U.S.

Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

THE FBI STORY 2018

Hazardous Devices School, p. 3

 THE FBI STORY 2018

Director’s Community Leadership Awards, p. 13

THE FBI STORY 2018 I

 A MESSAGE FROM FBI DIRECTOR
CHRISTOPHER A. WRAY
Welcome to the 2018 edition of The FBI Story—a selection of our past year’s work as told through some of the original stories
and images featured on our website. This “behind-the-scenes” look at our people, programs, investigations, and operations only
scratches the surface of the work done by the FBI in 2018.
I’m so honored to serve alongside the men and women of this great organization. Our mission is simple to say but profound to
execute: to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. Every day, our 37,000 employees strive to carry out that
mission. Whether it’s thwarting a would-be terrorist, dismantling a dangerous gang, or returning a missing child to her family, our
work never ends—and our determination to protect you never stops.
I hope this publication gives you a better sense of who we are, the depth and breadth of what we do, the dedication and
professionalism of our employees, and how our work keeps you and your community—our communities—safe. On behalf of the FBI,
please enjoy the 2018 edition of The FBI Story. Thanks for letting us share our story with you.

THE COMPLETE VERSIONS OF THE STORIES FEATURED IN THIS PUBLICATION, AS WELL AS MANY MORE, CAN BE FOUND AT
FBI.GOV/STORIES.

II THE FBI STORY 2018

THE FBI STORY 2018 III
IV THE FBI STORY 2018
DIRECTOR ADDRESSES CYBER
CONFERENCE
STAYING AHEAD OF CYBER THREATS

“
Because at the end of the day, we
all want the same thing—which
is to protect our systems, protect
our innovation, and above all, to
protect our people.”

As the threats from hackers and other cyber criminals grow, Once hackers or other cyber adversaries are identified, the
the FBI is committed to developing its workforce’s cyber FBI and partner agencies work to impose some cost on
expertise, building partnerships, and punishing cyber criminals them—even if they are not in the United States to be arrested
who target the United States, FBI Director Christopher and tried in the American justice system. Sometimes the best
Wray said at the January 2018 FBI- and Fordham University- approaches are “naming and shaming” or seeking sanctions
sponsored International Conference on Cyber Security. from the Treasury Department.
There are numerous different types of cyber threats facing the “Whether we’re in law enforcement, the government, private
country—nation-state intrusions, hacktivists, insider threats, sector, technology industry, the security field, or academia,
and, more recently, the so-called “blended threat” of nation- we’re going to need to figure out a way to work together
states using criminal hackers to work for them. But as hackers and stay ahead of the threat and to adapt to changing
and criminals evolve, the FBI is changing, too. technologies and their consequences, both the expected ones
and the unexpected ones,” Wray said. “Because at the end of
The Bureau is developing the cyber skills of its workforce and
the day, we all want the same thing—which is to protect our
organizing its personnel to work the threat most effectively
systems, protect our innovation, and above all, to protect our
through its Cyber Task Forces and Cyber Action Teams.
people.”
Partnerships remain key to the FBI’s success in its cyber
efforts, and the Bureau is always working to develop
collaborative relationships with both law enforcement and the
private sector.

MORE AT FBI.GOV/ICCS2018 01.11.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 1

“
Our state and local law
enforcement partners depend on
us to provide this training, so we
have a commitment to getting it
right.”
INSIDE THE FBI’S HAZARDOUS
DEVICES SCHOOL
WHERE THE NATION’S BOMB TECHS
LEARN THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE
The FBI’s Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in through a maze of barriers; this exercise simulates how bomb
Huntsville, Alabama, is the only facility in the country that techs may have to pilot robots through multi-floor buildings
trains and certifies the nation’s public safety bomb technicians and confined spaces.
and has provided training to more than 20,000 local, state,
“This is an ever-changing syllabus for the students, because
and federal first responders and bomb techs.
we want them to learn what we know based on intelligence
“The Hazardous Devices School places the FBI in a unique and teach them those skills in the real world,” said Mark
position,” said Special Agent John Stewart, the school’s Vargos, an instructor at the school.
director. “Our state and local law enforcement partners
A mixture of classroom and field training ensures the trainees
depend on us to provide this training, so we have a
are ready to handle dangerous threats when they return home.
commitment to getting it right.”
The FBI is upgrading and expanding the school, which has
The facility is home to a sprawling 455-acre campus complete
trained each of the country’s 3,100 bomb technicians—a
with classrooms, explosive ranges, and mock villages that
figure that does not include the military’s explosive ordnance
include a train station, apartment complexes, a movie theater,
disposal (EOD) technicians. The growth and expansion reflects
and a strip mall. New bomb technicians spend six weeks
the need to stay ahead of any emerging threats.
learning about electricity, fuses, and improvised explosives.
Their certification ensures they will be operating from the “As threats evolve and become more advanced, the
same playbook as every other bomb tech in the country. Hazardous Devices School is poised to meet those threats
head on,” Stewart said.
Training scenarios are often developed based on real-world
events, such as the Boston Marathon bombing, and students
must devise approaches to counter each threat. Trainees also
learn skills such as remotely navigating robots on stairs and

