“No Bands Bandit” Wanted for Two Bank Robberies

The “No Bands Bandit,” an unidentified male bank robber linked to at least two bank robberies in the cities of Hacienda Heights and Santa Ana, is being sought by law enforcement, including the FBI, Santa Ana PD, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. During the bank robbery in Santa Ana, a witness stated that the bandit displayed a weapon under his clothing.

The bandit, who demands cash with “no bands” when he approaches the victim teller, is described as follows:

White or Hispanic male

 5’8”-5’9”
 170 - 180 lbs.
 45 - 55 years old

The bank robberies linked to the No Bands Bandit are listed below:

10/4/2011

 U.S. Bank 2040
 S. Hacienda Heights Blvd.
Hacienda Heights

8/4/2011

U.S. Bank
 2740 N. Grand Ave.
Santa Ana

Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI or dial 911. In Los Angeles, the FBI can be reached toll free, 24 hours a day, at 888 CANT HIDE (888 226-8443).

Justice Department Opens Investigation into the Antelope Valley Stations of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department has opened a civil investigation into allegations of discriminatory policing by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) members based in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, Calif.  The investigation will focus on allegations that the Lancaster and Palmdale stations of the LASD are engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race or national origin in violation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act.

The Justice Department will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law, including the Fair Housing Act, by deputies of these LASD stations.    The investigation will focus on allegations that the LASD has sought to identify during routine traffic stops individuals who use Housing Choice Vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, to subsidize housing costs for low income families. In addition, the investigation will examine allegations that t he LASD has conducted warrantless searches of African-American families’ homes under the auspices of housing authority compliance inspections, and that housing authority investigators based in the Lancaster and Palmdale sheriff’s stations have been accompanied by sheriff’s deputies as they conduct routine housing contract compliance checks.  At times, it is alleged that the deputies approach the Section 8 recipient’s home with guns drawn and in full SWAT armor and conduct searches and questioning themselves, unrelated to the housing program.

In addition, the Justice Department has an ongoing investigation under the Fair Housing Act of the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as of the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, to determine whether there has been a systematic effort to discriminate against African-Americans and Latinos.

During the course of the investigation of the LASD, the Justice Department will consider all relevant information, particularly the efforts that LASD has undertaken to ensure compliance with federal law.    The Justice Department has taken similar steps involving a variety of state and local law enforcement agencies, both large and small, in jurisdictions such as New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and Louisiana.

This matter is being investigated by attorneys from the Special Litigation Section and Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.   The department welcomes any information from the community.   If you have any comments or concerns, please feel free to contact the department at 1-877-218-5228 , or via email at community.antelope@usdoj.gov.

CBP in Los Angeles Captures Man Sought in Child's Death

Los Angeles — On Jan. 19, at approximately 4:38 p.m., U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Los Angeles International Airport arrested Jose Tulio Deras Aguirre as he arrived from Mexico City, Mexico. Deras is accused of killing his 10-month old daughter during a confrontation with his wife last Saturday in South Gate, Calif.

The Salvadoran national arrived escorted by Mexican Immigration officials. Deras was met planeside by CBP officers who processed and arrested him. Deras was subsequently turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

The FBI and Police in Los Angeles and Orange Counties Are Seeking the Public’s Assistance in Learning the Whereabouts of the Recently Identified “Scanner Bandit,” Linked to Fourth Robbery This Week

The FBI and detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Orange Police Department, Torrance Police Department and Whittier Police Department are seeking the public's assistance in finding bank robbery suspect Garry Allen Reeder, formerly known only as the "Scanner Bandit." Previously, the FBI released bank surveillance photographs of the Scanner Bandit, a male suspect believed to be responsible for multiple bank robberies since December 15, 2010.

An investigation by detectives and agents has focused on a California man, Garry Allen Reeder, born on 1/8/1963. A warrant for Reeder, who is believed to have committed the robberies, has been issued by state officials. Reeder is white male and, according to his California license, he is 5'7", 180 lbs., with blue eyes. Reeder may currently be wearing a beard.

