FBI's Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 5, 2008

1. Birmingham: Mayor and Others Indicted

Birmingham Mayor Larry P. Langford; Albert W. LaPierre, lobbyist; and William B. Blount, investment banker, were indicted in connection with a long-running bribery scheme.

2. Chicago: Undercover Sting Nabs 15 Law Enforcement Officers

Fifteen law enforcement officers were among seventeen defendants charged in an undercover FBI operation for allegedly providing armed security for drug deals.

3. Seattle: Millennium Bomber Sentenced Again

Ahmed Ressam, Algerian native and an Al-Qaeda trained terrorist, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his failed plot to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport.

4. Buffalo: Police Officer Arrested

Niagara Falls Police Officer Ryan G. Warme was arrested for sexually attacking two women and cocaine trafficking.

5. Washington Field Office: CEO Pleads Guilty in Ponzi Scheme

Preston Pinkett, III, president and CEO of International Fiduciary Corporation (IFC), plead guilty to conspiracy charges relating to a $40 million international Ponzi scheme operated through IFC.

6. New York: Founding Member of American Stock Exchange Pleads Guilty

Elliot J. Smith pled guilty to submitting false documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission during his investigation for insider trading.

7. Boston: Travel Agent Sentenced

Frank Serio, owner of Providence-based Travel Concepts, Inc., was sentenced for defrauding airlines and Amtrak in a bogus ticket refund scheme.

8. San Antonio: Border Patrol Agent Indicted

Salomon Ruiz was charged with accepting bribes in exchange for escorting narcotic loads.

9. New Orleans: Chief of Police Convicted

The Chief of Police of Boyce, LA, Claude E. Williams, was convicted of illegal possession of unregistered firearms.

10. Norfolk: Former Government Employee Arrested

A criminal complaint charged Yue Cheng with five counts including marriage fraud and making false statements to the FBI in order to become a special agent.