MORE AT FBI.GOV/HDS2018 01.09.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 3

SUPER BOWL SECURITY
BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT
PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS
On the wintry streets of downtown Minneapolis, ice crunches The Minneapolis Police Department is the lead agency
underfoot. The wind is whipping, and the temperature hovers for security at this year’s Super Bowl, and they are being
in the teens. The weather will be one of the many topics under supported by an impressive team that includes dozens of
discussion inside the city’s convention center, where officials local police departments and public safety organizations,
from every local, state, and federal organization involved with along with federal agencies including the FBI and multiple
security at this year’s Super Bowl have gathered to put their components of the Department of Homeland Security.
planning and preparation to the test.
Today’s exercise, a security dry run of sorts, is a simulated
With the big game just around the corner, participants at this opportunity for the entire team to come together to work
daylong exercise—the first time everyone has come together through any potential issues as if it is game day.
under one roof—will be asked to simulate their agency’s
The FBI’s main responsibilities include taking the lead in
responses to a variety of scenarios, from an active shooter
any kind of terrorist, cyber, or major crime incident, and
event to reuniting a missing child with a parent to keeping fans
providing intelligence, from both a national and international
and first responders warm in the frigid Minnesota winter.
perspective, about bad actors who might seek to disrupt
Nearly two years of planning has taken place, largely behind Super Bowl activities.
the scenes, to make sure that Super Bowl LII—and the 10
The FBI has also offered other expertise and resources,
days of events leading up to the kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium
including taking responsibility for credentialing thousands of
on February 4—is safe and secure. Nothing has been left to
public safety officers and volunteers who will need varying
chance, not even the weather.
levels of access to Super Bowl venues.
“An event like this is about planning, about preparation,
“Most agencies deal with events like a Super Bowl maybe
and about partnerships,” said Rick Thornton, special agent
once in a career or once in a lifetime,” Thornton said, “where
in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “Each
collectively the FBI deals with these things on an ongoing
organization brings its unique abilities to the table, but it
basis. The fact that we have the ability to reach back to the
requires tremendous teamwork and cooperation to pull
entire FBI with its specialty components, as well as all the
everything together into a unified whole.”
other offices, to augment our resources is what makes the FBI
unique.”

4 THE FBI STORY 2018 01.17.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/SUPERBOWL52

“
Each organization brings its unique abilities to the table, but it requires
tremendous teamwork and cooperation to pull everything together into
a unified whole.”
FBI CHAPLAINS
BRINGING THE LIGHT IN
THE DARKEST HOURS
6 THE FBI STORY 2018 03.05.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/CHAPLAINS
 Volunteer chaplains were added to the FBI’s roster in 1991
after it was found that employees involved in shootings and
who worked gruesome scenes needed additional support
beyond that provided by mental health professionals.
As part of a robust crisis intervention program that provides
psychological first aid to employees, the FBI now has about
130 unpaid chaplains, all of whom are protected by workplace
rules and have security clearances. They work part-time but
hold regular office hours when they are not deployed in the
field, meeting with employees and practicing their ministry of
presence. Many are chaplains for other organizations or lead
their own congregations. They do not proselytize during their
work with the FBI.
FBI chaplains are accessible to anyone, regardless of faith,
and they can help answer the deeper questions in the hearts
of those who witness tragedy, differently from other trained
professionals.
Chaplains provide spiritual guidance when employees are
facing personal tragedy or other difficulties. But they also
deploy to mass casualty events along with special agents and
other professionals. Their primary job during these events is
to be present and available to anyone who needs them, on a
strictly voluntary basis.

“
We know there’s a point at which people may need to talk to a mental health
professional. But if needed, the chaplain can offer to provide the spiritual aspect
with faith, with values, with meaning.”

THE FBI STORY 2018 7

OPERATION DISARRAY
NATIONWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT
ACTION TARGETS ONLINE DRUG
TRAFFICKING

A nationwide law enforcement action aimed at shining a Operation Disarray was designed, in part, to highlight
light on those who use the dark web to buy and sell illegal those risks for buyers and sellers. Hundreds of FBI agents
opiates has resulted in hundreds of interactions and arrests and federal partners conducted searches, made arrests,
of individuals who may have considered their seemingly and carried out “knock and talks” with more than 160
anonymous online transactions beyond the reach of individuals known to have bought or sold drugs through
authorities. the marketplaces. Leads from the investigation identified 19
overdose deaths of persons of interest.
The FBI-led enforcement action, named Operation Disarray, is
part of a recently launched Department of Justice initiative to Law enforcement personnel participating in Operation
disrupt the sale of opioids online and was the first operation of Disarray handed out brochures that included information on
its kind to occur simultaneously in all 50 states. medical steps to take in the event of an overdose and where
individuals or family members can get help for issues related
Darknet marketplaces resemble legitimate e-commerce
to drug addiction.
sites, complete with shopping carts, thousands of products,
sales promotions, and customer reviews. But the Darknet In January 2018, the Department of Justice announced the
sites’ drop-down menus direct customers to cocaine, heroin, Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team,
fentanyl, and other illegal drugs. an FBI-led initiative that brings together a variety of federal
agencies to disrupt illicit opioid sales online.
There are risks associated with the Darknet. Buyers might get
more than they bargained for. Opiates laced with fentanyl, As part of the effort, the FBI is training hundreds of agents,
for example, have resulted in deadly overdoses throughout as well as local and state law enforcement partners, about the
the country. And there is the very real risk of arrest and increasing use of Darknet marketplaces to facilitate the sale of
prosecution because specially trained investigators can use a opiates.
variety of techniques to infiltrate the marketplaces.