Investigators believe Reeder may be residing in local hotels and that he has or will travel to other jurisdictions or out of state. Additionally, Reeder is believed to be robbing banks to support a gambling and/or drug addiction; or both.

Anyone with information as to Reeder's location is urged to contact law enforcement immediately and warned to refrain from confronting Reeder, who is considered armed and dangerous.

The suspect was named the Scanner Bandit based on witness descriptions that he carries a device in one hand, described as a police scanner. The Scanner Bandit also threatens to have an explosive device, which he partially conceals inside a black folder.

The Scanner Bandit most recently robbed a bank in Orange, California, on Tuesday, January 4. After the robbery, police and explosives experts with the city of Orange, Orange County and the FBI responded when a suspected explosive device was left behind. The device was rendered safe.

The Scanner Bandit has been linked to the following four bank robberies:

1 1/4/2011 Bank of

America Tustin Blvd. Orange

2 12/21/2010 Bank of

America Sartori Ave. Torrance

3 12/18/2010 U.S. Bank

E. Whittier Blvd. Whittier

4 12/15/2010

U.S. Bank Pioneer Blvd. Norwalk

Bank surveillance photographs from each robbery, as well as a photograph of Gary Reeder are available. Anyone with information as to the identity or whereabouts of Gary Reeder is urged contact the FBI or dial 911. In Los Angeles, the FBI can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 888 CANT HIDE (888 226-8443).

Please visit www.labankrobbers.org for additional information about bank robbery suspects in the greater Los Angeles area.

MEDIA CONTACT:

FBI: Laura Eimiller: 310 996-3343; or Lourdes Arocho (Spanish Speaker)

Orange Police Department: Sgt. Dan Adams: 714 715-4814

Torrance Police Department: 310 618-7131

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department: Captain Michael Parker: 323 267-4800

Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in International Child Pornography Ring Dismantled by International Law Enforcement Effort

Five of 16 Defendants Charged in United States Have Now Pleaded Guilty for Roles in “Lost Boy” Child Pornography Ring

WASHINGTON – A Georgia man pleaded guilty yesterday in Los Angeles to transporting child pornography using a secret Internet bulletin board that allowed approximately three dozen members to trade thousands of images and videos of child pornography depicting young boys in sexually explicit situations, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. and Assistant Director in Charge Steve Martinez of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Yesterday’s guilty plea by David Michael Fagerness is the result of an international investigation into the "Lost Boy" online bulletin board. Federal authorities, working in conjunction with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, shut down the Lost Boy bulletin board approximately two years ago.

As a result of the investigation, 16 named defendants have been charged in the United States for their roles in the ring. To date, five defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles, and an additional two defendants have agreed to plead guilty. An additional eight defendants who are alleged to be Lost Boy members currently face federal charges, including engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.  Trial for these remaining defendants is currently set for April 26, 2011. The original indictment in the case was returned on Jan. 23, 2009. The first superseding indictment was returned on Sept. 22, 2009, and on Aug. 31, 2010, a grand jury returned a second superseding indictment.

"Through unprecedented cooperation with foreign law enforcement partners, we have brought down a global online group whose principal purpose was to victimize children," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "The members of the ‘Lost Boy’ bulletin board used sophisticated vetting procedures to facilitate the sexual abuse of children and enable its users to produce and share child pornography, while also developing a handbook on how to groom potential victims. We are committed to pursuing these perpetrators wherever they are through international investigations and prosecutions like the one we are highlighting today."

"The Lost Boy bulletin board allowed members to access pornographic images of hundreds of boys who were victimized for sexual purposes," said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. "The investigation by officials here in the United States, working in conjunction with their law enforcement counterparts around the globe, shut down an international child pornography ring and will hopefully bring some justice to the numerous victims. As a result of this investigation, authorities also discovered individuals who abused children, made their own child pornography and shared their disturbing product with others on the Internet."

