William Tapes, Suspect in FBI-Involved Shooting Incident Surrenders

A man wanted in connection with the March 25, 2013 incident that resulted in an FBI agent firing shots at a car surrendered to FBI special agents yesterday afternoon and has been charged in connection with the incident, announced Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

WILLIAM TAPES, age 52, whose last known address was 165 North Central Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, was the subject of a manhunt led by the Chicago FBI since the incident occurred on Monday. Tapes was charged in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of assault on a federal officer, a felony offense.

According to the complaint, FBI special agents observed an individual later identified as Tapes kneeling near a vehicle’s tires and suspected that Tapes was stealing the center of the chrome wheels on that vehicle. Tapes was then seen getting into the driver’s seat of a sedan in which two other individuals were passengers. As agents approached the sedan to talk to the occupants, they identified themselves as “police” and “FBI.” The agents commanded Tapes to turn off the engine of the sedan and to get out of the car, but Tapes put the car in reverse and abruptly backed up. The agents continued to direct Tapes and the passengers in the sedan to get out of the car, but none complied with the commands. After several seconds, the sedan, which was being driven by Tapes, lurched forward, stopped briefly, and then maneuvered around an FBI vehicle which had been parked approximately 10 to 20 feet in front of the sedan. As Tapes maneuvered around the FBI vehicle, he allegedly headed directly toward one of the agents. That agent jumped out of the way to avoid being run over and fired his handgun into the sedan.

The complaint alleges that the sedan then left the parking lot at a high speed and was next seen by the agents after it had been involved in an accident. According to the complaint, the agents saw one of the passengers of the sedan at the scene of the accident, but neither Tapes nor the other passenger remained at the scene. A witness reported that the driver of the sedan crawled out of the driver’s side window and left the scene of the accident on foot.

According to investigators, friends and family of Tapes reached out to the FBI’s Chicago office on Wednesday in an effort to arrange for his surrender, which occurred Thursday afternoon at the Chicago Field Office. Tapes appeared this morning in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole, who ordered him held without bond pending his next scheduled court appearance, which is set for Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Investigation of the incident and the search for Tapes was aided by the Chicago Police Department.

If convicted of the charge filed against him, Tapes faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt, and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Joe Serio Discusses the #Russian #Mafia on Crime Beat Radio

March 28th, Joseph D. Serio’s (www.joeserio.com) discusses his investigation into the Russian Mafia on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

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Shannen Rossmiller to Discuss Hunting Terrorists on Crime Beat Radio

March 21st, cyber sleuth Shannen Rossmiller (www.shannenrossmiller.com) discusses her work hunting down terrorists online on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

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Former NBA Referee, "Personal Foul" Author Tim Donaghy to Appear at the Mob Museum

In Las Vegas, sports betting is legal and that makes it a haven for sports fans each year during popular sporting events, including March Madness. At The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, visitors will learn about the history of the sports wire and how sports betting came to be part of the Las Vegas casino experience. This year, they will also get up close and personal with Tim Donaghy, former NBA referee and “Personal Foul” author, whose intimate knowledge of the game landed him in prison—and made him a sports media celebrity.

On Tuesday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m., Donaghy will present one of his NBA referee jerseys to the Museum during a news conference. From 1 to 4 p.m. that afternoon, he will sign copies of his book, “Personal Foul,” in the Museum and be available to discuss sports betting tips with guests. On the following day, Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m., he will speak in the Museum’s courtroom about the experiences detailed in his book. Following the presentation, he will sign copies of “Personal Foul” and answer questions from guests.

In his career with the NBA, Donaghy tracked personal relationships that existed between referees and players, coaches and owners to successfully pick games correctly 75 percent of the time.

Since being published in his book, “Personal Foul,” Donaghy’s story has been featured by more than 100 programs, including “60 Minutes,” ESPN, Fox's “Your World” and on CNN Headline News. Additional media exposure has included The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, Sports Illustrated and countless radio appearances and interviews.

He currently appears on more than a dozen current radio shows as well as on television. He recently picked games successfully during the NBA playoffs on ESPN Radio in Miami and Dallas at a rate of more than 78 percent. Today, Donaghy remains in demand as an NBA insider, appearing regularly on numerous sports talk shows throughout the United States.

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Edwin Ernesto Rivera Gracias, Member of MS-13 Gang, Added to Top 10 Fugitive List

Edwin Ernesto Rivera Gracias, wanted for the murder of a 69-year-old Colorado man who was dumped on the side of the road after being brutally beaten and stabbed, has been named to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information leading directly to the arrest of Rivera Gracias, who is a member of the violent Mara Salvatrucha gang—MS-13—and is believed to be in El Salvador. “Today we are asking for media and public assistance in bringing this dangerous fugitive to justice,” said James Yacone, special agent in charge of our Denver office.

Special Agent Phil Niedringhaus, who leads the FBI’s violent crimes squad in Denver, noted, “MS-13 is one of the most violent gangs in the United States, and Rivera Gracias appears to have embraced that lifestyle.”

The fugitive, a Salvadoran national, is approximately 29 to 33 years old with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5’10” tall, weighs about 170 pounds, and has a variety of tattoos, including “MS-13” across his back, “LA” on his right forearm, and “Nena” on his left hand.

The murder he is charged with occurred in August 2011. The victim—a long-time family acquaintance of Rivera Gracias’ teenage girlfriend—was choked, beaten, and stabbed. His body was then dumped in the mountains outside of Denver, where it was later discovered by a bicyclist.

The investigation soon focused on Rivera Gracias and accomplices, including his girlfriend, explained Special Agent Russ Humphrey, a member of the FBI’s Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, who worked the case. “The murder was vicious,” Humphrey said.

Rivera Gracias fled from Denver to Los Angeles and is now believed to be in his native El Salvador. Intelligence analysts with our MS-13 National Gang Task Force helped to positively identify Rivera Gracias, who also goes by the names Ernest Rivera and Edwin Rivera.

Rivera Gracias has ties to other MS-13 gang members in Colorado, Los Angeles, and El Salvador, and may attempt to gain entry to the U.S. using fraudulent identification. He may also visit Mexico and Guatemala.

“Elevating Rivera Gracias to the Top Ten list sends a message,” said Special Agent Niedringhaus. “No matter where you are as a fugitive—in the U.S. or anywhere in the world—we are coming after you.”

He added, “The FBI has put significant resources into fighting MS-13, and our gang task force works closely with our international partners to gather intelligence to help dismantle this transnational group. I think our chances of catching Rivera Gracias are excellent, especially with the substantial reward being offered.”

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Rivera Gracias, please contact the FBI’s Denver Field Office at 303-629-7171 or your nearest law enforcement agency or U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You can also submit a tip online.

Since its creation in 1950—63 years ago today—498 fugitives have been on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and 467 have been apprehended or located, 154 of them as a result of citizen cooperation.

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