News Blog

Photographs of items that may have belonged to some of Ray’s victims can be viewed in a gallery on the Albuquerque FBI’s website.

Australian Police Assist FBI in David Parker Ray Missing Person Case

The FBI is seeking the help of the Australian public to identify a potential missing person who is believed to have disappeared in New Mexico around 1995. The woman, named Connie, may possibly be a victim of David Parker Ray, who died while serving a 223-year prison term for kidnapping and torturing two women.

The Australian Federal Police issued a press release Tuesday announcing the FBI is seeking to identify Connie, whose last name is unknown, by trying to identify and locate an Australian man known only as “Mark.”

Mark wrote about meeting Connie and her friend Candy at an unspecified beach in the U.S. in February 1990, and his two-page letter was later found among Ray’s belongings at his residence in New Mexico after he was arrested. The letter, dated June 19, 1990, originated in Sydney and may hold the key to Connie’s identity.

The FBI, New Mexico State Police, and Albuquerque Police Department suspect Ray may have abducted up to 40 women from several U.S. states and may have killed an unknown number of them. No bodies have ever been found and Ray, who died in prison in 2002, was never charged with murder.

Ray wrote in a journal that Connie was Caucasian, had been born around 1977, was about 160 centimeters tall, and had long blonde hair and a birthmark on her chest. It is believed she was abducted in December 1995.

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Scam Asks Victims to Evaluate Wire Transfer Services

In its monthly scam alert, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is warning the public to be aware of a scam targeting job-seekers. The scammers send cashier’s checks to individuals who respond to their purported job opportunities. The victims are directed to deposit or cash the checks, keep a portion as payment, and then wire the remaining amount to a designated recipient. The victims are then directed to complete a survey about the service they received.

The problem is the cashier’s checks are counterfeit and victims are left on the hook for the money they wired back to the scammers. More then 250 people have complained to the IC3 about the scam. Most of the victims owed their banks more than $2,500.

The IC3 was established as a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) to serve as a means to receive Internet-related criminal complaints and to further research, develop, and refer the criminal complaints for any investigation they deem to be appropriate.

Read more | Scams and Safety

‘Underwear Bomber’ Sentenced to Life for Attempted Christmas Day Attack

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called “underwear bomber,” was sentenced today to life in prison as a result of his guilty plea to all eight counts of a federal indictment charging him for his role in the attempted Christmas Day 2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253.

Abdulmutallab, 25, of Kaduna, Nigeria, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2011, to conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, among other charges. Abdulmutallab’s purpose in taking a bomb on board Flight 253 was to detonate it during flight, causing the plane to crash and killing the 290 passengers and crew members on board. As Flight 253 was on descent into Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the defendant detonated the bomb, which resulted in a fire, but otherwise did not fully explode. Passengers and flight attendants tackled the defendant and extinguished the fire.

“The case against Abdulmutallab was a combination of the hard work and dedication of FBI personnel as well as multiple federal, state, and local agencies. Those individuals who experienced Christmas Day 2009 first-hand should be rest assured that justice has been done,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Arena.

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FBI Seeking Thieves in Delaware Jewelry Store Heist

The FBI is looking for four suspects who allegedly stole the largest mined ruby in the world, which is sculpted into an image of the Liberty Bell. The men made off with the ruby Liberty Bell during an armed robbery at Stuart Kingston Jewelers in Delaware on November 1, 2011. The suspects forced one employee to open and empty the jewelry store vault. The four suspects fled in a U-Haul cargo-style van with stolen New York license plates. The vehicle was last seen November 1 at approximately 2:00 p.m. traveling on I-95 North near RT 476/Blue Route.

This is the second in a series of Wanted by the FBI video podcasts on wanted fugitives.

View poster | Wanted by the FBI podcast | Jewelry and Gem Theft

Director Mueller at the U.S. Embassy in Estonia. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy.

Director Mueller Strengthens Partnerships in Latvia and Estonia

Earlier this week, Director Robert Mueller visited Latvia and Estonia in Northern Europe to strengthen the FBI’s partnerships with those countries, both of which host one of our many legal attaché offices overseas.

In Latvia, the Director met with Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and other government leaders and presented plaques to two Latvian enforcement entities acknowledging joint efforts to combat cyber crime. In Estonia, he met with and thanked government leaders and recognized the Police and Border Guard Board’s Criminal Police Department for its contributions to a massive cyber fraud takedown called “Operation Ghost Click.”

Estonia visit press release

Record $4.1 Billion Recovered Through Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement

Today, Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with several other government officials—including FBI Assistant Director Kevin Perkins—released a new report showing the government’s health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered a record-breaking nearly $4.1 billion in taxpayer dollars from individual and companies during fiscal year (FY) 2011.

According to this latest Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program annual report, the Department of Justice convicted 743 defendants for health care fraud-related crimes during FY 2011, the highest number of health care fraud defendants charged in a single year. FBI-led investigations were responsible for 736 convictions. Our investigations also resulted in the operational disruption of 238 criminal fraud organizations and the dismantlement of the criminal hierarchy of more than 67 health care fraud criminal enterprises.

The report also contains information on the success of the joint DOJ-HHS Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, examples of civil and criminal health care fraud cases, and government outreach activities to help deter health care fraud.

View press release | Read the report

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FBI Seeking North Carolina Girl Who Disappeared 12 Years Ago

Asha Jaquilla Degree has been missing from her home in Shelby, North Carolina, since February 14, 2000. Family members last saw her asleep in her bedroom at approximately 2:30 a.m. At 4 a.m., she was seen by drivers walking along North Carolina Highway 18 in Shelby, North Carolina. She was reported missing by her parents by 6:30 a.m. More than a year later, Asha’s book bag was discovered buried along North Carolina 18 in Burke County.

A photo of Asha as a 9-year-old child and an age-progressed photo of what she would look like at the age of 19 will be featured on 14 digital billboards across the Charlotte area and have been sent out on various FBI social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

FBI Charlotte, which is investigating the case in partnership with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, posted a message today on its Twitter feed highlighting the case.

View press release | View poster | Kidnappings & Missing Persons

Reward Offered in North Carolina Armed Robbery Shooting

An unknown male suspect is being sought for his alleged involvement in the robbery of an armored car and the shooting of a Loomis employee outside an ATM in Charlotte on January 23. The FBI’s Charlotte Division is investigating this robbery and shooting in partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

This is the first in a series of video podcasts on wanted fugitives.

View Poster | Podcast

Background Investigation of Steve Jobs Released

The 191-page document, released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), consists of the FBI’s 1991 background investigation of Steve Jobs for an appointed position on the U.S. President’s Export Council. The release also includes documents related to a 1985 investigation of a bomb threat against Apple.

View the file | FBI Vault

Marin Man, 76, Sentenced to Eight Years for Possession of Child Pornography

Donald Tosti was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution for possessing child pornography.

Tosti was convicted on Sept. 14, 2011, on two charges of possessing child pornography. During the trial, evidence showed that Tosti was found to possess child pornography after taking his computer to CompUSA for repair. A search of Tosti’s home and office revealed a large collection of child pornography, including depictions of the rape of very young children. In sentencing Tosti, United States District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White emphasized the size of his collection and the graphic and extreme nature of the child pornography images as aggravating factors in imposing his sentence.

The prosecution is the result of a four-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the San Rafael Police Department.

Read more | Crimes Against Children