Obama Commends Military Members During Naturalization Ceremony

By Amaani Lyle American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 25, 2013 – Twenty-eight people representing 26 countries, including 13 service members, took their oath of U.S. citizenship during a naturalization ceremony in the White House’s East Room today. “In each of you, we see the true spirit of America,” Obama said. “And we see a bit of ourselves, too, because most of our stories trace back to moments just like this one … to an ancestor who, … like the men and women here today, –- raised their right hand and recited that sacred oath.” A full list of the service members, their ranks and affiliations was not available, but the president singled two of them out by name in his remarks: Nikita Kirichenko and Elrina Brits. Kirichenko came to the United States at age 11 from Ukraine, the president said. “His mother saw America as the one place on Earth where her son could do anything he wanted,” he added. “And a few years ago, Nikita decided that he wanted to join the Air Force so that, in his words, ‘I could give back to a country that took me in and gave me a better life.’ “Thank you, Nikita,” Obama continued. “Today, we proudly salute him not just as a member of our military, but also as a citizen of our country.” Brits was born in South Africa, and grew up in Washington state, Obama said. “When Elrina decided to join the Navy, somebody told her that she wouldn’t be able to cut it,” he added. “But even though she wasn’t yet American on paper, she had that American quality of being defiant when somebody says you can’t do something, so she proved them wrong.” Brits deployed twice to the Middle East and once to Haiti, the president said, “showcasing another quintessentially American impulse, and that’s helping others in need. And as a new citizen, Elrina hopes to serve her country in a new way -– as a police officer.” Obama commended all of the service members at the ceremony, noting their willingness to serve their adopted country. “Elrina, Nikita [and] every member of the military with us have shown incredible patriotism -- a willingness to risk their lives in defense of a nation that was not yet their own,” he said. “And that’s a remarkable act, and it made each of them one of us. It made each of them in some ways American, even before it was official, because that kind of service and sacrifice has defined our nation for more than two centuries.”

Surviving Spousal Physical and Psychological Abuse

The April 25, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with former US Army Reservist Marvela Dawnay about Surviving Spousal Physical and Psychological Abuse.

Program Date: April 25, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: Surviving Spousal Physical and Psychological Abuse

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/04/25/surviving-spousal-physical-and-psychological-abuse

About the Guest

Marvela Dawnay, USA, “grew up in a small town in Missouri. She was a corporate executive and then later became a successful entrepreneur. She has attended two universities and served in the US Army Reserves for six years.” Marvela Dawnay is the author of MANipulated Into Fear : There Is Always A Pattern.

According to the book description of MANipulated Into Fear : There Is Always A Pattern, it “is based on a true story about a man I went to high school with and years later married and divorced three times within thirteen years. His name was Rolf. During this time, I was living the dark side of life but others perceived me as living a happy and perfect life. Back in our high school days Rolf grew up as a farmer and drank beer with his buddies. After high school he began to run with the wrong crowd and changed dramatically. I knew he liked to drink a lot of beer and liquor and had used drugs in the past, but I was not aware of his addictive personality and the severity of his addictions. At the beginning of our relationship each time he portrayed himself as the man I had thought he was years before. Within a period of time he began to manipulate me into fear and take control of my life to benefit himself.”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/surviving_spousal_abuse.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/597907863572383

Justice Department to Invest $20 Million in Firearm Background Check System Improvements

Grants to Help Reduce Information Gaps in National Instant Criminal Background Check System

The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is planning to invest more than $20 million to strengthen the firearm background check system by improving states’ abilities to share information with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) are providing funding for three grants to support state, territorial and tribal efforts to reduce information gaps and make instantly available to NICS all records prohibiting the purchase or possession of firearms.

 

“As part of President Obama’s comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence, the Administration is committed to enhancing and strengthening the national criminal record system in support of stronger firearm background checks,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “The Department of Justice intends to take immediate and effective action to work with states to fill gaps in information currently available to the NICS system.”

 

The NICS background check system is the most efficient and effective way to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, but in order to work, the system must have timely and accurate information about these individuals.  States are a critical source for several key categories of relevant records and data, including criminal history records and records of persons prohibited from having guns because of domestic violence or for mental health reasons. 

