Law Enforcement, Military, and Terrorism News

Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Posting Death Threats to AFA on Facebook

Chase Davis of Pompano Beach, Florida, will serve time in a federal prison for publicly threatening to kill employees of the American Family Association (AFA, http://www.afa.net), last year.

Chase Davis of Pompano Beach, Florida, will serve time in a federal prison for publicly threatening to kill employees of the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net), last year.

On May 22, 2019, Davis posted a pair of threatening messages on the AFA Facebook page: “i am coming to tupelo unexpected with a group of people and we are going to kill every single person who runs your group,” and “you are the most disgusting people in america. i have put together a group to have you pieces of [expletive] obliterated into dust. yes, i literally mean killing all of you. you people are nothing but disgusting, warn out, and old excuses of human life.”

AFA reported the threats to Facebook but was told that the threat was not a policy violation. AFA appealed the decision to no avail.

AFA also immediately reported the criminal threats to the United States Attorney’s Office, which resulted in an investigation by the FBI and a federal grand jury indictment in the Northern District of Mississippi in the summer of 2019.

On July 20, 2020, Judge Sheri Polster Chappell, United States Judge for the Middle District of Florida, sentenced Davis on the federal criminal conviction he received for the murderous threats he directed toward AFA. Judge Chappell sentenced Davis to serve 6 months in prison followed by an additional 3 years of federal probation, during which he will be strictly monitored and supervised by federal authorities. In addition, he was ordered to pay $1,440 in restitution for costs AFA incurred to protect its employees after the threat. As a part of the sentence, Mr. Davis must also participate in drug and mental health treatment and perform 400 hours of community service in lieu of a fine.

Buddy Smith, AFAsenior vice president, said AFA sought not vengeance but justice in the matter. He added that providing for the safety of the ministry’s employees was paramount, and that he hoped the sentence would serve as a deterrent to anyone in the future who would threaten harm to AFA or any other organization.

“AFA is grateful for the protective services provided by our federal law enforcement and court system over this threat to the employees of our organization,” Smith said. “AFA will continue to affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth and are created by God in His image.

“AFA supports a biblical worldview that God created us by design as male and female and that marriage is between one man and one woman,” he continued. “With all the sexual brokenness in our society and in the church today, AFA will not be intimidated into silence. We will continue to boldly proclaim the redemptive hope of the gospel and that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only answer to the culturally controversial questions about gender and sexuality.”

Regarding the sentencing of Mr. Davis, U.S. Attorney William C. Lamar said, “It is important to protect free speech, but when it crosses the line and becomes threats to harm others on the basis of race, religious beliefs, political affiliations or other protected reasons, we will use federal laws to hold those individuals accountable for their actions.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Blogs to Follow:

AFA.net; Justice.gov (July 2020) American Family Association: Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Posting Death Threats to AFA on Facebook; Florida Man Sentenced For Making Death Threats On Facebook Posts

Portland Riots July 24 Update

The situation in Portland for the past 55 straight days continues with violent anarchists rioting on the streets of Portland as federal law enforcement officers work diligently and honorably to enforce federal law; they do so by defending federal property and the lives of their fellow officers.

In response to nightly attempts to raze and damage the Hatfield Federal Courthouse, DHS made the decision earlier this week to put up a stronger fence around the building’s perimeter.

While more secure fencing has kept much of the criminal violence away from the courthouse building, it has now become a consistent target of the rioters, who try to tear it down and breach it using ropes and various tools.

As federal officers left the building to address attacks on the fence, night after night they have been met by rioters with hard projectiles, mortar style fireworks and lasers that can cause permanent blindness. Reports on the ground also indicate that rioters’ laser attacks have increased in intensity.

The Past 24 Hours:

By 9:15 p.m. local time over 1500 protestors had peacefully assembled near the Hatfield Federal Courthouse.

Around 10:49 p.m. local time the attack on federal property and officers began when the rioters began to use lasers that can cause permanent blindness against federal officers in the courthouse.

At 11:33 p.m. local time the crowd began to throw trash over the fence protecting the courthouse. At 11:38 p.m. local time federal officers arrived at the scene and immediately came under heavy laser attack.

At 11:45 p.m. local time it was reported that the first fireworks were launched at the courthouse.

