Missing NC Girl Found Safe in Florida

The manhunt for 12 year-old Abigale Faith Lefevers ended Wednesday evening as she was discovered safe and sound in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Hallandale Beach is just south of Hollywood and over 800 miles from her home. Lefevers' alleged captor, 38 year-old Timothy Newman, was apprehended in the process. Police credit information received from public tips to the breakthrough discovery.

An Amber Alert and information about Lefevers' disappearance was circulated in Georgia, and authorities say the tips came pouring in for two days. After authorities received information that the two were in the Coral Gables, Florida area, they circulated information there, too.

The big break came when an off-duty police officer recognized the  red Chrysler Sebring the pair were driving after receiving information on his cell phone. He quickly informed on-duty officers and the stop was made.

Authorities say Lefevers is fine aside from being slightly frazzled from the past few days. She had been missing since Monday when police found her, but had been texting Newman in the past few weeks. Efforts are being made to transport her back to North Carolina.


This isn't Newman's first encounter with the law. He served over 12 months in prison after being convicted of two count of sexual offense. Those charges involved a 14 year-old girl in Stokes County, NC. Newman was released on parole in October of 2005 for those charges, but his parole was revoked in 2010. He served eight months before his released from prison in March of 2011.

Newman now faces multiple charges, which are pending.

"Operation Wax House" Takes Down Charlotte Mortgage Fraud Cell

The FBI's Charlotte Division, together with the Criminal Investigation department of the IRS, are conducting an ongoing investigation into mortgage fraud and bank bribery in Charlotte. The investigation is known as "Operation Wax House" and targets Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Nine new defendants have been indicted on federal charges of fraud and conspiracy.

An indictment was unsealed on Monday that revealed six defendants were charged with money laundering, conspiracy, mortgage fraud conspiracy, bank bribery conspiracy, and wire fraud charges on September 19. Additionally, three other defendants were separately charged by information provided through the plea agreements of others.

The group is accused of taking part in a mortgage fraud cell that was operating in the Charlotte region. The scheme involved builders, promoters, lawyers, buyers, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents. The scheme essentially worked by granting a mortgage based on an inflated home price given by the builder. The involved parties then split the difference between the actual price and the inflated price once the home was sold.

The latest defendants charged in the investigation are:

33 year-old Chris T. Berlin of Sumpter, SC
42 year-old James E. Fink of Waxhaw, NC
41 year-old Jimmy Hitchcock of Raleigh, NC
39 year-old Mitzi Jackson of Charlotte, NC
45 year-old Michelle V. Mallard / Michelle V. Crawford of Montgomery, AL
38 year-old Coley Scagliarini of Charlotte, NC

The following defendants have agreed to plead guilty to their charges:

31 year-old Arketa Banks of Sylva, NC
38 year-old Jeffrey Viegas of Charlotte, NC
44 year-old Bonnette Bradley of Charlotte, NC

In all, Operation Wax House has now charged 50 people in connection to the investigation, which is part of an initiative created by President Obama which included the creation of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force in 2009. The task force is in place to to fight back against financial criminals across the United States.

NW Charlotte Wells Fargo Robbed Again

Surveillance Photo Released by FBI

For the third time in 5 weeks, the Wells Fargo bank on Couloak Drive was robbed by a man wielding a firearm. The robbery occurred about 3:00 in the afternoon of Friday, August 31.

That's when the suspect, whom police are attempting to locate, entered the bank and displayed a pistol. The robber is described as a black male approximately 40 years of age. At the time of the robbery, the he was wearing artificial facial hair in the form of a gray mustache and beard as a disguise. The suspect was also wearing blue jeans, a striped shirt, and a black hat.

The same Wells Fargo branch, which sits off nt , was also robbed one month earlier on July 31 and the week prior to that on July 26. The suspect in the July 26 robbery has been apprehended by CMPD and identified as Lamont Stitt, 42. Authorities are still trying to locate the suspect in the July 31 robbery.

If you have any information about the robberies on August 31 or July 31, please call the FBI's Charlotte office at (704) 672-6100 or call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600.

Charlotte Bank Robbed, CMPD Working with FBI to Locate Suspect

A suspect is on the loose after the BB&T located at 8816 Albemarle Road was robbed Wednesday morning shortly after 11:00.

According to reports, a 6' tall black male entered the bank and handed a note to a teller. The note said to give the suspect cash, which the teller did. The suspect then left the bank and fled the scene.

The robber was wearing a small sun hat with several earth-toned colors. He had a white long-sleeve shirt and bright blue pants that resemble scrubs, such as those worn in the medical profession.

The robbery has CMPD working alongside the FBI to find the suspect. If you have any information on this case, call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600 or contact the FBI by calling (704) 672-6100.

