On November 27, 2012, the FBI in San Diego and the San Diego Police Department asked the public for information on an unidentified man who robbed a US Bank inside a Vons grocery store on November 27, 2012.  

The FBI announced that the man is suspected in one robbery but may be linked to other robberies as well.  

The robbery occurred around 4:33 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012.  The US Bank was located in the Vons grocery store on 5555 Balboa Avenue in San Diego, California.  The man entered the doors on the east side of the store, approached the teller, and sat down in a chair in front of the teller’s station.  

The man proceeded to pull out an envelope and a piece of paper with writing inscribed on it.  The piece of paper appeared to be a demand note because the teller looked at the note, put a sum of money in the envelope, and returned the envelope to the unidentified man.  After the man received the money, he stood up, walked away from the teller’s station, and left the store through the doors on the west side.

Nobody was hurt during the robbery.  

The man is described as Caucasian, about 30 years old, 5’6” to 5’10” tall, and about 130 to 140 pounds.  He had brown hair during the robbery and had a brown goatee.  He was wearing a blue baseball cap with yellow letters, a dark coat, a gray T-shirt, and light blue jeans.

If anyone has information about the robbery or suspect, they should call the FBI at (858) 565-1255 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.  Individuals are discouraged from approaching a suspect by themselves or with the help of other people because the suspect may be armed and dangerous.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On November 27, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that Jeremy K Russell, the former fire chief of Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department, agreed to plead guilty for embezzling over $225,000 from the Town of Mint Hill and the Fire Department.  

According to the charge filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte, Russell engaged in the embezzlement scheme from May 2010 to April 2012.  During the scheme, Russell set up a sham corporation called “Regional Medic & First Responder Supply Connection” and opened a bank account in Regional Medic’s name that he controlled himself.  He also created a mail drop for Regional Medic so mail wasn’t sent to his address.  

Court documents show that Russell filed fake invoices for services and equipment from Regional Medic that were never provided to the Mint Hill Fire Department.  The invoices were usually under $5,000 and the checks were signed off by members of the town and Fire Department employees.  

When Russell received the checks in the mail drop, he took them to the bank and deposited them in Regional Medic’s name.  By engaging in the scheme, Russell was able to obtain over $225,000 in under two years.  The Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department is supported by taxpayer money and receives over $10,000 in federal funds as well.  

Russell used the embezzled money for personal expenditures and a gambling habit.  As part of the plea agreement, Russell will plead guilty to the embezzlement charge and pay restitution to victims.  

Embezzlement carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.  The date of Russell’s plea hearing is not yet scheduled.  

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt W. Meyers.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 7, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that Eric Brown of Richmond was arrested after he was accused of stealing a truck the contained audio equipment for the President of the United States.  He faces 10 years in prison for theft of government property if he is convicted.  

Court documents show that a truck was reported stolen on October 16, 2011 that stored audio equipment the president uses during public appearances.  The truck was located in Henrico Country before it was reported stolen.  The truck was stolen several days before President Obama was supposed to speak at an event in Central Virginia.  

Video surveillance saw a dark SUV enter the parking lot where the truck was located.  The truck was driven off the lot shortly after, and the SUV followed shortly behind.  The stolen equipment included a laptop and other audio and visual equipment.  These items bore the presidential seal.   

After the theft, Brown sold the laptop and kept the audio and visual equipment.  The laptop still contained the presidential seal, and Brown was reported to have bragged about the theft.  During the investigation, authorities were able to obtain cell phone data that proved Brown was at the place where the truck was stolen on the night of the crime.  

The investigation was led by the Secret Service, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and the Henrico County Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Roderick C. Young is handling the prosecution.  

Brown is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  The FBI has not released any information about his sentencing date, but updates about the case will appear on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 20, 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Newark asked for information from the public for a series of four bank robberies that occurred starting in August 2012.  During all of the robberies, the man approached the teller, gave them a note demanding money, and walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash.  During two of the robberies, he wore a baseball cap containing the letter “R.”  The FBI believes the letter stands for Rutgers.  

The robberies are summarized below:

On August 9, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 74 Route 571 in East Windsor, New Jersey around 7:12 p.m.  He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, dark pants, large sunglasses, and a baseball cap.  

On August 23, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 1010 Raritan Road in Clark, New Jersey at about 7:50 p.m.  He was wearing a dark baseball cap, a short-sleeved polo shirt, and dark pants.  

On September 8, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 3024 Route 516 in Old Bridge, New Jersey at approximately 2:50 p.m.  He was wearing a baseball cap, a blue polo shirt, gray pants, and sunglasses.  

The last robbery occurred on November 16, 2012 at the TD Bank on 70 Middlesex Avenue in Metuchen, New Jersey around 7:15 p.m.  He was wearing a black jacket, gray shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, large sunglasses, and a baseball cap.  

The man is described as white and about 5’8” tall and 170 pounds.  He had a beard and mustache during all of the robberies.  

If you have any information about the bank robberies, you need to contact the FBI at 973-792-3000.  Do not attempt to apprehend the suspect on your own.  You can also contact 911 if you suspect you’ve spotted the bank robber.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 13, 2012, the Department of Justice announced that Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.  The Saudi Arabian national was admitted into the United States in 2008 on a student visa for South Plains College near Lubbock.  

On February 1, 2011, a chemical supplier told the FBI that they received a suspicious request for concentrated phenol by Aldawsari.  Phenol is used to make explosive trinitrophenol (T.N.P.) or picric acid.  The chemicals needed to make T.N.P. or picric acid include sulfuric and nitric acids.  Aldawsari told the company he wanted the chemicals sent to a freight company for “off-campus, personal research.”  He eventually cancelled the order, but he obtained concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid by December 2010.  

A journal found at Aldawsari’s resident showed that he was planning a terrorist attack on the United States for years.  The journal stated that a scholarship greatly helped him come to the United States, and the journal specifically stated, “And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives, and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for jihad.”

The investigation proved that Aldawsari sent emails to himself that contained instructions on how to make powerful explosives, how to turn a cell phone into a detonator, and how to make a bomb out of a vehicle.  He also bought a Hazmat suit, multiple beakers and flasks, a battery tester, a soldering iron kit, and more.  

U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña stated, “This case, in which private citizens paid attention to details and notified authorities of their suspicions, serves as a reminder to all private citizens that we must always be observant and vigilant, as there are some who intend to cause great harm.  Khalid Aldawsari, acting as a lone wolf, may well have gone undetected were it not for the keen observations of private citizens.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation