From:	"Bulletin Intelligence" <FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com>
To:	"FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com" <FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com>
Subject:	[EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Date:	Wed, 27 Jan 2021 11:29:22 +0000
Importance	Normal

Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 6:30 AM EST ## TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS ## CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS - Capitol Hill Investigation Expands To 400 Suspects, 150 Charged. - Attorney: FBI Did Not Recover Pelosi's Laptop. - Growing Scrutiny On Proud Boys In Investigation Of Capitol Assault. - FBI Searches Home Of Man Charged In Capitol Siege. - FBI Seeks Capitol Siege Tips Through Billboard Ads. - FBI “Reviewing” Congressional Requests For Social Media Investigation. - Teen, Now In Hiding, Discusses Alerting FBI About Father’s Alleged Role In Capitol Siege. - Acting Capitol Police Chief Apologizes For January 6 Failures. - Biden Administration Overhauling Government Approach To Domestic Extremism. ## COUNTER-TERRORISM - Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Planning Terror Attack. - Columnist: Church Bombing Hindering Anti-Hate Efforts. ## COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE - Appeals Court Considers Constitutionality Of Terrorism Screening Database. - TSA Recovered Record Rate Of Firearms In 2020. - Rep. Swalwell: No New Information On Christine Fang. - Opinion: Scrutiny Of Chinese-Born Researchers In The US Risks Delays In Innovation. ## CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS - California Man Charged With Threatening Family Members Of Congressman, Journalist. - Michigan Man Charged With Threatening Inauguration Shootings. - Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty To Firing On Police. - Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Alabama Man In Connection To Synagogue Vandalism. - Former Baltimore Police Officer Sentenced Over Stolen Contraband. - New York IRS Agent Arrested Over Identity Theft. - Continuing Coverage: Former West Virginia VA Doctor Sentenced For Abusing Veterans. - Connecticut Business Evacuated Following Bomb Threat. - Michigan School Board Meeting Disrupted By Bomb Threat. EFTA00148081 - Massachusetts Man Sentenced Over Threat To Bomb Courthouse. - Massachusetts Man Arrested In Vermont On Weapons Charges. - FBI Investigating Indiana Bank Robbery. - New Hampshire Man Sentenced Over Bank Robbery. - FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. - FBI Investigating Texas Cold Case. - Illinois Mayor Indicated Over Corruption. - Indicted Michigan Prosecutor To Attend Plea Hearing. - New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting Arson During Protest. - Seven Alleged Gang Members Facing Federal Charges. - North Carolina Minor Found Safe Following AMBER Alert. ## FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS - Vaccine Fraud Said To Be Increasing In US. - Washington Man Pleads Guilty In Scheme To Defraud Distressed Homeowners. - Two Plead Guilty To Healthcare Kickback Conspiracy. - Texas Couple Sentenced For Faking Addition In Bid To Reduce Jail Time. ## CYBER DIVISION - How The SolarWinds Hack Happened. - Vaccine Distribution Creates Cybersecurity Risks. - North Korea Using Hackers To Infiltrate Cybersecurity Researchers. - Opinion: America Not Prepared For A Catastrophic Cyberattack. - Commerce Secretary Nominee Won’t Promise To Maintain Huawei On US Blacklist. ## INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Ghislaine Maxwell Seeks Dismissal Of Case. LAWFUL ACCESS - Nonprofit Warns Against Demonizing Anti-Surveillance Tools. ## OTHER FBI NEWS - Senators Make US Attorney Recommendations For State Of Washington. - Former FBI Agent Asks Court To Enforce Subpoena Against Trump Campaign. - Rep. Greene Called For Executing FBI Agents, Democratic Politicians. - Call For Investigation Of FBI Racist Practices. - Biden Orders DOJ To End Reliance On Private Prisons. ## OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS - Biden Says US Ordering 200M More Vaccine Doses, Increasing Shipments To States. - CDC Says Schools Can Resume In-Person Learning With Precautions. - Administration Considers Requiring Negative COVID Test For Domestic Flights. - Experts Say Rapid Testing, Masks, And Ventilation Are Best Bet To Reoper- safely. - Chicago Schools Stop In-Person Classes Wednesday. - Vaccines Being Made Available To Teachers In At Least 22 States And L - Portland Mayor Uses Pepper Spray On Man Who Harassed Him About Masks. - Newsom Lifts Stay-At-Home Orders, Hopes California Can Avoid Another Surge. - Senate Confirms Blinken As Secretary Of State On 78-22 Vote. - Harris Swears In Yellen As Treasury Secretary. - During Confirmation Hearing, Raimondo Vows To Be Tough On China. - Senate Panel Backs DHS Pick Mayorkas. - Garland Names Coley To Lead Public Affairs At DOJ, Sources Say. EFTA00148082 - CIA Warns Ex-Officers Against Working For Foreign Government, Speaking Publicly. - Democrats Prepare To Pass Biden’s COVID Relief Plan With Or Without GOP. - SBA Says $35B In Additional Pandemic Loans Approved As It Tries To Fix PPP Glitches. - Yellen Says Treasury Will Play Major Role In Addressing COVID’s Economic Impact. - Congress Expected To Probe Allegations That Big Tech Engages In Anti-Competitive Behavior. - NYTimes Analysis: Small Share Of Trump Pardons And Commutations Were Fully Vetted By DOJ. - Floyd Trial Judge Denies Request To Use Past Incidents Against Former Officers - Federal Judge Temporarily Lifts Biden's Deportation Ban. - Wilkinson Overturns "Zero Tolerance" Trump-Era Immigration Policy. - Lawmakers Call On Biden To Protect Immigrants In Sanctuary. - Biden Issues Executive Orders Aimed At Racial Equity. - Biden To Impose "Wide-Ranging Moratorium" On Oil And Gas Leases. - Colorado Delegation Asks Biden To Keep Space Command Headquarters In State. - Schumer Says Senate Can Organize After Filibuster Standoff. - Schumer Lists Goals For Country, New York, Impeachment. - Leahy Sent Home From Hospital After Falling Ill. - All But Five GOP Senators Vote To Declare Trump Impeachment Trial Unconstitutional. ## INTERNATIONAL NEWS - US May Not Enforce Self-Quarantine Requirement For International Travelers. - EU Says It Expects Drug Companies To Live Up To Vaccine Obligations. - European Public Upset Over COVID Restrictions. - UK Is Smallest Nation To Pass 100K COVID Deaths. - Italian PM’s Resignation Raises Concerns About Pandemic Response. - Venezuela's Maduro Touts COVID Treatment.* - NYTimes Analysis: Pandemic Shows Costs Of Inequality In Hong Kong. - Epidemiologist Argues US Needs To Help Poorer Countries Acquire Vaccine. - Kerry Plans For US To Resume Leadership Role Against Climate Change. - Biden Administration To Review Sanctions On ICC Officials. - Beijing Announces South China Sea Drills In Wake Of US Carrier Group’s Entry. - New Delhi Farmers Protest Turns Violent. - Biden And Putin Discuss Extending Last Remaining Nuclear Arms Deal. - Administration Restores Relations With Palestinians. - Austin Planning To Review Trump’s Withdrawal Of Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq. - Yemenis Submit Petition Seeking Redress For US Drone Strikes. ## THE BIG PICTURE - Headlines From Today's Front Pages. - Today's Events In Washington. ## WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE ## CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS ## Capitol Hill Investigation Expands To 400 Suspects, 150 Charged. The AP (1/26, Balsamo, Richer, Long) reports that a prevalence of social media activity among those who stormed Capitol Hill on January 6 “and their friends’ willingness to turn them in has helped authorities charge about 150 people as of Monday with federal crimes.” However, “investigators must still work rigorously to link the images to the vandalism and suspects to the acts...in order to prove their case in court,” in addition to deploying agents to track suspects “because so few were arrested at the scene.” As a result, “federal prosecutors are focusing on EFTA00148083 the most critical cases and the most egregious examples of wrongdoing” in order to save manpower and cost. USA Today (1/26, 12.7M) reports that “the far-reaching investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege continues to grow, as more than 400 suspects have been identified by federal authorities who expect to bring sedition charges against some of those linked to the insurrection.” The US Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin said prosecutors “are working on” sedition cases, “adding that officials expected the investigations to ‘bear fruit very soon.’” Sherwin said numbers of arrests are “growing by the hour” and “cases are moving at a very rapid clip.” The Wall Street Journal (1/26, O'Brien, Viswanatha, Ailworth, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that the FBI’s investigation is shifting focus toward assembling cases that some rioters coordinated the attack, based on evidence from over 200,000 tips, public testimony, confidential sources, local news coverage, surveillance, grand jury subpoenas, and search warrants. The Washington Post (1/26, Hsu, Weiner, Barrett, 10.52M) reports, “U.S. authorities have opened case files on at least 400 potential suspects and expect to bring sedition charges against some ‘very soon’ in the sprawling investigation into the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, officials said.” Sherwin said that new arrests will likely “plateau” as investigations into “militia groups [and] individuals from different several states” continue. When “asked about the potential of related future violence,” FBI Assistant Director Steven D’Antuono “said the FBI is ‘determining if there are any viable leads we can follow.’” NBC News (1/26, 4.91M) reports D’Antuono “said more than 150 criminal cases have been filed so far.” Additionally, “the FBI is offering a $75,000 reward to help identify whoever planted two pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees near the Capitol.” Bloomberg (1/26, Strohm, Kinery, 3.57M) reports D’Antuono said, “This case is unique in its magnitude and the number of suspect.” Katrina Vanden Heuvel writes in the Washington Post (1/26, 10.52M) that President Biden’s inauguration last week on the same steps that had been “overrun by insurrectionists” sent the message that “democracy had been tested, and democracy had prevailed.” But, “it would be a mistake to think the fight to preserve and revive our flawed democracy concluded on Inauguration Day. In fact, it has only begun.” Vanden Heuvel adds, “The Capitol siege was just the latest and most brazen instance of politicians leading efforts to delay democracy when it threatens their power – by suppressing the votes of political opponents, giving corporate funding undue influence over the people’s