 

The grants would be used to improve access to and reporting of prohibiting mental health information such as involuntary commitments to mental health facilities, felony convictions as well as misdemeanor convictions of domestic violence, domestic violence restraining orders and immediate access to active felony and misdemeanor warrants. The grants will also support upgrades and enhancements to electronic submissions of fingerprints to state and federal systems as well as linking of arrest and disposition. Funding will be provided under National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP), and a new, one-time initiative called, Improving the Completeness of Firearm Background Checks through Enhanced State Data Sharing. This new initiative creates a competitive grant program designed to incentivize states, territories and tribes to share information with NICS by closing information gaps that inhibit complete and accurate background checks.

 

Since 1995, the BJS has provided grants and technical assistance to states to improve criminal history data availability for background checks and other purposes under the NCHIP. In 2009, after the Virginia Tech shootings, BJS launched the NARIP, addressing information requirements of NICS firearm background checks and requiring states to make additional records available. BJA also supports information sharing among the nation’s state and local government agencies, directly supporting the mission of BJS and President Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence.

Former Oklahoma Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to the FBI

Dennis Frisbie Jr., 33, former deputy with the Muskogee County, Okla., Sheriff’s Office, who was assigned as a detention officer at the Muskogee County Jail (MCJ), pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to one count of making material false statements to the FBI.

 

“Law enforcement officers who make false statements erode the trust of the people they have sworn to protect,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Roy L. Austin Jr. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to prosecuting members of law enforcement who impede investigations of police misconduct.”

 

According to court documents, during the summer of 2011, FBI agents interviewed Frisbie as part of a federal investigation into allegations of inmate abuse at MCJ.   Subsequently, on July 10, 2011, and then again on July 12, 2011, the defendant falsely reported to the FBI, both verbally and in a handwritten statement, that he been shot in the shoulder by an unknown subject in retaliation for his cooperation with this federal investigation.   As a result of what the defendant reported, the FBI halted its investigation, out of concern that potential witnesses were in physical danger.  

 

However, in September 2011, the defendant admitted that he had lied to the FBI and that he had not been shot by an unknown assailant.   Instead, the defendant admitted that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.   The defendant acknowledged that he knowingly and willfully lied to the FBI and these lies were material, in that they directly affected the federal investigation into allegations of abuse at MCJ.

      

A sentencing date has not yet been set.  

 

This case was investigated by the Muskogee Resident Agency of the Oklahoma City Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Fara Gold and Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

What Maryland’s Repeal of the Death Penalty Really Means

Commentary by James H. Lilley

Governor Martin O’Malley’s dream came true Friday, March 15, 2013 with the repeal of Maryland’s Death Penalty.  Several amendments to allow for the death penalty for murders committed in prisons, murder of police officers or firefighters in the course of their duties and murders in schools were all soundly defeated. 

What in God’s name were these legislators thinking when they voted against these amendments?  Oh, that’s right, they want to pass the strictest gun laws in the nation, which will impact only the law-abiding.  Never mind innocent lives being snuffed out by a mentally impaired person or a career criminal.  Let’s protect the lives of those who kill without remorse, or simply want to make a name for themselves.  Let’s give a warm home, with three meals a day, free medical and dental care, access to libraries and exercise equipment to a mass murderer.  Let’s make him or her comfortable for the rest of their lives and to hell with the families and friends of the innocent victims.  And, those of you who sided with Governor O’Malley and granted his wish, that’s exactly what you did.  You stood up for the rights of murderers to live and turned your backs on the families of those who lost their lives.      

I’ve often wondered how many of these legislators have ever walked through a crime scene?  How many of them have looked at the end result of what these people, they are so determined to protect, did to a young child, or pregnant mother?  I doubt that many could raise their hands and say they have.  Do they think that within a matter of a few weeks or months a family’s grief will pass and life for them will miraculously return to normal?  The lives of those families will never again be normal, because a part of it has been taken from them—a part that cannot be returned.  Only the legislators, giving the free pass to the killer/killers, will return to a normal life—a life of seeking reelection, getting fat at fund-raisers and forgetting the faces of the innocents they ignored.  They don’t know that time does not heal the emptiness and heartache of losing a loved one to a brutal, cold-blooded act of murder.  