"The Lost Boy case represents a global subculture that exists for the purpose of trading of child pornography and other tools used to sexually exploit children," said Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles.  "The FBI and our partners in Los Angeles and globally will continue to work together to identify these networks and to pursue charges against those who abuse children."

Fagerness, 44, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to conspiracy to transport child pornography. Fagerness, of the Atlanta area, relocated to the Czech Republic after being convicted of possessing child pornography in Florida state court in 2005. Fagerness faces a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2011.

In addition to Fagerness, four individuals have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in Lost Boy. Andrew Neil Scott, 30, of Flint, Mich., pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2010, to one count of participating in a child pornography enterprise and two counts of producing child pornography. According to court documents, Scott admitted to participating in Lost Boy, as well as to molesting two boys and producing child pornography. In his plea agreement, Scott agreed to be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison and to a maximum of 30 years in prison. Anthony Jasso, 46, of Laguna Beach and Redlands, Calif., pleaded guilty in May 2010 to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, a charge that carries a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Court documents describe Jasso as belonging to a southern California club called "Boy Lovers," whose members gathered to watch child erotica and to attend events involving children. Justin Lee, 33, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty in September 2010 to transporting child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.  Woodrow Tracy, 65, of Sun Valley, Calif., pleaded guilty in September 2010.

According to court documents, law enforcement authorities discovered the Lost Boy bulletin board after receiving information from Eurojust, the judicial cooperation arm of the European Union. Eurojust provided U.S. law enforcement with leads obtained from Norwegian and Italian authorities indicating that a North Hollywood, Calif., man was communicating with an Italian national about child pornography and how to engage in child sex tourism in Romania. Acting on the information from Europe, the FBI executed search warrants that led to the discovery of the Lost Boy network. According to court documents, further investigation revealed that Lost Boy had 35 members, 15 of whom were U.S. nationals. Other members of the network were located in countries around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.

The Lost Boy bulletin board, according to court documents, was dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys and was established to provide a forum to trade child pornography. Lost Boy is alleged to have had a thorough vetting process for new members, most of whom had to post child pornography to join the organization. Once accepted, members had to continue to post child pornography to remain in good standing and not be removed from the board. According to court documents, Lost Boy members advised each other on techniques to evade detection by law enforcement, which included using screen names to mask identities.

Court documents show that the Lost Boy bulletin board had a forum called the "Handbook Project," where members read and contributed to a grooming handbook, which was a guide for adult men on how to find and groom boys into engaging in sex, how to deal with physical aspects of sexual contact, and how to move on to other victims when the current victim grows too old to be attractive.

Through the Lost Boy investigation and related investigations, law enforcement authorities in the United States identified and arrested 15 alleged Lost Boy members, as well as approximately six more men who have been charged with child molestation. The investigation also led to the identification of 27 domestic victims of child abuse, some of whom were portrayed in images posted to the Lost Boy bulletin board.

International law enforcement efforts involving European law enforcement, the Brazilian Federal Police and other agencies have identified child molestation suspects in South America, Europe and New Zealand. Three suspects in Romania, one in France, and another in Brazil have been charged, and offenders have been convicted in Norway and the United Kingdom. Law enforcement efforts have also identified dozens of child victims located in Norway, Romania, Brazil and other nations.

The investigation into the Lost Boy bulletin board is an ongoing effort by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team. The High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), along with Eurojust, have provided invaluable assistance during the investigation. The SAFE Team in Los Angeles is comprised of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Justice, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joey L. Blanch and Yvonne Garcia, and CEOS Trial Attorney Andrew McCormack.

Deputy Sheriff Authors

March 29, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three deputy sheriffs who have written books.

