FBI, GBI to participate in Documentary Screening

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, and Vernon Keenan, director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, will participate in a panel discussion of the upcoming documentary, “Murder in Black and White.”

The 45-minute documentary details the murder of two black sharecroppers and their wives at the Moore’s Ford Bridge on July 25, 1946, in what is considered to have been the last mass lynching in American history.

The screening is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Monroe Civic Center, with the panel discussion to immediately follow.

Jones and Keenan will join with area law enforcement executives and community leaders to answer questions and issue statements urging continued public cooperation with the ongoing investigation.

FBI Arrests Pimps, Rescues Teen Prostitutes in Atlanta

In a massive nationwide sweep, the FBI arrested dozens of suspected pimps and rescued hundreds of suspected teenage prostitutes. Among the cities that saw action in the sweep was Atlanta.

According to the FBI, the operation included enforcement operations in 29 cities across the country and led to the recovery of 48 children being prostituted domestically. Additionally, 571 criminals were arrested on a combination of state and federal charges for the domestic trafficking of children for prostitution and solicitation.

Dubbed "Operation Cross Country," the sweep involved federal agents working with local law enforcement. The teenage prostitutes discovered in the investigation ranged in age from 13 to 17, many of whom were runaways.

The weekend's operation was the third such Operation Cross Country, and is part of a larger federal program started six years ago to crack down on the sexual exploitation of children.

Buford Man Arrested; Reportedly Made Terroristic Threats

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announced the arrest of 23-year-old Michael Robert DeJong of Buford.

DeJong was arrested last week by Agents of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for allegedly making false threats to destroy, via explosives, FBI buildings across the country. He has been charged via Criminal Complaint in the Northern District of Georgia with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e).

On Feb. 4, the FBI received a bomb threat through its Web site, FBI.gov. The threat was anonymous, but was eventually traced by Agents to a publicly available internet computer in the Auburn, Georgia public library. A search warrant was obtained to examine the contents of the computer, and further investigation led Agents to identify DeJong as the suspect.

It was during that investigation the Agents discovered DeJong had been arrested by the United States Secret Service and convicted of making threats against President Bush in 2007.

DeJong was arrested without incident at the Auburn home of a friend. He had an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate the same day of his arrest, and remained in custody pending a probable cause and bond hearing.

Rincon 62-Year-Old Sentenced for Having Child Porn

Charles Patrick, 62, of Rincon, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and a fine of $ 4,000 by Chief U.S. District Judge William Moore, Jr.

Patrick earlier pled guilty to possession of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B). During Patrick’s change-of-plea and sentencing hearings, the evidence established that Patrick purchased a subscription to a child pornography Web site in October 2006.

After Patrick was identified as a subscriber a child porn Web site during the course of a national child pornography investigation, federal law enforcement agents asked Patrick for an interview. Patrick falsely told the agents that he was out of town. He then immediately purchased a brand new computer from Best Buy in Savannah, traveled to his home in Rincon, and unplugged and stored his old computer in his garage. Agents found that computer in the garage during a search of Patrick’s home that same night.

On the computer, agents discovered over 1,100 images of child pornography in unallocated space (where files remain on the computer even after being manually deleted by the user or automatically deleted by computer process). The images included sexually-explicit pictures of prepubescent children and sadistic and violent sexual conduct against those children.

Booth stated that there is no parole from a federal sentence, and Patrick will serve atleast 85 percent of the sentence imposed , if he earns credit for good time served. Following Patrick’s release from prison, he will be placed under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a term of 20 years.

During the term of supervision, Patrick will be prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children, will be restricted in his use of computers and the Internet, and will be required to participate in sex offender treatment.

Sheriff's Deputy Nabbed in Child Sex Sting

A Bibb County sheriff's deputy ended up on the wrong side of the law Wednesday, arrested for allegedly using a computer to entice a minor for sexual activity.

According to the FBI. Gregory Todd Bowden, 42, of Byron, was arrested Wednesday after he took part in a number of telephone and Internet conversations with what he believed was the mother of a minor girl. Bowden reportedly then went to Atlanta to engage in sexual activity with the mother and child.

The FBI reports the mother and child were not real, and that Bowden was arrested upon his arrival to an agreed-upon meeting place.

Atlanta Man Arrested for Reported Telephone Bomb Threats

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announced the arrest of Michael Ezzard, 46, of Atlanta.

Ezzard was arrested by Agents of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) Domestic Terrorism Squad for allegedly making a series of telephonic bomb threats directed against the Atlanta Housing Authority over the period of Jan. 22-26, 2009.

The threats resulted in the closure of both the Atlanta Housing Authority and several surrounding streets for three hours on Jan. 22, causing significant disruption to traffic and business in the area. Atlanta Police Department and MARTA Police Department bomb units conducted searches of the Atlanta Housing Authority building, but did not find any bombs.

Ezzard was arrested without incident, pursuant to a Criminal Complaint issued in the Northern District of Georgia, charging him with violating Title 18, Section 844(e) of the United States Code. The JTTF is an FBI-led, multi-agency task force consisting of 22 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.