04/23/2013: Boston Marathon Support — The National RCFL Program is contributing to law enforcement's efforts in the Boston Marathon bombing case.  

04/29/2013: Chiropractor Convicted of $3M Automobile Insurance Fraud — A Bryan, TX, Chiropractor, Chase Lindsey entered a guilty plea to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud automobile insurance companies of more than $3 million. Lindsey admitted he participated in a two-year conspiracy to defraud numerous auto insurance companies by allowing fraudulent chiropractic bills to be created under his name for treatments which were never performed and used as support for fraudulent settlement demand letters sent to auto insurance companies. Lindsey faces up to 30 years in prison, a possible $1 million fine, and agreed to pay restitution of $1.2 million to insurance companies victimized by the scheme. GHRCFL examiners supported this investigation by examining digital media obtained from computers.   Read the FBI press release.

03/28/2013: Deweyville TX Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Porn — Mark James Frederick, a Deweyville, TX man, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Police received a report claiming a minor had been sexually assaulted by Frederick. The minor provided a statement to police that Frederick sexually assaulted her on several occasions, and, on at least one occasion, took Polaroid photographs of her engaged in actual or simulated sexual acts. Although photographs of the minor were not found, a forensic examination of the seized items revealed more than 600 images of child pornography. Some the material included prepubescent children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. GHRCFL examiners supported this investigation by imaging and examining a laptop computer and other digital media seized as evidence.   Read the FBI press release.

03/26/2013: Texas Rep. Reynolds + Eight Other Attorneys Charged with Barratry — State Representative Ron Reynolds and eight other attorneys are facing criminal charges for barratry, commonly known as "ambulance chasing," a third degree felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Reynolds and the other attorneys are accused of paying kickbacks to Robert Valdez, the alleged ringleader of the operation. Prosecutors said Valdez routinely scoured accident reports, then approached and aggressively persuaded crash victims to sign contracts for legal representation. The GHRCFL provided search and imaging assistance to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office on eight law offices and two chiropractic clinics. As this is an ongoing case, the GHRCFL will continue to assist the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office with the processing of over 40 imaged computers.   Click here for more.

03/13/2013: Husband and Wife Handed 25+ Year Sentences for Producing Child Pornography — Matthew David Eyerly and his wife Debra Jean Eyerly received federal sentences of 30 years and 25 years respectively for conspiracy to produce child pornography.  GHRCFL examiners assisted the prosecution by examining computers and a camera which revealed pornographic images of Debra Eyerly's minor child as well as additional child pornography images downloaded from the Internet.   Read the USAO press release.

03/04/2013: Major Shoplifting Crime Ring Dismantled — Sameh Khaled Danhach was convicted of six counts related to the interstate transportation of stolen goods and obstruction of justice.  The evidence demonstrated he was a high-ranking fence involved in a multi-million dollar, multi-state criminal enterprise where he received stolen over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, baby formula, health and beauty supplies and shampoo for later re-packaging and shipping.  Danhach faces up to five years for one count of conspiracy to transport stolen merchandise in interstate commerce as well as up to 10 years in each of three convictions for transporting stolen merchandise.  Danhach further faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each of the two obstruction of justice counts.  Digital media obtained during this investigation was forensically processed by GHRCFL examiners and the results were provided to investigators.   Read the FBI press release.

01/22/2013: Former CFO Receives 5-Year Sentence for Role in $7B International Fraud Scheme — Former Stanford International Bank (SIB) and Houston-based Stanford Financial Group CFO, James M. Davis, was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in helping perpetrate a fraud scheme involving SIB and for conspiring to obstruct a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into SIB. Davis was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and received a personal money judgment of $1 billion. GHRCFL examiners assisted in forensically processing digital media for this case.   Read more.

01/17/2013: Houston Area Man Receives 45 Years for Child Porn — Defendant calls himself a "monster" during hearing — DJ Christopher Lowe was sentenced to 540 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession, distribution and production of child pornography. Lowe admitted he exploited six different children in order to produce child pornography. Lowe spoke at the hearing and called himself a monster. The U.S. District Judge called Lowe’s conduct “reprehensible” and further noted that Lowe’s collection of pornographic images and videos was one of the largest he had ever seen. GHRCFL examiners forensically imaged and processed digital media for this case.   Read the USAO press release.

04/25/2013: Jury finds Joseph David Martin guilty, recommends 580 years — The KRCFL recently assisted authorities in bringing to justice Joseph David Martin, 39, after he was charged with having sex with an underage female over a 3-year period. The jury deliberated for only 3 hours before recommending the maximum sentence of 580 years in prison.   Learn more.

