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From the LA Times

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3 LAPD veterans vie to replace Bratton as chief

The names emerged Tuesday as the top choices of the Los Angeles Police Commission, and those individuals will now compete to be chosen by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to replace outgoing Chief William J. Bratton.

After a month of behind-the-scenes campaigning by candidates and interviews last week with 13  aspirants who had advanced through the application process, members of the Commission, the civilian panel that oversees the LAPD, arrived at a decision on the three finalists late this afternoon after several hours of closed-door deliberations.

The announcement of the three burst a bubble of anticipation that had been growing, with constant rumor and speculation among LAPD officials and department observers that started when Bratton announced last month his plans to step down. 

That Beck and McDonnell made the cut comes as little surprise to most LAPD watchers because both had been considered front-runners since Bratton announced his decision to step down last month. However, the selection of Moore, commander of the LAPD's Valley Bureau, was largely unexpected, both because of his relatively low profile in the department and because his inclusion meant the exclusion of other, more experienced candidates.

Although Moore is listed in the department roster as a Latino, the selection of him and two white men is certain to spark criticism from some who expected to see a woman or African American make the list of finalists. Left out of the finalist group were assistant chiefs Earl Paysinger and Sharon Papa, two of the highest-ranking commanders on the force and who were viewed by many as strong contenders for the job.

Paysinger is the LAPD's highest-ranking African American, and Papa the highest-ranking woman.

Under the terms of the City Charter, the Commission ranked the three in order of preference. However, the Commission's president, John Mack, and Villaraigosa declined to reveal the order of the rankings at a news conference to announce the finalists.

Villaraigosa is scheduled to hold interviews with one finalist each day beginning Wednesday and plans to announce his choice Monday. The mayor's choice must be ratified by a majority of the City Council in a vote tentatively planned for Nov. 10. The Police Commission is expected to appoint a temporary chief today to lead the department in the interim.

If any of the three finalists has an edge, it is presumed to be Beck, who runs the department's detective operations.

The 32-year veteran of the LAPD has far less experience in the upper ranks of the department than the other two, but he has risen quickly under Bratton. He is widely seen as the candidate that Bratton, who has wielded quiet but significant sway in the selection process, wants as his successor. Beck, 56, is the son of a retired LAPD deputy chief and has two children serving in the department.

He is a popular figure with the rank and file, who generally view him as a serious crime-fighter, and the city's civil rights leaders, who hold him up as a progressive thinker on community relations and police conduct. He first made a name for himself as a reformer who managed to implement changes in the department's Rampart Division after it had crippled the department with a major corruption scandal.

McDonnell, 50, has served in the department for 28 years and, along with Bratton, has been the public face of the LAPD for several years in his role as chief of staff. Widely respected both inside the department and out, the Boston-area native in many ways was the logical heir to the top job but seemingly has struggled to build support from city power brokers, crucial to winning the post. He has tried before: McDonnell was a candidate along with Bratton in 2002 — and Bratton went on to use an extensive plan developed by McDonnell as a blueprint for reshaping the department. With Bratton's frequent trips out of town, McDonnell has frequently been called on to stand in as chief. McDonnell has held a wide range of command assignments throughout the department, including as head of the Office of Operations, and he currently oversees a host of LAPD divisions.

He leads the committee that reviews officer shootings and is the department's liaison to City Council members and community leaders.

If McDonnell is not selected as chief, a pressing question for the department will be whether he remains or departs for another agency.

Moore, 49, is a 27-year veteran of the LAPD and is widely credited with helping to push down crime rates in the San Fernando Valley. At the end of 2008, serious crime dropped more than 23% since 2002, with violent crime down 28%, according to department figures. He has received numerous commendations and awards for his police service, including the Department's Medal of Valor, the Police Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal, according the LAPD's website.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/3-lapd-veterans-vie-to-replace-bratton-as-chief.html#more

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Man arrested, allegedly admits to multiple sexual assaults

A man arrested for allegedly luring a 15-year-old boy to Cerritos with the promise of a job, then binding him with duct tape and sexually assaulting him, has admitted assaulting five others, L.A. County sheriff's officials said today.