8 THE FBI STORY 2018 04.03.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/DISARRAY

“
For those who think the Darknet
provides anonymity, you are
mistaken.”
STOLEN ART RETURNED
CHAGALL OIL PAINTING RECOVERED
NEARLY 30 YEARS AFTER HEIST
Nearly 30 years after an elderly New York couple’s 1911 Shortly afterward, the thief met with the Maryland man in
painting by Marc Chagall was stolen from their Manhattan Virginia to try to sell the painting but the deal collapsed. The
home, the modernist oil-on-canvas work is being returned to Maryland man kept possession of the painting and stashed
the family’s estate. it in his attic for years. He brought it out in 2011—and again
in January 2017—in his fruitless appeals to the D.C. gallery
The painting, entitled Othello and Desdemona, was recovered
owner to exhibit and try to sell the stolen art.
in 2017 after a Maryland man contacted the FBI’s Washington
Field Office. His repeated efforts to consign the painting had The statute of limitations for the theft has expired, so no
been rebuffed by a D.C. gallery owner who was suspicious charges are pending against the individual who initially stole
about its provenance and suggested the man call law the painting, nor the individual who kept it. The Maryland man
enforcement. The ensuing investigation led the FBI to the is not named in court filings. The suspected thief in the case
man’s home in Maryland, where he had stored the painting in was convicted in federal court and served time on charges
his attic for years in a custom box he crafted out of a doorjamb related to selling stolen property, including art from other
and plywood. apartment buildings.
The Maryland man had obtained the painting in the late 1980s The Chagall painting, which until recently was still stored in the
or early 1990s from the man who stole the Chagall in New makeshift wooden box, will be returned to the Hellers’ estate,
York in 1988. The thief was a worker in the Upper East Side which plans to place it on auction. Proceeds will reimburse the
building where Ernest and Rose Heller lived in an apartment insurance company that paid the theft claim years ago and be
surrounded by paintings and sculptures by renowned artists. directed to several non-profit organizations supported by the
Several other works of art also disappeared in the heist while estate.
the Hellers were on vacation.

MORE AT FBI.GOV/CHAGALL 04.12.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 11

“
Many days you’re doing
thankless work, so we want to
make sure that we thank you.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray

THE FBI STORY 2018 04.20.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/DCLA2017

2017
DIRECTOR’S
COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP
AWARDS
LOCAL LEADERS
HONORED
In a ceremony at FBI Headquarters on April 20, 2018, 57
remarkable individuals and organizations were honored
during the Director’s Community Leadership Awards (DCLA)
ceremony. Nominated by the each of the FBI’s 56 field
offices and the Criminal Justice Information Services Division
last year, the 2017 recipients were formally recognized by
Director Christopher Wray for extraordinary service to their
communities.
Since 1990, the annual awards have been the principal means
for the FBI to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those
working to make a difference in their communities through
the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and
violence.
In his remarks to the group, Wray thanked the honorees
for their efforts to make the country safer and noted the
similarities between community leaders and the FBI’s own
workforce—both are dedicated to public service and “doing
the right thing in the right way,” he said.
“We need the support, the understanding, and the trust of
our community partners and the public. You’re out in your
neighborhoods and your communities every day building that
support and that trust and that understanding,” Wray added.
The 2017 DCLA winners have made a variety of meaningful
contributions to their communities, such as improving
relationships between law enforcement and those they serve,
providing housing to human trafficking survivors, combating
the opioid crisis, and encouraging young people to make
positive choices.
“Many days you’re doing thankless work,” Wray told the
recipients, “so we want to make sure that we thank you.”