FBI: Crimes Against Children Campaign in Charlotte, NC

You may have noticed some new billboards around town.  The FBI has official brought it's "Crimes Against Children" campaign to Charlotte, NC. 


The billboards are part of a national campaign to end crime against children... kidnappings, sexual abuse, violent attacks, child prostitution, etc. 

As always, if you witness any type of crime against a child, dial 911 immediately.  If you have a tip for the Charlotte FBI, please call 704-672-6100.

FBI Offering $20,000 Reward for Info on Loomis Employee Shooting

The FBI Charlotte Division is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information which leads to the identification and successful prosecution of the person responsible for robbing an armored car and shooting a Loomis employee outside an ATM on Fairview Road in the Foxcroft Shopping Center in Charlotte, NC, on January 23, 2012.

Witnesses describe the robber as a black male, 15-25 years old, with a small build. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, black t-shirt, grey sweatpants, black Nike shoes with a white swoosh, and a baseball cap with a silver sticker on the brim. He had a white glove on his right hand; it can be seen in surveillance video as he runs away with a gun in his hand.

The FBI is investigating this robbery and shooting in partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Anyone with information should call FBI Charlotte at 704-672-6100 or the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

FBI Warns Charlotteans of Phishing Scam

A new phishing scam is targeting people in the Charlotte, NC area according to the Charlotte division of the FBI:  An e-mail that appears to be from the National Automated Clearing House Association alerts recipients to a problem with a direct deposit transaction at their banks and says it was not processed. The email advises recipients to click a link to enter the secure section of a website, but instead launches a virus that can monitor keystrokes and steal online banking credentials, the FBI said.

Once an account is compromised, the hackers attack the financial institution as a distraction while they send fraudulent wire transfers to jewelry stores, officials said. Then, the FBI says, couriers pick up the jewelry "electronically," paid for using money from hacked accounts.

The FBI Charlotte Cyber Squad said users shouldn’t clicks links in emails from someone they weren’t expecting an email from. If consumers ever receive an email alert about a problem with bank accounts, they should call the bank directly, officials said.

FBI: Gangs Growing in SouthEast/Charlotte, NC

The FBI published The 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment – Emerging Trends report (pdf version) to examine emerging gang trends and threats posed by criminal gangs to communities throughout the United States. The report is lengthy so I will highlight some of the main points that pertain to the Southeast and Charlotte, NC:

• Since the last report in 2009, gang membership has grown over 40%
• In Charlotte, gangs are responsible for more than half of all violent crime
• Gangs are recruiting younger members than they have in the past
• Gangs are using social media to recruit members and keep in touch
• Charlotte, NC has over 1,200 documented gang members
• Gangs are getting involved in different (new) types of crimes such as prostitution, human trafficking, Identity Theft and money laundering
• Juvenile gang members are hosting parties and organizing special events which develop into opportunities for recruiting, drugs, sexual exploitation and criminal activity
• NGIC and NDIC data indicates that, since 2009, gang membership increased most significantly in the Northeast and Southeast regions

GANGS IN NORTH CAROLINA:  13 Meadow Wood Memphis Bloods, 18th Street, 174 Valentine Bloods, 20’s Neighborhood Piru, 21st Crips, 318 Crips, 4-Trey Gangster Crips, 5 Deuce Hoover Crips, 5 Line Eastside Bounty Hunters, 8 Trey Crips, 9 Tek, 9 Trey, 9 Trey Gangsters, 910 MOB, A Squad, Aryan Brotherhood, Aryan Nation, Ashboro St Bloods, Ashton Forrest Bloods, Asian Boyz, Avalon Gangster Crips, B St Bloods, Beaver Creek South, BL-50 Bloods, Black Gangster Disciples, Black Guerilla Family, Black P Stones, Bonnie Doone Folk, Bounty Hunter Assassins, Bounty Hunter, Bloods, Bounty Hunter Villains, Brown Pride, Brown Pride Aztecs, Bunce Road Bloods, Cambridge Arms Bloods, Conservative Vice Lords, D-Block Bloods, DC Bounty Hunters, Dead Man Incorporated, Desperados MC, Deuce 13, Eastside MOB Piru, Eastside Murder Boyz, Eight Trey Crips, Fairlane Acres Crips, Five Percenters, Flame Squad, Folk Nation, Foxfire Bloods, Fruit Town Brims. Gangster Disciples, Get Money Clique, Ghost Gangster Disciples, Gangster Killer Bloods, Grape Street Crips, Graveyard Crips, Hells Angels MC, Hidden Valley Kings, Hoover 107 Crips, HTO Bloods, IGC 973, Insane Gangster Crips, Insane Gangster Disciples, Jbirds, Juggalos, Kings/Dons, Latin Kings, Loch Boys, Major Grind, Mafia Malditos, Mexican Mafia, Misplaced Souls MC, Money Over Bitches Bloods, Money Money, Hungry Soldiers, Money Maker Squad, MS-13, Murch Mob, Murder Bloods, Nazi Low Riders, Ñetas, New Jersey Mafia, Norte-14, Norteños, NWA Bloods, Outlaws MC, People Nation, P-NOX, Queensmore Bloods, Real Street Niggas, Red Devils MC, Rollin 20’s Crips, Rollin 30’s Crips, Rollin 40’s Crips, Rollin 60’s Crips, Savoy Heights Posse, Seabrook Bloods, Sex Shaw Road Crips, South Central 81st Crips, Sur-13, Tiny Rascals Gang, Trap Squad, United Blood Nation, Valentine’s Day, Vatos Locos, Westside MOB Piru, Westside Piru (MC=Motorcycle Club)

