Human remains found on Long Island, N.Y.

The discovery of the 10 previous sets of remains at Gilgo Beach has led to a hunt for a possible serial killer.

"At this time, we cannot say if the remains are connected to any other cases. The scene will be processed and re-evaluated to see if further searching is necessary," Deputy Inspector Kevin Fallon of the Suffolk County Police Department said in a news statement about the latest find.

The remains were found Friday by a man who was walking his dog in a heavily wooded area about 300 feet from a road in Manorville, police said. The grounds are the Upton Ecological Reserve.

On December 17, authorities announced that a body discovered earlier in the week along a remote stretch of Long Island beach was that of Shannan Gilbert, the missing New Jersey woman whose disappearance had led investigators to the 10 sets of human remains and the hunt for a possible serial killer.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/18/justice/new-york-bodies/index.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serial killer says more bodies are out there

Sacramento television station CBS-13 has received a letter it says is from serial killer Wesley Shermantine claiming he knows of sites where the bodies of additional victims were dumped. The station reports that in a letter with Shermatine's signature from San Quentin State Prison, the convicted killer says there are two locations where his accomplice, Loren Herzog, disposed of two victims.

Shermantine says he hasn't revealed the locations because he hasn't been paid $33,000 promised by bounty hunter Leonard Padilla. Padilla, who recognized Shermantine's handwriting in the letter, says he's working to establish a trust account before paying. Padilla says San Joaquin County sheriff's officials have a copy of the letter. They didn't immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment on it.

Shermantine and Herzog, known as the "Speed Freak Killers," are suspected in as many as 20 murders. Herzog committed suicide last month after being told Shermantine was cooperating with authorities. Authorities have been searching a farm in Linden based on information provided by Shermantine.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/18/speed-freak-killers-letter-cites-more-bodies/

Would-be attacker arrested near U.S. Capitol, officials say

A Moroccan immigrant whom the FBI had been tracking for more than a year is caught near the Capitol with an automatic weapon and an explosives vest, both rendered inoperable.

An immigrant from Morocco armed with a jammed automatic weapon and wearing a suicide vest packed with what he thought were explosives was arrested Friday near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, officials announced.

Amine El Khalifi, 29, who allegedly had overstayed his visa after arriving in the U.S. when he was 16, was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against government property. FBI agents had been closely monitoring him for more than a year in an undercover sting operation.

An affidavit described El Khalifi strutting around a hotel room with the gun and vest, watching himself in the mirror as he practiced how to pull the trigger and detonate the vest bomb by calling a cellphone number.

He also allegedly discussed hitting military targets near the Pentagon and a restaurant during the crowded lunch hour in Washington. But eventually he settled on the Capitol, authorities said, planning to shoot his way inside and detonate the bomb. He reportedly told undercover FBI agents that he "would be happy killing 30 people."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-suicide-bomber-20120218,0,7751760.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't scam -- or be scammed! IRS lists 'dirty dozen' tax frauds

The ranking is designed to protect taxpayers from the unscrupulous as well as ensure the government gets the funds it needs to operate.

“Taxpayers should be careful and avoid falling into a trap with the Dirty Dozen,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said in a statement released Thursday. “Scam artists will tempt people in-person, on-line and by e-mail with misleading promises about lost refunds and free money. Don't be fooled by these scams.”

The top scam involves identity theft. In such cases, criminals use a taxpayer's identity information to file a tax return and claim a fraudulent refund. The IRS said it blocked $1.4 billion from going to the wrong person last year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-irs-dirty-dozen-20120217,0,3629882.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

$100 million in PCP seized

Stunned officials find 130 gallons of the dangerous drug in Los Angeles and Culver City — enough for 10 million doses.

About $100 million worth of PCP was seized this week in Los Angeles and Culver City in what authorities described as a major bust of a national drug-trafficking organization.

Officials said they found huge amounts of PCP — totaling roughly 10 million individual doses, which in the Los Angeles area sell for between $10 and $20 each — at two local storage facilities and several other locations. Authorities also recovered nearly $400,000 in cash.

Authorities believe the trafficking organization included at least 10 individuals locally and that it was distributing to Texas, New York and Washington, D.C., and other U.S. cities.

"They were shipping and moving and dealing a huge amount of product," said Lt. Scott Fairfield of the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force, known as L.A. IMPACT. "It's the largest PCP seizure I've ever heard of."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pcp-bust-20120218,0,3163952.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Josh Powell had some 400 images depicting sex of cartoon characters and graphic incest

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Three weeks before Josh Powell killed himself and kids in a violent inferno, Utah authorities disclosed to social workers for the first time that his computer once contained some 400 images of cartoon sex and incest.

