DOJ: Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit - In Detroit

Bill Barr was in Detroit.

So was Christopher Wray.

Stealin' the children, land & votes is a violent crime because people died.

The Operation Will Surge Federal Law Enforcement Resources into Seven of America’s Most Violent Cities

Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities through a surge in federal resources.

Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Regina Lombardo, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.

“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”

“The men and women of ATF are deeply committed to and focused on reducing crime gun violence in our communities,” said ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “We are proud that our efforts have significantly contributed to the historic reductions in violence that our nation has realized in recent years. Operation Relentless Pursuit combines the resources of ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Marshals to support our state and local law enforcement partners in those cities that – regrettably – continue to be plagued by rates of violent crime that are simply too high. Through Relentless Pursuit, we pledge to hold accountable the trigger-pullers, firearm traffickers, violent criminals and those who supply them the guns to terrorize our communities. ATF will aggressively utilize every available tool, including our crime gun enforcement teams, National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and firearms tracing to identify, investigate and support the prosecution of the most violent firearm offenders.”

“Drug traffickers – including cartels and street gangs – will stop at nothing to turn a profit, often using violence and intimidation to expand their reach,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This targeted surge of resources will further strengthen our ability to work with our federal, state, and local partners to pursue the worst offenders and make our communities safer.” 

“The FBI remains committed to providing our specialized expertise and resources to assist our federal, state and local partners fighting violent crime,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “We are here today to reaffirm our dedication to reducing violent crime in the cities selected for Operation Relentless Pursuit to combat the threats that arise from gangs and criminal enterprises that drive violence in the communities we are sworn to protect.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud of the integral role we play in supporting Attorney General Barr’s strong leadership and commitment to combating violent crime and enhancing public safety throughout our nation,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to make communities safer by addressing violent crime at its core and taking the worst of the worst fugitives and other felons off the streets.”

The operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.  

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice Opioid Summit

"He stands guard over the Celestial Goddess of the Woodshed
whilst her beloved errant knight claims his rightful throne
in the annals of history."

We are at the threshold for the formal oration of the tale of child welfare fraud.

The Trump administration is investing a lot more than $34 million in treatment and assistance to those in need through HHS—but this is our latest step. ~ Jeff Sessions

DOJ: United States Intervenes In False Claims Act Lawsuits In Opioids

Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Summit

Go vote, then enjoy the show.

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Rod for that kind introduction and thank you for your outstanding leadership as Deputy Attorney General.

Thank you once again to Rhea Walker for that beautiful rendition of our beloved National Anthem.

Thank you to Mary Daly, our director of opioid enforcement and prevention at the Department, for your remarks and for the excellent work that you have done in coordinating our anti-opioid efforts here at Main Justice.

I also want to thank Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Assistant Attorney General Beth Williams, and all of our panelists, including:

• Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski
• Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, and
• FBI Deputy Director Bowdich.

Thank you to all 25 of the U.S. Attorneys and 23 AUSAs who are here.

And while we are inexpressibly proud of our Department of Justice team, we also fully appreciate the fact that 85 percent of the law enforcement officers in this country serve at the state and local levels.

And so I want to give a special thank you to:

• Jonathan Thompson and the National Sheriffs Association
• Kim Wagner and the Major County Sheriffs of America
• Sheriffs Donny Youngblood and Michael Lewis, and
• The International Association of Chiefs of Police.

This is a distinguished group.  Thank you all for being here.  I think that the turnout we have today shows what an important issue this is.

But before I say anything else, I just want everyone to know that this Department is responding to the suspicious packages that have been sent to several political leaders and a media outlet in the last days and those found today.  Yesterday I spoke to FBI Director Wray and Deputy Director Bowdich and briefed the President.  FBI and ATF are working together on this. And I want to thank all of our law enforcement officers who have undoubtedly saved lives this week and are working around the clock.

Across this administration—across this country—we condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms and we are determined that justice will be done.

