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October 26, 2021

One of the largest coupon fraud schemes cost retailers $31 million and landed a couple in jail for 20 years combined

Older woman clipping coupons — Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Lori Ann Talens created thousands of counterfeit coupon designs to sell on private messaging apps.
The Department of Justice said it was one of the largest coupon fraud schemes in US history.
Talens’ husband, Pacifico Talens Jr., was sentenced for aiding in and profiting off of the scheme.

In September, a Virginia beach couple was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay $31.8 million in restitution to retailers and manufacturers who suffered losses from “one of the largest coupon fraud schemes ever discovered in the US,” according to the Department of Justice.

Lori Ann Talens, 41, located coupon enthusiasts on Facebook and invited them to chat privately on Telegram, an encrypted and private instant messaging app, where she would sell them counterfeit coupons that could be used to redeem retail items for free or greatly reduced prices, according to court documents.

“She trained herself in the different techniques she needed to manipulate barcodes to make these coupons work,” said Special Agent Shannon Brill in an FBI release obtained by CNN.

From April 2017 to May 2020, Talens designed, produced, and distributed more than 13,000 counterfeit coupons that were “virtually indistinguishable” from authentic coupons, according to a DOJ press release. She accepted payment from her buyers using a variety of online payment methods, including Bitcoin and Paypal, according to court documents.

After the Coupon Information Center received a tip about the scheme from one of Talens’ buyers, it purchased some of the counterfeit coupons, confirmed they were illegitimate, and contacted the US Postal Service about the matter, the DOJ said in a press release.

“This massive counterfeit coupon scheme harmed consumers, retailers, and manufacturers nationwide, and the economy at large. The sentences imposed in this case illustrate the serious consequences that criminals can face in EDVA for carrying out these sham get-rich-quick schemes,” Raj Parekh, acting US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, said in a press release.

Investigators found that Talens’ husband, Pacifico Talens Jr., was aware of the scheme, profited from it, and shipped packages of counterfeit coupons for his wife. Pacifico and Lori Ann received 7 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for their participation in the scheme, according to the Department of Justice.

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October 21, 2021

A former US Air Force airman who showed up to crime scenes with an AR-15 pled guilty to impersonating federal agents

Police car lights — Marlon priest, a US Air Force veteran, pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer.
Getty Images

A 23-year-old Air Force veteran pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonating an officer Tuesday.
Marlon Priest impersonated an FBI agent, as well as a Moody Air Force Base Office of Special investigations agent.
The Georgia man made a traffic stop, offered to solve a crime, and even showed up at crime scenes.

A 23-year-old US Air Force veteran pled guilty Tuesday to impersonating a federal agent after admitting he’d made a traffic stop, offered to solve a crime, and even showed up armed to crime scenes, court documents show.

Marlon De’Adrain Priest from Valdosta, Ga. is guilty of two counts of impersonating an officer and an employee of the United States and is facing up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

A judge will sentence Priest in January.

In April last year, Priest, who had been discharged from the Air Force a little over a year earlier for misuse of a military credit card, made a traffic stop, identifying himself as an undercover federal agent at Moody Air Force Base.

Priest was armed with a Glock pistol, wearing a bullet-proof vest, and driving a vehicle with police lights and a public announcement (PA) system, according to Evan Seago, the individual who Priest pulled over. Priest called the stop into 911, identifying himself as an undercover agent.

In August, he pretended to be a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, though that would not be the last time, his plea agreement, obtained by Insider, states.

In September 2020, the Moody Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations contacted the FBI to let them know about Priest, who had been impersonating an OSI agent. The Remerton Police Department had tipped off the base after seeing Priest at crime scenes on a number of occasions.

One time, Priest, who was driving a white Chevrolet sedan with police lights, showed up at a crime scene of a shooting incident in a bullet-proof vest with an AR-15 rifle, court documents show.

When Remerton Police Department Investigator Carl Dudley met Priest at the scene, he was grateful to have what he thought was another law enforcement officer at what could have been a dangerous crime scene.

Over time, Dudley became suspicious of Priest and decided to check in with the Moody Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations, which reported that Priest was not one of their agents.