Danni Hartmann Eldridge joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in February of 1967. She was deputy sheriff for more than 20 years, retiring in September of 1987. Prior to becoming a sworn employee of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, she was a civilian employee for the Los Angeles Police Department. Danni Eldridge was the first female to lift in the California Police Olympics. Even though her opposition was of the male, she placed 4th. In 1982, Danni Eldridge won the Athlete of the Year Award for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She was inducted into the California Power-lifting Hall of Fame in March, 2004. Danni Hartmann Eldridge is the author of two books: Valley Investigations: No Common Sense and And the Beat Goes on: Valley Investigations.

Stephen J. Hemenway is a deputy sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In addition to having an associate degree in Administration of Justice, he is a member of BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), the International Police Association and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. In 1993, Steve began writing “The Slouch in the Couch” series of children’s learning books. People loved it and huge success followed. He formed a band and Incorporated, “The Slouch & Friends, Inc.” Stephen Hemenway is the author of The Slouch in the Couch, Never Jump on a Grump and The Stinkells in Stankwell.

According to the book description of Never Jump on a Grump, “This book is Book #2 in the continuing series of The Slouch In The Couch learning books. In the World of the Magical Couch, Elroy Slouchinski becomes bored and decides to take a walk into the forbidden hills which lie behind Slouchville. In the hills, he encounters the Grumps and pays no attention to the one rule they have - Never ever, never ever, never ever do you jump, never never never never do you jump on a Grump. This series of books have been written as the "next step" after Dr. Seuss. As your Childs reading progresses, they begin to read "The Slouch In The Couch" stories, which retain the rhyme of Dr. Seuss, but are a little more advanced in reading difficulty. Each story has a moral within itself. Words from the text are taken and placed in the back of the book, called "words of interest" and are defined in simplistic terms to enhance the Childs vocabulary.”

Melquiades “Mike” Ortiz joined the Marine Corps in May of 1962. He received an honorable discharge after over four years of service which included a tour in Vietnam from August 1965 to April 1966. Melquiades “Mike” Ortiz’s retired in 1997 after law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that spanned more than 28 years. Melquiades “Mike” Ortiz is the author of Nightmares and Thoughts of a Vietnam Vet.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 906 police officers (representing 389 police departments) and their 1911 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Sheriff Deputy Books

October 1, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 750 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three Sheriff Deputies from Los Angeles County.

Charles A. Sennewald, CMC, CPP, CSC is an independent security management consultant. He has been the Director of Security for Broadway Department Store, Chief of Security for the Claremont Colleges and a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Charles Sennewald is the founder and first president of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC), a graduate of the California State University at Los Angeles and the U.S. Army's Military Police School. Charles Sennewald is the author of six books: Effective Security Management; The Process of Investigation; Security Consulting; Shoplifters vs. Retailers: The Rights of Both; Shoplifting: Managing the Problem; and, The Last Volkswagen.

According to the book description of The Process of Investigation, it “is a book written to address the needs of the private investigator in the security field. Continuing in the tradition of its previous editions, this book covers essential topics which are often overlooked in works that concentrate on the public aspects of investigation. Investigative skills such as surveillance techniques, interviewing and interrogation, evidence, and confessions and written statements are all discussed, and supplemented with updated case studies and examples from the authors own experiences.”

James D. Whaley began his law enforcement career in 1967 as a deputy sheriff when he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1975, a little over a year after his graduation from law school, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1980, he was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. James Whaley retired from the FBI in 1999. He continues to be active in law enforcement as a special consultant to the California Department of Corrections, Deadly Force Review Board and as an attorney in private practice. He is the co-author The Field Guide to Law Enforcement.

According to the description of The Field Guide to Law Enforcement, “it provides clear, concise, and up-to-date statements of the rules of law applicable to situations commonly encountered by police officers in the field. Rules are stated from the point of view of an officer on duty. Officers who familiarize themselves with the layout and contents of the Field Guide should have no difficulty understanding the rules and applying them to "street" situations. The Field Guide has been designed for easy reference.”