representatives and structuring Congress so that favored factions can hold on to outsize power.” Additional coverage includes CNN (1/26, Polantz, Cohen, Perez, 89.21M), NPR (1/26, 3.69M), Reuters (1/26, Chiacu), The Hill (1/26, Neidig, 5.69M), and ABC News (1/26, Mallin, Barr, 2.44M). "Murder the Media” Man Arrested In Connection To Capitol Violence. The Houston Chronicle (1/26, Wu, 982K) reports Nicholas DeCarlo of Texas was arrested on Tuesday. A FBI special agent’s account says that DeCarlo and another man were photographed in front of a door inside the Capitol with the phrase “murder the media” etched on the door. The Dallas Morning News (1/26, 772K) reports that in the picture, DeCarlo is wearing a “Murder the Media” shirt and hat; he says his employer is “MT Media News,” which stands for Murder the Media News. The AP (1/26) reports the other man in the photo is “Nicholas Ochs, one of the founders of Hawaii’s chapter of the Proud Boys, neofascist group. " Two New York Men Charged In Connection To Attack. The AP (1/26) reports Brian Gundersen of New York was charged in connection with the storming of the Capitol. “The FBI said multiple individuals in the community around the high school in Armonk saw” him wearing his Byram Hills “Bobcats” High School jacket in images of the crowd during the attack. Also charged was William Vogel, who the FBI said “can be heard on the audio supporting the actions of others who were engaged in disorderly conduct.” EFTA00148084 Texas Man Waives Preliminary Hearings. The San Antonio Express-News (1/26, Zavala, 685K) reports Matthew Carl Mazzocco of Texas “was scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard B. Farrer for preliminary hearings, but those were waived.” The Express-News adds, “Three people reported Mazzocco to authorities, based on photos that showed up on his social media pages.” Capitol Rioter Who Smoked Joint During Violence Charged. The New York Post (1/26, Feuerherd, 7.45M) reports James Bonet of New York was arrested “after investigators tracked down photos of him inside the building – including one snap that showed him smoking a joint.” His co-workers reported him to the FBI “after they shared a screenshot of a Facebook video that showed him smoking the joint.” Additional coverage includes the Daily Beast (1/26, Melendez, 933K). New Jersey Man Arrested After Posting Videos Of Himself In Capitol Siege. The Hill (1/26, Gstalter, 5.69M) reports in its “Blog Briefing Room” blog that Hector Emmanuel Vargas Santos of New Jersey “was charged with four federal counts accusing him of unlawfully and violently entering the Capitol, as well as disorderly and disruptive conduct.” The Hill adds, “The FBI received a tip from someone who knew Vargas from a community group in Jersey City and saw he had posted photographs and videos on social media from inside the Capitol on the day of the deadly insurrection.” Additionally, Vargas posted videos showing himself walking through the Rotunda. Man Who Livestreamed Capitol Storming Turns Himself In. The Baltimore Sun (1/26, Fenton, 629K) reports the FBI said that Andrew Ryan Bennett, who “who reportedly livestreamed inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6,” turned himself in to authorities. Judge Orders Capitol Rioter Remain In Jail. The Teller County (CO) Mountain Jackpot (1/26, Phipps) reports Federal Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak ruled that Robert Gieswein will “remain in jail on federal charges throughout the court process due to his role in the recent Capitol Hill riots.” Varholak said that Gieswein was “armed to do battle.” Pennsylvania Man Who Livestreamed Capitol Violence Arrested. The Philadelphia Inquirer (1/26, Roebuck) reports Kenneth Grayson of Pennsylvania was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday. He livestreamed his storming of the Capitol on Facebook, and previously posted on Facebook “I’m with a group going to fight, not hang out.” Continuing Coverage: WalkAway Campaign Founder Arrested. In continuing coverage, NBC News (1/26, 4.91M) reports #WalkAway social media campaign founder Brandon Straka was arrested after “the FBI received multiple tips about his presence at the deadly siege” of the Capitol. Alabama Man Charged With Capitol Violence To Remain In Jail. Birmingham (AL). News (1/26, Robinson, 656K) reports that US Magistrate Judge John H. England, III on Wednesday ruled that Joshua Matthew Black of Alabama will remain behind bars; he was arrested for his role in the storming of the Capitol. England’s order “said there is clear and convincing evidence, that ‘no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community.’” During the hearing, FBI Special Agent Darius Hill testified that Black “told me mainly God led him there to plead the blood of Jesus in the Senate.” ## Attorney: FBI Did Not Recover Pelosi’s Laptop. The Philadelphia Inquirer (1/26, Roebuck) reports that on Tuesday, A.J. Kramer, the public defender for Riley Williams, said during a hearing with US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui that the FBI did not recover House Speaker Pelosi’s laptop after searching her car and apartment. Williams “surrendered to authorities last week, two days after they first accused her of stealing it in an attempt to sell it to the Russian security services.” The Inquirer says, “It remains unclear whether Pelosi’s laptop was ever in Williams’ possession at all,” after prosecutors said “she boasted about” taking