In October of last year, Priest told a fraud victim he was an FBI agent and charged her $85 to take her case. Days later, he accused the victim of making false statements, threatened to press charges, and demanded another $150, which the victim paid.

Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement that “impersonating a federal officer for any reason puts the public and law enforcement officers at risk, especially when a firearm is used,” adding that “the FBI is committed to keeping the public safe from scam artists like Priest, who undermine legitimate police encounters that happen every day.”

Acting US Attorney Peter Leary said “Priest created a false appearance of authority and power to scam and intimidate his victims,” stressing that “impersonating a federal agent is a serious crime that will not be tolerated.”

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October 20, 2021

Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry indicted on charges of lying to the FBI

Jeff Fortenberry YouTube video — Rep. Jeff Fortenberry announced that he expects to be indicted in a YouTube video.
Jeff Fortenberry/YouTube

GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has been indicted on charges of lying to the FBI.
Fortenberry said in a YouTube video that he expects to be charged with lying to the FBI.
Fortenberry’s office sent out a fundraising message for a legal defense fund earlier this month.

A federal grand jury has indicted Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska on charges of lying to the FBI, the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles announced Tuesday.

The grand jury indictment charges Fortenberry with one count of “scheming to falsify and conceal material facts” and two counts of making false statements to investigators in connection with an FBI investigation into potential campaign finance violations.

Fortenberry announced in a YouTube video Tuesday morning that he expected to be indicted on a charge of lying to the FBI.

He said investigators “accused me of lying and are charging me with this.” Fortenberry added that he will “fight” the charges and said he did not lie to authorities.

Axios first reported the news.

Fortenberry is one of several lawmakers who investigators said received illegal campaign contributions from the Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, in violation of federal laws banning foreign nationals from donating to political candidates.

Fortenberry addressed the matter on October 5, one day after he sent out the fundraising email about the FBI investigation.

“A number of years ago, some very bad people illegally transferred money into my campaign, along with several other members of Congress,” Fortenberry said at an event for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce in Nebraska. “They were caught, they were punished and they’ve been held accountable, thankfully.”

According to an FBI affidavit filed earlier this year, the donations went to Fortenberry’s campaign in March 2016.

In Tuesday’s YouTube video, Fortenberry said that FBI agents from California showed up at his house about two and a half years ago and questioned him about the matter.

“I answered their questions. Later, we went back and answered further questions,” Fortenberry said. “I told them what I knew and what I understood. They’ve accused me of lying to them and are charging me with this. We’re shocked. We’re stunned. I feel so personally betrayed. We thought we were trying to help and so now we will have to fight.”

The lawmaker’s announcement comes after his office blasted out a fundraising message earlier this month accusing the FBI of using its “unlimited power to prosecute me on a bogus charge!”

When Insider reached out to Fortenberry’s office about the email, a spokesperson offered the following comment: “It’s been previously reported that the FBI investigated an effort by a foreign national to illegally funnel money to U.S. political campaigns, including Rep. Fortenberry’s. The people involved in that scheme were prosecuted and no charges were filed against him. This legal expense trust was established in part to address costs associated with that investigation.”

When asked why the fundraising email was written in the present tense if no charges were filed or were expected to be filed against the congressman, the spokesperson responded: “Rep. Fortenberry never saw or approved that language.”

“To be accused of this is extremely painful,” Fortenberry said in his YouTube video. “We will fight these charges. I did not lie to them. I told them what I knew.”

Watch Fortenberry’s video below:

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October 19, 2021

Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry says he expects to be indicted for lying to the FBI

GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry says he expects to be indicted by the FBI.
Fortenberry said in a YouTube video that he expects to be charged with lying to the FBI.
Fortenberry’s office sent out a fundraising message for a legal defense fund earlier this month.

Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry announced in a YouTube video Tuesday morning that he expects to be indicted on a charge of lying to the FBI.

He said investigators “accused me of lying and are charging me with this.” Fortenberry added that he will “fight” the charges and said he did not lie to authorities.

Axios first reported the news.

Fortenberry is one of several lawmakers who investigators said received illegal campaign contributions from the Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury.

Fortenberry addressed the matter on October 5, one day after he sent out the fundraising email about the FBI investigation.

According to an FBI affidavit filed earlier this year, the donations went to Fortenberry’s campaign in March 2016.

