Prisoner-Transport Officer Arrested for Sexual Assault

Eric Scott Kindley, 49, a prisoner-transport officer, was arrested yesterday in Stockton, California on charges related to sexually assaulting females in his custody, and threatening them with a firearm while doing so. During his initial appearance today, a federal judge in Sacramento, California ordered that Kindley be detained over the weekend, pending potential transport to Phoenix, Arizona, from where the complaint was issued.

 

According to the complaint and probable cause affidavit, Kindley operates Special Operations Group 6, a company that contracts with local jails throughout the country to transport individuals who have been arrested on out-of-state warrants. The probable cause affidavit alleges that from January through May of this year, Kindley engaged in sexual misconduct in his Dodge Caravan with three different female prisoners during three different transports. The transports were from California to Arizona, Alabama to Arizona, and Mississippi to New Mexico. In each instance, the victim was handcuffed and restrained, and taken to secluded locations where Kindley sexually assaulted her. All the while, Kindley threatened each victim with his firearm and warned them that he will get away with his conduct because no one will believe them.

The probable cause affidavit further alleges that during the transports, Kindley bragged to the victims about sexually assaulting other female prisoners during prior transports.

A complaint is only an allegation, and Kindley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Phoenix Division of the FBI at (623) 466-1999, or can email the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice at Prisoner.Transfer@usdoj.gov.

This case is being investigated by the Phoenix Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation and is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Broughton Marsh of District of Arizona.

Chicago Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Citizen in Bali, Indonesia

A Chicago man was sentenced to serve nine years in prison, and four years supervise for conspiring with his cousin and his cousin’s girlfriend to kill a U.S. citizen at an Indonesian resort in 2014.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Joel R. Levin of the Northern District of Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson of the FBI’s Chicago Division made the announcement.

Robert Ryan Justin Bibbs, 26, of Chicago, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer of the Northern District of Illinois.  On Dec. 13, 2016, Bibbs pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit the foreign murder of a U.S. national.

According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, in 2014, Bibbs’s cousin Tommy Schaefer informed Bibbs that Heather Mack, Schaefer’s girlfriend, had offered Schaefer approximately $50,000 to kill her mother, Sheila Von Wiese.  In approximately late July or early August 2014, Mack told Bibbs that she wished her mother was dead and she asked Bibbs whether he knew someone who would kill her mother in exchange for money.  Bibbs knew that Von Wiese was wealthy and that she and Mack were taking a vacation in Indonesia in early August 2014.  Schaefer had conveyed to Bibbs that Mack was planning to kill her mother while they were overseas and that Schaefer intended to travel to Indonesia to join Mack.

According to the plea agreement, while Schaefer waited for his flight to depart O’Hare International Airport, he exchanged text messages with Bibbs, which Bibbs understood to mean that Von Wiese’s murder was imminent, that Schaefer expected to receive millions of dollars as a result of the murder, and that Schaefer would spend some of this money on Bibbs.  According to the plea agreement, after Schaefer arrived in Bali, he informed Bibbs that Mack had unsuccessfully attempted to kill Von Wiese.  Bibbs then provided advice to Schaefer via text message on alternative ways to kill Von Wiese, including by drowning or suffocation.     In addition, Bibbs admitted that he counseled Schaefer that he should murder Von Wiese as long as no cameras were present, that he counseled Schaefer to be careful, and that he further encouraged his cousin to kill Von Wiese.

A short time later, Schaefer bludgeoned Von Wiese to death, then, with Mack, stuffed Von Wiese’s body into a suitcase, placed the suitcase into a taxi cab and fled the resort.  Schaefer and Mack were subsequently arrested and convicted in Indonesian court, and are serving respective 18-year and 10-year sentences in prison.

Deputy Chief Hope Olds and Trial Attorney Christine Duey of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bolling Haxall of the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case.  The FBI investigated the case.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter as well.

Submit Nominations for the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor

The nomination period for the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Medal of Valor opened May 31 and runs through July 31.
This award recognizes valiant acts performed in the line of duty by the nation's federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency service officers. Visit the Medal of Valor page at https://www.bja.gov/programs/medalofvalor/index.html to access the nomination form and find guidelines for submitting nominations. Nominations must be submitted by, or at the direction of, the agency head of the organization that employs the nominee(s). Email MedalOfValor@usdoj.gov or visit the FAQ page at https://www.bja.gov/programs/medalofvalor/mov_faqs.html if you have specific questions