At 11:49 p.m. rioters attempted to climb the fence, despite repeated warnings not to do so. Laser attacks continued against the courthouse and officers.

Shortly after midnight local time rioters set fire to trash that had been thrown over the fence earlier in the evening. Some rioters then threw objects over the fence and used leaf blowers to increase the spread of the flames. The rioters persisted with their mortar-style firework attacks.

Around 12:30 a.m. local time law enforcement officers were forced to use pepper balls as rioters began to rock the fence aggressively despite the officers’ repeated warnings to cease. Minutes later at 12:39 a.m., rioters started tying rope to the fence in an effort to tear it down. The rioters then began using tools such as hacksaws and bolt cutters in an effort to tear down the fence. When federal officers exited the courthouse building in response to the attempted destruction of the fence, they were immediately assailed with hard projectiles, mortar-style fireworks and lasers.

After officers had reentered the courthouse building, violent anarchists began attaching multiple ropes to the fence in an effort to pull it down while others continued to try to raze the fence with tools.

Around 1:10 a.m. local time rioters breached a door of the fence. When federal officers responded to the breach, they were once again attacked with mortar-style fireworks. Other rioters continued their attempts to push over the fence and lift the jersey barrier.

At 1:24 a.m. local time the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) tweeted that there was “violent and unlawful behavior occurring outside the Federal Courthouse” and warned people to “Stay out of the area.”

At 1:26 a.m. local time federal officers had to go outside of the fence in order to repel the rioters and thereby protect the courthouse and personnel inside. As they entered the street they were immediately assailed with mortar-style fireworks and hard projectiles. Around this time, knives that were previously thrown over the fence at federal officers were recovered.

At 2 a.m. local time PPB finally declared a riot and urged people to leave the area. A total of three fence panels had been torn down by rioters.

At 5:20 a.m. local time there were still fires in the vicinity of the courthouse.

At 5:30 a.m. local time violent opportunists were observed attempting to take down additional fence panels. Pepper balls were deployed but protesters successfully breached the fence.

At 5:50 a.m. local time, officers deployed to extinguish a fire that had been started by the crowd and were assaulted yet again with fireworks and projectiles. The officers moved back inside the building.

DHS officers conducted 7 total arrests resulting from the night’s violence.

One injury to a DHS officer has been reported and no injuries to protestors or rioters have been reported.

Blogs to Follow:

DHS.gov (July 2020) Portland Riots Read-out: July 24

Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to Faking a Military Career as a Navy SEAL, Stealing from the Government, and Straw Purchasing Firearms

United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Richard Meleski, 58, of Chalfont, PA, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including healthcare fraud, mail fraud, stolen valor, and aiding and abetting straw purchases of firearms.

In November 2019, Meleski was charged by Indictment for his scheme to defraud the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits.

To perpetrate the scheme, Meleski faked serving in the U.S. military, specifically the Navy SEALs, and falsely represented that he had been a Prisoner of War, in order to secure healthcare benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA) worth over $300,000.

Due to his false representation as a POW, the defendant received healthcare from the VA in Priority Group 3, effectively receiving healthcare before other deserving military service members.

In reality, Meleski never served a single day in the United States military.

Meleski also filed for monetary compensation from the VA for PTSD he supposedly suffered during an armed conflict in Beirut in which he rescued injured service members. In his application for disability benefits for PTSD, Meleski falsely represented that he had been awarded the Silver Star for heroic actions during his time as a Navy SEAL.

Again, Meleski never served a single day in the United States military and of course was never awarded any service medals. Meleski also submitted another application to the VA for monetary compensation in which he included obituaries of actual Navy SEALs alongside whom he had supposedly served.

In short, he traded on the actions of true heroes in an attempt to bolster his false application for monetary benefits.

The defendant also filed for disability benefits from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) for injuries he claimed to have received during his time in the service.

Meleski falsely testified under oath in connection with an SSA Disability proceeding.

After being arrested for fraud, it was discovered that the defendant had also engaged in aiding and abetting the straw purchase of two separate firearms; he also pleaded guilty to this conduct.