In the meantime, we will continue this event.  We cannot let ourselves be intimidated.

Our shared work of fighting drug crime has never been more important than it is right now.

This is the deadliest drug crisis in American history.  We’ve never seen anything like it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses last year.  That’s highest drug death toll in American history—by far.

It is widely estimated that life expectancy has declined in the United States for two years in a row—largely because of drug abuse.

Meanwhile, millions of people are living with the painful consequences of a family member’s addiction or an addiction of their own—most of us personally know someone who is impacted.

There is no doubt that we face a grave challenge.  But we can and we will meet it. We will reverse these destructive trends and protect our people, our health, our culture, and our laws.

We at DOJ embrace our important role. It’s important for you to know we are focused. We are making much progress, but we have much more to do.

President Donald Trump has laid out a comprehensive plan to end this crisis.  The three legs of his plan are prevention, enforcement and treatment.

He and a bipartisan Congress have agreed to invest $4 billion to fight the opioid crisis.

Just yesterday, I was at the White House where the President and First Lady hosted an important event to bring attention to this crisis and to highlight the actions his administration has taken over the past year to combat this crisis. He also signed into law the SUPPORT Act, which will go a long way to improving prevention and treatment services.

President Trump has improved our prevention efforts by launching a national awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid abuse—a campaign I strongly support.  He has declared this month to be Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and he has taken the bold step to declare the opioid crisis to be a national public health emergency.

The President has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescriptions in America by one-third in three years—a goal we are determined to achieve.

In fact, we are well on our way to achieving it.  According to the DEA’s National Prescription Audit, in the first eight months of 2018, opioid prescriptions were down by nearly 12 percent compared to a year before.  And that's in addition to a seven percent decline last year.

We now have the lowest opioid prescription rates in 18 years.  And we’re going to bring them a lot lower.

For next year, the DEA is lowering the legal limits on opioid production by an average of 10 percent.

That is about a 44 percent decrease in opioid production since 2016.

We are also going after the fraudsters—the corrupt doctors and pharmacists—who take advantage of addiction to line their pockets.

Two years in a row we have set records for health care fraud enforcement.  This July we charged 601 defendants with more than $2 billion in medical fraud.  This was the most doctors, the most medical personnel, and the most fraud that the Department of Justice has ever taken on in any single law enforcement action.

This is the most defendants we’ve ever charged with health care fraud and the most opioid-related fraud defendants we’ve ever charged in a single enforcement action.

All of this work is adding up—and it is adding up fast.  Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has charged 226 doctors with opioid-related crimes and convicted 82 of them.  We have also charged another 221 other medical personnel for opioid-related crimes.  Sixteen of those doctors prescribed more than 20.3 million pills illegally.

These numbers will continue to rise, because we have developed new methods to attack the problem. I have directed that each of our U.S. Attorneys designate a special opioid coordinator to ensure prompt, effective enforcement of our drug laws.

I have sent 12 prosecutors to focus exclusively on opioid-related medical fraud in some of the hardest hit parts of this country.  To help them do that, we have begun a new data analytics program at the Department called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit.

This team follows the numbers—like which doctors are writing opioid prescriptions at a rate that far exceeds their peers; how many of a doctor's patients have died within 60 days of an opioid prescription; and pharmacies that are dispensing disproportionately large amounts of opioids. This has been very productive.

But sadly, these days you don’t need to find a crooked doctor or a pharmacist to buy drugs.  With a few clicks of a button you can go online and have them shipped from overseas right to your door.

That is why we are also taking unprecedented action against the killer fentanyl compound traffickers both at home and abroad.

Last July, the Department announced the seizure of the largest dark net marketplace in history – AlphaBay.  This site hosted some 220,000 drug listings and was responsible for countless fentanyl overdoses, including the tragic death of a 13 year old.

