FBI News

Since 2008, more than 380 letters featuring a postmark from North Texas and containing a white powder substance have been sent to various locations around the country—more than 20 were sent last week alone. All of the letters are believed to have come from the same person. At a press conference in Dallas today, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for these mailings.

On May 12, 1972, Acting Director L. Patrick Gray opened a new chapter in Bureau history by allowing women applicants to be considered for the position of special agent. Today, 2,675 women special agents serve in a variety of positions within the FBI, in every way equal to their male counterparts. Over the next several months, we will be posting additional spotlights and stories featuring our women agents, commemorating 40 years of service and excellence.

Seventy-two law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty last year, according to preliminary statistics released today. The figure is 16 more officers than were killed the previous year.

Today, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its latest annual report, covering all the relevant and telling statistics of 2011. Overall, the center fielded more than 300,000 complaints for the third year running, adding up to losses of nearly a half-billion dollars. The total number of complaints last year rose by 3.4 percent.

Director Mueller briefed the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on the FBI’s current priorities, which include the top national security and criminal threats to the nation.

A nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities has resulted in charges against 107 individuals, including doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, for their participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing. This coordinated operation involved the highest amount of false Medicare billings in a single takedown in strike force history.

Although some businesses legitimately pay to advertise their companies’ logos on people’s personal vehicles, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received several notifications regarding a similar—but completely bogus—offer. This is just one of the scams featured in this month’s report from the IC3.

Although some businesses legitimately pay to advertise their companies’ logos on people’s personal vehicles, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received several notifications regarding a similar—but completely bogus—offer. This is just one of the scams featured in this month’s report from the IC3.

Agron Hasbajrami, an Albanian citizen and resident of Brooklyn, pled guilty today in New York to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. According to court documents, Hasbajrami attempted to travel to Pakistan for the purpose of joining a radical jihadist insurgent group.

Wish you could read this blog entry in Greek? Icelandic? Well, now you can. You may have noticed the new “Select Language” drop-down menu in the upper right corner of every page on the FBI website. This feature, programmed into our site using a free application programming interface from Google, enables you to translate any standard webpage (not pdfs) into more than 50 different languages.

It was 20 years ago today—on April 2, 1992—that legendary New York mobster John Gotti was convicted of racketeering and other charges and sent to jail for what turned out to be the rest of his life.

Internet-based social networking sites have created a revolution in social connectivity, but some are exploiting this capability for nefarious purposes. So warns our Counterintelligence Division in its latest informative brochure, Internet Social Networking Risks. View the other brochures in our collection for information and security tips on topics such as insider threats, intellectual property protection, and keeping safe abroad.

The FBI needs your help to identify a fugitive who shot a police officer with an AK-47-style assault rifle after he allegedly robbed a California bank.

Bogus e-mails claiming to be from the Better Business Bureau are notifying companies of supposed customer grievances. The e-mail recipient is asked to review the attached “complaint,” which actually contains a virus. This scam is among five featured in the latest report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Women have served in the FBI since its earliest days in a variety of professional support positions. The first women special agents verified by our current records served in the 1920s, but it would be another half century—1972—before social mores would change and female special agents would become a regular and vital part of the FBI. Today, we employ more than 15,000 women, with over 2,600 serving as special agents. Visit the photo gallery for a walk through the history of women in the FBI.

In March 2012, the Department of Justice (DOJ) provided training guidance to all DOJ components. Consistent with that guidance and the review that was conducted on counterterrorism training, the FBI has released its own guiding principles on training.

In the early morning hours of June 26, 2011, Daryl Paul Dedmon, John Aaron Rice, and Dylan Wade Butler were driving around Jackson, Mississippi, engaging in one of their favorite pastimes—looking for innocent victims to attack. They based their search on one specific factor: skin color...they wanted to hurt African-Americans. This time, they happened upon James Craig Anderson in a motel parking lot, got out of their vehicles, and began their unprovoked assault. Once back in their vehicles, Dedmon used his Ford F-250 pickup truck as a murder weapon, deliberately running over Mr. Anderson. In the first case involving the death of a victim brought under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Dedmon, Rice, and Butler pled guilty on Thursday to their roles in this unthinkable crime.

A husband and wife made a daring escape off of an island to avoid prison. Now, the FBI needs your help tracking down the so-called Dimitrion Duo.