FBI Releases NEW Photos of Man Caught in Restricted Area at CATS

The FBI has released new photos of a man they want to identify who they say could be a security risk for authorities in Charlotte, NC. 

The FBI first discovered this man in a restricted area of CATS in April and asked for the public's help in June.

FBI's Special Agent Ross said, "I will say, he did put some effort to going into a restricted area, he had to cross some barriers, he knew clearly he shouldn't have been where he was."

The FBI says they are involved in the case because of the nature of where the man was and what he was doing.  Authorities say the man they are looking for is about 6-feet tall and has an athletic build.

Special Agent Moss says he realizes it will be tough for people to remember back to April, but he feels strongly that someone may have seen the man recently.  If you have any information which could be helpful to authorities, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

FBI Seeks Public Assistance in Identifying Suspicious Man

The Charlotte Division of the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) are asking the public to help identify a man who was in a restricted area along the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) LYNX Blue Line in April. He was observed acting in a suspicious manner on a surveillance camera and the incident was reported to the FBI. FBI Agents and Task Force Officers are now asking if anyone may know this individual.

“The safety and security procedures that we have established along the light rail line assisted in detecting the individual in an area that is off limits to the public. We immediately notified our partners at the FBI and CMPD,” said Bryan Leaird, CATS’ General Manager of Safety and Security. “The combined efforts of CATS and our local and federal law enforcement agencies help keep the transit system safe for our customers, which is our top priority.”

If you know the identity of this man, call 704-377-9200

“We do not want to create a sense of alarm releasing these surveillance photos. Our job as law enforcement is to track down suspicious activity. Recent events have created an atmosphere of heightened awareness, and that type of vigilance is a good thing,” said Chris Briese, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Charlotte Division. “We hope someone in the community has information that can help us.”

Anyone who has information that may help the FBI identify the man pictured in the surveillance image is asked to call the FBI Charlotte Division at 704-377-9200 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

FBI Seeking Armored Car Robber

The FBI released images of a man wanted in connection with the robbery of an armored car employee on Thursday, May 19th.  The Loomis armored vehicle had stopped to service a Bank of America ATM on Overland Park Lane near Mallard Creek Rd.

As the armored car employee turned toward the vehicle, a man wearing a mask stuck a gun in his face and demanded money.  The employee fell to the ground and the suspect picked up the loot and fled on foot, running down Technology Drive away from W.T. Harris Boulevard.

The robber is described as a black male, about 5'7", and has a medium build. If you recognize this man, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or the FBI Charlotte Division at 704-377-9200. You could receive a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction!

FBI's Charlotte Division Arrests Multi-State 'Online' Prostitution Ring

Craig Allen Rodgers

Craig Allen Rodgers was arrested last Friday by agents with the FBI and is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.

He was arrested in the parking lot of the Yorkmont Rd. Extended-Stay Hotel after the Nashville, TN FBI received a tip in regards to a 20-year old woman that Rodger's was prostituting against her will.  Nashville, TN authorities contacted Charlotte's FBI Office after they gathered intelligence which showed that Rodgers and 'his girls' were in the Charlotte area.

Craig Rodgers is a pimp who operated a prostitution business and traveled across the country, posting classified ads on online sex sites promoting his escort and adult services.  He has been known to operate in Charlotte, Nashville, TN; Albuquerque, NM; and Covington, OH,  

According to court records, Rodgers is originally from California and has several previous prostitution-related convictions.  In 2006, he pled guilty in Oklahoma to aiding and abetting in prostitution and using a computer to violate Oklahoma law. 

*** Read Federal Complaint (pdf) for more in-depth information and details about the case.

NC Bank Robbery Website

NCBankRobbers.com

Check out this new website dedicated to providing the public with information about bank robberies that occur in NC and across the US. The site is a joint effort between the NC Bankers Association and the FBI.

The site features images of person(s) who may be in a criminal activity or wanted for questioning. If you recognize any person or know the location of persons, please contact the FBI at (704)377-9200.