In August I announced charges against a married couple who we believe were once the most prolific synthetic opioid traffickers on the darknet in North America.  And we also worked with our partners in Canada to help them indict a man we believe was the third most prolific darknet synthetic opioid dealer in North America.

In January we began J-CODE, a new team at the FBI that focuses specifically on the threat of online fentanyl opioid sales.  They have already begun carrying out nationwide enforcement actions, arresting dozens of people across the country.

And in the districts where drug deaths are the highest, we are prosecuting every fentanyl trafficking case we can, even when the amount of drugs might be small.  When it comes to synthetic drugs like fentanyl, we are working to find and stop every source.

We tried this strategy in Manatee County, Florida—just south of Tampa—and it worked.  This past January, they had half the number of overdose deaths as the previous January.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdose calls a day to an average of one a day.

That is why I have started a new effort—we call it Operation S.O.S.—to send 10 more prosecutors to help implement this strategy in ten districts around the country where drug deaths are especially high.

But fentanyl isn’t made in these districts.  They’re not made in America at all.  We know that the vast majority of the fentanyl in this country is made in China.

That is why under President Donald Trump we became the first administration to prosecute Chinese fentanyl traffickers.

A year ago, we announced the first two indictments against Chinese nationals for trafficking synthetic drugs in the United States.  In August, I announced our third case—a 43-count indictment against a drug trafficking organization based in Shanghai.

China could do more to stop these drugs from coming here.  Frankly, they’re not doing enough.  They must do more.

This administration recognizes the fact that the vast majority of the illicit drugs in this country got here over our Southern border.  For four years in a row the DEA has told us that Mexican drug cartels are the single biggest drug threat to the United States.

Last week I designated two Mexican transnational criminal organizations as priority threats for our new Transnational Organized Crime Task Force: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, or CJNG.

I also announced 15 indictments against 45 CJNG leaders, funders, transporters, drug sources, and distributors.

We are interdicting drugs coming into this country at record levels.

The Coast Guard seized record numbers of drugs in 2017: about half a million pounds total, worth about $6.1 billion.

Over the last 12 months, the DEA seized more than a half a million pounds of cocaine, six tons of heroin, more than 50 tons of methamphetamine, and more than two tons of fentanyl—70 percent more fentanyl than the year before.

Taken together, in the last year, DEA has seized enough drugs to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States.

We are seizing more drugs and we’re prosecuting more cases.  We have increased drug prosecutions overall by over the previous year and targeted cases more effectively.

For opioids, we prosecuted 36 percent more defendants than the previous four-year average.  We increased heroin prosecutions by 15 percent and oxycontin prosecutions by 35 percent.  We have tripled the number of fentanyl prosecutions at the federal level two years in a row.  These are preliminary numbers—and they don’t include health care fraud charges—so the increases are actually even bigger than that.

What is most important, however, is that overdose deaths in this country may have plateaued or even started to finally come down.

From 2012 to 2017, drug overdose deaths per year in this country increased a shocking 73 percent.

But it appears as though these staggering increases may finally have stopped.

According to the CDC, drug overdose deaths increased on a month-by-month basis until last September.  The rolling 12-month total of overdose deaths in America decreased by 2.3 percent from September 2017 through February.

These are preliminary numbers—and we want much bigger decreases—but these numbers give us good reason to hope.  We are on the right path.

And we are not going to stop there.  Today I am announcing our next steps.

First of all, I am announcing $27.8 million in grant funding to 17 state law enforcement agency task forces through our Anti-Heroin Task Force Program.  These funds will be used for criminal investigations in states that are particularly suffering from the opioid crisis.

In addition, we will invest $7.2 million in state investigations of methamphetamine cases, which are also important, particularly in our Western states.

I am also announcing $34.6 million through our Office for Victims of Crime to help children who have been victimized because of opioid abuse.  These funds will support things like counseling, mentoring, foster care, legal services, and training for school personnel and law enforcement.  The Trump administration is investing a lot more than $34 million in treatment and assistance to those in need through HHS—but this is our latest step.

