FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending February 5, 2010

Washington, D.C. February 05, 2010

FBI Laboratory: Letter to the Editor on FBI’s Scientific Work in Anthrax Case

Read a letter sent by D. Christian Hassell, Ph.D, director of the FBI Laboratory, to The Wall Street Journal in response to a recent opinion piece about the anthrax investigation.

Dallas: State Representative Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges, Agrees to Resign

Gladys E. “Terri” Hodge, who was to go on trial early next month on charges outlined in a 31-count indictment charging 14 public officials and their associates with offenses related to a bribery and extortion scheme involving affordable housing developments in the Dallas area, pleaded guilty. Hodge, who was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 100, in 1996, and re-elected to the same position in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008, has agreed to resign her office and never seek or hold future public office.

San Francisco: Mountain View Woman Convicted of Wire Fraud and Witness Tampering

Judy “Miu Wan” Yeung was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and three counts of witness tampering. The jury found that Yeung engaged in a mortgage fraud conspiracy between approximately December 2004 and January 2007 that defrauded mortgage lenders and financial institutions of $6.5 million.

Atlanta: Citizen of Mexico Sentenced for Role in Federal Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Miguel Rugerio, a Mexican national, was sentenced to federal prison on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and related immigration offenses, and of transporting one of the victims of the conspiracy, a young Mexican woman identified as “N.M.,” in interstate and foreign commerce for purposes of prostitution.

Miami: Statement by Special Agent in Charge John V. Gillies Regarding Super Bowl Preparations

Read about the FBI’s efforts in preparing for Super Bowl XLIV. While the Miami-Dade Police Department is leading the law enforcement effort, the FBI’s role is to protect and defend against terrorist threats.

Los Angeles: Guilty Plea in Ponzi Scheme Based on Bogus Investments in Latex Gloves After 9/11 Attacks

Miguel Salazar pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges for running a Ponzi scheme that took nearly $700,000 from victims who thought they were investing in latex gloves, which were portrayed as being in high demand following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Albany: Syracuse Man Charged with Stealing Trade Secrets

Shalin Jhaveri was arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets and proprietary information from his employer, Bristol-Myers-Squibb. The complaint alleges that during his employment with Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Jhaveri stole numerous trade secrets as part of a plan to establish a pharmaceutical firm in his native India, which would compete with Bristol-Myers-Squibb in various markets around the world.

New York: Aafia Siddiqui Found Guilty of Attempting to Murder U.S. Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges

Aafia Siddiqui was found guilty in Manhattan federal court on charges related to the attempted murder and assault of U.S. nationals and U.S. officers and employees in Afghanistan. Siddiqui was found guilty of all charges against her following a 14-day jury trial.

Chicago: Business Owner Indicted for Minority Contract Fraud

The owner of a Chicago company certified as a minority- and woman-owned business, her husband, and her company were indicted today on federal fraud charges for allegedly steering minority contracts through the company and collecting more than $9.5 million in fraudulent payments from three projects, including two at O’Hare International Airport. The company, Azteca Supply Co., allegedly fraudulently received $9,695,168, between 2001 and July 2008 while being hired as a sham contractor on runway and restroom projects at O’Hare for the City of Chicago, and on a landscaping project at a new Metra commuter rail station for the south suburban Village of Orland Park.

El Paso: Federal Jury Convicts Former El Paso Criminal District Court Judge Manuel Barraza

Former El Paso Criminal District Court Judge Manuel Joseph Barraza was found guilty of charges related to a bribery scheme. The jury convicted Barraza of two counts of wire fraud and the deprivation of honest services and one count of making false statements. The jury acquitted Barraza of one count of mail fraud.