04/16/2013: UK Citizen Extradited on Child Sex Offences — The Miami Valley RCFL played a key role in the investigation leading to the extradition of a U.K. citizen on charges that include traveling to the U.S. to have sex with a minor. The subject appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Dayton, Ohio, who ordered him held without bond pending trial.   Read the DOJ Press Release.

02/06/2013: MVRCFL Assists in Case Alleging Production of Child Pornography — A Cincinnati man was charged on February 6 by a federal grand jury on 20 counts of producing child pornography. The indictment alleges that James O. Napier abused an infant and an approximately 9-year old child, made video recordings of the acts, and advertised the videos. The Miami Valley RCFL provided computer forensic expertise in the investigation. Read the FBI Press Release or get the full story here.  

01/08/2013: MVRCFL Examines Digital Evidence in Child Rape Cases — The Miami Valley RCFL examined subjects' computers in related cases of child rape that have, to date, resulted in prison sentences for two defendants. The cases involve an adoptive father, minor children under his care, and meetings that he arranged between adults and a child after posting an online ad. The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force launched the investigations last year. More...  

05/31/2013: Guilty Pleas in Two New Mexico Child Pornography Cases — The New Mexico RCFL supported two child pornography investigations brought by the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that have resulted in guilty pleas by three defendants.   Read more.

02/08/2013: Former Marine Sentenced for Distributing Child Pornography — The Northwest RCFL provided assistance with the search of a subject's home and examination of his computers in a case that led to a guilty plea and a five year prison sentence for a decorated former Marine. Jefferson Franklin Williams of Salem, Oregon, faces both prison time and five years of supervised release for exchanging images of child pornography. (Full Story)  

04/18/2013: News Radio KFWB Reports on the OCRCFL — The Orange County RCFL was recently featured in story on radio station KFWB.  

04/03/2013: OCRCFL Receives Prestigious International Accreditation — The Orange County RCFL has received International Program accreditation by the American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). ASCLD/LAB's Executive Director, Ralph Keaton, presented a plaque to the Local Executive Board chairs at today's accreditation ceremony. Read the official FBI press release or full story and click here to watch the video.  

02/14/2013: OCRCFL Assists California Law Enforcement — The Orange County RCFL provided assistance to law enforcement agencies during the high-profile manhunt for Christopher Dorner, a former LAPD officer, who was suspected of killing 4. Dorner, who eluded police for 9 days, died in a Big Bear cabin in the San Bernardino mountains, during a standoff with police.   Click here for more.

04/29/2013: Retired U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Supervisor Found Guilty — Thanks to the help of the San Diego RCFL, a retired U.S. Customs and Border Patrol supervisor was found guilty of downloading child pornography and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Click here to read the whole story.  

02/05/2013: Go Inside FBI Crime Lab Catching Criminals With Technology — The San Diego RCFL was featured in a local NBC news story. Click here for the story and to learn what RCFLs do and how the San Diego team is meeting the challenges of rapidly changing technology.  

03/01/2012: FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, Talks about The RCFL Program — FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, mentioned the RCFL Program in a speech before the RSA Cyber Security conference in San Francisco. Read the full transcript to learn how the FBI is combatting cyber crime through technology and partnerships like the RCFLs.  

01/30/2012: Digital Detectives Dig Through Data Deluge — The RCFL Program was featured on ABC's "20/20" news magazine. Click here to read the story which included an interview with the Rocky Mountain RCFL Director, SSA Sean O'Brien.  

03/15/2012: Former Illinois Governor Begins Prison Term — Rod Blagojevich began serving his 14-year prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Colorado. The Chicago RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to prosecutors for the ex-governor's two trials.   GET THE FULL STORY.

11/02/2012: Pemco Convicted of Illegal Dumping — Pemco Services Inc. plead guilty to eight charges in connection with illegal dumping of toxic drilling mud used in the oil and gas industry. Pemco was convicted of Texas Water Code violations stemming from a criminal investigation that focused on the deposit of more than 1.3 million barrels of used drilling mud onto a landfarm facility in violation of the company’s permit. GHRCFL examiners supported this investigation by processing computers seized as evidence.   Read the Travis County DA press release.

11/02/2012: Heart of America RCFL Satellite Laboratory Opens in Topeka — Heart of America RCFL's (HARCFL) satellite laboratory opened today in Topeka, Kansas. The Topeka facility is the RCFL Program's first transitional laboratory. Built with state of Kansas funding and located within the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Headquarters, the Topeka Satellite RCFL will operate under the direction of the HARCFL for three to five years and then transition to full state control. In addition to operational oversight, the FBI is also providing equipment and training. Participating agencies are the KBI, Shawnee County Sheriff's Department, Topeka Police Department and the FBI. Read the FBI Press Release.  

