FBI Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Movie screening, discussion to raise awareness of opioid epidemic

Posted at 10:02 am February 15, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A movie screening and discussion on Tuesday will help raise awareness of the opioid epidemic in the community, a press release said.

The documentary “Chasing the Dragon” will be shown starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 20, in the Clinton Middle School auditorium. The screening and discussion are scheduled until 8 p.m. Parents, teachers, schools administrators, students, and other interested community members are invited to attend, the press release said. Students in grades 7-12 may attend with an adult.

The press release said there were 256 drug-related death cases in Knox and Anderson counties in 2016, according to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. And the number continues to increase, the press release said.

“In an effort to combat the growing epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse, ASAP of Anderson, in cooperation with Anderson County EMS and in coordination with community partners in Anderson County, are hosting a screening of ‘Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict,’” the release said. “The FBI and DEA have released this documentary aimed at educating students, young adults, parents, and other community members about the dangers of dependence and addiction.” [Read more…]

Nuclear engineer receives two years in prison for violating Atomic Energy Act

Posted at 10:23 am September 3, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

U.S. Department of Justice

KNOXVILLE—On Thursday, Szuhsiung Ho, also known as Allen Ho, 66, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan to serve 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Upon his release, he will be supervised by U.S. Probation for one year. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000.

Ho pleaded guilty in January 2017 to conspiracy to unlawfully engage or participate in the production or development of special nuclear material outside the United States, without the required authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy, in violation of the Atomic Energy Act, a press release said.

An April 2016 indictment charged Ho; China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), the largest nuclear power company in China; and Energy Technology International (ETI), a Delaware corporation, with these offenses. At the time of his indictment, Ho was a nuclear engineer, employed as a consultant by CGNPC, and he was also the owner of ETI. CGNPC specialized in the development and manufacture of nuclear reactors and was controlled by China’s State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the press release said. [Read more…]

Benanti gets four life sentences, plus 155 years, in bank extortion, robbery spree

Posted at 8:27 pm July 18, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a kidnapping and attempted robbery at the Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge on Tuesday morning, April 28, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Michael Benanti

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life sentences in federal prison, plus an additional 155 years, for his convictions involving a violent bank extortion and robbery spree in four states and several cities, including Oak Ridge and Knoxville, authorities said.

Michael Anthony Benanti, 45, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville on Tuesday.

Benanti had been convicted by a jury after a trial in U.S. District Court in February 2017. The jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed bank extortion, two counts of attempted armed bank extortion, one count of armed bank extortion, three counts of carjacking, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and 10 counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

“Often, severe federal penalties, such as mandatory minimum sentences, are the most effective tool to protect the American public from a violent criminal like Benanti,” U.S. Attorney Nancy Harr said in a press release. “The consecutive sentences received by Benanti for firearms violations ensure he will never again be able to victimize families in East Tennessee or elsewhere. The U.S. Attorney’s office is, and remains committed to, prosecuting these crimes and seeking the highest penalties possible to help keep the American people safe.” [Read more…]

FBI investigates Kingston Pike bank robbery, describes suspect

Posted at 9:18 am April 5, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The FBI is investigating a bank robbery at the U.S. Bank at 8845 Kingston Pike in Knoxville at about 5 p.m. April 4, 2017. (Photo: FBI)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a bank robbery reported at a U.S. Bank on Kingston Pike in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon.

The robbery was reported at the U.S. Bank at 8845 Kingston Pike at about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The FBI reported that a white man entered the bank and demanded money with a note.

“After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money from the bank, the robber fled in a white, four-door sedan,” the FBI said.