THE FBI STORY 2018 13

JUSTICE FINALLY SERVED
INDIANA FUGITIVE CAPTURED IN 1999
CHILD MOLESTATION CASE
Seymour, Indiana, in the 1990s was a Midwestern town with
rural roots and a comfortable, small-town feel. Parents felt safe
letting their children walk to Girl Scout meetings with friends
and ride their bikes unchaperoned.
All that changed on January 20, 1999, when a 10-year-old girl
waiting for her father after gymnastics practice was abducted
and molested. The man who approached her outside a local
girls club said he had locked the keys in his car and needed
someone with slender arms to reach them.
The attack shocked the community, all the more when the
suspect fled before he could be apprehended. At the time, no
one realized it would take nearly two decades to bring justice
to the victim and her family, and a sense of closure to the
community—or that Todd Prewitt, an Indiana State Trooper at
the time of the crime who was born and raised in Seymour and
is now an FBI agent, would play a central role in resolving the
case.
On that cold January day, Charley Hollin forced the girl into
his car at knifepoint, drove away, and sexually assaulted her.
Afterward, he made the girl leave the car naked, and her
clothes were thrown out after her. Hollin also mistakenly threw
out his own jacket, which contained his day planner.
The assault itself was tragic, but then justice was not served.
Hollin’s identity was known to authorities—and reported by
the media—because they had his day planner. But the victim
could not positively identify her assailant with full certainty, so
where he worked out of the Bloomington Resident Agency.
authorities were forced to wait for the results of DNA testing
One of the first things he did was take a fresh look at the
before they could arrest Hollin and charge him with the crime.
Charley Hollin case and contact the victim’s parents.
Hollin took that opportunity to flee.
“After so much time had passed,” he said, “the parents
Eleven years before the assault, Hollin had stolen the identity
and the victim had resigned themselves to Hollin not being
of a deceased 8-year-old boy who was the victim of a drunk-
caught. I told them I was going to do everything I could.”
driving crash. Hollin secured a Social Security card using the
boy’s name, Andrew David Hall. He used that new identity to After years of searching, Hollin was located in Salem, Oregon,
obtain driver’s licenses in Indiana and Minnesota, and later a and taken into custody in 2016. In March 2018, the 62-year-
passport. Hollin lived in Minnesota for several years, where old was sentenced by an Indiana state judge to a 30-year
he married, and then relocated to Oregon. He had apparently prison term for his crimes and an additional 10 years of home
bragged about his ability to become someone else and supervision.
disappear.
Prewitt credits local law enforcement and the prosecutor’s
Prewitt fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming an FBI agent in office for their help in finally apprehending Hollin. “We all
2001 and was transferred to the Indianapolis Division in 2009, worked together and stayed on this to bring him to justice.”

14 THE FBI STORY 2018 06.07.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/HOLLIN

“
After so much time had passed, the parents and
the victim had resigned themselves to Hollin
not being caught. I told them I was going to do
everything I could.”

THE FBI STORY 2018 15

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
HOME RUN
SPORTS MEMORABILIA FRAUD CASE
YIELDS UNEXPECTED BENEFIT FOR
CHICAGO YOUTH BASEBALL LEAGUES

16 THE FBI STORY 2018 07.13.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/HOMERUN

John Rogers was a prolific forger of sports memorabilia The equipment was seized during the Rogers fraud case, and
who fleeced banks and individual investors out of millions of after the forged signatures of famous players were chemically
dollars. And although his victims are unlikely to be repaid, removed or blacked out, the bats and balls found a new home
Rogers’ fraud has provided an unexpected benefit for a group among youngsters who have embraced baseball as a way to
of inner-city teen baseball players in Chicago. stay out of trouble and to possibly earn a college scholarship.
In early July 2018 on the city’s South Side—an area known “These kids are doing the right thing and trying to live the
for gang violence and homicides—employees from the FBI’s right path in life,” said Special Agent Brian Brusokas, who led
Chicago Field Office delivered 125 Louisville Slugger bats the Rogers investigation as part of the FBI’s Art Crime Team.
and dozens of baseballs to young players whose leagues “We wanted to give them something that they needed.”
are sponsored by the Chicago White Sox organization. (A
“If we took one of these bats and put it in the hands of one of
similar amount of equipment was donated to youth leagues
these kids,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey
sponsored by the Chicago Cubs, and equipment will also be
Sallet, “could that bat make a difference for that kid?”
donated in Little Rock, where Rogers’ business was located.)

“
These kids are doing the right
thing and trying to live the
right path in life. We wanted to
give them something that they
needed.”

THE FBI STORY 2018 17

FBI PHYSICAL FITNESS
TEST APP
LEARN WHAT IT’S LIKE
TO TRAIN LIKE AN AGENT
Think you have what it takes to become an FBI special agent? agents are also required to take the test regularly to ensure
they remain in shape to handle the physical demands of their
The new FBI Physical Fitness Test mobile app allows aspiring
jobs.
agents and fitness enthusiasts alike to learn the benchmarks of
the official FBI Physical Fitness Test for agents. The app has a practice mode and a testing mode, and while it
provides an overview of the physical fitness requirements for
The app runs users through the same exercises that special
FBI agents, it cannot be used for official Physical Fitness Test
agent candidates must pass and includes tips on form,
scoring in the actual agent application process.
including video instruction for some exercises. The videos
feature actual FBI fitness trainers who work with new agents at The FBI does not collect personal user data from this app; the
the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The required exercises information remains stored on the device in accordance with
for the FBI Physical Fitness Test for agents are sit-ups, push- fbi.gov’s privacy policy.
ups, a 300-meter sprint, and a 1.5-mile run. Candidates for the
The FBI Physical Fitness Test app is free and available on the
FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team are also required to complete pull-
App Store and Google Play.
ups as part of the test.
Prospective agents must take the actual fitness test several
times throughout their hiring process, and current special