They needed only to call Steve Basu to testify and ask him about his life after losing his wife, Pam, to a carjacking murder in 1992.  The brutal death of Doctor Pam Basu and forcible taking of her car on September 8, 1992 is the singular incident, which defined carjacking.  In an act of savage brutality, Pam’s life was snuffed out, Steve lost a loving wife and, twenty-two-month old daughter, Sarina, was deprived of her loving, caring mother, and the world lost a brilliant, scientific mind.

Pam and Steve were filled with excitement on that beautiful, sunny Tuesday morning.  It was Sarina’s first day of pre-school and they couldn’t wait for the moment when she entered the school and met her classmates.  Steve began filming the events in their home and followed Pam and Sarina to the door, videotaping their departure for school.  He would follow shortly to continue recording the “big day” to show to family and friends later.

Pam placed Sarina in the back of her car while Steve kept the camera rolling, unaware of the two men walking by in the background.  One of those men, Rodney Eugene Solomon, quickly pointed a finger at Pam’s car while glancing over his left

shoulder at Bernard Eric Miller.  They waited at the intersection of Horsham Drive and Knights Bridge Road for Pam and ambushed her.  Solomon rushed to her car, reached through the open window and began beating her.  Within seconds, she was pulled from the car, her arm becoming entangled in the seatbelt.  Solomon jumped behind the wheel, as Pam struggled to reach Sarina. 

Witnesses reported hearing her scream, “My baby.  My baby,” as Solomon slammed the car door and sped away.  Pam, her arm trapped in the seatbelt, would be dragged for 1.75 miles before they stopped and dumped her body in the middle of Gorman Road.  Sarina had been taken from the car and thrown on the side of the road a short time after the initial attack. 

My wife, Jody, was the first officer on the scene of the crime and, later, I was assigned to the courtroom for the trial of Bernard Eric Miller.  Miller could not be given the death penalty because of his age at the time of the trial, but a jury saw fit to spare Solomon’s life as well.  At one point during Miller’s trial I saw him turn, look over his shoulder and smile at his friends as a witness testified regarding the sights and sounds of Pam Basu’s body being dragged.   Not much remorse there, is it?

About a year after Solomon’s trial I began writing a book about the events and Jody and I were asked to present a case studies to students at Johns Hopkins University.  During those presentations questions were asked about Steve and Sarina and I went in search of the answers.

In February 2008 I met Steve Basu and began talking with him about the book and its content.  He admitted, almost immediately, that he still had not found closure and Pam’s death continued to haunt him.  At times during our initial conversation he became very emotional and had to compose himself in order to go on.  Our first meeting lasted almost two hours and I was surprised when he asked if he could see what I had written.   I agreed, but sternly warned him the content was extremely graphic and there was no way to sugarcoat what had happened. 

I gave him a draft copy and when we met again, he said he could only read a small portion and had to stop.  Then he asked if he could tell me about life before and after Pam’s death and asked if I would include it in the book.  Again, I agreed and the next time we sat down with a tape recorder and he began to tell me his side of the story.  He had to stop several times during our talk and gather himself in order to go on.  And, I can certainly say, his emotion came from deep within his heart and his tears were real.

We began meeting on a regular basis and talking and eventually he began to ask questions about other officers who investigated Pam’s murder.  Still, that emotion was always there and he would often choke up or tear up while talking.  As time passed, Steve, and I became good friends and have continued to meet.  His initial meeting with Jody was a bit tense, but he now feels comfortable with her and values her friendship.

The book, “Fatal Destiny – The Carjacking Murder of Dr. Pam Basu” was published in early 2012.   With that came requests for interviews and for the first time since Pam’s murder, Steve consented to talk with the media about her death.

Yet, he said he would only do so if Jody and I were present.  The interviews often broke down his emotional barriers and the questions had to be stopped while he took time to pull himself together. 

