Katy Man Charged with Multiple Crimes, Including Possession of Explosive Materials

HOUSTON—Robert James Talbot Jr., 38, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint alleging attempted interference with commerce by robbery, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and possession of an explosive material, specifically, Composition 4 (C-4), announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI.
Talbot, formerly of Batavia, New York, and now a resident of Katy, was arrested yesterday following an eight-month undercover investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He is expected to make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy today at 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m., at which time the U.S. expects to request his detention pending further criminal proceedings.
According to the complaint filed late yesterday, Talbot espoused his desire to recruit five to six other like-minded individuals to blow up government buildings, rob banks, and kill law enforcement officers. Talbot allegedly created a Facebook page titled American Insurgent Movement (AIM). The complaint alleges he described that page as:
“a Pre-Constitutionalist Community that offers those who seek True patriotism and are looking for absolute Freedom by doing the Will of God. Who want to restore America Pre-Constitutionally and look forward to stopping the Regime with action by bloodshed.”
The criminal complaint further alleges Talbot made several postings on the page between January 30, 2014 and February 9, 2014, seeking people interested in “walking away from your life…to stop the regime.”
On March 15, 2014, Talbot allegedly posted again to the page:
“In a few weeks me and my team are goin active for Operation Liberty....I will not be able to post no more. We will be the revolution, things will happen nation wide or in the states. They will call us many names and spin things around on media. Just remember we fight to stop Marxism, liberalism, Central banking Cartels, and the New World Order. I will try to find someone to take over this community page, but most of the guys who are admins are part of my unit. I will have a website up in 2 months....The funding is unlimited since the banking cartel will be forced to fund our movements.”
The complaint alleges that on March 20, 2014, Talbot conducted surveillance of multiple financial institutions in the Northwest Houston area, monitoring the movements of people entering and exiting the banks. Talbot also allegedly followed an armored car, watching how personnel exited the vehicle and whether the carrier was picking up or dropping off bags.
On March 22, 2014, Talbot sent $500 as a down payment for the explosive devices he had requested, according to the complaint.
Two days later, Talbot allegedly claimed to have quit his job and was preparing for an upcoming armored car robbery. On March 27, 2014, Talbot and others met at a storage facility in Houston with the intent to conduct an armor car robbery that morning, according to allegations. Talbot allegedly provided detailed maps of the target financial institution as well as escape routes in order to quickly evade law enforcement. The complaint further alleges he placed two explosive devices made of C-4 into his black backpack and allegedly stated he would place the explosive device on the vehicle. He further instructed the group how to block the armor car with their vehicle to prevent it from leaving the location and provided a “manifesto” that was read to the group. “We must rebel. There is no other option no. Blood and bullets are the only two things that will change this world, short of divine action.”
While en route to conduct the armored car robbery, Talbot was arrested and taken into custody by the FBI Houston Division Special Weapons and Tactics team.
If convicted, he faces up to a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible $250,000 fine for the attempted robbery, as well as another 10 years’ imprisonment and $100,000 fine for each of the remaining charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s JTTF, which includes personnel from the FBI; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; U.S. Department of State; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Secret Service;, Houston and Houston Metro Police Departments; and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Jim McAlister are prosecuting.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Tioga Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of Explosives

ALEXANDRIA, LA—United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Calvin James Doherty, 43, of Tioga, Louisiana, guilty on Wednesday of being a felon in possession of explosive material and improper storage of explosive material. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the two-day trial.
Doherty’s trial began Tuesday and ended Wednesday with the jury returning the guilty verdicts after deliberating for about 30 minutes. Witness testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence at the two-day trial established that on July 26, 2011, members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force went to Doherty’s house in Tioga to arrest another person who had three outstanding felony arrest warrants pending against him. While searching the home, task force members found and seized a spool belonging to Doherty. The spool was wrapped with more than 700 feet of detonating cord, which is a high explosive. Doherty had a prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine in 2007, which prohibited him from possessing any firearm, ammunition, or explosive.
Doherty faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release after he completes the prison term. The sentencing date is April 25, 2014.
“Those with felony records are prohibited by law from owning dangerous devices such as explosives and firearms,” Finley stated. “People who willfully commit these types of crimes will be prosecuted by this office to the fullest extent of the law. I would like to thank the prosecutor and agents for their hard work in obtaining this conviction.”
Members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms and explosives laws.