"We found a lot of duct tape and other evidence near the warehouse in Cerritos," said Sgt. Dan Scott.

Lamar Andre Evans Jr., 20, was arrested Friday in Norwalk and told detectives about the assaults, Scott said. Detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying the other victims.

Evans met the teenager Oct. 13 in the 1100 block of South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, asked if he needed a job and exchanged phone numbers with him, Scott said.

The teen called Evans about work, and Evans told him about a warehouse job in Cerritos, Scott said. They arranged to meet Oct. 16, and Evans took the teen to a warehouse area in the 1600 block of Shoemaker Avenue in Cerritos. There, Evans had the teen perform physically exhausting tasks, then said he needed to perform a safety test and bound the teen's hands with duct tape, Scott said

Evans next proceeded to bind him more, cut off his clothes and sodomized him, Scott said. The teen broke free and fought Evans off.

Evans was initially arrested Friday on a parole violation and later booked on suspicion of sodomy and false imprisonment. In a follow-up interview, Evans admitted assaulting the five others, whose names and ages were unknown, Scott said.

Evans has lived in Lakewood, Los Angeles and possibly Long Beach and has a prior sexual assault conviction, Scott said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the special victims bureau tip line at (866) 247-5877.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/rape-arrest.html#more

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Two Chicago men charged in terrorist plot

Their planned targets included the Danish newspaper that caused a firestorm with cartoons of Muhammad, federal officials say, but there was 'no imminent danger.'

By Jeff Coen and Stacy St. Clair

October 28, 2009

Reporting from Chicago

Federal authorities on Tuesday charged two Chicago men with plotting terrorist attacks against targets in Western Europe, including the "facilities and employees" of a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that sparked riots in the Muslim world.

David Coleman Headley, 49, a U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a 48-year-old Canadian citizen also from Pakistan, was accused of supporting him.

Both men remain in federal custody, officials said.

The plan -- an Al Qaeda-blessed operation code-named "the Mickey Mouse Project" -- was interrupted before it could be carried out, U.S. officials said, adding that there was "no imminent danger."

Headley traveled to Denmark twice this year to conduct surveillance missions on the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of Denmark's largest newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, prosecutors said in criminal complaints unsealed in U.S. district court. During at least one of the trips, Headley allegedly claimed to be a consultant for a Chicago business, owned by Rana, called First World Immigration Services.

Federal authorities detailed their case against the two men in documents that included e-mail and telephone traffic about the alleged plot to attack the newspaper. While making his plans, prosecutors said, Headley stayed in contact with two Pakistani terrorist groups, including one with links to Al Qaeda.

Jakob Scharf, head of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, described the alleged plan as serious but not imminent.

Drawing on Headley's "very extensive contacts with leading militant extremists in Pakistan," Scharf said, the accused plotters considered many options, including using handguns and explosives to carry out their operation.

Scharf did not rule out the possibility of more arrests.

FBI agents arrested Headley on Oct. 3 at O'Hare International Airport. He had videotapes of Copenhagen and the newspaper offices in his luggage.

Once in custody, authorities said, Headley admitted to receiving training from the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and said he had worked on planning the Denmark operation. Robert Seeder, Headley's lawyer, declined to comment Tuesday.

On Oct. 18, dozens of FBI agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a meat-processing plant owned by Rana that specializes in Islamic foods. He was arrested that day at his Chicago home.

Lawyer Patrick Blegen said Rana denied having helped Headley arrange his overseas trips or discussing potential targets for attack.

"Mr. Rana is a well-respected businessman," Blegen said. "He adamantly denies the charges and eagerly awaits his opportunity to contest them in court and to clear his and his family's name."

Authorities said Headley sought to either attack the Jyllands-Posten office or launch a more focused attempt to kill cultural editor Kurt Westergaard, who drew the bomb cartoon.

Drawings depicting Muhammad with a lit bomb for a turban touched off violent riots after being published in 2005.

Authorities said they think Headley and Rana posted messages on an Internet board for graduates of a Pakistani military prep school they once attended. In a posting last year, Headley allegedly said that he remained angry about the cartoons.

"I feel disposed towards violence for the offending parties," he wrote.