01/30/2012: Two Teenagers Arrested for Allegedly Plotting to Bomb Utah High School — The Intermountain West RCFL is supplying digital forensics expertise to investigators looking into a detailed plan allegedly hatched by Dallin Morgan, 18 and Joshua Hoggan, 16, to detonate a bomb during an assembly at Roy High School in Utah.   Get the full story.

05/25/2012: Dayton Restaurant Owner Guilty of Insurance Fraud — Miami Valley RCFL Examiners Testify — Forensic examiners from the Miami Valley RCFL (MVRCFL) testified in the successful fraud prosecution of Eva Christian, owner of a Dayton restaurant. Christian, who faces up to 17 years in prison, was found guilty on five counts of insurance fraud for a scheme that involved two break-ins that were staged to collect insurance money. Click here to learn more.  

05/24/2012: New Jersey RCFL Receives Prestigious ASCLD/LAB-International Accreditation — The New Jersey RCFL (NJRCFL) was recently approved for the ASCLD/LAB International Accreditation Program after completing an intensive assessment by expert evaluators. The lab, which opened in 2004, achieved ASCLD/LAB Legacy Accreditation in 2006. . Click here for more information.  

05/23/2012: Albuquerque Man Sentenced in Child Exploitation and Child Pornography Charges — Edward Christy, 59, was sentenced to nine years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges relating to a 2009 incident involving a 16-year old California girl. Christy admitted to inducing and then transporting the child to Albuquerque, without her parent's permission, to engage in sexual activity. He also admitted to possession of child pornography. The New Mexico RCFL provided digital forensic expertise in the investigation. The case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood and New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Read the DOJ press release.  

04/17/2012: Child Porn Sweep Nets More Than 2 Dozen In NJ — Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa today announced the arrests associated with a large-scale child porn investigation dubbed Operation Watchdog. The three-month, multi-agency effort resulted in 27 men and one woman being charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. The New Jersey RCFL (NJRCFL) has received all digital evidence related to the effort and is assisting in the investigation. Read the full article.  

11/14/2012: New Mexico Man Receives 97-Month Sentence for Child Pornography Charges — Robert Schmidt of Albuquerque entered a guilty plea on November 14, 2012 to charges of transportation and possession of child pornography. An investigation of Schmidt was initiated last year after a maintenance employee at the apartment complex where Schmidt was a tenant reported seeing child pornography on a computer in Schmidt's residence. The New Mexico RCFL assisted with the investigation. Read more.  

09/04/2012: Former National Guardsman Receives 10-Year Sentence in Federal Child Exploitation Conviction — A former military recruiter for the National Guard, was sentenced to ten years in prison and ten years supervised release on federal charges of sexual exploitation. Jeffrey Neal Jackson admitted to responding to a "craigslist.com" ad, engaging in a 3-week online relationship and then traveling from Texas to New Mexico to meet with a person he believed to be 15-years old. The New Mexico RCFL supported the investigation. Full story.  

07/25/2012: New Mexico Man Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography Case — Duane Chavez, a former state corrections officer, faces 36 months imprisonment and a term of supervised release after he plead guilty today to federal child pornography charges. Chavez admitted to using a file sharing program to download child pornography. The New Mexico RCFL's forensic examination of Chavez's computer and computer-related media revealed 15 such files. Full story.  

07/24/2012: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Charge — Antonio Gallegos of Albuquerque, arrested in April, plead guilty to federal charges today, admitting to knowingly distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. He faces 5 to 20 years in prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release. The New Mexico RCFL conducted the examination of Gallegos' computer and computer-related media.   Click here for more.

05/23/2012: Albuquerque Man Sentenced in Child Exploitation and Child Pornography Charges — Edward Christy, 59, was sentenced to nine years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges relating to a 2009 incident involving a 16-year old California girl. Christy admitted to inducing and then transporting the child to Albuquerque, without her parent's permission, to engage in sexual activity. He also admitted to possession of child pornography. The New Mexico RCFL provided digital forensic expertise in the investigation. The case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood and New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.   Read the DOJ press release.

04/11/2012: Former National Guardsman from Texas Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Exploitation Charge — The New Mexico RCFL provided digital evidence expertise to this case investigated by the Curry County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from the United States Army and the FBI and brought by Project Safe Childhood.   Read the FBI press release.

10/17/2012: Man Found Guilty of Murdering Infant Son - NWRCFL Examiner Testifies — A NWRCFL Forensic Examiner testified in the successful prosecution of Kaliq Mansor, convicted of murdering one of his 11-week-old twins and abusing the child's brother. The boy died of abusive head trauma in June 2011, a day after Mansor called 911 to report that his son was having trouble breathing. Forensic Examiner Justin Lazenby testified that he found search terms on Mansor's computer that included "11 week old baby pulse no breathing," "abuse newborn symptoms," "how do I stop abusing my baby," and "father hates infant." Click here for the FBI Press Release.  