And third and finally I am announcing a new Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force.

Appalachia has been especially hard hit by addiction and by opioid fraud.  Some of the first pill mills in America were started in Southern Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.  And to this day these communities have tragically high rates of addiction and overdose.

In fact, I am going to Kentucky tomorrow afternoon to meet with our prosecutors and law officers.

Our new Strike Force will be composed of 12 additional opioid fraud prosecutors, each with their own team of federal law enforcement agents.  They will help us find the doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals who are flooding our streets with drugs—and put them behind bars.

We will be relentless, we will continue to get smarter and better at our work.  And these new steps are going to build on the successes that we have already had as an administration and as a Department.

And so we are going to keep up this pace.  We are not slowing down.

In this effort, the stakes have never been higher.

But neither has our determination.

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Another Conjugal Collaborative: DOJ Partners With U.S. Postal Inspection Services, FinCEN, DEA, ICE, ITS To End Drug & Tiny Human Trafficking

What we have here is another conjugal collaborative with the U.S. Department of Justice, DEA, ATF, ICE, FinCEN, IRS and the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service, which, on a side note found out years ago just how powerful the Inspector General is.

But I just found out today that it does possess powers to stop the trafficking of tiny humans, and I was humbled because the first mass system of trafficking tiny humans was through the postal service called orphan trains and it started all in Coldwater, Michigan through the Michigan Children's Institute.

The USIS also has control over the Frank, the postage of Congress.

I found out that there is law allowing a Member of Congress to place upon any of its official mailings a picture of a missing child.

I tried to get Congress to do it, but they snubbed me.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

VICTIMS OF CHILD EXPLOITATION

For more than a century, Postal Inspectors have investigated the sexual exploitation of children. The Postal Inspection Service was the first federal law enforcement agency to aggressively identify, target, and arrest those who produce, sell, and purchase child pornography. Specially trained Postal Inspectors investigate crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children. We partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the United States to investigate child sexual exploitation involving the mail and the Internet.

A parent who suddenly learns that a teacher, Boy Scout leader, or coach close to their child was arrested for possessing child pornography or for child exploitation can undergo great stress. Parents may be unsure of how to approach the situation. To learn more about the signs of abuse, visit Learn the Signs. Children’s advocacy groups are available to speak directly with parents and interview children believed to have been abused. To find a local organization, visit One With Courage.

Restitution for Victims of Child Exploitation

When an offender views, possesses, or distributes child pornography, it harms the child depicted in the picture every time it changes hands. Congress and courts around the country recognize the ongoing physiological, emotional, and mental harm done to children depicted in this manner. Courts have awarded restitution for child victims abused in pictures in cases prosecuted for the receipt, possession, and distribution of the pictures. To learn more, contact an attorney experienced in restitution.

Help for Parents of Exploited Children 

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) offers peer support for families with sexually exploited children through its Team Hope program. Team Hope matches families with trained volunteers who can provide them with support, friendship, coping skills, and compassion. 1-866-305-4673

Too bad there is no help for parents who have had their children Legally Kidnapped.

I have a serious issue with NCMEC, or rather with a few Members of Congress affiliated with this NGO.

I will be address her, soon.

Can You See Me?I am here, can you see me
I am here and still breathing
As I sit in the dark I wonder
I wonder, why me
Why was I chosen by evil
Why was I chosen to be your prize
I am innocent yet I feel guilty
I am here, can you see me
I am here and still standing
Hear my voice, all secrets are gone
Yes, I can see me now.

By an Inspection Service Victim-Witness Coordinator

“The Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively identify, target, and arrest those who dare prey on our children."

—Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

“One of the most important things the U.S. Postal Inspection Service can deliver is a child's safety. Postal Inspectors have a long history of aggressively investigating predators who attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of the U.S. Mail. Although predators now employ more sophisticated technology, Postal Inspectors will continue to remain steadfast in our mission, no matter what means or methods they use.”

—Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service

In standing oration I bestow upon this conjugal collaborative my sincerest blessings in the diffusion of this model to the darkness of cybersphere because where you find purveyors of death, you find privateers of children.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces Results of J-Code’s First Law Enforcement Operation Targeting Opioid Trafficking on the Darknet

Today, the Department of Justice, FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced the results of a four-day long, nationwide law enforcement operation, called Operation Disarray, which targeted vendors and buyers of opioids and cocaineon the Darknet.  This operation was the first coordinated action by the new Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) Team.

These results were announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell.

“Synthetic opioids are responsible for nearly one-third of the unacceptable 64,000 drug overdoses in America in 2016,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “Some of the deadliest drugs can be purchased with a few clicks of a button and ordered online. That’s why I ordered the creation of J-CODE—the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement team—back in January.  J-CODE coordinates our efforts to stop online opioid sales, and it is already getting results.  Today, we announce the first nationwide J-CODE operation, one that led to the arrest of alleged traffickers across America. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners at the FBI, DEA, ATF, our Postal Inspectors, IRS-CI, NCIS, FinCEN and ICE-HSI who helped make this possible, and I want to thank President Trump for his strong support of our efforts. J-CODE is helping us keep deadly drugs out of this great country.”

“Our work to combat drug trafficking has taken us from coast to coast and to the darkest corners of the web.  The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis, and those of us in law enforcement must be relentless in our efforts to disrupt this illicit activity,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.  “We thank our partners in this operation; through J-CODE, we will continue to work together to target the sale of opioids on the Darknet.”

“The Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the American public,” said Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell.  “One of the ways we fulfill this mission is by working tirelessly with other law enforcement agencies in operations just like this one to keep dangerous drugs out of the communities we serve.”

During the March 27 to 30 operation, FBI, USPIS, and local law enforcement made eight arrests related to Operation Disarray.  Agents conducted more than 160 interviews nationwide of people who have bought or sold opioids and other drugs online.  Leads from the investigation identified 19 overdose deaths of persons of interest.  FBI, USPIS and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) also executed numerous search warrants, which resulted in the seizure of weapons, drugs, counterfeit currency, and computer equipment.  During the operation, law enforcement agents distributed literature regarding the dangers of opioid abuse, as well as, offered support for those affected by the opioid epidemic.  The investigation is ongoing. 

The J-CODE Team is a new FBI initiative announced by Attorney General Sessions in January 2018, and is aimed at targeting drug trafficking, especially fentanyl and other opioids, on the Darknet.  With this team, the FBI is bringing together agents, analysts, and professional staff with expertise in drugs, gangs, health care fraud, and more, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from across the U.S. Government, to focus on disrupting the sale of drugs via the Darknet and dismantling criminal enterprises that facilitate this trafficking.  Operation Disarray is the J-CODE’s first joint, nationwide coordinated operation.

Attorney General Sessions thanked our law enforcement partners on the J-CODE team, to include the FBI, USPIS, Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the Organized Crime and Gang Section; Drug Enforcement Agency; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Department of Defense; IRS-CI; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for bringing expertise, professionalism and a shared desire to combat this epidemic.  Through continued collaboration and determination the successes J-CODE will continue to forge a positive difference and outcome. 

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DOJ OIG New Audit Report Format - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Controls over Weapons, Munitions

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General has made it to the social network!

Instead of muddling through imperfect information disseminated through many forms of media reporting, here is the executive summary....straight from the executive, Michael Horowitz, the original source.

Synch those databases and sunshine all operations!

In the manner of making government open source, there is no fraud, and if there is, we, the people can now report it with the tap on our mobile devices.

We can even report fraud in child welfare!

I want everything blockchained. (working on the model as we speak).

The redacted report is below.