“Meleski faked a record as a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL in order to steal numerous forms of compensation,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Everything about this case is profoundly offensive. Our veterans fought for the freedoms we hold dear, and we owe them a debt that we can never fully repay. But holding individuals like Meleski accountable for their crimes is one small way that we can honor our veterans’ service.”

The case was investigated by Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.

Blogs to Follow:

Justice.gov (July 2020) Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to Faking a Military Career as a Navy SEAL, Stealing from the Government, and Straw Purchasing Firearms

Border Patrol Yields Significant Captures

Over the course of a busy 24 hours, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a huge number of individuals inside a tractor trailer at the Interstate 35 (I-35) Border Patrol checkpoint and at a stash house in south Laredo, Texas.

One of the individuals apprehended inside the tractor-trailer was discovered to have been previously convicted for murder.

The first incident occurred during the early afternoon of July 21, when a tractor-trailer approached the I-35 checkpoint and a Service canine alerted agents to the trailer.

At secondary, agents discovered 58 individuals inside the trailer, all illegally present in the United States from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

The individuals and the driver, a U.S. Citizen, were turned over to Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation.

The tractor and trailer were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

During the investigation, a Mexican national was determined to have a previous conviction on the charge of murder, out of Houston, Texas. His conviction carried a sentence of 10 years confinement. He was criminally charged for his immigration violations and remains in U.S. Border Patrol custody pending prosecution.

During the mid-evening of the same day, Laredo Sector agents, HSI special agents, and the Laredo Police Department (LPD) conducted surveillance at a suspected stash house on the 2700 block of Mier Street.

A green SUV was observed leaving the house with several individuals inside. LPD conducted a traffic stop and discovered that it was occupied by five individuals who were illegally present in the U.S. The driver and his four passengers were taken into custody.

Agents, along with HSI and LPD, apprehended 46 individuals, including one juvenile, at the residence. The individuals were in the country illegally from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. All were taken into custody pending investigation.

Despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, smugglers continue to endanger the lives of individuals they exploit.

Their lack of concern regarding who they bring into the country poses a great risk to the health and safety of our nation.

U.S. Border Patrol agents strive to prevent the flow of illegal immigration, slow the spread of COVID-19, and guard against criminal elements entering our communities.

To report suspicious activity such as alien and/or drug smuggling, download the “USBP Laredo Sector” App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994.

Blogs to Follow:

CBP.gov (July 2020) A Busy Day for Border Patrol Yields Significant Apprehensions

Suburban Pittsburgh Man Charged with Violating Federal Firearms and Explosives Laws

A suburban Pittsburgh man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on charges of violating federal firearms and explosives laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady has announced.

The five-count Indictment, returned on July 14, named Kurt Cofano, 32, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on July 9 and July 10, 2020, Cofano was found to be in possession of unregistered destructive devices. Also, the Indictment alleges that on those same dates, Cofano, an unlawful user of a controlled substance, was in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The Indictment further alleges that from May 2020 through July 2020, Cofano knowingly and unlawfully and without registering and obtaining approval made destructive devices.

“Kurt Cofano stands accused of illegally possessing multiple completed destructive devices, the components for making additional destructive devices, and a dozen firearms all in violation of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “I commend the excellent work of the investigators and the prowess of our prosecutors to take this case from incident to indictment in just five days. In serious cases like this, justice will be certain and swift.”

“We are committed to keeping our communities safe,” said acting Special Agent in Charge John Schmidt, ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “This investigation is a perfect demonstration of how ATF combats violent crime by partnering with our local, state and federal counterparts in this case the Whitehall and Mt. Lebanon Police Departments, the Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Police Bomb Squads and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“This investigation successfully disrupted a very real threat,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Christman. “A mix of unstable, homemade manufactured explosives, large amounts of ammo and a person who has already made threats to inflict harm is an extremely dangerous combination. The FBI will always rally together with the ATF and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to take anyone who presents a threat to our community off our streets.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 50 years in prison, a fine of not more than $750,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy K. Chung and Jonathan D. Lusty are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The Mt. Lebanon Police Department, the Whitehall Police Department, the Allegheny County Police Department and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police provided substantial assistance with the investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Blogs to Follow:

Justice.gov (July 2020) Suburban Pittsburgh Man Charged with Violating Federal Firearms and Explosives Laws