Forensic Technology Center of Excellence Introduces Workforce Calculator

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) recently released a workforce calculator, housed on the FTCoE website. This beta version of the calculator helps laboratories identify the personnel required to support a given level of casework within each area of identification and the associated investment in capital equipment needed to support that level of activity. As a proof of concept, the calculator was developed from a selection of laboratories that met a standard of 90-percent laboratory-wide efficiency, using the American Society of Crime Lab Directors Maximus award criteria. An econometric analysis examined laboratory performance in light of the type of jurisdiction (state, metro or regional), size population served and state crime rates (violent and property). Resulting econometric models estimate the relationship between the full-time equivalent workforce and achievement of the 90-percent efficiency standard for laboratory analysis.

Laboratories are encouraged to test the calculator and report findings to principal investigator Paul Speaker (paul.speaker@mail.wvu.edu). Their insights will be incorporated into a more detailed econometric analysis used in the final version. For more information and to download the beta tool, visit https://forensiccoe.org/workforce-calculator-project/.

Pasco Woman Sentenced To 57 Months In Federal Prison For Cyberstalking And Making Online Threats

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Tammy Marie Steffen (37, Holiday) to four years and nine months in federal prison for cyberstalking and sending threatening communications online.

Steffen had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2018.

According to the plea agreement, from at least August 2016 and continuing through July 2018, Steffen engaged in a course of conduct with the intent to harass or intimidate six victims. Specifically, Steffen cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened several of her former colleagues and associates through repeated emails, phone calls, text messages, and social media messages using numerous phone numbers and accounts. To date, the FBI has identified at least 369 Instagram accounts and 18 email accounts that Steffen had created and used to cyberstalk, harass, and threaten the victims. For example, Steffen threatened to “slice [the victim] up into little pieces” and told another victim that “all hell is gonna rain fire down on your world like never seen before” and then sent a picture of a female holding two knives, with a caption that read, “I’m coming.” In addition to the threatening messages online, Steffen made countless “spoofed” phone calls to the victims. She used voice-disguising software to mask her identity when she repeatedly called the victims at their homes and businesses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Rachel K. Jones.

Coushatta man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for accessing a “Dark Web” site with intent to view child pornography

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Paul Andrew Talley, 51, of Coushatta, Louisiana, was sentenced Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for accessing the internet with intent to view child pornography.  Talley is also required to register as a sex offender.

According to documents presented at Talley’s guilty plea hearing on April 11, 2019, law enforcement agents identified Talley’s computer as accessing a “Dark Web” child porn site and being a regular user.  Forensic analysis on the computer equipment seized from Talley’s home on August 20, 2015, revealed more than 2,300 images of child pornography.  The images found on the computer matched the images from the “Dark Web” site.

The Dark Web, also called the DarkNet, is a collection of underground marketplaces where websites selling illegal content design their sites to hide identities of users and evade law enforcement detection. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov/news/stories/a-primer-on-darknet-marketplaces.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.          

Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.

The FBI conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.