18 THE FBI STORY 2018 07.23.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/PFTAPP

THINK BEFORE YOU POST
HOAX THREATS ARE SERIOUS CRIMES

In the aftermath of tragic shootings, such as the ones at Santa With a thoughtless remark on social media, young people
Fe High School in Texas and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High risk starting out their adult lives in prison and forever being
School in Florida, there is often an increase in hoax threats to labeled a felon.
schools and other public places. Safety is paramount, and the
“The Bureau and its law enforcement partners take each
FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners always
threat seriously. We investigate and fully analyze each
respond to each threat.
threat to determine its credibility,” said FBI Deputy Director
In recent months, the FBI and law enforcement around David Bowdich. “Hoax threats disrupt school, waste limited
the country have investigated a number of hoax threats of law enforcement resources, and put first responders in
targeted violence against schools and other public places. unnecessary danger. We also don’t want to see a young
These threats—often issued via text message or posted on person start out adulthood with a felony record over an
social media—are taken very seriously. Hoax threats are not a impulsive social media post. It’s not a joke; always think before
joke, and they can have devastating consequences—both for you post.”
the public and for the perpetrators.
In addition to consequences for individuals who issue threats,
Issuing a threat—even over social media, via text message, there is also a significant societal cost. Law enforcement
or through email—is a federal crime (threatening interstate agencies have limited resources, and responding to hoax
communications). Those who post or send these threats can threats diverts officers and costs taxpayers. The threats can
receive up to five years in federal prison, or they can face state also cause severe emotional distress to students, school
or local charges. personnel, and parents.

MORE AT FBI.GOV/THINKBEFOREYOUPOST 10.05.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 19

“
Terrorism is a global problem, and
it requires a global response.”
A GLOBAL APPROACH TO ROOTING
OUT TERRORISM
ILEA TRAINING PROGRAM ADDRESSES
TERRORISM, VIOLENT EXTREMISM
The United States woke up to the reality of terrorism on 9/11, then we find common ground. We ask each other: How can we
but many of the African nations that participated in an FBI-led work together? How can we be proactive to prevent acts of
program aimed at countering violent extremism have been terrorism?”
fighting terror attacks on their soil for decades.
A theme that emerged from the training was thinking “left of
“Terrorism is a global problem, and it requires a global the boom.”
response,” said Special Agent Rick Hernandez, who provides
The FBI, like many law enforcement agencies, has become
counterterrorism training to the FBI’s international partners.
expert at responding to the “right of the boom,” which is what
The Bureau’s highest priority is to prevent terror attacks in the
happens immediately after a terrorist bomb explodes. “We
United States, Hernandez noted. “But if we can prevent an act
have teams, we have specialists, and we react,” Hernandez
of terrorism anywhere in the world, it helps keep America safe
said. “Unfortunately, we’ve learned that just reacting means
and it helps keep our partners safe.”
you are already too late. Once the attack has happened,
The training—conducted at the International Law Enforcement people have died.”
Academy (ILEA) in Roswell, New Mexico—included
The idea is to look left of the boom—a military term referring
delegations from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Angola, Botswana,
to the timeline before an explosion—and to trace the journey
and Mozambique. Delegates were police officers, prosecutors,
that individuals take from being average citizens to being
and judges, and many had firsthand experience dealing with
violent extremists, and to find a way to interrupt that process.
terrorism in their countries.
Before attending the ILEA training, “perhaps our emphasis
In July 2010, suicide bombers in Uganda’s capital city of
back home was more on suppression and containment,”
Kampala carried out attacks on crowds watching a World Cup
said Frank Emeka, a member of the Nigerian delegation who
soccer match, and more than 70 people were killed. Susan
heads the Nigeria Police Force’s criminal investigations and
Okalany, a member of the Uganda delegation at ILEA, was
intelligence divisions. “One of the things this training has
appointed lead prosecutor in the case after her colleague in
done for me is to open my eyes to the other side of the boom,
that position was assassinated.
which means we must begin to look beyond the traditional law
“Uganda is a young population—about 50 percent of enforcement tools.”
Ugandans are below the age of 18,” said Okalany, who is now
Beyond providing training and instruction to America’s
a judge. “While we have universal primary and secondary
international partners, a fundamental part of the ILEA mission
education, the rate of enrollment and retention in schools
is to bring regional nations’ law enforcement leaders and
is not very high.” Without the proper programs for young
decision-makers together to address shared threats and to
people, she believes many could be indoctrinated and
promote lasting friendships and professional networks.
radicalized by extremist groups.
“The hope,” said Hernandez, “is that through the dialogue
Other delegates shared similar concerns—as well as insights—
and the exchange of ideas and perspectives, the delegates
about the threat from terrorism in their countries.
from these countries will leave with a new, proactive
“We challenge them together,” Hernandez said. “We ask perspective on countering violent extremism.”
them to search for ideas, we compare them with ours, and