In Tuesday’s YouTube video, Fortenberry said that FBI agents from California showed up at his house about two and a half years ago and questioned him about the matter.

The lawmaker’s announcement comes after his office blasted out a fundraising message earlier this month accusing the FBI of using its “unlimited power to prosecute me on a bogus charge!”

“To be accused of this is extremely painful,” Fortenberry said in his YouTube video. “We will fight these charges. I did not lie to them. I told them what I knew.”

Watch Fortenberry’s video below:

Read the original article on Business Insider

October 15, 2021

Andrew McCabe, the former FBI official who was fired under Trump just hours before his retirement, won back his pension in a settlement with the DOJ

The Justice Department settled a lawsuit brought by former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.
McCabe sued over his 2018 firing, alleging it was done for political reason and fueled by Trump.
McCabe won back his pension and benefits and the firing will be removed from his record.

Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI who was fired in 2018 one day before he was set to retire, won back his pension in a settlement with the Department of Justice on Thursday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe after an investigation into his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe. Justice Department officials concluded McCabe was not forthcoming during the investigation and recommended he be fired.

But McCabe argued the firing was politically motivated, citing the multiple public attacks then-President Donald Trump made against him. He sued the agency in 2019.

“It was Trump’s unconstitutional plan and scheme to discredit and remove DOJ and FBI employees who were deemed to be his partisan opponents because they were not politically loyal to him,” McCabe’s lawsuit said. “Plaintiff’s termination was a critical element of Trump’s plan and scheme.”

Under the settlement, which was first reported by The New York Times, McCabe will be able to officially retire, with the firing removed from FBI records, and receive his pension and other benefits. He will also receive back pay for the pension payments he missed, which The Times reported total abut $200,000.

The Justice Department did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement.

“Politics should never play a role in the fair administration of justice and Civil Service personnel decisions,” McCabe said in a statement, according to The Times. “I hope that this result encourages the men and women of the FBI to continue to protect the American people by standing up for the truth and doing their jobs without fear of political retaliation.”

After his dismissal from the FBI, McCabe continued to speak out against Trump. In August, he said Trump’s praise for Ashli Babbitt, the Capitol rioter who was killed by police during the attack, amounted to “threatening members of law enforcement.”

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October 5, 2021

AG Garland is directing the Justice Department to address threats against school officials and teachers so they can ‘work without fear for their safety’

Attorney General Merrick Garland departs after speaking at the Justice Department in Washington, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
Win McNamee/Pool via AP

The National School Board Association wrote a letter to Biden asking for help with threats.
The Department of Justice will create a task force to address threats against school officials.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said threats against school officials counter American values.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Attorneys’ Offices were directed Monday by Attorney General Merrick Garland to meet with officials throughout the country to address increasing harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school board members, teachers, and workers.

Within 30 days, Garland instructed the bureau and offices to meet and strategize with federal, state, Tribal, territorial, and local law enforcement leaders across the country’s 14,000 public school districts, according to a memo from Garland.

“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values,” Garland’s memorandum said. “Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to do their work without fear for their safety.”

In the coming days, measures addressing the rise in crimes against school personnel will be announced, including the creation of a task force and specialized training and guidance for school officials, according to a DoJ press release. The training will teach staff how to identify threatening conduct and gather evidence to aid investigators, the DoJ said.

The announcement comes three days after the National School Board Association wrote a letter asking the Biden administration for help dealing with escalating threats of violence at school board meetings, which it called “an immediate threat.”

“As the threats grow and news of extremist hate organizations showing up at school board meetings is being
reported, this is a critical time for a proactive approach to deal with this difficult issue,” the letter said.

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September 25, 2021

A Proud Boys member and FBI informant was texting his handler during the January 6 Capitol riot, report says

A member of the far-right Proud Boys and FBI informant was texting his handler during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, The New York Times reported.
The FBI was investigating at least two other January 6 rioters with potential ties to the Proud Boys, according to the report.
The records appear to show the FBI had advanced knowledge that Proud Boys members were headed toward the Capitol.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

A member of the Proud Boys who was working as an FBI informant was present at the January 6 riot at the US Capitol and sent his FBI handler live updates by text message, indicating the law enforcement agency had real-time knowledge that a pro-Trump mob was headed toward the building.