Investigators had initially told Washington state officials that there were only a half-dozen images, seized in 2009, but the social worker tasked with keeping the kids safe sent off a note to a psychologist saying “it is now clear there are many more images than initially indicated.” The psychologist who had previously praised Powell's strong parenting skills found the images to be a “great concern” and quickly suggested a more intense evaluation of the father.

Powell killed himself before that assessment took place.

Many of the approximately 400 images described in documents released under Washington state public records laws Friday included sexual depictions of popular cartoons, including child-focused characters such as Rugrats, Dennis the Menace and SpongeBob SquarePants. Another 15 images showed 3-D depictions of sex involving parents and their children.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/josh-powell-had-some-400-images-depicting-sex-of-cartoon-characters-and-graphic-incest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police using less force, study finds

Reduction is from community policing, better communication, chief says.

The number of use-of-force incidents by Glendale police officers has decreased by 43% since administrators began tracking them in 2009.

Police officers used force 56 times last year, down from 77 in 2010 and 99 in 2009, according to a Glendale Police Department report.

Police Chief Ron De Pompa attributed the decrease in use-of-force incidents to the department's improved community involvement and policing.

“I don't find it unusual in an environment where community policing becomes the norm,” he said. “I think when that happens, you develop much better working relationships with the community. You communicate better, you have better points of contact and it just follows that use-of-force incidents will decrease in those types of environments.”

The types of force used, according to the report, included involvement of batons, canines, carotid restraints, chemical agents, firearms, impact weapons, physical control techniques, Tasers and unarmed striking.

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-0218-glendale-police-using-less-force-study-finds,0,4363627.story

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Bombing of Flight 253 on Christmas Day 2009

WASHINGTON – 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.

The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds in Detroit, was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder; Barbara L. McQuade, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan; Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Brian M. Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Detroit.

Abdulmutallab, 25, of Kaduna, Nigeria, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2011, to conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries; attempted murder within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States; willfully placing a destructive device on an aircraft, which was likely to have endangered the safety of the aircraft; attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction; willfully attempting to destroy and wreck a civil aircraft; and three counts of possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/February/12-ag-227.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Former Soldier for Stealing Grenades and Other Weapons from the U.S. Military

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of charges against ANTHONY CIBELLI, a former soldier who served two tours of duty in Iraq, in connection with his theft of two grenades and other weapons that were the property of the United States military. CIBELLI was taken into federal custody this morning, and was presented in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein this afternoon.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “When Anthony Cibelli allegedly stole lethal weaponry from the U.S. military and carried it to his apartment in the Bronx, he both committed a very serious crime and created a significant danger to the community. This should go without saying, but military grade weapons like grenades and rifle ammunition belong on the battlefield, not in an urban center.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk stated: “Cibelli had a small arsenal in his residence. Our armed forces are issued weapons like these to carry out their mission, not to become personal property after their service. Keeping grenades and ammunition is more than reckless behavior, it is a threat to the safety of the city and the country. The FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force is committed to protecting public safety.”

http://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2012/manhattan-u.s.-attorney-announces-charges-against-former-soldier-for-stealing-grenades

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feb 16, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Easily affordable' to save 2 million children, report says

The world could save 2 million children every year if it helped the neediest countries take 13 recommended steps to conquer malnutrition, according to a new report from Save the Children.

The World Bank has estimated that it would cost between $10 billion and $12 billion annually to roll out those changes in the 36 neediest countries, including promoting breastfeeding for newborns, encouraging use of iodized salt, hand washing and giving zinc and vitamin A supplements to children.

The $10 billion is “easily affordable” if countries split the cost, Save the Children wrote in its new report. It is a fraction of the $140 billion annually that the United States and other countries have spent on Afghan military operations. One California tax proposed last year would have covered the same cost.

Chronic malnutrition is often overlooked until extreme famines grab headlines, Save the Children argues. The problem makes children more vulnerable to disease and cuts their chances of surviving if an emergency food crisis does hit, it wrote.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/easily-affordable-to-save-2-million-children-report-says.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Josh Powell won't be buried next to sons; officers buy plots

Josh Powell's family reportedly wanted him interred in the same cemetery on a hill overlooking his sons, whom he attacked with a hatchet before killing them and himself in a gas-fueled explosive fire Feb. 5.

Det. Ed Troyer of the Pierce County sheriff's office, who is also director of the nonprofit Crime Stoppers, said he and Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor placed a down payment on the plots surrounding the boys' grave.