Man accused of having nearly 50 bombs in Ohio is Guardsman, intel analyst

A man arrested after police allegedly found guns and nearly 50 bombs in his vehicle New Year's Day is a specialist in the Indiana National Guard who trained as an intelligence analyst with a reconnaissance unit, a Guard official said.
Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 43, who was arrested after being stopped for speeding in Ohio, completed training in military intelligence in April 2010, Lt. Col. Cathy Van Bree told NBC News.
Van Bree told NBC News by email Wednesday that Boguslawski's security clearance has been suspended "pending outcome of the case."
Authorities in Madison County said an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper stopped Boguslawski on Jan. 1 for allegedly going 85 mph in a 70-mph zone on a highway west of Columbus. Police said that even though Boguslawski said he had no weapons, the officer noticed the handle of a gun between his knees as the officer approached the vehicle with a speeding ticket, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities said he was charged with illegally making or possessing an explosive device after 48 bombs, four guns and a remote detonating device were allegedly discovered in his vehicle.
Boguslawski is slated for a court appearance Friday.
He graduated from Fort Benning, Ga., in December 1999 with a specialty in infantry before transfering to the Ohio National Guard in February 2002, and then to the Tennessee National Guard in June 2006, Van Bree said.
After transferring to the Indiana National Guard in November 2007, Boguslawski worked as a groundskeeper at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Ind.
He has never been deployed overseas for military service, Van Bree said.

Prosecutor: 2 Men Plotted Against Government Sites

A prosecutor says two Georgia men plotted to make poison to use against government officials and federal buildings, while defense attorneys said the pair were simply talking big but committed no crimes.

Jurors heard opening statements Tuesday in the trial of Samuel Crump and Ray Adams.

Crump and Adams were among four men arrested in November 2011 after surveillance by an undercover informant who infiltrated their meetings at homes, during car rides and at a Waffle House restaurant. They face charges of conspiring and attempting to make ricin.

Two other men, Frederick Thomas and Dan Roberts, pleaded guilty in April 2012 to conspiring to get an unregistered explosive and an illegal gun silencer. U.S. District Judge Richard Story sentenced each of them to five years in prison.

Suicide attack in Kabul kills 3 troops

Three coalition service members died after a suicide attack Friday in the Afghan capital of Kabul, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

The NAT0-led force said the suicide strike was carried out with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The nationalities of the service members were not immediately available. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The attack comes two days after two rounds of "indirect fire" struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Kabul, the embassy said. No one was injured in the Wednesday incident. A claim of responsibility was posted on the Taliban's official website.

The violence is occurring during an important juncture in U.S.-Afghan relations. The two countries are working on an important security pact. The deal will lay out the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014 when the NATO-led force of some 80,000 troops is scheduled to leave.

This month, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was in Afghanistan and said the security pact will be agreed upon despite a failure so far to forge a deal.

FBI Conducts Explosives Training

The Newark Division of the FBI recently presented an improvised explosives demonstration at Middlesex County College located in Edison, New Jersey. The demonstration was part of a three-day National Improvised Explosive Familiarization (NIEF) training course offered by the FBI. This course was designed to train bomb technicians, first responders, and the chemical industry on the potential uses of common industrial and household chemicals in the manufacturing of improvised explosives.
The NIEF initiative supports the FBI’s top priority to protect the United States from terrorist attacks by training our investigators and law enforcement partners in regard to the emerging improvised explosive threat. The NIEF initiative is a partnership between the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, FBI Laboratory, and FBI Critical Incident Response Group, along with the 56 FBI field offices and the more than 100 Joint Terrorism Task Forces based out of those FBI field offices.
Participants in the training received in-depth instruction and course materials in accordance with their respective roles, responsibilities, and technical certifications. The goal of this training is to enhance awareness and outreach programs to first responders and to inform private sector wholesalers, distributors, and retailers of precursor chemicals that can be used by terrorists or experimenters to make improvised explosives.
“One of our best defenses against terrorists attack is a well-informed public capable of recognizing persons who pose a risk to our society,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division. “This training is a valuable opportunity to exchange information and raise awareness with the general public.”
Attendees to the explosives demonstration witnessed over a dozen examples of improvised explosive and incendiary mixtures that have been used by terrorists around the world. Subject matter experts were on hand to discuss the threat posed by the readily available chemical precursors for these mixtures.
Photos from the day's events:

Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Making Explosives

LAS VEGAS—A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty today to unlawfully possessing and making explosives at his home in Las Vegas, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Steven Fernandes, 19, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. Fernandes, who is in federal custody on the charges, faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to the plea agreement, before and up to September 13, 2012, Fernandes possessed at his home explosive parts and devices that were not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. On about September 10, 2012, Fernandes also transported explosive materials in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona and detonated destructive devices in the Arizona desert.
According to other court records, from January to September 2012, several individuals reported to the FBI that Fernandes believed he was a sniper and commanding officer of a militia that was preparing to go to war with the government or an invading country. Fernandes had bragged that he possessed firearms and a large amount of ammunition and could walk into a restaurant filled with people and kill as many people as he wanted. Fernandes bragged that he was trained in the building of homemade explosives including chlorine bombs and had made and possessed numerous pipe bombs.
Federal law enforcement agents arrested Fernandes on September 13, 2012, after they observed him drive away from his residence with a shotgun in his vehicle. During a search of Fernandes’ vehicle, they found a loaded Mossberg Model 500 12-gauge shotgun containing 10 rounds of ammunition. They also found at least 44 more rounds of shotgun ammunition in the vehicle. The agents also executed a federal search warrant at Fernandes’ home on September 13, 2012, and recovered firearms, explosive devices, and a number of substances and tools that could be used in the building of explosive and noxious gas-releasing devices, including napalm, ammonium, sodium sulfate, sulfur, and cannon fuses. Additionally, they recovered two inert hand grenades, five rifles, four handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and instructive materials for making explosive devices.
This case was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Clark County Fire Department; and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Dickinson.

FBI Seeks Public’s Assistance in Identifying ‘Dynomite’ Bandit

PHOENIX, AZ—Phoenix FBI Special Agent in Charge James L. Turgal, Jr. announced the FBI’s Bank Robbery Task Force is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a bank robbery suspected dubbed the “Dynomite” Bandit.
The crimes are being perpetrated by a white male that may be working with an accomplice. Typically, the modus operandi for the suspect is to gain entry to the banking institution after normal business hours through a hole cut in the roof. The suspect then places a device believed to be an explosive inside the bank and exits undetected. The following morning when the bank opens, the suspect calls the bank and makes a demand for money and threatens to blow up the bank if his demands are not met.
The first incident occurred in Peoria on July 3, 2012, at the Chase Bank located at 28523 N. El Mirage Road; the second incident occurred in Maricopa County on December 21, 2012, at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 39422 N. Daisy Mountain; and the last incident occurred on January 2, 2013, at the Chase Bank located at 10011 E. Dynamite in Scottsdale.
There is a strong possibility that this current series may be related to another robbery series dubbed “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” Currently, there is a $15,000 reward being offered for information leading to an arrest.
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force (BRTF) is comprised of the Phoenix Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mesa Police Department. The BRTF is coordinating its investigation with the Peoria Police Department and the Scottsdale Police Department.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of the Dynomite Bandit, please contact the FBI at (623) 466-1366 or online at www.BanditTrackerArizona.com.
A photo and sketch of the suspect follow.

Konawa Man Sentenced for Attempting to Destroy or Damage Property Using an Explosive

MUSKOGEE, OK—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Daniel Wells Herriman, age 41, of Konawa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for attempting to destroy or damage property by means of an explosive, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i); and illegal making of a destructive device, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(f), 5822 and 5871.
Herriman was indicted in September 2011 and was found guilty by a federal jury in May, 2012.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Department, Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The evidence presented at the trial established that in July and August 2011 the defendant, without lawful authority, made an improvised explosive device or IED. The defendant maliciously attempted to damage and destroy a natural gas pipeline near Okemah, Oklahoma, when he placed the device under the pipeline and set the timer on the device. The device was discovered by a pipeline employee and was disrupted by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad.
The defense claimed Herriman was legally insane at the time of the crime.
The Honorable James H. Payne, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and sentencing.
Herriman will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transportation to the designated federal prison at which he will serve his non-parolable sentence.
Assistant United States Chris Wilson represented the United States.