Southeast
Anti-Catholic FBI memo's origin revealed as bureau absolved of 'malicious intent'
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been exonerated by a Department of Justice review that found investigators did not intend to target traditional Catholics as potential “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.”
The Justice Department Inspector General review noted, however, that analysts “incorrectly conflated” an investigative subject’s religious views with his alleged domestic terrorism activities.
Findings from the 120-day review, which was handled by Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz and ordered by Congress, were outlined in a letter sent to members of Congress on Thursday.
An FBI Richmond, Virginia, internal memo, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities,” was leaked in January 2023 and drew instant criticism from Republicans, who demanded immediate answers from the agency.
According to the inspector general’s report, the memo, which has been dubbed the “Richmond Product,” was circulated amid an investigation of a potentially violent individual who was identified in the report as “Defendant A” and has since been arrested.
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Though Defendant A was not been identified in the report, the dates and details of the case match the case against Xavier Lopez, who was indicted on federal weapons charges last June.
The FBI had been monitoring the suspect since 2019 due to his extremist views on social media, according to the inspector general’s review.
The review stated that the suspect expressed neo-Nazi rhetoric and described himself as a “Catholic clerical fascist.” The FBI said he wrote in a letter to a family member that he needed to “build guns, explosives, and other forms of weaponry” in order to “make total war against the Satanic occultist government and the Zionist devil worshiping bankers who control it.”
The indictment against Lopez did not mention the church he attended or that he was monitored ahead of his arrest in November 2022, when a search of his apartment uncovered Molotov cocktails and firearms he was not allowed to possess. Lopez was on probation at the time after pleading guilty to felony vandalism for slashing tires.
Though the investigation was appropriate, the inspector general’s review criticized aspects of the memo warning about potential extremism within certain Catholic churches that was shared by the FBI’s Richmond field office.
“The [FBI Inspection Division] report found that although there was no evidence of malicious intent or an improper purpose, the [memo] failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and evinced errors in professional judgment, including that it lacked sufficient evidence or articulable support for a relationship between RMVEs (Racially Motivated Violent Extremists) and so-called RTC (Radical Traditional Catholicism) ideology; incorrectly conflated the subjects’ religious views with their RMVE activities, creating the appearance that the FBI had inappropriately considered religious beliefs and affiliation as a basis for conducting investigative activity; and reflected a lack of training and awareness concerning proper domestic terrorism terminology,” the inspector general noted.
One of the FBI analysts involved in the creation of the memo maintained that the goal was to enable FBI Richmond to conduct outreach to these “faith communities to make them aware of what we would call warning signs to radicalization, for the protection of everybody.”
The inspector general noted in his assessment that he and his team “did not find evidence that anyone ordered or directed” the individuals responsible for crafting the memo “to find a link between RMVEs and any specific religion or political affiliation … or that there was any underlying policy direction concerning such a link.”
The inspector general said a review of text messages and other conversations had between those who crafted the memo at the time “did not identify any evidence of discriminatory or inappropriate comments by them” about the church in question in the FBI’s investigation “or individuals who practiced a particular religious faith or held specific political beliefs.”
The inspector general also noted that he and his team did not find evidence that the FBI took any investigative steps involving the church except to monitor the suspect’s interactions. Investigators said they interviewed church members about the defendant’s alleged intent to incite violence.
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“We found that FBI Richmond used these investigative techniques to obtain information about Defendant A and not to prepare the Richmond DP or collect intelligence more generally,” Horowitz wrote.
Based on findings by the FBI Inspection Division, the inspector general noted that the FBI “instituted corrective actions, including expanding training on analytical tradecraft standards and domestic terrorism terminology, enhancing review and approval requirements for intelligence products involving a sensitive investigative matter, and formally admonishing the employees involved.”
“We did not assess, and therefore do not comment on, the corrective actions taken by the FBI,” he said.
Following Horowitz’s report to Congress, the FBI released a statement applauding him for his work and concluded that it aligns with their past remarks on the incident.
“We thank the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General for its review. The FBI has said numerous times that the intelligence product did not meet our exacting standards and was quickly removed from FBI systems,” the agency said. “We also have said there was no intent or actions taken to investigate Catholics or anyone based on religion; this was confirmed by the findings of the OIG.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect our communities from potential threats while simultaneously upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans. We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices,” it added.
Lopez was indicted in June 2023 in federal court on one count of possessing ammunition while a convicted felon and one count of possessing destructive devices. In March of this year, he pleaded guilty to possessing destructive devices. His sentencing is scheduled to take place in September.
Horowitz noted that there were preliminary discussions with the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Strategic Unit to draft a similar memo to send to more field offices, but “those discussions ended following the [memo] becoming public.”