My point is, this is a murder 20 years behind Steve Basu, but it still rips him apart.  He’s told me on a number of occasions he has been involved in relationships, but cannot bring himself to take the next step.  Why?  Because he cannot erase the image of what happened to Pam.  How many nightmares haunt Solomon and Miller over Pam’s death?

 O’Malley, his legislators and his constituents brag about saving the lives of those who kill without remorse.  At the same time, they have announced to the world that they value the lives of murderers more than those of Maryland citizens who, every day, abide by the laws of God and man.  And, at the bottom of the list of lives least valued by O’Malley and company are those of police officers, firefighters and school children. 

Behind rose-colored glasses, O’Malley and his ilk live in a make-believe world as crusaders for their vision of perverted justice, while Steve and Sarina Basu and so many others still cry out for actual justice.  Even with the passing of time, their wounds and ours, still bleed. 

About the Author

James H. Lilley is a former Marine and Police Sergeant with the Howard County Police Department (Maryland). He worked in the Uniformed Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Forensic Services (CSI) and Drug Enforcement Division. His Street Drug Unit was featured in the book "Undercover" by Hans Halberstadt and published by Simon and Schuster. Some of his awards include The Medal of Valor, Four Bronze Stars, Four Unit Citations and the Governor's Citation. He is also an 8th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate and the first American to be promoted to the rank of Black Belt by Mr. Takeshi Miyagi. James Lilley is the author of seven books: The Eyes of the Hunter; A Miracle for Tony Clements; The Far Side of the Bridge; A Question of Honor; Just Retribution; Death Knocks Twice; FATAL DESTINY - The Carjacking Murder of Doctor Pam Basu; and, Mr. Miyagi and Me.

More Information about James H. Lilley

Southern Partnership Station Confronts Transnational Crime

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2013 – Working with three Central American counterparts to help them build capability to counter transnational criminals, participants in Southern Partnership Station 2013 are supporting U.S. Southern Command’s outreach to the region, and by extension, U.S. national security, a Southcom official told American Forces Press Service.

A U.S. Navy sailor pulls rear security on a rivercraft in Corozal, Belize, during joint river operations as part of Southern Partnership Station 2013 in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility, Feb. 25, 2013. Southern Partnership Station is an annual deployment that exchanges training and expertise between U.S. military and civilian agencies and their counterparts in Central and South America and the Caribbean. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Hyatt   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

After completing the first stop of their visit, to Belize, participants arrived last week in Guatemala, where they will remain through the month’s end, reported Navy Cmdr. Robert Skinner, maritime plans chief for Southcom’s future operations directorate. They then will continue on for bilateral engagements in Honduras before wrapping up the overall mission in late May.

Throughout the U.S. 4th Fleet operation, the focus is on building partner-nation capacity to help regional nations better stand up to challenges than transcend their national borders, Skinner said.
To support the mission, USNS Swift, a high-speed catamaran, left Mayport, Fla., in mid-February with an embarked command element and members of every military service and participants from the Coast Guard, the FBI and other government agencies.

The assigned units are focusing on locally identified needs, such as port security, noncommissioned officer professional development, operational risk management, medical readiness, outboard motor maintenance and patrol-craft operation, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, the 4th Fleet public affairs officer, reported.

In Belize, Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 built an open-bay structure to support Belize Defense Force operations while members of Riverine Squadron 2 helped their Belizean counterparts improve skills in interdiction and security team inserts and extractions on the water.

Meanwhile, agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Security Training Assistance and Assessment Team Atlantic spent almost three weeks sharing law enforcement techniques with Belizean coast guard and police forces.

With the mission now unfolding in Guatemala, about 150 service members are concentrating their efforts on explosive ordnance disposal teams and riverine and law enforcement operations. Additionally, Seabees are helping to improve infrastructure at the Guatemalan military’s Kaibil base.

“Swift is a unique platform that allows us to make lasting bonds with our partner nations in Latin America,” said Navy Cmdr. Bob Poling, the mission commander. “What we do on this deployment will make a difference and it will have a lasting impact on our partners in the region.”

