Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 22, 2009

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending May 22, 2009

1. New York:Four Arrested for Terrorism Plot Targeting Jewish Buildings and Military Planes

James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams, and Laguerre Payen were arrested on charges arising from a plot to detonate explosives near a synagogue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and to shoot military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles. The charges include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. Full Story

2. Washington Field: Soldiers Plead Guilty to Scheme to Steal Military Equipment

Elbert Westley George III, a U.S. Army captain who was stationed in Iraq, pled guilty to participating in a scheme to steal U.S. government equipment and sell it to a local Iraqi businessman. In a related case, Roy Greene Jr., a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army who was also in Iraq with George, pled guilty on last week to participating in the same scheme. Full Story

3. Minneapolis: Man Pleads Guilty to Providing Material Support to al Qaeda

Mohammad Abdullah Warsame pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda. Warsame, a naturalized Canadian citizen of Somali descent, resides in Minneapolis. From 2000 to 2003, he conspired to provide material support to al Qaeda in the form of personnel, training, and currency. In 2000, he attended an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan and traveled to the al Faruq training camp, where he met with Osama Bin Laden. Full Story

4. Louisville: Former Ft. Campbell Soldier Convicted on Charges Related to Deaths of Iraqi Civilians

Former Ft. Campbell soldier Steven D. Green was convicted of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual abuse, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated sexual abuse, use of firearms during the commission of violent crimes and obstruction of justice. The charges relate to the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the murder of the girl and her family. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether he should be sentenced to death. Full Story

5. Miami:Indictments in Massive Money Laundering and Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy

A 59-count indictment was unsealed charging three south Florida residents and a real estate brokerage corporation with participating in a long-term, multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme designed to launder drug money. Full Story

6. Newark: Lawyer Charged with Racketeering and Murder of a Federal Witness

Defense attorney Paul Bergrin was arrested along with three other individuals based on an indictment charging him with leading a racketeering conspiracy that included murder of a witness in a drug case, the attempted hiring of a hit man in another drug case, wire fraud, and money laundering. A fifth defendant is incarcerated in the Monmouth County Jail awaiting trial on state drug charges. Full Story

7. Los Angeles: Massive Gang Sweep Yields 88 Arrests

In the nation’s largest-ever gang sweep, approximately 1,400 law enforcement officers arrested 88 individuals named in a federal RICO indictment that describes a war against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, as well as systematic efforts to rid the community of African-Americans with a campaign of shootings and other attacks. The investigation into the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang began after the fatal shooting of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Ortiz. The enforcement action was part of “Operation Knock Out,â€