the device “on the social media platform Discord.” However, “they EFTA00148085 clarified that at this point they have only lodged charges against her for aiding and abetting the theft." BuzzFeed News (1/26, O'Connor) reports Kramer said that all the allegations against his client “were all lies all made up by an ex.” However, the FBI affidavit, includes screenshots of what appears to be Williams’ account on the social media platform Discord saying, “I DOMT CARE I TOOK NANCY POLESIS HARD DRIVES I DONT CARE KILL ME,” and “screenshots of a video that tipsters told the FBI Williams livestreamed on her own social media account show the hands of people in the process of taking a laptop from a congressional desk.” Additional coverage includes the AP (1/26) and Fox News (1/26, Ruiz, 23.99M). ## Growing Scrutiny On Proud Boys In Investigation Of Capitol Assault. The New York Times (1/26, Feuer, Robles, 20.6M) reports federal law enforcement officials say that as they seek to determine how closely Proud Boys members communicated during the storming of the Capitol “and to what extent they might have planned the assault in advance,” the group’s leadership “has come under increased scrutiny.” Although “investigators have yet to unearth clear-cut evidence suggesting there was a widespread conspiracy to assault the Capitol,” a federal law enforcement official said they “turned their attention” toward two Proud Boy organizers on the West Coast – Ethan Nordean and Eddie Block – “and have started executing a series of search warrants connected to the group.” Meanwhile, the FBI “is conducting a similarly serious inquiry into the Oath Keepers, a group largely composed of law enforcement and military personnel, and the Three Percenters, which emerged from the extremist wing of the gun rights movement.” ## FBI Searches Home Of Man Charged In Capitol Siege. WSFA-TV Montgomery, AL (1/26, Scarpino, 34K) reports that the FBI and law enforcement partners searched the home of Lonnie Coffman, who was arrested in connection to the Capitol riot. “Caution tape marked off the area as ATF and FBI agents spent around six hours searching Coffman’s home.” Coffman’s truck, found just south of the Capitol Building, was found to contain 11 Molotov cocktails and multiple firearms. ## FBI Seeks Capitol Siege Tips Through Billboard Ads. The Springfield (MO) News-Leader (1/26, Holman, 44K) reports that in its efforts to encourage tips on the January 6 storming of the Capitol, the FBI placed ads on thousands of billboards across the US. A Kansas City-based FBI spokesperson “characterized the billboards as an ‘extremely effective tool,’ not just to seek out tips to identify suspects, but also to find fugitives and missing persons or to issue public safety alerts.” The News-Leader adds, “Provided at no cost to the taxpayer, the ads run when space is available.” ## FBI “Reviewing” Congressional Requests For Social Media Investigation. Fox News (1/26, Singman, 23.99M) reports the FBI said it is “reviewing these requests from members of Congress” to investigate the role social media played in the storming of the Capitol. House Oversight Committee Chair Maloney requested a probe of Parler’s “role” as a “potential facilitator” of planning or inciting the violence, and Republicans on the committee requested such a probe also include Facebook and Twitter. ## Teen, Now In Hiding, Discusses Alerting FBI About Father’s Alleged Role In Capitol Siege. ABC News (1/26, Winsor, Coulson, Becker, 2.44M) reports that Texas teenager Jackson Reffitt, who alerted the FBI to his father’s alleged role in the storming of the Capitol, says he wants others to know that “it's OK to come forward.” He added, “Your moral compass is going to be absolutely just the right thing.” Reffitt also “told ABC News that he is now in hiding and has cut ties with his family, who he said is upset with him for calling the FBI tip line weeks before the EFTA00148086 Capitol siege to alert them about his father.” Guy Reffitt’s wife informed investigators that both their son and daughter informed her he told them, “If you turn me in, you’re a traitor and you know what happens to traitors...traitors get shot.” ## Acting Capitol Police Chief Apologizes For January 6 Failures. On the CBS Evening NewsVi (1/26, story 4, 1:35, O'Donnell, 4.76M), Kris Van Cleave reported, that Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman made “a stunning admission” that “leaders knew days before the January 6th attack [that] armed militia groups and white supremacists were coming to Washington, with Congress as a target.” Pittman “told lawmakers Capitol Police knew there was a strong potential for violence, but officers were still not properly armed and failed to adequately lock down the building.” Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) said, “It’s time to start figuring out why some of this intelligence information was not acted upon.” ABC World News TonightVi’s (1/26, story 8, 0:25, Muir, 7.57M) David Muir reported that Pittman issued “a formal apology...for failures during the deadly riots at the Capitol.” Pittman testified “before Congress that police knew that militia groups and white supremacists would be there, and that there was strong potential for violence.” Pittman also “says National Guard troops were requested two days before the riots, but that the request was rejected by their supervising board.” Muir said that “one member of that board [is] denying the claim.”