During one of his visits to Denmark, officials said, Headley posed as an international businessman who wanted to place ads in Jyllands-Posten.

But Editor Jorn Mikkelsen has said that no one at the paper remembers meeting Headley and that the staff was looking through files for any record of the interaction.

Danish authorities have increased patrols around the newspaper's office.

Mikkelsen said that his newsroom had been worried about safety since the controversial cartoons were published, and that the detailed plot outlined in the court documents rattled the staff.

"It's scary, of course. We're kind of shocked," he said. "We have lived with this for four years, but this is a degree extra."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chicago-terrorism28-2009oct28,0,4043821,print.story

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MEXICO UNDER SIEGE

Grim glossary of the narco-world

Average words aren't sufficient for the over-the-top violence of Mexico's drug war, so new ones have been invented.

By Ken Ellingwood

October 28, 2009

Reporting from Mexico City

Words can hardly convey how vicious, how over the top, Mexico's drug war has become. So they invented some.

The Mexican media now have a special expression for being lined up and shot, and another for being dumped in the trunk of a car (we'll get to these). There are also terms for mafia kidnappings, for drug-gang spies and for the hand-scrawled notes hit men leave with the bodies of their victims. The lingo is grim, but how else to portray such savagery as beheadings and bodies cut up and cooked in acid?

Herewith a partial, and macabre, narco-glossary:

Levanton: the kidnapping of one or more members of a rival gang, or other enemy. Unlike traditional kidnappings, the point is not ransom, but to torture and kill a foe. Victims of a multiple l evanton may end up fusilados .

Fusilados: from the Spanish word for rifle, to be executed in the style of a firing squad, or with a shot to the head, known as a tiro de gracia . This occurred in an attack at a Ciudad Juarez drug-treatment clinic in early September.

Encajuelado: Based on the word for "trunk," a body dumped in the trunk of a car. This is a common method for disposing of victims of a drug hit. Often, the bodies are bound and gagged with packing tape or are encobijados , wrapped in blankets. Sometimes they are accompanied by a handwritten narcomensaje.

Narcomensaje: A scrawled drug message , often rambling or peppered with misspellings. Such missives are typically meant to threaten rival drug cartels or government security forces. Messages sometimes take the form of banners, known as narcomantas , and are hung from bridges or in other public places to demonstrate a gang's audacity.

Plaza: Not the quaint public square you see in nearly every Mexican town, but rather any defined drug marketplace, such as a smuggling point. Much of the violence since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon declared war on drug cartels, is due to fighting among gangs over coveted plazas , or turf, including street-level sales taking place in tienditas.

Tiendita : Any place where drugs are sold in small quantities on the street -- a house, apartment building or even a little store. Tienditas , or "little stores," play a big role in what Mexican officials say is a worrisome increase in domestic drug use and addiction in Mexico, which once served mainly as a pipeline to the United States with little local consumption.

Halcones: To guard strongholds, trafficking groups rely on a network of street-level informants -- taxi drivers, fruit vendors, teen boys -- known as halcones , or falcons. Halcones provide early warning of the arrival of federal police or soldiers that have been dispatched around Mexico as part of Calderon's drug war.

Cuerno de chivo: "Goat horn," nickname for the AK-47 assault rifle, a favorite of cartel gunmen. The name refers to the curved shape of the magazine. Hit men are increasingly making use of even more powerful weapons, including .50-caliber machine guns and 40-millimeter grenade launchers . Authorities also report a rise in the use of potent pistols, able to fire through body armor, that are known here as matapolicias , or cop killers.

Narco-(anything): It's handy for headline writers and coiners of terms that narco combines with almost any noun.

Alone, narco can refer to a trafficker or the entire illegal drug trade, as in, "The government's war against el narco ."

A little creativity yields narco-fiestas (opulent, drug-laden parties featuring foreign dancers or big-name musical groups), narco-zoologicos ( narco-zoos, collections of exotic animals that, for some reason, are collectors' items for traffickers) and narco-candidatos ( politicians reputed to be in cahoots with drug gangs).

Attorneys who defend suspected capos are narco-abogados , or narco-lawyers .