Fox News’ Thomas Phippen, Jake Gibson and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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Southeast
2 escaped Louisiana inmates found hiding in dumpster behind Dollar General store, 2 others still at large
Two inmates among a group that busted out of a jail east of Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the weekend have been taken back into custody after being found hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General store.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says Avery Guidry, 19, and Travon Johnson, 21, were tracked down about 20 miles south of the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.
“Deputies located them hiding in a dumpster behind the Dollar General Store on Pumpkin Center Road and Old Baton Rouge Highway,” it said in a statement Monday, adding that the two other inmates – Omarion Hookfin, 19, and Jamarcus Cyprian, 20 – remain at large.
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said the four inmates escaped through the perimeter fence of the Tangipahoa Parish Jail during recreation time in the jail yard on Sunday night.
LOUISIANA DEPUTIES SEARCHING FOR 4 INMATES WHO ESCAPED FROM JAIL
After an inspection of the perimeter fence, a section was determined to be vulnerable and easily maneuvered in a way that a body could slip through, the sheriff’s office said.
Johnson, Hookfin and Guidry were in jail in connection with a 2022 homicide in Hammond, Louisiana, and Cyprian was behind bars for armed robbery and weapon charges.
IDAHO INMATE, ACCOMPLICE CAPTURED NEARLY 130 MILES FROM HOSPITAL WHERE AMBUSH AND ESCAPE OCCURRED
Hoofkin was also charged with aggravated battery while he was incarcerated in Catahoula Parish.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the escaped inmates is urged to contact 911 immediately.
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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Southeast
2 rescued as 80-foot yacht sinks off Florida coast
Two boaters were rescued from a sinking 80-foot yacht over the weekend after the vessel struck a submerged dredge pipe off the coast of Florida, authorities said.
The operator of the motor yacht Atlantis sent a distress call around 11:30 a.m. Saturday stating the vessel struck an object and began taking on water about three miles off St. Augustine Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said.
Marine units with St. Johns County Fire Rescue rescued two people aboard the sinking yacht. One of the individuals suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, the USCG said.
Photos show the stern of the yacht sinking beneath the water and tipping the bow straight toward the sky.
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The vessel is believed to have struck a dredge pipe piling that was partially submerged, according to St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
The Coast Guard thanked St. Johns County Fire Rescue, local police and nearby good Samaritans for helping to coordinate the rescue of the stranded mariners from the sinking yacht.
Officials also noted that the luxury yacht activated its properly registered emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) to allow rescuers to pinpoint the vessel’s location.
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“With the weather improving and mariners heading out onto the water, it’s imperative for everyone to verify the presence of all necessary safety equipment aboard their vessel,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Ricardo Santacana, the command duty officer of Sector Jacksonville. “This ensures that responders, as demonstrated in this case, can swiftly locate you and render assistance when an emergency arises.”
The owner of the Atlantis is expected to arrange salvage, according to USCG officials.
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The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
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Southeast
Georgia Snapchat stalker gets life in prison for attack that almost killed 15-year-old girl
A Georgia man convicted of stalking a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat before brutally attacking her in her family’s home has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty, court records show.
Zachary Iona, 22, met the victim on the smartphone app in 2022 and groomed her until she invited him over.
He arrived with duct tape, rope and a knife, then gagged her and sexually assaulted her before stabbing her 86 times all over her body, including her face, according to local reports.
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Iona left the severely injured girl for dead.
However, she had the strength to call 911. She survived the horror and spoke at Iona’s sentencing, telling the court she considers it a blessing to be alive, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
The app Iona used to find his victim is also how police tracked him down, according to authorities. They found a picture of him on her phone. Then they found evidence in his car, including a roll of duct tape and blood.
Iona pleaded guilty to all charges in a seven-count indictment Thursday. Charges included rape, aggravated assault, and carrying of a knife while committing a felony.
As part of a plea deal, Iona will be eligible for release after serving 35 years, followed by five years of parole and registering as a sex offender, court records show.
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The terms of the deal also ban him from contacting anyone under the age of 18 or even possessing pictures of children.
“This should be a warning to our young people to beware,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As this case demonstrates, not everyone you meet on social media has your best interest at heart.”
Social media accounts under Iona’s name show he attempted to attract an online audience with music and gaming videos but had just a couple of hundred followers.
The victim reportedly had to undergo multiple surgeries and physical therapy to regain her ability to walk.
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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has warned of a growing threat involving minors targeted online by strangers.
Staca Shehan, the organization’s vice president, told FOX 5 that predators are increasingly picking up their child victims in person after meeting them through apps.
“Children are being enticed,” she said.
The victims are more often girls than boys, she said.
However, boys are increasingly targeted under “sextortion” schemes over the app. Crooks coax victims into sharing personal information, including nude photos, and then threaten them and demand money.
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