DOJ OIG Audit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Controls over Weapons, Munitions,... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Michael, my dear, would you please be so kind and hurry up.

Seriously.  I have things to do (snicker).

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JUDICIARY: NADLER, JACKSON LEE BLAST HEARING HELD TO UNDERMINE CRITICAL REFORMS TO SCHOOL DISCIPLINE & IGNORE NEED TO STRENGTHEN GUN LAWS

How about a hearing on child welfare policies that have obviously been demonstrated to be ineffective and riddled with fraud?

Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland, Security, and Investigations conducted a hearing examining school safety issues and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) inadequate response to tips concerning the man who shot and killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14.  Among the issues examined in the hearing, Republicans focused on the reform of school disciplinary policies by Broward County, Florida in 2013 and guidance on school discipline issued by the Obama Administration in 2014, emphasizing the duty of schools to comply with civil rights laws. 

Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) released the following statement after the hearing:

“On a day when our country has suffered yet another horrific school shooting, Judiciary Committee Republicans held a hearing that did not consider how to address dangerous flaws in our gun laws, but instead sought to blame commendable efforts to reform school disciplinary policies for the Parkland, Florida school shooting.  School disciplinary policies and practices should be unbiased, but many have not been and reforms to address discrimination based on race, color, and national origin are long overdue.  If statistics show that the imposition of certain forms of discipline have dropped in some districts, we would only hope that those who called for this hearing would at least consider that the reforms are achieving their intended, constructive purpose of making these policies more fair, while not reducing student safety.  To suggest otherwise and, furthermore, to claim that reducing bias in school discipline has led to the terrible tragedy in Florida last month, is offensive.” 

On March 7, 2018, during a House Judiciary Committee markup, Ranking Member Nadler called for the House Judiciary Committee to address gun violence in America.

On February 21, 2018, all House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Nadler, urged Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to bring gun violence prevention legislation before the House Judiciary Committee for a vote.

On November 7, 2017, Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte to request that the Committee’s ATF briefing be conducted as a public hearing, and that the FBI be included to discuss background check issues. 

On November 1, 2017, all House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte, urging him to hold hearings on gun violence in America.

On October 2, 2017, immediately following the Las Vegas shooting, Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte to renew their call for hearings on these issues.

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Day 114.1 George Toscas - Gangs For Security Expert?

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DOJ Busts More In Detroit Racketeering, Kidnapping, Trafficking Gang

Looks like Matt has come in like a boss.

Rock on #Superfans.

Additional Members of Detroit-Based Gang “YNS” Charged with Racketeering, Kidnapping, and Trafficking Crack Cocaine

New charges were filed yesterday in the prosecution of the northwest Detroit street gang Young and Scantless (YNS). 

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division; and Police Chief James E. Craig of Detroit made the announcement.

The second superseding indictment charges George Eubanks, 30, of Detroit, and James Bowens, 37, of Detroit with taking part in the YNS racketeering enterprise. The charges describe YNS as one of the most dangerous in the city of Detroit, known for its ruthless reputation and violent acts including seeking to intimidate, injure and kill rival drug dealers to eliminate competition; attempting to instill fear in the community in order to discourage cooperation with police and witnesses from reporting YNS-related crime; and posting numerous intimidating photographs and videos to social media.

Five YNS members, including alleged leader Edward Tavorn, 31, of Detroit, were previously charged with a variety of crimes including a murder, robberies that turned into murders, shootings, a home invasion, arson, and narcotics distribution. 

The latest indictment also charges Tavorn, Eubanks and Bowens with a narcotics conspiracy in which Eubanks and Bowens agreed to sell drugs in West Virginia on Tavorn’s behalf while Tavorn was incarcerated on pending charges.  The indictment alleges that in furtherance of the plot, Eubanks and Bowens possessed firearms; Bowens kidnapped and fired gunshots at a victim to force the victim to rent a vehicle for gang members to use to transport narcotics to West Virginia; and Eubanks and Bowens possessed with intent to distribute approximately 550 grams of cocaine base.

