WELCOME

ADAM MUERY

Counsel for the

Office of Special Investigations

Office of Special Investigations

• Criminal Investigations Division

• Medicaid Fraud Control

Criminal Investigations

• Cyber Crimes

• Fugitive Unit

• Special Investigations Unit

• Money Laundering

Cyber Crimes• Performs investigations involving child sexual predators

on the internet• Performs child pornography investigations • Investigates computer fraud, harassment and identity

theft• Performs forensic examinations of computer equipment

Cyber Crimes – What’s New?

Almost 80 arrests of Online Predators• Professor Raymond Landry of UTPA plead guilty for

luring what he believed to be a 13 year old girl to McAllen.

• Indictments obtained against 4 men from Brenham, Kyle, College Station, and Fredericksburg

40 arrests for Child Pornography• Lubbock man was given 10 year prison term for

possessing over 13,000 images and videos of child pornography.

Cyber Safety Town Hall

Money Laundering

• Performs criminal investigations involving money laundering

• Provides investigative assistance to local JTTF and HIDTA groups

Special Investigations Unit

• Performs Election Fraud investigations upon referral from the Secretary of State’s Office.

• Performs criminal investigations involving fraud, identity theft, public corruption.

• Fraudulent Financing Statements – Sovereign Citizens.

Fugitive

• Apprehends paroled child sexual predators that are fugitives from justice

• Apprehends Sexual Offenders who fail to register

• Assists local jurisdictions with long-term investigations

• Performs internal investigations for the OAG

Fugitive Unit – Proposed ExpansionTexas Criminal Justice Advisory Council recommended $9.2 million dollar expansion of Fugitive Unit. Would create six regional offices throughout the state for increased proactive sex offender apprehension.

Operation FALCON• On the last day of the Operation, the

Fugitive Unit and U.S. Marshals tracked down Marion Pittman, 58, after he stalked the same San Antonio woman whom he sexually assaulted when she was a child a decade earlier.

• The victim was 12 years old at the time of the assault.

Fugitive – What’s New?OPERATION FALCON II• Nationwide Cooperative

effort led by federal law enforcement resulting in over 9,000 arrests nationwide.

• Fugitive Unit arrested almost 40 fugitive felons bringing the three year total to over 430.

Identity Theft Passport Program

• Program Administrator Rod Napier

The Identity Theft The Identity Theft Passport ProgramPassport Program

Rod Napier

Identity Theft Passport Program

Office: 512.936.2881

rod.napier@oag.state.tx.us

• The Identity Theft Passport Program is designed to assist Texans who have fallen victim to identity-related crimes, with an initial emphasis on victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

• Enables victims to readily give proof to creditors and law enforcement of their status as a victim of identity theft.

• The Passport program is a direct response to the recent explosion of identity-related crimes and new Texas legislation created to combat the crime.

• The Passport Program is a Victims’ Service.

• Launched as a pilot program in six counties.

• Initial grant originated with the Federal Department of Justice

• Designed to work with local law enforcement.

• Identity Theft Statistics:– Texas was second, behind California, in total number of

reported identity thefts in 2005 with a total of 26,624.

– The top five cities in Texas are, in order:• Houston (3,735)

• Dallas (1,908)

• San Antonio (1,760)

• Fort Worth (1,105)

• Austin (858)

• A majority of identity crimes in Texas are occurring outside the major metropolitan areas.

• Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.

• Every 79 seconds in America, someone falls victim to identity theft.

• New Texas laws concerning identity theft:– SB 122 (effective September 1, 2005)

• Establishes the Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act.

• Requires all peace officers to take reports of identity theft and furnish victim with a copy of that report.

• Enables victim to petition District Court for official status as an identity theft victim.

• Enables identity theft victims to initiate a “Security Freeze” on their credit reports.

• How the Program works:– Victim reports crime to local law enforcement.– Local law enforcement investigates claim to a

threshold of probable cause.– Local law enforcement enrolls victim in Passport

program via the Internet. (A secure connection to a highly encrypted database is provided to local law enforcement)

• Passport staff verifies victim’s information. (including a victim supplied passphrase, and a digitally captured photograph, thumb print and signature)

• Information is sent to a third party vendor to create a unique and secure Identity Theft Victim’s Passport.

• Passport is mailed directly to the victim.

• Victim calls the Identity Theft Passport Hotline to activate the card.

• Upon activation, the victim is mailed a one page document that can be faxed to creditors as another form of proof of their status as a victim of identity theft.

Questions?

Rod Napierrod.napier@oag.state.tx.us

(512) 936-2881

INTERPOL - The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) serves as the conduit for all state of Texas or local requests for assistance and exchanges of information with the INTERPOL - U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB).

Criminal Investigations Division

• FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network)

• Analysts– FUGINET

– DPS Secure Sex Offender website

– Accurint

– TWC

– Lexis

– City of Austin Utilities

– FinCEN

– Comptroller

– Secretary of State

– Online Texas DL photos

Medicaid Fraud Control

• Investigates fraud in the Medicaid program and abuse of Medicaid patients

Medicaid Fraud Control – What’s New

Five in Houston indicted in three cases

• Sherril Hodnet and Rosarion Jimenez for stealing trust funds belonging to Medicaid residents

• Connie Persley and Stephanie Diouf operated a health service company and billed for services not provided to disabled children.

• Gabriela Aguilar arrested for stealing trust funds at Brookshire Nursing Center in Hempstead

Criminal Justice Division

• Post Conviction Litigation

• Crime Victim Services

• Criminal Law Enforcement

Post Conviction Litigation

• Defends Texas felony convictions against federal constitutional challenge

• Defends federal appeals of Texas capital felony convictions

Crime Victim Services• Manages Texas Crime

Victims’ Compensation Fund

• Sexual Assault Examination reimbursement program

• Administers Victim Assistance Grants

Criminal Law Enforcement

• Assistance to District and County Attorneys

• Nuisance Abatement• Juvenile Crime

Intervention

Criminal Law Enforcement – What’s New

Fourth ERCOT Guilty Plea Obtained– Several executives with ERCOT were charged with setting up phony moneys and funneling money for work that was never done.

Nuisance Abatement

• Civil suit filed against property owner

• Designed to curtail pattern of repeated criminal activity

Nuisance Abatement

• Examples of Nuisance Crimes:

– Narcotics

– Gambling

– Prostitution

– Gang Activity

Nuisance Abatement

• Property owner may be ordered to post $10,000 bond

• If bond conditions are violated, bond may be forfeited and property closed for 1 year

Juvenile Crime Intervention

• Provides training on a variety of Juvenile Justice topics

• Administers the Gang Resource System

Gang Resource System

Other Services

Publications

• Juvenile Justice Handbook• Property Closure Manual• School Crime and Discipline Handbook• Public Information Act Handbook• Texas Evidence Collection Protocol• Disaster Preparedness Manual• ID Theft Victim’s Kit• Many More!!!

Articles/ Information Sheets

• Law Enforcement Monthly Columns

• Senior Alerts

• Consumer Alerts

• Brochures

Opinions

• Written interpretation of existing law.• Requires an authorized requestor

– Committee of a house of the Texas Legislature– District or County Attorney (requires brief)– See website for complete list

Can be searched on the OAG website

Conferences and Training

• Crime Victim Services Annual Conference

• Open Government Annual Conference

• Texas Gang Investigator’s Association Annual Conference

• Regional Gang Training

• Other Training

WEBSITEwww.oag.state.tx.us

Questions?

ADAM MUERY

Counsel for the

Office of Special Investigations

512-936-0564

adam.muery@oag.state.tx.us