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President Obama to Announce Safeguards to Prevent Abuse of Domestic NSA Data
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A secret court must grant permission for the NSA to tap into its vast database of telephone data under a new requirement expected to be announced by President Obama today, the New York Times reports. The move comes after Obama’s administration came under intense criticism for how easily the NSA could access…
FBI Agent Feared Trenton City Hall Was on Verge of Becoming Controlled by Criminal Element
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Something had to be done in Trenton. That much was clear less than three months into Mayor Tony Mack’s administration when a government informant told the FBI that he feared the mob had taken over city hall, the Trenton Times reports. FBI Supervisor Special Agent Mike Doyle was listening into a…
Justice Department: Head of Philadelphia Gun Buyback Effort Accused of Excessive Raises, Expenses
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The head of Philadelphia’s gun buyback program is under intense scrutiny over excessive raises and expenses, Reuters reports, citing a U.S. Department inspector general report. Raymond Jones, executive director of Philadelphia’s Safety Net, did not receive authority for the expenses by the group’s board of directors, which included his sister. The audit…
Border Patrol Agent Suffers Head Trauma After Rock Strikes Him in California Near Mexico Border
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A U.S. Border Patrol agent suffered head trauma after he was struck by a large rock hurled from over the international border fence in the Tecate area in California, CBS8 reports. The agent, whose identity wasn’t revealed, was patrolling the area on an all-terrain vehicle with other agents when the 6-inch rock…
Ex-Secret Service Agent Accused of Stealing Counterfeit Money, Trying to Pass It Off at Gas Station
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A former Secret Service agent faces up to 35 years in prison after being charged with stealing counterfeit money and trying to pass it off, the First Coast News reports. Anthony Eugene Preissig, 47, is accused of stealing counterfeit money from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Preissig retired in 2012…
New Head of FBI’s Connecticut Office Pledges to Make Public Corruption Top Priority
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Patricia M. Ferrick, the new head of the FBI in Connecticut, said Wednesday that a top priority is cracking down on public corruption, the Associated Press reports. “You have to look for corruption to find it,” Ferrick said Wednesday during an interview in her office with The Associated Press. “It doesn’t walk…
Head of FBI’s Miami Office Gets Promoted to Counter-Terrorism Post in Washington
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Michael B. Steinbach, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami office, is returning to Washington to take a top job fighting counter-terrorism, the Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The 47-year-old will be promoted to deputy assistant director in the counter-terrorism division, where he had previously worked. Steinbach, whose departure date has…
Justice Department to Dramatically Expand Rules Aimed at Profiling by Federal Agents
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com In a move to address decades of concerns about the protection of civil rights, the Justice Department plans to expand its definition of racial profiling to alleviate discrimination by religion, nationality, gender and sexual orientation, the New York Times reports. Although the Bush administration banned racial profiling in 2003, it provided exclusions…