Politico(1/26,Zanona,6.73M) reports that on Tuesday,Pittman“apologized to Congress for the security failures at the complex the day of the deadly Jan. 6 riots, acknowledging in an extraordinary statement that the department‘failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours.” Politico says Pittman“also admitted that a Capitol police board denied a request on Jan.4 for additional support from the National Guard,”and it“wasn’t until the building was overrun by a pro-Trump mob the panel relented, an hour after another plea was made。”

USA Today (1/26, Duret, Mansfield, Penzenstadler, 12.7M) reports that despite a $54 million budget boost in February 2020, including an additional $7 million “to upgrade equipment and supplies,” Capitol Police “were sent into the chaos” on January 6 “with little if any protective gear,” raising “questions of how [they] could be overrun by a loosely knit group of far-right mob, other rioters and hangers on.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, “They should’ve had everything they needed to protect the Capitol.” While Pittman said in her testimony that the agency did not do enough to prepare, “she also expressed the belief that nothing could have prepared them to prevent a protest of that size overrunning the Capitol,” which “was made to be open and welcoming to citizens.” The Wall Street Journal (1/26, Levy, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro said after the hearing, “It is now obvious that intelligence agencies had ample evidence an angry mob would descend on Washington, with Congress’ meeting to certify the presidential election as the intended target. The law-enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the Capitol did not act on this intelligence or adequately prepare for the looming threat.” The Washington Post (1/26, Wagner, Itkowitz, Sonmez, 10.52M) reports that Pittman is "one of several officials testifying before members of the House Appropriations Committee about the events and decisions that led to rioters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, and the steps that security outfits are taking to ensure such a breach is not repeated." The New York Times (1/26, Broadwater, Cochrane, Goldman, 20.6M) and Reuters (1/26, Staff) have more on the testimony. 6. The Washington Post (1/26, Sonne, 10.52M) reports that Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, says the Pentagon “restricted his authority ahead of the riot at the U.S. Capitol, requiring higher-level sign-off to respond that cost time as the events that day spiraled out of control.” According to the Post, “Local commanders typically have the power to take military action on their own to save lives or prevent significant property damage in an urgent situation,” but Walker “said the Pentagon EFTA00148087 essentially took that power and other authorities away from him ahead of a pro-Trump protest on Jan. 6.,” which “meant he couldn’t immediately roll out troops when he received a panicked phone call from the Capitol Police chief warning that rioters were about to enter the U.S. Capitol.” Former Army Secretary Says National Guard Response Didn’t Affect Violence At Capitol. The Military Times (1/26, Shane III, 845K) reports, “Former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy testified on Tuesday that Defense Department officials could have done little to prevent security failures surrounding the” storming of the Capitol. He said, “We had no indication from the federal and local agencies that the 6th would be any different in size, composition or threat levels than what we witnessed during [previous] demonstrations.” McCarthy “said that by the time a formal request arrived for the Guard to assist with crowd control, rioters were already entering the building.” ## Biden Administration Overhauling Government Approach To Domestic Extremism. MSNBC (1/26, Benen, 8.1M) reports, “Late last week, the Biden administration committed to” overhauling the government’s approach to domestic terrorism. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat. The Biden administration will approach this threat with the necessary resources and resolve.” The Administration will develop a capability to counter domestic violent extremism, launch a policy review on better sharing information in the threat, and seek to address domestic radicalization. “These are common-sense measures that may very likely make a difference in addressing one of the nation’s most serious security threats,” and which the executive branch wasn’t dong “between 2017 and 2020.” Fox News (1/26, Singman, 23.99M) reports that when asked about riots in the Pacific Northwest, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday said, “All violence happening around the country will be reviewed by the tasking by the national security team” on domestic violent extremism. Human Rights Groups Concerned About Expanding Terrorism Laws. Public Radio International (1/26, Shenoy, 15K) reports, “135 human rights groups have written a joint letter to lawmakers opposing an expansion of terrorism laws,” citing concerns that they will be used not against white supremacists but minorities. Howeer, Jason Blazakis, former director of the State Department’s counterterrorism office, said,“I think there is an important symbolic value to a domestic terrorism update that would allow for the United States to start considering, quite frankly, white people as terrorists, to not just brown or Black people or people who may worship a certain faith.” Oregon GOP Claims Siege Was A “False Flag” To “Discredit” Trump. The Washington Post (1/26, Peiser, 10.52M) reports that the Oregon “Republican Party isn’t just backing former president Donald Trump – its official position falsely claims that the entire episode was a ‘false flag’ operation staged to discredit the GOP and silence Trump’s supporters.” The Oregon GOP last week “released a resolution passed by its executive committee that says the supposedly fake operation was meant to undermine Trump and give more power to President Biden, citing websites by