Narco-policias are cops on the take.

And representing the drug war's next generation: Narcojuniors , the well-heeled children of traffickers accused of helping run the criminal enterprises.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-narco-glossary28-2009oct28,0,7573614,print.story

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THE NEXT CHIEF

The three finalists

All three men named by the Police Commission -- First Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, Deputy Chief Michel Moore, Deputy Chief Charlie Beck -- are good choices to succeed William J. Bratton.

October 28, 2009

The Los Angeles Police Commission has completed its work and forwarded to the mayor three capable candidates to succeed William J. Bratton as chief of police. The matter now rests with Antonio Villaraigosa, who must decide what he wants in a chief. This is a moment of great consequence: The mayor will not likely make another appointment with more serious ramifications for the city or his legacy.

Bratton's tenure offers many indicators of what qualities are important for a chief's success -- as well as a few where improvement is in order.

* Any good chief must be, foremost, smart. Policing is no longer, if it ever was, simply a matter of projecting authority. The Los Angeles Police Department once held the peace by rationing its contact with the public and responding aggressively to disturbances. That was useful in its day; it helped to break a culture of corruption that pervaded the department and the city. But its limits were vividly demonstrated first in 1965, when Watts erupted, and again in 1992, when the entire city cracked. In both instances, the LAPD's remove from the communities it serves made it an alien and hostile presence. Scores died, and the city's self-confidence was badly wounded. Bratton's successor must be an intelligent student of policing theories and open to change.

* To succeed, a chief must be political. This is anathema to some old-school LAPD veterans, but that's because they misunderstand the principle. Former Chief Daryl F. Gates, their icon, equates politics with corruption and compromise. But the LAPD exists in a political system. It needs civilian support for resources and public approval to achieve order and even safety for its officers. Consider this: Gates refused to cooperate with Los Angeles' power structure, and his department was starved of resources and viewed suspiciously by the public. Bratton, by contrast, has been politically engaged, deferring to the mayor and Police Commission, tangling occasionally with the City Council. Though he hasn't always enjoyed it, Bratton's political activity has helped bolster the department's ranks, build a new headquarters and persuade a federal judge to remove the consent decree that governed many LAPD practices. Politics may be messy, but it's essential. A good chief will refrain from gratuitous or self-aggrandizing politics, but he cannot afford to hold himself aloof.

* A chief must be committed to diversity and openness. Here, Bratton batted .500. The LAPD today is thoroughly diverse in its lower ranks and becoming more so up the chain of command. Police chiefs from Gates through Bratton have encouraged this, and today, fewer than half the department's officers are white men. Where Bratton has been less impressive is in the area of transparency and accountability. The LAPD has been scrutinized by the federal court, under the consent decree, and the Police Commission, the civilian panel that sets policy for the department. To him, that's enough oversight. But he's wrong. The public deserves the widest possible access to department records -- including investigations of police shootings and allegations of misconduct. That's all the more important now, without the consent decree. Today's LAPD is vastly better than it was in past decades; we believe it will withstand assertive scrutiny.

* A chief must be tough. Here again, it is easy to misunderstand the word. Los Angeles does not need a chief to bluster, and it cannot tolerate a chief who resists civilian oversight. But understanding politics and committing to community policing do not mean easing up on legitimate law enforcement. What scholars have theorized about, and Bratton has proved, is that fighting serious crime includes strict enforcement of quality-of-life offenses. That, combined with deep commitment to civil liberties, can make a city safer and more hospitable. And that translates into investment, growth and jobs. It does not serve any interest to have a chief who is afraid to enforce the law.

* Finally, a chief need not be modest, but it would be welcome. Bratton has overstepped his bounds by endorsing political candidates -- not that it did Jack Weiss much good in this year's race for city attorney -- and he has a fondness for proclaiming himself the best chief in America (and arguably the world, he sometimes adds). He could be right, but the next chief might dial back the ego and avoid electioneering.