The robber is described as a white male with gray hair down to his collar, and he is estimated to be about 6’0” and weigh about 250 pounds. He could be between 45-55 years old, and he was wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, dark-colored sweat pants, white sneakers, glasses, and a dark-colored knit cap, the FBI said. [Read more…]

Seven ‘sovereign citizens’ who filed fraudulent liens arrested in Anderson County

Posted at 4:35 pm February 16, 2017
By John Huotari 1 Comment

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, that a year-long investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in a 320-count indictment, and 10 people were arrested, including seven Anderson County residents, on charges of unlawfully filing liens and making false entries into records. (Photo courtesy TBI)

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced in Nashville on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, that a year-long investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in a 320-count indictment and 10 people were arrested, including seven Anderson County residents, on charges of unlawfully filing liens and making false entries into records. (Photo courtesy TBI)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 p.m. Feb. 17.

Seven “sovereign citizens” from Anderson County, including Lee Harold Cromwell, have been indicted and arrested on charges related to filing fraudulent liens against local officials, law enforcement officers, and public employees, authorities said Thursday.

The sovereign citizens were arrested Wednesday by teams that included agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, according to a press release from Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark in Anderson County.

The TBI said a year-long investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in a 320-count indictment, and 10 people were arrested on charges of unlawfully filing liens and making false entries into records. Multiple other state, county, and local law enforcement agencies also participated in the arrests.

Dave Clark

TBI special agents began their investigation at the request of Clark in May 2016. That was about the time that Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge learned that Cromwell had filed a lien against the judge, causing Elledge to recuse himself from a vehicular homicide and aggravated assault case filed against Cromwell. The judge vowed to do everything he could legally, morally, and ethically—both criminally and civilly—to prosecute Cromwell to the full extent of the law.

Elledge said he discussed the liens filed against him by Cromwell with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a federal task force, the Seventh District Attorney General’s Office (the Anderson County DA), and local legislators. [Read more…]

Son charged in gruesome murder of parents; mother worked in Oak Ridge

Posted at 5:37 pm November 30, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Joel Michael Guy Jr.

A 28-year-old man has been charged in the gruesome murder of his parents, one of whom worked in Oak Ridge, authorities said.

Joel Michael Guy Jr., 28, was arrested Tuesday evening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and charged with killing his parents, Joel Michael Guy Sr., 61, and Lisa Guy, 55, at their home at 11434 Goldenview Lane in west Knox County, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

The parents are believed to have been murdered between Friday, November 25, and mid-day Saturday, November 26. Both suffered vicious stab wounds as well as dismemberment, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. Their remains were found in multiple rooms in the house. The suspect placed portions of the remains in an acid-based solution in an attempt to destroy evidence, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The toxic fluid required specific biohazard equipment for removal by the KCSO Hazmat Team, authorities said. [Read more…]

FBI seeks help identifying suspect in Farragut bank robbery on Thursday

Posted at 11:03 am October 30, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

capital-bank-robbery-suspect-1-farragut-oct-27-2016

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who robbed the Capital Bank in Farragut on Thursday., Oct. 17, 2016. (Photo courtesy FBI)

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who allegedly robbed the Capital Bank in Farragut on Thursday.

The armed robbery was reported at Capital Bank at 136 Concord Road in Farragut at about 9:32 a.m. Thursday, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

“Reports indicate that a masked man entered the Capital Bank, brandished a semi-automatic handgun, and demanded money from the bank employees,” an FBI press release said. “After obtaining an undetermined amount of money, the suspect fled the scene.”

Here is a description of the suspect, according to the FBI: [Read more…]

Maine man pleads guilty in armed bank extortions, including at Y-12 Credit Union

Posted at 4:47 pm March 1, 2016
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Brian Witham

Note: This story was last updated at 5:40 p.m.

A Maine man charged in several armed bank extortion plots, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday, authorities said.

Brian Scott Witham, 45, of Waterville, Maine, pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a 15-count indictment from December 2015 involving armed bank extortions of the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, SmartBank in Knoxville, and Northeast Community Credit Union in Elizabethton, said Nancy Stallard Harr, acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Witham is one of two people charged in the bank extortion scheme.