The charges are the result of the Detroit One initiative, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce violent crime in Detroit. 

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is being investigated by the ATF’s Comprehensive Violence Reduction Partnership Task Force, consisting of representatives of the ATF, Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police and Michigan Department of Corrections.  Assistance has been provided by the West Virginia State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan.

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Statement of Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler for the Markup of the “Fix NICS Act of 2017”

Mr. Chairman, I support the “Fix NICS Act” as a sensible step to improve our national firearms background check system. 

When we enacted the Brady Act in 1994, we evolved from a waiting period-based system to one that established a so-called “instant check” through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System – what we now call the NICS.  When a licensed gun dealer runs a check on a prospective gun purchaser, that check is ultimately conducted through the NICS – and the various constituent federal and state databases in the NICS.  If the check reveals that a purchaser is prohibited under federal law from purchasing and possessing firearms, the sale should be denied. 

           

Of course, it was always apparent that the system would only be as effective as the information reported to and contained in, the NICS. 

When the national background check system was instituted, we established the National Criminal History Record Improvement Program (N-CHIP) to help states automate criminal history record case dispositions, many of which were still recorded only on paper and were filed away in courthouses across the country.  Although that program has been helpful in making progress toward a seamless background check system, there have been numerous other obstacles. 

One such problem was illustrated by the shooting deaths of 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007, after a young student was able to purchase a firearm from a gun dealer because his prohibiting mental health record had not been reported to the NICS system.  In response, we enacted the NICS Improvement Amendments Act in 2008 to encourage the submission of mental health records to the NICS, and to direct federal agencies to ensure that they submit to the system any relevant records in their possession. 

That law also established the NICS Act Record Improvement Program, otherwise known as NARIP, to help states collect and submit records to the NICS. 

Now, after the Sutherland Springs, Texas shooting on November 5th, it is apparent that there continue to be dangerous gaps in reporting to the system.  The Air Force had failed to report the court martial conviction of Devin Kelley for domestic abuse against his wife and child.  Consequently, Kelley was able to purchase firearms from a gun dealer, after passing a background check he should have failed, and he subsequently shot and killed 26 people.

In response, we have the Fix NICS Act before us today.

This bill would take a number of steps to address the shortcomings with the NICS system. 

·         It would require federal agencies to certify twice per year that they are uploading relevant records to the NICS, and would require agencies to establish implementation plans for submitting the records;

·         It would reauthorize the NCHIP and NARIP programs;

·         It would incentivize states to specify which records submitted constitute disqualifying domestic violence records so that background checks may be processed more quickly when such records are encountered; and

·         It would require that plans be established for each state to ensure that they submit relevant records to the NICS, with grant preferences for states who comply with their plans. 

These are all sound steps, which I hope will increase reporting of records to the NICS and will make the system more effective.  Accordingly, I will support this bill. 

However, the logic of increasing reporting to the system to reduce gaps in the system also extends to the need to expand the background check requirement to all commercial sales – not just sales by licensed gun dealers.  We know that a large percentage of all gun sales proceed without a background check through the NICS.  It is every bit as urgent that we close that massive loophole, which is much more than a gap in the system.  I look forward to addressing this issue, as well as other legislation to strengthen our gun laws to make our citizens safer. 