12/14/2012: OCRCFL Sponsors National Academy of Sciences Event — The Orange County Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory partnered with the FBI, Los Angeles Division and the National Academy of Sciences, to co-sponsor a Distinctive Voices event on December 14, 2012 at the Beckman Center, Irvine, CA. The half-day program, entitled "Digital Forensics in the 21st Century," featured presentations, case studies, hands-on demonstrations of technology and methods by OCRCFL examiners, and tours of the FBI's state-of-the-art mobile laboratory. More than 280 people attended the program. (Full Story)  

08/09/2012: Man Arrested After Recording Device Found in Elementary School — Angel Rojas Jr., a substitute custodian for the Santa Ana School District Police Department, was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of installing a video recording device in an elementary school bathroom. Press accounts report that a female school volunteer discovered the device. During a search of Mr. Rojas' home, the Santa Ana School District Police found other electronic devices, according to a police spokeswoman. The Orange County RCFL is analyzing the recording found at the school. (Click here to read the school district press release.)  

06/01/2012: Former California National Guard Master Sergeant Receives 30 Month Sentence for Misappropriating $15.2 M — Retired Master Sergeant Toni L. Jaffe pleaded guilty to submitting millions of dollars of false claims for bonuses and loan payments to guardsmen who were ineligible for the payments. She received a 30-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $15.2 million. The Orange County RCFL provided digital forensic expertise in this case. Click here to read the FBI press release.  

03/01/2012: Former Intern Pleads Guilty to Illegal Videotaping — Miguel Ruiz Fabian, 24, the ex-intern for the Santa Ana Public Works Department pleaded guilty to eight misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct by unlawful viewing .   Read on.

02/07/2012: The Exchange Brings Entertainers to the FBI — The Orange County RCFL recently teamed up with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to welcome a group of writers, producers, directors and entertainment executives into the OCRCFL laboratory.   Click here to read more.

01/24/2012: Press Release — The Orange County RCFL is providing digital forensics expertise to one of its participating agencies, the Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA), in a case involving Robert Vincent Peace, 45. Peace is facing multiple counts of crimes against children.   Read the press release here.

05/11/2012: Video Link — Property Seized From Home Of Nuggets 'Birdman' sent to the Rocky Mountain Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory in Centennial, run by the FBI and local law enforcement.   Watch the video here.

03/29/2012: Navy Officials and Government Contractors Plead Guilty to Corruption Charges — U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that four Navy officials and three defense contractors each pled guilty in a wide-ranging fraud and corruption scheme involving millions of dollars at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California. The San Diego RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to investigators. The investigation is ongoing — anyone with information is asked to contact the Procurement Fraud Working Group hotline at 1-877-NO-BRIBE.   Click here to read the press release.

01/19/2012: San Diego RCFL Assisted Successful Mortgage Fraud Prosecution — The San Diego RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to investigators looking into a fraudulent loan modification company which promised nearly 4,000 desperate homeowners help with renegotiating the terms of their mortgages. Instead, they bilked them out of millions of dollars.   Get the full story.

10/29/2012: Esteban Convicted of First Degree Murder; SVRCFL Examiner Testified at Trial — Silicon Valley RCFL forensic examiner, Jann Hayes, provided important testimony at the murder trial of Giselle Esteban, 28, convicted today of murdering nursing student Michelle Le in 2011. Ms. Hayes testified to the results of forensic examination conducted on a computer belonging to Esteban. The examination revealed internet searches on Le's name and multiple searches on tactics to harm another person. Esteban faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life for the first-degree murder conviction.   Full story.

03/15/2012: Western New York RCFL Supported Successful Project Safe Childhood Prosecution — James Paul Summers, 30, will spend the next 45 years in prison for producing and possessing child pornography. The Western New York RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to Project Safe Childhood investigators who worked the case.   Learn more.

02/27/2012: Batavia Gambling Ring Busted — Authorities arrested two city firefighters and a chef for allegedly running a gambling enterprise in Batavia, New York which is located between the cities of Rochester and Buffalo. The staff at the Western New York RCFL are examining digital media lawfully seized as part of the investigation, which authorities believe will give them more details around the operation including the names of additional clients and/or suspects.   Click here to read a news article about the arrests.

02/27/2012: Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges — Timothy Bek, a former substitute teacher for the West Seneca Central School District, pled guilty to producing and possessing child pornography. The Western New York RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to investigators.   Learn more.