Luckily for Villaraigosa, he has before him three candidates who possess many of these attributes. First Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, Bratton's chief of staff, is an engaging, compassionate, time-tested leader. Deputy Chief Michel Moore, a surprise finalist, was trusted with the troubled Rampart Division soon after being promoted to captain in 1998 and today is well liked in the Valley Bureau. Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, commanding officer of the detective bureau, grew up with the LAPD and has overseen its detectives with intelligence, rigor and a sense of humor. The commission has done its job well in winnowing out many less-qualified candidates.

There is one other issue that Villaraigosa must consider: A chief needs a boss. It is tempting to name a chief and then simply let that person run the department. But Los Angeles has too much experience with negligent police leadership to endorse that course. A chief deserves authority to manage, but in the end, civilians must set the department's rules. Villaraigosa's job thus does not end with this appointment; for him and his commission, it continues.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-lapd28-2009oct28,0,860259,print.story

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From the Daily News

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Halloween celebration should include practicing fire safety

HALLOWEEN can be fun for children and adults alike, but it is also a time to practice fire safety and burn prevention.

Decoration fires account for more than 1,600 reported home fires per year, the majority of which involve candles as the heat source. Halloween costumes made of flammable material and holiday decorations can easily ignite if they come into contact with candles or lit jack-o'-lanterns.

As the spookiest day of the year approaches, the Children's Burn Foundation has compiled several simple burn and fire safety tips to ensure a safe Halloween:

Costumes and wigs should be flame resistant or retardant. For homemade costumes, use such fabrics as polyester or nylon for greatest flame resistance. Keep young children's costumes trail-free, and use cosmetics instead of face masks for maximum visibility.

Candle-lit pumpkins should never be left unattended indoors and should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes can brush against the flame. Light candles with long, fireplace matches or a long safety light. Always extinguish candles when leaving the house or before going to sleep. Better yet, use flashlights or flashing tealights in pumpkins instead of candles.

Watch for flammable decorations. Dried leaves, cornstalks and paper should be kept away from open flames, heaters, light bulbs and other heat sources. Exits should be kept clear of decorations.

Halloween is a wonderful time of year for parents to practice stop-drop-and-roll with children, in case their costumes catch on fire, and review how to call 911. Parents should also ensure that smoke detectors are working, review the family home escape plan and instruct children on how to locate the exits at a party in case of an emergency.

This Halloween, parents don't have to worry about their children's safety as long as they remember to plan ahead and stay fire-safe. For more Halloween Safety Tips visit the Children's Burn Foundation Web site at www.childburn.org .

Douglas Mancino has educated the public on burn prevention and awareness for 15 years as chairman of the board of trustees of the Sherman Oaks-based Children's Burn Foundation. Mancino is a partner in the Los Angeles office of McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_13652874

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From the Washington Times

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D.C. sniper to die by lethal injection

ASSOCIATED PRESS

RICHMOND -- The mastermind of the 2002 Washington-area sniper attacks will die by lethal injection next month, Virginia officials said Tuesday.

John Allen Muhammad declined to choose between lethal injection and electrocution, so under state law the method defaults to lethal injection, Virginia Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Traylor said.

Muhammad is scheduled to be executed Nov. 10 for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas, Va., gas station.

The three-week killing spree in October 2002 left 10 dead in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, also are suspected of shootings in several other states, including a killing in Louisiana and another in Alabama. Malvo is serving a life sentence in prison.

Muhammad's lawyers have asked the Virginia governor for clemency and plan to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court early next month.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/27/dc-sniper-muhammad-set-die-lethal-injection//print/

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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DHS Proposes Guidance for Anthrax Responders

Release Date: October 27, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

In conjunction with an interagency task force, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new proposed guidance for protecting the health of emergency responders during an anthrax attack on a major U.S. city.

"Protecting our first responders during terrorist attacks is critical to our nation's security," said Secretary Napolitano. "This guidance will better equip the courageous men and women across the country who would be the first to respond during a large-scale anthrax attack."

"It is essential that all responders have the appropriate protections available to them to be able to operate while minimizing exposure to these lethal threats," said Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alexander Garza. "This proposed guidance will help keep responders healthy and safe while remaining consistent with operational realities."

The proposed guidance recommends protective measures such as personal protective equipment and decontamination and hygiene procedures for first responders, public health and medical professionals, skilled support personnel, essential workers in critical infrastructure sectors, certain federal and private sector employees, and volunteers.