"We might not be able to keep Josh Powell from being buried in the cemetery, but we can keep him away from the boys," he said in a phone interview with The Times. "Bottom line is, it's not fair for murder victims to have the murder suspect laid to rest next to them. It's hurtful to the community and dishonors the boys."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Analysis: BART Community Policing May Help, But Problems Are Endemic

The new plan calls for BART officers and lieutenants to be assigned to smaller geographical areas. Oakland, for example, will constitute one zone, all to itself.

The idea is to help build up the concept of community policing, where an officer is already familiar with people coming and going in a particular station before being called into action.

Yesterday, KQED's Joshua Johnson talked to Golden Gate University Law Professor and former San Francisco Police Commissioner Peter Keane about the plan.

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/02/15/analysis-bart-community-policing-plan-may-help-but-problems-are-endemic/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feb 15, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

W. Side forum on policing cites treatment of gay, lesbian victims

Community level seen as in need

More sensitivity in treating gay and lesbian victims of crime and a better approach to community policing were just a couple of the issues raised by a group of West Side residents who met Tuesday with members of the Joint Commission to Examine Police Reorganization.

The meeting in the Niagara Porter Library was the second of three such forums planned by the commission to solicit public input on ways to improve the operation of the Buffalo Police Department. The commission was formed in 2010 to perform the first external review of police operations in two decades, and is in the final stages of preparing a report with recommendations for Mayor Byron W. Brown and city lawmakers.

Carlos Benitez, who presided over Tuesday's meeting in the absence of Chairman Joseph Mascia, told the 10 residents in attendance that the commission was seeking to avoid complaints about specific incidents or encounters with city police.

“This is not about gripes. This is about what you think would be a solution or a recommendation that would improve the quality of policing in Buffalo or would improve the quality of life here in our neighborhoods on the West Side,” Benitez said.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/west-side/article731828.ece

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connecticut crime at lowest in 44 years

Crime is at a 44-year low in Connecticut.

That statistic was one of several laid out last Friday by Mike Lawlor, the state's undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning, as he addressed the state legislature's Judiciary Committee on crime trends statewide. Though Lawlor touted positive state data, including a 11.4 percent drop in arrests in 2011 and a 10 percent drop in criminal recidivism over the past three years, New Haven officials and community leaders said these statistics may not be representative of New Haven's recent experience with crime.

“The good news is that crime is down, and down significantly,” Lawlor said in his address. “Like most states, we have adopted proven best practices and they are working. Community policing, state-of-the-art technology and risk-reduction interventions for offenders are all paying off.”

While Lawlor said “no one knows” what is causing the fall in crime rates, no one factor is the sole reason. He added that reduction in criminal activity reflects a national trend — crime rates have been steadily dropping nationwide since a peak in the early 1990s, according to data in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports.

Last year, New Haven experienced a 11 percent drop in violent crime even as homicides rose to 34, a 20-year high. Violent crimes in 2012 are down more than 25 percent compared to the numbers from this time last year, according to the New Haven Police Department data, and no homicides have been recorded so far this year.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/feb/15/connecticut-crime-at-lowest-in-44-years/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feb 14, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seditious revolutionaries or all talk? Michigan jury will decide

Jury selection in the federal trial is expected to be completed Monday, with opening statements scheduled to begin soon after. The seven defendants are accused of conspiring to use force to oppose the authority of the U.S. government. According to the indictment, the defendants, acting as the Hutaree militia in Lenawee County, Mich., viewed all law enforcement as their enemy, and were preparing to engage them in armed conflict.

Nine people were charged in the case. In a deal with prosecutors, one defendant, Joshua Clough, pleaded guilty to illegal use of a firearm and could be called to testify agains the others, according to the Associated Press. Another defendant, Jacob Ward, will have a separate trial.

The group is accused of planning to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement then attack with improvised explosive devices the other officers who would gather for the funeral. If convicted, the defendants will face a maximum of life in prison on the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Conviction of seditious conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Underwear bomber' case heralds US terror shake-up

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty in October to eight terrorism charges in the botched Al-Qaeda Christmas Day 2009 plot and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison on Thursday.

But the next big terror case in the United States will likely be handled by a military tribunal due to a new law that will require those who plot or carry out attacks on American soil to be held in military custody.

Civilian law enforcement had previously been charged with handling terror suspects arrested on US soil.

President Barack Obama signed the bill reluctantly on December 31 to ensure the funding of US military operations abroad.

http://outcomemag.com/news/2012/02/14/underwear-bomber-case-heralds-us-terror-shake-up/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Madeira Beach Reinstating Community Police

Resident's complaints about the rising crime rate has brought community policing back to Madeira Beach.