John Solomon and the Trump-friendly Epoch Times.” The Post says, “State Republican parties nationwide have been castigating members for opposing Trump, voting to impeach him and certifying Biden’s victory.” ## COUNTER-TERRORISM ## Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Planning Terror Attack. The New York Daily News (1/26, Greene, 2.51M) reports Jaylyn Christopher Molina of Texas “pleaded guilty to a role in a terrorist plot to attack the White House and Trump Tower.” He and Kristopher Sean Matthews of South Carolina “discussed traveling to Syria to fight with the EFTA00148088 Islamic State group and talked about carrying out attacks at Trump Tower, the White House, the New York Stock Exchange or buildings housing the CIA or FBI." ## Columnist: Church Bombing Hindering Anti-Hate Efforts. Gustavo Arellano, in a column in the Los Angeles Times (1/26, 3.37M), writes that supporters of the First Works Baptist Church, which espouses “antigay rhetoric of the vilest kind imaginable,” are “condemning Keep El Monte Friendly, the main group behind” an effort against the church and its founder, Delfin Bruce Mejia, in the wake a bomb being set off in front of the church. This is despite El Monte Police Chief David Reynoso saying, “it wouldn’t be fair in any way, shape or form to link” the explosion and demonstrators. Now members of the movement are “upset that Mejia is now playing the martyr, and that their activism against a proud hatemonger needs to lay low for a while.” ## Appeals Court Considers Constitutionality Of Terrorism Screening Database. The AP (1/26, Barakat) reports that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday “expressed concerns about ordering wholesale changes to” the Terrorism Screening Database, “a government watchlist of roughly 1 million individuals labeled as ‘known or suspected terrorists,’ despite a lower court finding that the list was constitutionally flawed.” While government lawyers at the hearing “said the problems encountered by those on the list...were too insignificant to merit intervention,” an attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Gadeir Abbas, cited examples of plaintiffs “being shackled and having guns pointed at them.” Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson “suggested it might be better for individual plaintiffs to file suits based on their own experiences” and “questioned whether the judiciary branch was able or qualified to require revisions to a program that the government insists is vital to national security.” ## TSA Recovered Record Rate Of Firearms In 2020. The Washington Post (1/26, 10.52M) reports, “The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that it detected twice as many firearms per million passengers at airport security checkpoints in 2020 than it did in 2019.” The TSA “announced that it found about 10 firearms per million passengers screened last year, compared with about five firearms per million passengers screened a year earlier,” though the overall “number of firearms found decreased – 3,257 in 2020 compared with a record 4,432 in 2019.” However, “the rate per passenger was the highest since the agency was founded in 2001.” ## COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE ## Rep. Swalwell: No New Information On Christine Fang. Fox News (1/26, 23.99M) reports that when asked about his contact with suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) “insisted that the FBI said he did nothing wrong and he learned nothing new since” Axios reported in December that Fang allegedly attempt to target up-and-coming local politicians. He added, “Republicans were briefed on this conduct, that this individual was trying to do with me and many other members of congress, back in 2015.” ## Opinion: Scrutiny Of Chinese-Born Researchers In The US Risks Delays In Innovation. In a commentary in The Conversation (1/26, 162K), Caroline Wagner writes, "The arrest of MIT engineering professor Gang Chen on January 14 has drawn attention to the role of China in US science and technology system. No evidence of spying has been made public, but a Department of Justice criminal complaint expressed suspicions that Chen’s loyalty may not be aligned with American interests." She argues, "These kinds of investigations risk damaging one of the US' EFTA00148089 most important assets: open inquiry. The US government’s scrutiny of Chinese Americans and Chinese scholars runs up against the value of open scientific exchange.” She contends, “My research on international collaboration in science has shown that open nations have strong science. Nations that accept visitors and send researchers abroad, those that engage richly in cross-border collaborations and fund international projects produce better science and excel in innovation. Closing doors inhibits the very trait that makes the US innovation system the envy of the world.” ## CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ## California Man Charged With Threatening Family Members Of Congressman, Journalist. The AP (1/26, Neumeister) reports Robert Lemke of California was charged with threatening “family members of a New York congressman and a journalist in text messages sent during the attack on the Capitol.” William F. Sweeney Jr., the head of New York City’s FBI office, said Lemke's threats "crossed a bright line." USA Today (1/26, Culver, 12.7M) reports Sweeney said, "The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is always on watch, and we act with speed to stop violence – whether the threat comes from within our borders or from outside them. That’s how we do it." Politico (1/26, Choi, 6.73M) reports Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “identified himself on Tuesday as the lawmaker in the complaint.” He “said his brother received the message just as members were being evacuated from the Capitol as armed rioters stormed the building.” The New York Times (1/26, Rosman, 20.6M) reports Lemke “told Representative Jeffries’s brother in the texts that he was part of a group of ‘active/retired law enforcement or military,’ and that the group had ‘armed members near your home.’” The San Francisco Chronicle (1/27, Hernández, 2.44M) reports, “Phone records reviewed by FBI detectives found that Lemke’s phone was subscribed ‘under the name ‘Alameda County Sheriffs Department,’ and with an email address ‘info@acgov.org,’ the domain of which is used by the Alameda County government,” but “sheriff’s officials said on Twitter that Lemke was never employed by the sheriff’s office.” ## Michigan Man Charged With Threatening Inauguration Shootings. MLive (MI) (1/26, Keefer, 828K) reports Richard Maurer of Michigan was “charged after police say he threatened to shoot Democrats and other individuals in the nation’s capital during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.” Chief Kevin Lenkart said that on day after the FBI informed Owosso Public Safety it was investigating Mauer, at a protest in Lansing Maurer “spoke with the New York Times and other news outlets, making specific threats to individuals in Washington D.C., which police deemed credible.” ## Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty To Firing On Police. The Boston Herald (1/26, 327K) reports John Boampong will “plead guilty to interfering with a law enforcement officer during the commission of a civil disorder; receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony offense; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.” He “faces from 3 1/2 to more than five years in prison according to terms of a plea deal.” The incident “took place in the early morning hours of June 1 when what started as peaceful protests turned violent.” ## Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Alabama Man In Connection To Synagogue Vandalism. The New York Post (1/26, Eustachewich, 7.45M) reports that an unidentified one-legged man "is being hunted in Alabama for scrawling hateful graffiti across a pair of synagogues in the" EFTA00148090 Huntsville area. He "was caught on video in April targeting Etz Chayim Synagogue and the Chabad of Huntsville." The FBI is offering an $18,000 reward for information leading to his capture. ## Former Baltimore Police Officer Sentenced Over Stolen Contraband. The Baltimore Sun (1/26, Fenton, 629K) reports former Baltimore Police officer Victor Rivera was sentenced Tuesday to 14 months in prison over lying to FBI agents investigating the 2009 theft and sale of cocaine. He had “stolen three kilograms of cocaine from a drug bust, then sold it back onto the streets using one of his confidential informants.” WBAL-TV Baltimore (1/26, 219K) reports that the federal prosecutors "said Rivera volunteered to be interviewed by the FBI and he made a number of false statements and material omissions." Additional coverage includes WMAR-TV Baltimore (1/26, Ingram) and WJZ-TV Baltimore (1/26, 74K). ## New York IRS Agent Arrested Over Identity Theft. The New York Daily News (1/26, Greene, 2.51M) reports IRS agent Bryan Cho was arrested Tuesday by FBI agents in connection to an identity fraud investigation. The identity “belonged to a man Cho was investigating as part of his job as a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal division.” ## Continuing Coverage: Former West Virginia VA Doctor Sentenced For Abusing Veterans. Stars And Stripes (1/26, 39K) reports former VA Dr. Jonathan Yates “was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.” He had “pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2020, to three felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law,” and he admitted that he “rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veteran’s rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine, when in fact he acted without a legitimate medical purpose.” FierceHealthcare (1/26, 150K) reports that the case “was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department.” ## Connecticut Business Evacuated Following Bomb Threat. The New London (CT) Day (1/26, 76K) reports that Electric Boat employees “were evacuated from their workspaces after a bomb threat was made Tuesday morning against two submarines undergoing maintenance at the company’s Groton shipyard.” The FBI and NCIS are investigating the case. ## Michigan School Board Meeting Disrupted By Bomb Threat. Adrian (MI) Daily Telegram (1/26, Durham, 26K) reports that the FBI is “investigating bomb threats made during an Addison school board meeting Monday night.” The threats “were made over the district’s Zoom meeting,” where an unidentified digital attendee “sent a chat message threatening to bomb Addison and Madison schools that would ‘kill you all.’” ## Massachusetts Man Sentenced Over Threat To Bomb Courthouse. The Springfield (MA) Republican (1/26, 592K) reports Nathan Allen Danforth “was sentenced Tuesday for threatening to blow up a federal courthouse and harm federal agents.” ## Massachusetts Man Arrested In Vermont On Weapons Charges. The Rutland (VT) Herald (1/26, Correspondent, 34K) reports Varian C. Lefebvre "is due in U.S. District Court on Wednesday on charges of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense EFTA00148091 and for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl." ## New Hampshire Man Sentenced Over Bank Robbery. Hoster's Daily Democrat (NH) (1/26, 13K) reports Thomas Hegarty “has been sentenced to nearly nine years in prison for robbing a Rochester gas station and a Dover bank on the same day while out on supervised release for a different bank robbery.” He had “pleaded guilty to both crimes on Oct. 5, 2020.” ## FBI Investigating Indiana Bank Robbery. WITV-TV Indianapolis (1/26) reports that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are “asking the public to help identify a man suspected in robbing a bank.” They “said on Tuesday, January 19, around 11:05 a.m., officers responded to the 5100 block of 82nd Street for a reported bank robbery.” ## FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. The Times of San Diego (1/26, 12K) reports that the FBI “reached out to the public Tuesday for help in identifying a man who robbed a Scripps Ranch bank three weeks ago.” The