Social Feeds

Be sure to Like and Follow FEDagent on Facebook for exclusive content and news stories affecting your career as federal law enforcement.

Subscribe!

Subscribe to our newsletter. It's FREE! Read our privacy policy
Print

Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division Gets New Special Agent in Charge

Written by FEDagent on . Posted in General News

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Timothy Gallagher as the new special agent in charge of the Criminal Division at the Washington Field Office, where he will be responsible for criminal and cyber investigations in the District of Columbia and northern Virginia.

Gallagher’s career as a special agent began in May 1996 in the Cleveland Division’s Canton Resident Agency where he investigated all criminal programs and was a member of the Evidence Response Team that responded to the crash site of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.

Gallagher later served as a supervisory special agent in the Financial Crimes Section at FBI Headquarters, where he focused on fighting identity theft and mortgage fraud, before transferring to the Kansas City Division as a supervisory special agent.

Between 2006 and 2008, Gallagher served as team leader in the Inspection division, where he was responsible for conducting programmatic reviews, audits and investigations of FBI operations, FBI said.

Gallagher also served as chief of the Cyber Division’s Strategic Outreach and Initiatives Section and chief of the Financial Crimes Section at FBI Headquarters.

Gallagher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from St. Peter’s College in New Jersey and the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Walsh University in Ohio.

GEICO: Banner Ad

Hear it from FLEOA

A Year Without ATF

In the aftermath of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continues to shrink in size due to hiring freezes and attrition, and our Congress continues to introduce gun control legislation. Concurrent with this, state, county and local law enforcement departments are suffering from severe budget cuts, anti-union legislation, and reduction in sworn personnel. So, while the gun control debate continues, ATF’s future continues to be ignored by the congressional appropriators. Should the myriad of bills that Congress introduced somehow pass into law, who will be left to enforce them?

Read more...

The Spotlight

ATF Reboot Plans Hit Wall

Plans to revitalize the embattled Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) have stalled after a push to reshape the agency following the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. As part of President Barack Obama’s set of gun safety proposals, the nomination of B. Todd Jones to become permanent director of ATF was seen to be a controversial choice, with some onlookers predicting that Senate Republicans would attempt to block Jones’ appointment. Members of the Obama Administration had hoped that the shifting tone of the national gun debate would force Republicans to confirm Jones’ ascension to the top job full-time, but continued controversies from Jones’ past has made this less and less likely.

Read more...

Takedowns

Mailing of Pipe Bombs and Threatening Letters Stating "BANG!! YOU'RE DEAD." Lands Iowa Man in Prison for 37 Years

A former Iowa machinist has been sentenced to prison for mailing two pipe bombs and a dozen threatening letters to investment firms and advisors to help increase the value of the stock he owned in two companies.

John Tomkins, from Dubuque, Iowa, received 37 years in prison for, among other things, using a destructive device while mailing a threatening communication. Evidence presented at trial showed that the mailed parcels contained improvised explosive weapons (“pipe bombs”) which were capable of exploding and causing serious injury or death. Each parcel also contained a letter which stated “BANG!! YOU’RE DEAD.” Some of the letters were signed by “THE BISHOP” and concluded with “TIC TOC.”

Read more...

GEICO's Good Stuff

Navy Prepares to Purchase Ship Network Systems

GEICO’s Good Stuff is a column series highlighting great stuff happening in the federal community.

The Navy may soon be looking to procure standard networking computing equipment for its ships and submarines, according to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.

Navy is expecting to release a request for proposals for the systems before the end of May. The Command had previously awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. an initial contract for its Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services system in February 2012. That contract was valued at $637.8 million and covered installation of the gear on 54 ships.

Read more...

Case Law Update

Seventh Circuit holds that a Suspect's Inquiry "Can you Call my Attorney?" Invoked Right to Counsel

Casey Hunter was shot by police officers in the course of a pursuit.  While Mr. Hunter was in the hospital and under the influence of medically administered morphine, he was Mirandized so that law enforcement officers could interrogate him.  Before answering questions, Mr. Hunter requested that officers contact his parents and his criminal defense attorney; Mr. Hunter specifically asked “can you call my attorney?” and identified his attorney by name as Herb Schultz, a criminal defense attorney, who one of the interrogating officers had previously worked with on several occasions.  Mr. Hunter’s attorney was not called, and additional law enforcement officers then arrived and subsequently interrogated Mr. Hunter.  Mr. Hunter made incriminating statements during his interrogation.  The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the statements made after the request for access to counsel violated the suspect’s constitutional right to counsel and must be suppressed. 

Read more...

Recent Takedowns

Recent GEICO Good Stuffs

Recent Case Law Updates