As part of his plea agreement, Witham agreed to plead guilty to similar charges from three other federal jurisdictions including the Western District of North Carolina, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the District of Connecticut, authorities said. Witham, U.S. attorneys, and a federal judge all agreed to transfer the similar charges to U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee, a press release said. Those charges include being a felon in possession of a firearm in Haywood County, North Carolina; armed robbery of an Ingles in Arden, North Carolina; armed robbery of the Peoples Security Bank and Trust in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania; and attempted armed bank extortion of the Achieve Financial Credit Union in New Britain, Connecticut, authorities said. [Read more…]

Second suspect in bank extortion, carjacking plots also pleads not guilty

Posted at 4:06 pm January 29, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Michael Benanti

KNOXVILLE—A second suspect has also pleaded not guilty to three alleged bank extortion and carjacking plots that involved bank employees and their family members, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge.

One of the suspects, Brian Witham, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Tuesday.

The second suspect, Michael Benanti, pleaded not guilty during a Friday afternoon arraignment.

Each man is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 142 years in prison, if they are convicted on all 15 federal charges that they face. The charges include bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm while committing a crime. [Read more…]

Suspect in bank extortion, carjacking plots could face mandatory minimum of 142 years in prison

Posted at 3:36 pm January 26, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m.

KNOXVILLE—One of the two suspects in three alleged bank extortion and carjacking plots that involved bank employees and their family members, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 142 years in prison, if he is convicted on all 15 charges that he faces, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday.

Brian Witham pleaded not guilty to the 15 charges—which include bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm while committing a crime—during a 20-minute arraignment and initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon.

Brian Witham (Photo courtesy WATE-TV in Knoxville)

A trial has been set for March 29.

Witham’s alleged co-conspirator, Michael Benanti, has an initial appearance and arraignment scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The two were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 15 for plots that involved kidnapping family members and robbing or attempting to rob three banks and credit unions in Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and Elizabethton, Tennessee. Benanti, 43, is from Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, and Witham, 45, is from Waterville, Maine. [Read more…]

Two men indicted in robbery, kidnappings at Y-12 Credit Union, SmartBank

Posted at 11:31 am December 16, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Michael Benanti (Photo courtesy WATE-TV in Knoxville)

Brian Witham (Photo courtesy WATE-TV in Knoxville)

Note: This story was last updated at 10:37 p.m.

Two men were indicted Tuesday for plots that involved kidnapping family members and robbing or attempting to rob three banks and credit unions in Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and Elizabethton, Tennessee.

The two men are Michael Benanti and Brian Witham. One is from Pennsylvania, and the other is from Maine.

The three financial institutions they targeted were Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge, SmartBank on Advantage Place in Knoxville, and Northeast Community Credit Union on Jason Witten Way in Elizabethton.

The indictment of Benanti and Witham by a federal grand jury for the armed bank extortions was filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Knoxville. You can read the 15-count indictment, which also includes charges of carjacking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, here. [Read more…]

Bank robbery alert, traffic stop lead to arrest of suspect

Posted at 10:35 am November 11, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Home Federal Bank Robbery Stop Oct. 20, 2015

A suspect in a bank robbery in Powell on October 20, 2015, was arrested just a few hours later in the eastbound lanes of North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard at Interstate 75. The suspect was stopped by the Clinton Police Department with help from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. (Photo by Lisa Kincaid)

An alert sent to local law enforcement combined with a traffic stop in Clinton led to the arrest of a suspect in a Powell bank robbery in October, federal officials said.

Christopher Michael Miller, 36, is accused of a bank robbery at Home Federal Bank at 105 East Emory Road in Powell on Tuesday afternoon, October 20.

He was arrested just a few hours later on North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard at Interstate 75 in Clinton.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville alleged Miller entered the Home Federal Bank at about 1:38 p.m. that Tuesday, approached a teller, and passed a handwritten note that read: “I Have 2 Guns! I need all the 50’s, 100’s out of your drawer! No FAKE Blue Bills. NOW!”

The teller complied with the demand for money and provided an undisclosed amount of cash to Miller, the complaint said. [Read more…]