In 1970, Richard Valdemar began his law enforcement career as a military policeman in the United States Army; which included a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired at the rank of sergeant in 2004. During the last 20 years on the job, “he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Richard Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.” He is the author of Siege at Waco.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 762 police officers (representing 347 police departments) and their 1643 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

3 Deputy Sheriffs

September 28, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 750 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three former deputy sheriffs from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

In 1962 Stephen Beeler joined the United States Army, serving in Germany. After his discharge in 1965 he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. During his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department he served in patrol, administration, court services, community relations, press liaison and hostage negotiations. In 1986, he retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department because of a duty-related injury. From 1987 to 1995, he was the business manager for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Winslow. Stephen Beeler is the author of The Firestone Syndrome.

According to the book description of The Firestone Syndrome, it is “a story based on actual events about an ambitious Los Angeles County Sheriff's lieutenant, Steve Butler, during the late 1970's who is manipulated by his superiors to return to the notorious Firestone Sheriff's Station in south-central Los Angeles to build evidence on suspected Sheriff's deputies his superiors believe are systematically murdering local criminals. Steve Butler is hesitant to return to Firestone because of his tour there as a deputy when he faced the Firestone "Elitists'" scorn for his perceived inability to "pull the trigger" when necessary. His return to Firestone brings about intrigue, murder and an ironic twist with a surprise ending as Steve Butler is used as a pawn by the mysterious killers.”

Allen P. Bristow began his law enforcement career as a military policeman during the Korean War. After the war, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He left the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to become a professor of Police Administration at the California State University, Los Angeles. During his academic career, Allen P. Bristow authored a number of books about policing. Following his retirement from police education he has authored a number of fictional books about law enforcement in the “old west.” Allen P. Bristow is the author of the academic works: The Search for an Effective Police Handgun, Effective Police Manpower Utilization; Patrol Administration; Police Disaster Operations; Rural Law Enforcement; Field Interrogation; An Introduction to Modern Police Firearms, A Handbook in Criminal Procedure and the Administration of Justice; You and the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics; Police Film Guide; and, Decision Making in Police Administration. He was the editor of Police Supervision Readings. He is the author of the fiction works The Pinkerton Eye and Playing God. And the author of the biographical look at a Western figure, Whispering Smith.

According to the book description of Whispering Smith, “The fictional adventures of the heroic railroad detective called Whispering Smith have entertained readers, motion picture enthusiasts and television viewers for many years. The colorful name of this character had such appeal that it has been adopted by musical bands, apparel manufacturers and emblazoned on the nose of World War Two bombers. But was there a real Whispering Smith? Was he the heroic champion of justice on the western plains as depicted by Hollywood or was he instead a sinister and tragic recluse? Traces of his confrontations with western outlaws are found throughout Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Yet in his search for justice did he become a centurion that confronted frontier lawlessness with a hangman's rope? Was the real Whispering Smith actually a cold-blooded killer, frustrated duelist, devious plotter and pugnacious braggart?”

In 1970, Terry E. Gingerich began his career in law enforcement when he joined the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC). In 1972, he became a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after 24 years as a sergeant having worked in custody, patrol, administration and detectives.

Terry E. Gingerich has a Doctorate from Washington State University, a Masters in Criminal Justice from Cal State, Los Angeles and a BS from the University of San Francisco. Currently, Terry E. Gingerich is an assistant professor at Western Oregon University. Terry E. Gingerich is the co-author of Law Enforcement in the United States.

According to the book description of Law Enforcement in the United States, it “presents a unique balance of theory, history, and practice of American law enforcement. It provides readers with updated, important information ranging from the evolution and theory of social control to the training, function, and strategies involved in modern policing. The authors also examine the gray areas of law enforcement, ethics, forces in society that impact policing, and the laws governing police behavior.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 753 police officers (representing 346 police departments) and their 1616 police books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.