MORE AT FBI.GOV/ILEA2018 08.02.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 21

“
We are still working to ensure
that we have identified all parties
involved in both the initial theft and
the more recent extortion attempt
for their return.”
A CULTURAL ICON COMES HOME
STOLEN RUBY SLIPPERS FROM THE
WIZARD OF OZ RECOVERED
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 the company that insured the slippers, saying he had
film The Wizard of Oz and stolen from the actress’ namesake information about the shoes and how they could be returned.
museum in Minnesota more than a decade ago has been When it became apparent that this was an extortion attempt,
recovered. The slippers are widely considered to be one of the FBI got involved.
the most recognizable pieces of memorabilia in American film
“We are still working to ensure that we have identified all
history and are estimated to be worth several million dollars.
parties involved in both the initial theft and the more recent
The iconic sequined shoes—one of at least four pairs used in extortion attempt for their return,” said Special Agent
the film that are still in existence—were stolen from the Judy Christopher Dudley, who led the investigation from the
Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005 and recovered FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “This is very much an active
earlier this summer during a sting operation. But the case is far investigation.”
from over.
Anyone with additional information regarding the theft of the
Despite a vigorous investigation by local authorities at the ruby slippers or the extortion plot is encouraged to contact
time of the crime, the slippers were not located, and no arrests the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit information online at
were made. In the summer of 2017, an individual approached tips.fbi.gov.

Photo credit: Smithsonian

MORE AT FBI.GOV/RUBYSLIPPERS 09.04.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 23

REMEMBERING 9/11
COMPENSATION FOR FIRST
RESPONDERS, VICTIMS STILL AVAILABLE
As the nation marks the 17th anniversary of the September sacrifices all of our first responders made,” Wray told a group
11, 2001 terror attacks, the FBI is helping to raise awareness of nearly 200 federal law enforcement officers during a public
about compensation available to law enforcement personnel forum to provide information about federal programs available
and other first responders who have fallen ill as a result of their to those who responded to crash sites at the World Trade
selfless acts in the days and weeks after the attacks. Centers, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Speaking at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, According to the World Trade Center Health Program, which
FBI Director Christopher Wray noted that in the past six participated in Friday’s event with the September 11th Victim
months he has attended memorial services for three FBI Compensation Fund, there have been more than 7,500 cancer
special agents who died from illnesses related to their efforts cases with more than 350 first responders having died from
in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. 9/11-related illnesses. The FBI has reported that 15 special
agents have died from 9/11-related illnesses.
“We are only now beginning to understand and witness
the long-term effects of that work and the full extent of the

“
We are only now beginning to
understand and witness the long-
term effects of that work and the
full extent of the sacrifices all of our
first responders made.”

Photo credit: 9/11 Memorial & Museum

24 THE FBI STORY 2018 09.10.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/911COMP

The 9/11 attacks were the most lethal in U.S. history, taking the individuals—or to family members of those who died—who
lives of nearly 3,000 Americans and international citizens and suffered physical harm or were killed as a result of the 9/11
ultimately leading to significant changes in the way the FBI and attacks or the debris removal efforts that took place in the
the federal government deals with terrorism around the globe. immediate aftermath of the airliner crashes.
The Bureau’s ensuing investigation was its largest ever. The
To date, according to the group’s website, nearly 21,000
crash sites represented the largest crime scene in FBI history.
individuals have become eligible for compensation, and more
At the peak of the case, more than half of all agents were at
than 19,000 of them have been awarded funds. The total
work to identify the hijackers and their sponsors and, along
amount awarded exceeds $4.2 billion.
with other agencies, to head off any possible future attacks.
But there is no telling when a first responder might fall ill.
FBI personnel who responded to the attacks and have died
Officials at the event encouraged law enforcement officers
as a result of their efforts, Wray explained, “were men and
and emergency personnel who worked at 9/11 sites, and who
women who served their country in its greatest hour of need,
may be at risk of illness, to register for possible compensation
much like the thousands and thousands of first responders
even if they are not ill now.
who poured into this city in the hours and days after the
attacks, and the first responders who worked day after day, “There are resources that may be available to you,” Wray told
and night after night, in Pennsylvania and Virginia.” those at the 9/11 event. “You fought to make sure that what
happened that day would never ever happen again. So let us
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was
help you now.”
created by an act of Congress to provide compensation to