According to a report published Saturday by The New York Times, the informant was updating his handler as the pro-Trump mob marched toward the US Capitol 6 while lawmakers were meeting inside to discuss and certify Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

The informant, who was associated with the Midwestern chapter of the organization, told the FBI that members of the Proud Boys were following the mob but maintained the group didn’t have plans to attack the US Capitol.

The informant described meeting up with other members of the Proud Boys at the Washington Monument on the morning of January 6 before they moved to the Capitol, records show, according to the Times. The informant described seeing barriers knocked over and Trump supporters entering the building.

The handler didn’t appear to understand that the Capitol had been breached, according to the records obtained by the Times. The records were provided to the outlet on the grounds it would not quote directly from them, according to the report.

The informant began working with federal investigators in July 2020, records said, according to the Times.

The records do not indicate whether the informant could’ve intentionally misled federal investigators, according to the report. The informant’s statements pose difficulties for federal prosecutors who aim to make the case that rioters at the capitol associated with the Proud Boys in advance planned to storm the building.

Prosecutors have filed conspiracy charges against 15 members of the Proud Boys relating to the January 6 riot, The Times noted. In total, at least 654 people have faced charges related to their participation in the January 6 riot, according to an Insider database.

The FBI was investigating at least two other people involved in the January 6 riot who may have been connected to the Proud Boys, according to the report.

A person familiar with the situation told The New York Times the FBI had another informant present on January 6 who was affiliated with another chapter of the Proud Boys.

“While the F.B.I.’s standard practice is not to discuss its sources and methods, it is important to understand that sources provide valuable information regarding criminal activity and national security matters,” the FBI told The New York Times in a statement.

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September 12, 2021

The FBI released a 16-page declassified 9/11 document

9/11 — The Twin Towers up in smoke on September 11, 2001.
Robert Giroux/Getty Images

Last month, President Biden said the Justice Department would review declassifying 9/11 investigation documents.
One of those documents was released Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the attacks.
The investigation was on the Saudi Arabian government’s involvement in the attacks.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation released a partially redacted 16-page declassified 9/11 document on Saturday night.

Last month, President Joe Biden said the Justice Department would review classified FBI documents on the 9/11 investigation and the alleged role of Saudi Arabia’s government in the attacks.

The document released on Saturday was declassified on the 20th anniversary of the attack and is from 2016.

The released document had multiple witness testimonies and showed several connections between two of the hijackers and Saudi associates, but did not find any evidence that the Saudi government was involved in the attacks.

It said the FBI suspected Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi student in Los Angeles, of being a Saudi intelligence agent that was involved in giving two hijackers – Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar – help with travel, lodging, and money.

Fifteen of the 19 men who hijacked four airplanes on 9/11 were Saudi Arabian.

The Saudi government has repeatedly denied playing any role in the attacks. In a statement on Wednesday, the Saudi Embassy said it welcomed the declassification of the documents.

“As the administrations of the past four US presidents have attested, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unwaveringly condemned and denounced the deplorable crimes that took place against the United States, its close ally and partner,” the statement said.

9/11 Families United said the report made revelations “implicating numerous Saudi government officials, in a coordinated effort to mobilize an essential support network for the first arriving 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar.”

“Twenty years ago today they murdered our loved ones and inflicted immeasurable pain and suffering on our lives,” said Terry Strada of 9/11 Families United, whose husband, Tom, was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11. “Now the Saudis’ secrets are exposed and it is well past time for the Kingdom to own up to its officials’ roles in murdering thousands on American soil.”

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September 8, 2021

FBI releases new footage of person suspected of planting pipe bombs ahead of the January 6 insurrection

Security footage of a person sitting on park bench. — The FBI released new video of a person suspected of planting pipe bombs in Washington, DC, on January 5, 2021.
FBI

Pipe bombs were planted at the Republican and Democratic Party headquarters ahead of the January 6 riot.
The devices were discovered around 1 p.m. local time on January 6.
The FBI is offering $100,000 for info that could lead to an arrest; new video of the suspect was released.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The FBI released new footage Wednesday of a person suspected of planting explosive devices in Washington, DC, hours before the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

In the footage, a person wearing jeans and a hoodie can be sitting walking up to and sitting down on a park bench while carrying a bag. The FBI said the footage comes “from along the suspect’s route” in Capitol Hill, where the bureau suspects they placed pipe bombs at the offices of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee.