suspect “was described as a thin, roughly 5-foot-9-inch white man wearing blue jeans, a button-up shirt, a knit cap and a dark-colored bandana over the lower part of his face.” KGTV-TV San Diego (1/26, 131K) also reports. ## FBI Investigating Texas Cold Case. KSAT-TV San Antonio (1/26, Patton, Venema, Salazar, 440K) reports that the FBI is “offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest or grand jury indictment of the person responsible” for the 2010 disappearance of 18-month-old Joshua Davis Jr, who “was last seen at the family home in the 2600 block of Savannah Hill Circle in New Braunfels.” ## Illinois Mayor Indicated Over Corruption. The Chicago Sun-Times (1/26, 970K) reports that Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta’s trial over federal bribery and tax charges would begin next December. Prosecutors “said Presta sought and received benefits from SafeSpeed representatives while SafeSpeed sought to expand its services in Crestwood.” ## Indicted Michigan Prosecutor To Attend Plea Hearing. The Detroit News (1/26, 1.16M) reports former Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith “is scheduled to appear Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court for a plea hearing in a corruption case involving alleged misuse of county forfeiture funds.” The plea hearing has “been moved several times, including in November when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized.” ## New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting Arson During Protest. Daily Voice (1/26, 292K) reports Killian F. Melecio “old a U.S. District Court Judge in Trenton via videoconference that he stuffed a shirt he’d gotten from another man into the gas tank of the vehicle and tried to ignite it last May 31.” The FBI complaint charges him with “attempting to damage or destroy by fire a vehicle owned or possessed by an institution receiving federal financial assistance” and “attempting to damage or destroy by fire a vehicle used in and affecting interstate commerce.” ## Seven Alleged Gang Members Facing Federal Charges. The Southeast Missourian (1/27, Reeves, 46K) reports, “Seven alleged members of the Gangster Disciples gang, including four from Southeast Missouri,” have been indicted on federal charges. Among other things, the indictment in this case “alleges acts of drug trafficking by the gang’s members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle” a synthetic drug into state prisons EFTA00148092 in Missouri. The Missourian adds, “This case was investigated by” the FBI and a number of other organizations. An online WGEL-FM Greenville, IL (1/26) article quotes “Sean Cox, FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge,” who said this case shows “how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer.” ## North Carolina Minor Found Safe Following AMBER Alert. WHNS-TV Greenville, SC (1/26, 191K) reports that North Carolina authorities successfully rescued Breanne Marie Jones, who was kidnapped by suspects Johnathan Jones and Christina Edge. Jones "has been charged with injury to real property and misdemeanor child abuse while Christina Edge is charged with probation violation." ## FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS ## Vaccine Fraud Said To Be Increasing In US. ABC World News TonightVi (1/26, story 7, 2:00, Muir, Gutman, 7.57M) reported, “Cases of alleged vaccine fraud growing in this country. This suspect accused of selling fake COVID shots, and in another case, the paramedic accused of stealing doses after making up fake patients, now claiming his supervisor wanted the doses for his own family.” ABC’s Matt Gutman added, “In Florida, paramedic Joshua Colon accused of hoarding doses, claiming a supervisor wanted them for his family. A tough-talking sheriff making an example of the pair.” ABC added, “He’s being charged with multiple counts, including forgery and falsifying medical records. Authorities say they are now investigating whether the supervisor played any role, as well.” In Washington state, a man is being charged “for posing as a biotech expert, claiming to have a COVID vaccine and offering to inject patients for between $400 and $1,000 each.” Pharmacist Pleads Guilty To Spoiling COVID-19 Vaccine Doses. The Hill (1/26, Choi, 5.69M) reports Wisconsin pharmacist Steven R. Brandenburg “pled guilty in federal court to spoiling hundreds of” COVID-19 vaccine doses. FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes said, “The FBI takes allegations of consumer product tampering very seriously and will use all available resources to bring those to justice who intentionally put the public’s health at risk.” The New York Post (1/26, Rosenberg, Fitz-Gibbon, 7.45M) reports Brandenburg “believed the vaccine would alter human DNA.” Additional coverage includes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/26, Vielmetti, 844K). ## Washington Man Pleads Guilty In Scheme To Defraud Distressed Homeowners. The Puget Sound (WA) Business Journal (1/26, Stiles, Subscription Publication, 877K) reports Edwin Josue Herrera Rosales of Washington state “pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to defraud approximately 1,000 distressed homeowners facing foreclosure.” He and his co-conspirators sent solicitation mailers promising to reduce homeowners’ mortgage debts and lower their monthly payments, then “put them through a phony ‘underwriting’ process and told the callers that the company’s legal and underwriting staff had determined it could negotiate a favorable mortgage modification in exchange for an upfront fee of $3,000.” ## Two Plead Guilty To Healthcare Kickback Conspiracy. The McKinney (TX) Courier-Gazette (1/26, 14K) reports Kimberly Willette and Edwin Chad Isbell , both of Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks in exchange for the referral of, and arranging for pharmacogenetic tests. “More than $28 million in illegal kickback payments were exchanged by the defendants and others during the conspiracy” involving the referral of pharmacogenetic tests to clinical laboratories in California.