Finally, I note that the last section of the bill would direct the Justice Department to report to Congress the number of instances in which bump stock devices have been used in a crime.  I believe we should remove this provision from the bill.  It is no substitute for doing what we now know must be done:  ban these devices which, when added to a semi-automatic rifle, allow it to be fired at a much higher rate, sometimes approximating fully automatic fire.  The ATF has told Members and staff that they do not have the authority to ban these devices through classification or administrative action.  So, it us up to us, and we certainly should not wait for the results of a report before taking action.  We already know how dangerous they are.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today and, perhaps more importantly, in working with me on these other measures in the future.  Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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CONYERS: After Texas Shooting, Conyers Renews Call For Judiciary Committee To Address Gun Violence

Washington, D.C. – After the horrific shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), renewed his call for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate gun violence in America and called for a private Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) briefing to be conducted as an official public hearing with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Ranking Member Conyers delivered the following remarks during today’s Judiciary hearing:

I hope that the @HouseJudiciary will take up the issue of #gunviolence, including an examination of #bumpstocks, as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/vhYGMQYhx5

— John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) November 7, 2017

Mr. Chairman, before I discuss the important topic of today’s hearing, I want to raise another issue that we must unfortunately confront with urgency.

On Sunday, a gunman shot and killed 26 churchgoers in Sutherland Springs, Texas.  All of us were shocked by this horrific act and express condolences to the victims and families.

We now know that information concerning his court martial for domestic abuse should have been submitted by the Air Force to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.  He should have been prevented from purchasing firearms from licensed gun dealers via the Brady background check system.

Yesterday, before this information came to light, I wrote to the Chairman, requesting that the briefing planned for our Members tomorrow afternoon by ATF on the issue of bump stocks be expanded to include the FBI to discuss the background check issues related to Sutherland Springs, and that the briefing be conducted as a formal hearing, open to the public.

Now that we have even more information that there has been a breakdown in the implementation of our background check system, I ask that we include relevant officials from the Department of Defense and the Air Force. 

I believe we should proceed quickly to learn what happened, and the public deserves to hear answers directly. 

Therefore, I reiterate and expand my request concerning tomorrow’s briefing.

Yesterday, Ranking Member Conyers and Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) sent a letter, below, to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte to request that the Committee’s ATF briefing be conducted as a public hearing, and that the FBI be included to discuss background check issues. 

On November 1^st, Conyers  led a letter signed by every Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee to Chairman Bob Goodlatte, urging him to hold hearings on gun violence in America.

At an October 12^th markup, Ranking Member Conyers called on the House Judiciary Committee Majority to investigate gun violence in America.

On October 2^nd, immediately following the Las Vegas shooting, Ranking Member Conyers and Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte to renew their call for hearings on these issues.

U.S. House Judiciary Ranking Member Conyers and Jackson Lee Second Request For Hearings On Gun Violence to... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Conyers and Jackson Lee Praise President Obama’s Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

WASHINGTON – The Administration has released a description of the Executive Actions President Obama will be taking to help reduce gun violence in America. Included in these initiatives are steps toexpand and improve the conduct of background checks for prospective firearms purchasers, provide more resources for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), strengthen investigation and prosecution of gun crimes, require the reporting of firearms lost or stolen in transit, increase funding for mental health treatment, and study the development and use of technology to increase firearms safety. 

Praising the President’s bold action to curb gun violence, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), which has jurisdiction over firearms issues, released the following statement:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Represntatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“We commend the President for announcing that he will use his executive power to implement significant new initiatives that will make our citizens safer from gun violence.  These actions are not only appropriate they are lawfully within the Administration’s executive authority.  While this Congress has refused to act on this issue, the facts and the law demand action.  On average, 31 people are murdered with guns every day in America and more than 32,000 people die from gun violence in this country every year.  We cannot simply continue to stand by and do nothing, and that is why the President’s actions are so critically important.  Now it is time for Congress to step up to the plate to do even more by passing sensible measures to reduce gun violence.” 

The House Committee on the Judiciary has jurisdiction over jurisdiction over protecting constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, oversight of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, legal and regulatory reform, innovation, competition and anti-trust laws, terrorism and crime, and immigration policy.

NOW IS THE TIME WH.GOV/NOW-IS-THE-TIME JANUARY SIXTEENTH TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION E... by Beverly Tran

Click HERE for more information on President’s Obama’s executive actions to curb gun violence.

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