The guidance - developed by a federal working group consisting of experts from more than a dozen agencies relating to biodefense, infectious diseases, and occupational health and safety - reflects the most current understanding of the unique environment that would exist after a wide-area anthrax attack. It comes in response to a 2008 Homeland Security Council tasking requiring the development of appropriate measures for responders in the immediate post-attack environment of an aerosolized anthrax attack.

The guidance is also intended to support ongoing planning and preparation efforts for protecting responders engaged in environmental sampling and remediation, as well as others in responder roles.

DHS published the Notice of Availability of the guidance in the Federal Register today and the public will have 30 days from that date to comment.

Interested stakeholders are encouraged to comment through www.regulations.gov .

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1256666711528.shtm

October 27, 2009

Mexican authorities prosecuting marijuana smuggler following new agreement between US Department of Homeland Security, Mexico

NOGALES, Ariz. - A Mexican man, who was arrested by U.S. federal law enforcement officers for attempting to smuggle marijuana into the United States, will now be prosecuted under Mexican law; this is the first such prosecution of its kind under a new agreement aimed at reducing narcotics smuggling along Arizona's border with Mexico.

Eleazar Gonzalez-Sanchez, 27, of Santa Ana, Sonora, Mexico, was turned over to the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Mexico (PGR) on Saturday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Controlled Substance Project, an agreement involving PGR, ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that enables PGR to prosecute, under Mexican law, drug smuggling cases.

"This agreement represents the commitment that U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies have in working together to find ways to stem the flow of narcotics across the border," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Arizona. "Both nations recognize the violence and the corrupting influence that the illicit drug trade brings to our communities."

CBP officers assigned to the Dennis Deconcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz. discovered 44 pounds of marijuana Saturday in a car driven by Gonzalez. The marijuana, concealed in a hidden compartment in the vehicle's trunk, was found after an officer noted Gonzalez's suspicious behavior and directed him to a secondary inspection station for a more thorough examination.

ICE agents responded to the scene and initiated a criminal investigation into the smuggling attempt. After consulting with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tucson, ICE agents contacted PGR to inform Mexican prosecutors of the case. PGR attorneys examined the evidence and accepted prosecution. ICE and CBP released Gonzalez, his personal effects and core samples of the marijuana to PGR.

A federal judge in Mexico on Monday found probable cause to proceed with the case, which Mexican prosecutors said was the first-known prosecution for transporting a controlled substances based on a criminal complaint from a foreign law enforcement agency.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091027nogales.htm

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October 27, 2009

2 convicted child sex traffickers sentenced to federal prison

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Two local residents were sentenced to federal prison for running an escort service with underage sex-trafficking victims in South Florida, following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

David Pierre, 34, was sentenced in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 22 before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release as a sex offender. Additionally, Jenna Linden, 24, was sentenced in federal court on Sept. 23 before Judge Dimitrouleas to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release as a sex offender. Linden and Pierre pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor on July 15 and Aug.13, respectively.

The ICE-led investigation began in November 2008, after a 14-year-old victim of the escort service run by Pierre was rescued in Fort Lauderdale. Subsequently, another 16-year-old victim of Pierre's escort service was discovered. Pierre operated a prostitution ring disguised as an escort service from his Ft. Lauderdale residence. He advertised his business on the Internet. Linden assisted Pierre with transporting the underage victims to customers throughout the south Florida area.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable. Launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested almost 12,000 individuals through Operation Predator.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com .

The investigation was conducted by ICE's Office of Investigations in Fort Lauderdale with the assistance of Homestead Police Department, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Broward County Sheriff's Office, and Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sivashree Sundaram, Southern District of Florida, prosecuted this case.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091027fortlauderdale.htm

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From the FBI

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http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm

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Queens Man and Accomplice Charged with Attempting
to Provide Material Support to Hizballah

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, announced the filing of an indictment yesterday charging Patrick Nayyar and Conrad Stanisclaus Mulholland with attempting to provide material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The indictment also charges Nayyar with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Sept. 24, 2009, Nayyar, a 46-year-old citizen of India who had been residing illegally in the United States, was arrested at his residence in Queens, N.Y., based on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing a firearm and ammunition as an illegal alien. Later that day, Nayyar was presented in Brooklyn federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan Azrack.