Madeira Beach will again have a police officer who will deal with Madeira Beach, and only Madeira Beach. On February 8, the Madeira Beach City Commission voted unanimously to reinstate a community police officer, according to Tampabay.com.

On February 27, Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy Shawn Heffner will take up the title of Madeira Beach Community Policing Officer. Heffner won't be out responding to every call in Madeira Beach. Instead, he'll be focusing on issues that are given to him from the city manager or other deputies working in Madeira Beach.

Madeira Beach had police station until 1995. Since then, they've contracted the work out to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and kept a community officer until 2008. Recently, residents in Madeira Beach have made complaints about drug deals happening in the neighborhoods.

The current community police program is scheduled to last through the budget year, after which it will be evaluated to see if community policing could help with lower crime rates.

http://pinellasbeaches.patch.com/articles/madeira-beach-reinstating-community-police

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Community Policing Coming to BART

Officers will be more visible on trains, at stations and in parking lots

Under scrutiny for three fatal officer-involved shootings in four years, the BART Police Department will take a more community-oriented approach to patrolling the transit system, The Bay Citizen has learned.

BART police will be assigned to cover smaller portions of the system, so that they can get to know the local people and problems, said Tom Radulovich, vice president of BART's board of directors. Officers will also be much more visible on trains, at stations and in parking lots, Radulovich said.

“It's a well-established way for police to get more intimate knowledge of the communities they serve,” he said.

The BART Police Department will announce details of its plans at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Era Jenkins, a department spokeswoman, declined to comment on Monday.

http://www.baycitizen.org/policing/story/bart-police-community-policing/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crime Has Boroughs Talking Community Policing

As area residents weigh the benefits of neighborhood watch programs, Collingswood joins a growing number of New Jersey towns in hiring Special Officers that put more lower-cost boots on the streets.

Since the end of 2011, Collingswood has stared down a number of significant crimes, including violence at the Heights of Collingswood apartments, a prostitution bust and a daytime shooting.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Haddonfield, burglaries have spiked 250 percent, including more than three-dozen reports of copper downspout thefts.

Rumblings in both communities reflect unease with the scope of these incidents, with a handful of residents inquiring about the viability of alternative policing measures.

At the Feb. 6 meeting of the Collingswood borough commissioners, Washington Avenue resident Earl Burak asked Mayor James Maley whether the borough should consider re-deputizing the citizen-led town watch the community had established in the 1970s.

“Considering the problems we're having now with the break-ins and robberies and seniors getting beat up and cars being stolen, is there a possibility that the police force would need to get together and institute a town watch?” Burak asked. “It was good back in the 1970s.”

http://collingswood.patch.com/articles/crime-has-boroughs-talking-community-policing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking for Love?

Beware of Online Dating Scams

Millions of Americans visit online dating websites every year, hoping to find a companion or even a soul mate.

But today, on Valentine's Day, we want to warn you that criminals use these sites, too, looking to turn the lonely and vulnerable into fast money through a variety of scams.

These criminals—who also troll social media sites and chat rooms in search of romantic victims—usually claim to be Americans traveling or working abroad. In reality, they often live overseas. Their most common targets are women over 40 who are divorced, widowed, and/or disabled, but every age group and demographic is at risk.

Here's how the scam usually works. You're contacted online by someone who appears interested in you. He or she may have a profile you can read or a picture that is e-mailed to you. For weeks, even months, you may chat back and forth with one another, forming a connection. You may even be sent flowers or other gifts. But ultimately, it's going to happen—your new-found “friend” is going to ask you for money.

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/february/dating-scams_021412/dating-scams_021412

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feb 13, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Map by one of 'Speed Freak Killers' steers cops to 300 human bones

Coats, shoes, purse and jewelry are found in well on abandoned ranch; California duo have been linked to as many as two dozen deaths

LINDEN, California — A map drawn by a convicted serial killer has led authorities in California to three separate burial sites, where the discovery of human remains could bring an end to multiple unsolved missing-persons cases, authorities said Sunday.

Investigators recovered more than 300 human bones of varying sizes — as well as coats, shoes, a purse and jewelry — over the weekend from a well on land in rural northern California, said Deputy Les Garcia, spokesman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff.

The search was expected to resume Monday if weather allowed.

The site in Linden, about 100 miles east of San Francisco, was identified on a map drawn by convicted killer Wesley Shermantine who was part of a duo whose methamphetamine-fuelled violence earned them the moniker "Speed Freak Killers". Shermantine has said there may be 10 or more victims in the area.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46364526/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts

.