Photo credit: 9/11 Memorial & Museum

THE FBI STORY 2018 25

26 THE FBI STORY 2018
 INDIAN
COUNTRY
BEHIND THE
SCENES OF A RARE
RICO CASE
They called themselves the Red Skin Kingz, or RSK for short.
And unlike most gangs on the sprawling Navajo Nation Indian
Reservation that occupies portions of Utah, New Mexico,
and Arizona, this criminal group was highly organized and
extremely violent.
“Unfortunately, violence in Indian Country is common,” said
Mike Caputo, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s
Phoenix Field Office, explaining that the violent crime rate on
the nearly 200 Indian reservations within the FBI’s investigative
jurisdiction is about three times the national average. But RSK,
whose top leaders were a mother-son team, “was one of the
most violent gangs we have ever seen.”
In May 2018, a federal judge in Phoenix sentenced Devan
Leonard to 50 years in prison. His mother, Lucille Leonard, was
given a 10-year sentence, and a third gang leader, Kyle Gray,
received a 30-year prison term. In a rare occurrence, the three
were charged with racketeering offenses typically reserved for
the Mafia and other highly structured criminal groups.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)
Act is a federal statute that provides penalties for actions
performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. In this
case, RSK had been engaged for years in drug trafficking,
carjacking, kidnapping, and murder.
“There was a clear hierarchy,” said Special Agent Bradley
Smith, who investigated the case from the FBI’s Gallup
Resident Agency in New Mexico as part of the Safe Trails
Task Force. “And they committed crimes in furtherance of the
gang. Within the span of four days in 2014, they murdered,
dismembered, and burned the bodies of three people.”
RSK members primarily operated in and around the remote
northern Arizona town of Lukachukai. Devan Leonard and his
mother had a legitimate business there, but selling cocaine
and methamphetamine was the gang’s priority. It was a
drug-related murder near Gallup in 2014 that triggered the
investigation that eventually brought the gang down.
In all, eight RSK members were indicted and have pleaded
guilty as a result of the task force investigation. “We
dismantled the gang,” Smith said. “We put a complete stop to
their activities.”

MORE AT FBI.GOV/RSK 08.10.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 27

RUSSIAN HACKERS INDICTED
GRU OFFICERS TARGETED ANTI-DOPING
ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER AGENCIES

Seven Russian government operatives have been charged with a Swiss chemical laboratory but were disrupted by Dutch
hacking into the computer networks of organizations working authorities.
to investigate and stop Russian athletic doping, just after
As a result of the indictment, the operatives, all of whom are
Russia was banned from the Olympics due to state-sponsored
Russian citizens and are believed to be living in Russia, will
doping revelations.
no longer have the benefit of anonymity—which is prized
The hackers also allegedly targeted other international entities among state-sponsored cyber criminals. Publicly identifying
seen as thwarting Russia’s strategic interests, including a the hackers in an indictment, known as “naming and shaming,”
Pittsburgh-based nuclear energy company that provides hampers their ability to operate, particularly in traveling
nuclear fuel to Ukraine and an anti-chemical weapons outside Russia.
organization in the Netherlands; they later planned to target

28 THE FBI STORY 2018 10.04.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/GRUHACKERS

DOMESTIC TERRORISM
AFTER 12 YEARS ON THE RUN, JOSEPH
DIBEE HAS BEEN APPREHENDED

“
Just because time passes
doesn’t mean the FBI forgets.
We are very gratified to have
Dibee in custody.”

Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, one of two remaining fugitives Colorado—which caused estimated damages of $26 million—
linked to a domestic terrorism group that carried out dozens was its most notorious act.
of criminal acts in the late 1990s, has been apprehended.
“The crimes they committed were serious and dangerous,”
Federal authorities learned that the 50-year-old was traveling said Special Agent Tim Suttles, who has been working the
through Central America on his way to Russia with a planned Operation Backfire investigation from the FBI’s Portland
stop in Cuba. With assistance from Cuban authorities, he was Field Office since 2004. “Just because time passes doesn’t
detained there before boarding a plane bound for Russia and mean the FBI forgets. We are very gratified to have Dibee in
was returned to the United States. custody.”
Dibee fled the U.S. in December 2005. In 2006, he was Dibee’s capture leaves one fugitive still at large from The
indicted along with 11 co-conspirators as part of Operation Family: Josephine Sunshine Overaker, an American citizen
Backfire, a long-running FBI domestic terrorism investigation. believed to be either 43 or 46 years old, who fled to Europe in
The conspirators, known as The Family, have been linked to late 2001. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000
more than 40 criminal acts between 1995 and 2001, including for information leading to her arrest. Anyone with information
arson and vandalism, causing more than $45 million in should contact their local FBI office or submit a tip at
damages. The Family’s 1998 arson attack on a ski resort in Vail, tips.fbi.gov.