According to the indictment filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court and the criminal complaint unsealed on Sept. 24, 2009:

Between July 2009 and September 2009, Nayyar and Mulholland agreed to provide weapons, ammunition, and vehicles to Hizballah, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon. During a series of meetings with a confidential informant working with the FBI, who represented himself as working for Hizballah, Nayyar and Mulholland agreed to sell guns, ammunition, vehicles, bulletproof vests and night vision goggles to the confidential informant. During these meetings, Nayyar and Mulholland provided the confidential informant with a handgun, a box of ammunition and a pick-up truck, believing that the confidential informant would deliver the items to Hizballah in Lebanon.

The indictment filed yesterday charges Nayyar and Mulholland with four counts based on their agreement to provide weapons, ammunition and vehicles to Hizballah, and the provision of the various items to the confidential informant. In addition, Nayyar is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as an illegal alien.

Conrad Stanisclaus Mulholland has not been arrested.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet. Nayyar is expected to be arraigned on the charges in the indictment later today.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan R. McGuire and Sean Buckley are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the complaint and the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/nyfo102709.htm

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From UNICEF

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A ‘big sister' helps students cope with bullying in Malaysia

By Tee Shiao Eek

In the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – a landmark international agreement on the basic human rights of all children – UNICEF is featuring a series of stories about progress made and challenges that remain. Here is one of those stories.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 26 October 2009 – As Head Prefect, Dashenee Huthamaputhiran, 17, is a friendly face around Convent Sentul High School, offering advice to students who break school rules or lending a helping hand to those in trouble.

VIDEO: Watch now

If she spots any students teasing, harassing or bullying each other, she steps in to help resolve the situation or bring the problem to the attention of her teachers.

Partnership programme
These are among the skills that Dashenee learned through the Safe Schools Programme, which is supported by UNICEF in partnership with Malaysia's Ministry of Education and HELP University College.

“The most important thing that I learned from the bullying programme is the different ways some students used to bully other students. For example, I never knew that calling people names is a form of bullying,” Dashenee admitted.

As a prefect, Dashenee applied what she learned from the programme and used it to help her friends.

‘Cyber-bullying' is prevalent
Bullying goes beyond physical abuse; it can also take the form of psychological abuse, including teasing, intimidation and exclusion.

Today, technology has created new opportunities for bullying, as more young people depend on mobile phones and the Internet for communication and entertainment.

Through commonly used channels such as blogs, chat rooms, file-sharing applications, social networking sites and mobile phone messages, children and young people can be threatened, excluded from activities or humiliated by having misleading messages or photos about them posted online.

Media reports in Malaysia suggest that such ‘cyber-bullying' is prevalent among children and young people here. Still, much of it could be under-reported, as few people are aware that it is a serious problem.

A safe environment for students
The Safe Schools Programme aims to prevent the occurrence of violence and abuse – especially bullying among students – in the learning environment. Through seminars and workshops organized at their school, Dashenee and her schoolmates have been empowered to cope with bullying, and to prevent it from going too far.

“A safe learning place is every child's right,” said UNICEF Representative in Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei Youssouf Oomar.

“One of the ways to make the learning place safe is by addressing the issue of bullying,” he added. “UNICEF is committed to addressing this, working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and HELP University College, because we want to make sure that children and teachers are properly equipped to address and prevent bullying.”

The Safe Schools initiative also includes a teachers' manual and training activities to equip teachers with intervention skills to manage bullying among students.

Empowered to help
With more knowledge about bullying, Dashenee has been able to help a 14-year-old girl at school who is a victim of cyber-bullying through a popular social networking site. Using her peer-to-peer coaching skills, she intervened and encouraged the girl to seek help from the school counsellor.

“I treat every student in this school as my sister, and I try to help them in any way I can,” said Dashenee.

Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works with its partners in Malaysia and around the world to ensure that every child – and every student – can live free of fear and violence.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/malaysia_51549.html

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