The Southern Partnership Station mission is part of Southcom’s broader Partnership of the Americas maritime engagement strategy, Skinner explained. Adopted in 2008, the strategy provides a coordinated, holistic approach to U.S. maritime engagement in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Other key elements of the strategy include Continuing Promise, which features medical services and humanitarian and civic activities, and Southern Seas, which encompasses a variety of large-scale, multilateral exercises and exchanges designed to improve operational readiness and enhance relationships in the region, Skinner said.

Southern Partnership Station is more bilateral in nature, offering an opportunity for participants to focus on specific capability gaps partner nations identify. This, Skinner said, helps to make them stronger partners and enables them to play a greater role in confronting transnational criminals and drug traffickers that no single country can confront alone.

The mission, along with other Southcom-sponsored engagements in the theater, also promotes regional interoperability so nations can better work together to address these challenges, Skinner said.
“We feel we have common interests and security concerns,” he said. “The transitional challenges we have requires cooperative action among the different states. And by building up our partner nations, we are multiplying our own capabilities downrange.”

Southern Partnership Station also makes an important statement in reaffirming the United States’ commitment to its regional neighbors, Skinner said.

“We want to be an enduring partner,” he said. “We want to be their partner of choice.”

(Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, public affairs officer for the U.S. 4th Fleet, and Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Stagner contributed to this article.)

Georgetown Texas Criminal Lawyer

This is a review of the website for Georgetown Texas Criminal Lawyer Mark Morales.  The website is well designed, loads quickly and easy to navigate.  Unlike many sites, this attorney related website has made the contact information readily visible and easy to find.  The telephone number and the location of the law offices are prominent on the first page as well as subsequent contact pages.

If you navigate to the “Practices Areas” of the website you will find of the major types of criminal cases the firm handles, as well as a listing on several non-criminal types of law such as paternity and child support.  Moreover, the listing of the types of cases handled can be clicked and further information about the type of case found.

One of the most interesting sections on the website is the “Success Stories” area.  If you visit this page you will find a comprehensive list of actual cases.  You can read the date, charge and outcome.  Many of the outcomes of the criminal cases listed are dismissed, not guilty at trial or stated that the final conviction was for a lesser charge. Additionally, on the same page, the reader will find several testimonials from prior clients.

An interesting place to visit on attorney websites is the “Attorney Profile” section.  As with this site, the section tells you about the lawyers themselves  (education, experience, philosophy) and key staff biographies. 

US Marshals Add Convicted Murderer and Prison Escapee to 15 Most Wanted

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service added a convicted murderer and prison escapee to its 15 Most Wanted fugitive list today.

Keana Barnes is wanted in the Middle District of Louisiana for escaping from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, La., where she was serving a 25-year sentence for two counts of manslaughter.

Barnes has a criminal history dating back to 1999 with prior convictions for aggravated assault, battery, theft and manslaughter. In March 2002, Barnes was arrested by the New Orleans Police Department for murder when she stabbed her victim a total of 17 times. Later in 2002, she was released pending the outcome of her murder trial. One year later in March 2003, Barnes committed her second murder, shooting her victim while he slept in a New Orleans apartment.

Barnes was apprehended in Mexico in May 2003 and extradited back to the United States. She pled guilty in 2004 to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison to be served at the LCIW. On Jan. 1, Louisiana Department of Corrections officials discovered the glass window in Barnes’ cell was broken and she was missing. Officials believe Barnes made her escape by jumping out the first floor window, climbing several fences, including at least one barb wired fence, and eventually exiting the prison grounds.

“Barnes has an extremely violent criminal history and poses a direct threat to society, which is why we did not hesitate to add her to our 15 Most Wanted fugitive list,” Assistant Director for Investigative Operations William D. Snelson said. “Barnes’ criminal history dictates she will most assuredly commit another deadly crime. By adding such a violent fugitive to our 15 Most Wanted, the USMS has dedicated every available investigative resource to locate and apprehend Barnes before she can commit another heinous crime.”

Barnes has strong ties to New Orleans, is considered to be armed and dangerous, and poses an extreme danger to the community.

A reward of up to $25,000 is offered for information leading directly to Barnes’ arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.