MORE AT FBI.GOV/DIBEE 08.10.18 THE FBI STORY 2018 29

CONVICTED KILLER LINKED TO 90
MURDERS
FBI’S ViCAP CONNECTS CASES TO
PROLIFIC SERIAL KILLER
A 78-year-old man sitting in prison in Texas may be among
the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, FBI crime analysts
report. According to the Texas Rangers, Samuel Little has
confessed to 90 murders to date, and the FBI is working with
the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance,
the Texas Rangers, and dozens of state and local agencies
to match Little’s confessions with evidence from women who
turned up dead in states from California to Florida between
1970 and 2005.
Little was arrested at a Kentucky homeless shelter in
September 2012 and extradited to California, where he was
wanted on a narcotics charge. Once Little was in custody, Los
Angeles Police Department detectives obtained a DNA match
to Little on the victims in three unsolved homicides from 1987
as they can. Thus far, the team has confirmed 34 killings with
and 1989 and charged him with three counts of murder. For
many more pending confirmation. There are still a number of
these crimes, Little was convicted and sentenced in 2014 to
Little’s confessions that remain uncorroborated.
three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole.
Williamson and Palazzolo say Little remembers his victims
In all three cases, the women had been beaten and then
and the killings in great detail. He remembers where he was
strangled, their bodies dumped in an alley, a dumpster, and
and what car he was driving. He draws pictures of many of the
a garage. Little asserted his innocence throughout his trial—
women he killed. He is less reliable, however, when it comes
even as a string of women testifying for the prosecution told of
to remembering dates. Little’s uncertain timeline has created
narrowly surviving similarly violent encounters with him.
a verification challenge for the ViCAP team, along with the
When Los Angeles got the DNA hit on Little, they asked the issues stemming from the victims Little targeted, his methods,
FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) to and how much he moved around—features of his crimes that
work up a full background on him. The FBI found an alarming begin to explain how he got away with murder for decades.
pattern and compelling links to many more murders.
In addition, DNA evidence was often not available or could
ViCAP reached out to the Texas Rangers with one clear not provide a clear link back to Little. A large number of the
connection. “We found a case out of Odessa, Texas, that killings occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s, before DNA
sounded very much like him, and we could place him passing profiling was part of the law enforcement toolbox. After
through the area around the same time,” said ViCAP Crime DNA analysis came into play, the victims’ work as prostitutes
Analyst Christina Palazzolo, who worked on the cases with complicated the ability of police to gather telling physical
Angela Williamson, a Department of Justice senior policy evidence.
adviser and ViCAP liaison. “We sent that lead out to the Texas
Palazzolo and Williamson said the cases that were recorded in
Rangers, who were eager to follow up on the long-cold case.”
ViCAP made for early and easy connections. The absence of
When Palazzolo and Williamson accompanied Ranger James data on so many others is what has made confirming Little’s
Holland to California to interview Little in the spring of 2018, accounts difficult and is perhaps part of what allowed his
the convicted murderer was hoping to move prisons. In crimes to continue for so long.
exchange for a move, Little was willing to talk.
Little is in poor health and will likely stay in prison in Texas until
“Over the course of that interview in May,” said Palazzolo, his death. The goal now is to identify his victims and provide
“he went through city and state and gave Ranger Holland closure and justice in unsolved cases. ViCAP is also hoping
the number of people he killed in each place.” In total, Little this case will serve as a reminder to every jurisdiction of the
confessed to 90 killings, and Palazzolo and Williamson have importance of consistent violent crime reporting.
been working to match up evidence to as many confessions

30 THE FBI STORY 2018 11.27.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/LITTLE

THE FBI STORY 2018 31
THE BOMBING OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103
30 YEARS LATER, STILL ACTIVELY SEEKING JUSTICE

Photo credit: AP

32 THE FBI STORY 2018 12.14.18 MORE AT FBI.GOV/PANAM103

Most Americans were awakened to the reality of terrorism on is still open and being actively investigated by the FBI and its
September 11, 2001, but more than a decade earlier, a few Scottish partners. Then as now, the goal is to hold everyone
days before Christmas in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, bound involved responsible for the crime and to bring justice to the
to New York from London and carrying mainly U.S. citizens, families of the victims.
was blown out of the sky by a terrorist bomb over the small
Despite the passage of three decades, noted Mike McGarrity,
Scottish town of Lockerbie.
who leads the Bureau’s Counterterrorism Division, “the FBI
In all, 270 souls perished. On board the aircraft were citizens does not forget. The American people—and our adversaries—
of 21 countries, including 189 Americans. On the ground, 11 need to know that we don’t give up.”
residents of Lockerbie were killed when the plane’s burning
For the families who lost loved ones; for the Scottish police
wings plunged into a quiet neighborhood just after dinner.
officers, firefighters, and volunteers who responded to an
Mothers and fathers, grandparents, children as young as 2
unprecedented disaster; for investigators and prosecutors who
months old, and college students returning home from a study
dedicated years of effort to the case; and for the residents of
abroad program lost their lives in what was the largest terrorist
Lockerbie, there is no forgetting December 21, 1988. In fact,
attack in American history until 9/11.
many have vowed never to forget, to make sure the lessons of
The bombing, believed to be carried out by Libyan Lockerbie are not lost on future generations.
intelligence officers in retaliation for U.S. actions against then-
Thirty years ago, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was a transformative event
sent a shock wave around the world. In many ways, the
for the FBI, one that changed the way the Bureau investigates
reverberations are still being felt today.
terrorism and assists victims of crimes.
Although two individuals were eventually arrested and tried
under Scots law in a special court in the Netherlands, the case

Photo credit: AP Photo credit: Syracuse University Libraries

THE FBI STORY 2018 33

 FBI OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20535
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