The bombs, which were placed the night of January 5, were discovered the next day at around 1 p.m. local time.

“The FBI has conducted more than 800 interviews, collected more than 23,000 video files, and assessed more than 300 tips related to this investigation,” the bureau said in a statement.

The FBI has previously said that an “unknown individual wore a face mask, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo.”

The bureau is offering a $100,000 reward for tips.

At least 638 people have already been charged in connection with the January 6 insurrection, when a mob incited by former President Donald Trump sought to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

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September 5, 2021

Buyers and sellers of fake vaccine cards have flocked to messaging app Telegram, which has reportedly seen a 200% increase in sales since March

Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Telegram is a heavily encrypted messaging platform that can be accessed worldwide.
There has been a 200% increase in fake vaccine card sales on the app since March.
Fake COVID-related products are illegal to buy and sell and violate most social-media guidelines.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Shady deals for fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine cards have blossomed on messaging platform Telegram as mainstream social-media companies and authorities have cracked down on buyers and sellers.

Cybersecurity data firm Check Point Research began a probe into alleged Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for sale on the “dark web” in January, but its investigation quickly led to investigating other pandemic-related sales across the regular world wide web.

That was when a different platform entered the chat – Telegram.

Telegram, which has more than 500 million users, operates much like other messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Viber, except it offers several unique features, like the self-destruction of messages and accounts after a certain period of time. Telegram is easier to access than the dark web because it can be downloaded from the App Store, funneling ordinary people into its message stream.

Check Point said it found a 200% increase in the number of vaccine card sales on Telegram since March. The data firm only expects this number to grow as US cities, universities, and workplaces begin rolling out vaccine mandates and millions of eligible Americans decline getting inoculated against the novel coronavirus.

“Advertisements being extended on social media platforms are ultimately funneling [users] to a darker, more dangerous criminal world with these vendors on Telegram,” Check Point spokesperson Ekram Ahmed told Insider. “And these Telegram vendors are likely an extension of darknet vendors.”

“There’s been a macro shift that has happened from the dark net all the way towards Telegram, in terms of these fake or fraudulent coronavirus services,” Ahmed added. “I think as more and more vaccine mandates get rolled out, this market thrives.”

Telegram messages about fake vaccination cards — Telegram messages with undercover Check Point Research about buying fake vaccination cards.
Check Point Research

The end-to-end encryption is available for features like voice or video calls and Telegram’s “secret chats” feature, providing an extra barrier of protection for users. But most other activity on the app can be monitored by Telegram administrators, who can technically alert authorities to observable activity around the sale of vaccine cards.

Telegram did not respond to Insider’s request to comment on how its platform is being used.

In recent months, arrests have surged related to the sale and usage of fake vaccine cards. Buying and selling fake cards is a federal crime because the cards have unauthorized use of an official government seal.

Government agencies like the FBI and the FTC are arresting those who partake in these sales.

“The only legitimate way to get proof that you’re vaccinated – or that you test negative – is to get vaccinated and to test negative,” a spokesperson from the FTC told Insider.

Buying and selling fake vaccine cards violate the terms of agreement for social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, spokespeople from the companies explained to Insider. Those platforms use algorithms and second-hand user reporting to catch accounts in violation of these rules. Violators can face suspension and termination from the social media sites.

Aside from the potential legal liability for taking part in fake vaccine-card sales, there’s the risk of handing over personal information to near-anonymous vendors who populate Telegram. When Check Point investigated the app posing as potential buyers, Ahmed and his team were asked intrusive questions about personal details by fake vaccine card vendors, including location, birthday, email address, workplace, and banking information.

Vendors can use this sensitive information against buyers, committing crimes like identity theft or fraud.

“The type of information that they ask for is a little bit more intrusive than what you would need to just craft a fake card and ship it over,” Ahmed explained. “Anytime you share your information with someone on the darknet, or even these Telegram vendors, you have no idea what they can do with it.”

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