
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Obama administration is going explore the need for deploying National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border, the Washington Post reports. The administration has dispatched a team of military and national security officials to examine whether the Rio Grande Valley would benefit from a military “temporary assist.” Despite objections from Democrats, Texas…
CBP Is Hiring 2,000 New Agents Because of New 2014 Spending Plan
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com CBP plans to hire 2,000 new agents thanks to funding provided in the 2014 budget, KTAR reports. The hiring of agents to secure the air, land and sea ports has nothing to do with the current immigration crisis involving unaccompanied Central American children, officials said. “This was in the pipeline,” said CBP…
Homeland Security Director: Cash for Border Protection About to Dry Up
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Funding to combat illegal immigration may be gone in less than a month, warned Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson. Johnson is urging lawmakers to approve an emergency spending bill. At the current rate, Johnson said funds for the U.S. Immigration Customs would dry up in the mid-August. Cash for Border Protection would…
New Jersey Police Captain Accused of Using FBI Database to Vet Baseball Teammates
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A judge convicted a suspended New Jersey police captain of using an FBI database to check to do backgrounds of players on a minor league baseball that he followed, Philly.com reports. Brian Brady, 52, of Sparta, also directed subordinates to use the National Crime Information Center database to conduct a background check…
ATF Handles Far Fewer Cases Because of Policy Change Under President Obama
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The number of ATF cases recommended for prosecution dropped by a third since 2004, according to data compiled by Syracuse University, the Washington Times reports. Federal investigators and gun law experts said the decline is attributed to a policy change in the Obama administration, which has changed its focus to regulatory-type cases….