Life With Frenchie

Wiretaps cut off after FBI lets phone bills pile up

By LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press
Published on: 01/11/08
Washington — Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau’s repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI’s lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. In one office alone, unpaid costs for wiretaps from one phone company totaled $66,000.

In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation “was halted due to untimely payment,” the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government’s most sensitive and secretive criminal and intelligence investigations and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies.

“We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence,” according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

More than half of 990 bills to pay for telecommunication surveillance in five unidentified FBI field offices were not paid on time, the report shows.

Assistant FBI Director John Miller said wiretaps were dropped only a few times because of the backed-up billing, which he said didn’t significantly set back the investigations under way. He said the FBI “will not tolerate financial mismanagement, or worse,” and is working to fix the problems.

“While in a few instances, late payment of telephone bills resulted in interruptions of the timely delivery of surveillance results, these interruptions were temporary and in our assessment, none of those cases were significantly affected,” Miller said in a statement Thursday evening.

The report released Thursday was a highly edited version of Fine’s 87-page audit that the FBI deemed too sensitive to be viewed publicly. It focused on what the bureau admitted was an “antiquated” system to track money sent to its 56 field offices nationwide for undercover work. Generally, the money pays for rental cars, leases and surveillance, the audit noted.

The American Civil Liberties Union called on the FBI to release the entire, unedited audit. The group, which has been critical of some of the government’s wiretapping programs, also criticized telecommunication companies that allowed the eavesdropping — as long as they are getting paid.

Wow! This has been just a busy week! I feel like my poor blogs have been neglected. You too, my faithful readers!

It’s been over a week since I’ve posted anything on my blog. Surprisingly enough, not a whole lot has really happened, but you know me - I’m never at a loss for words.

Driving down the road the other day, I was sitting in a bit of traffic. As it’s truly beautiful here in Florida these days, I had my sunroof open and windows down. Motoring along, I hear someone’s radio absolutely blaring! Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t disturb me. It just piqued my interest cause I’m “curious” and wanted to figure out what song was playing (hey, I was stuck in traffic - I was bored!). As the car got closer, I realized that it was Cher…and it was really loud because I could understand it just as clearly as if I were playing the song in my car and this car was 2-3 lanes over. Now my question is: Which is worse - the person playing and rocking out to Cher at maximum volume or me being able to identify which song it was …”Just Like Jesse James”????

Sadly enough, that may have been the highlight of my week. *le sigh* Other than that, I’ve been working and EP was just as busy this week, so we mainly just crossed paths all week long. Hopefully I will have some semblance of a life again soon.

PMS much??

Former beauty queen accused of torturing ex-boyfriend

Associated Press

Published on: 01/02/08

TUCSON, Ariz. — A law school student and former beauty queen who posed for a racy calendar while brandishing a weapon has been accused of kidnapping, biting and threatening a former boyfriend with a handgun.

Kumari Fulbright, 25, who is midway through her second year in law school, faces a long prison term if convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.

Fulbright, who competed for the Miss Arizona title in 2005 and 2006, recently completed a semester-long unpaid stint as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Raner Collins, his office said. She also posed wearing a shiny black bikini in a 2008 calendar that features women holding guns.

In the Dec. 18 indictment, Fulbright is accused of holding and torturing her 24-year-old ex-boyfriend in early December with the help of three other men, including another man she had previously dated.

Authorities think the dispute began because the ex-boyfriend was believed to have stolen jewelry given to Fulbright by the former beau suspected of helping in the attack.

Fulbright invited the man to her apartment, then excused herself to shower, said police spokesman Sgt. Fabian Pacheco. Then two men showed up and bound him with plastic ties and duct tape, accused him of taking the jewelry, and threatened to shoot him with pistols, Pacheco said.

When Fulbright finished her shower, she allegedly bit the man on his forearm, right hand and ear, held a butcher knife to his head, and told him she was going to kill him.

Authorities said the man was taken to another home, where the assault continued, then took him back to Fulbright’s house, where she guarded him with a gun.

The man finally managed to free a hand and grabbed the gun, which discharged but hit no one, authorities said. As their struggle spilled outside, the man screamed for help, then ran to a home down the block, while Fulbright returned to her apartment, Pacheo said.

“He has some bite marks on him, evident and consistent with his account, and his hands were red and swollen, consistent with someone who had been tied up,” Pacheco said.

A police complaint said the suspects stole the victim’s wallet, money clip with $500 to $600, and his cellphone and briefcase.

Fulbright’s phone is out of service and her apartment was unoccupied Wednesday, without any furniture. Efforts also were made to contact her through MySpace.com.

Tucson police also are seeking to serve her former boyfriend, Robert Ergonis, 44, and his brother, Michael Ergonis, 46, with arrest warrants charging them with kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault, but believe they may have fled the country. Telephone numbers for the brothers were not listed.

Another man who was indicted with Fulbright remains jailed under $50,000 bond, but Fulbright was freed after arranging to have a similar bond posted.

Calls to Fulbright’s attorney, Thomas Hartzell, and to the Miss Pima County pageant, which Fulbright won in 2005, were not returned. She also was selected Miss Desert Sun in 2006.

A spokeswoman for the University of Arizona, where Fulbright attends, said it was premature to talk about what could occur in terms of discipline. She and other faculty members declined further comment, citing student privacy.

It’s freakin’ cold!

I had to dig out my “dress” coat today for work cause it’s my warm coat. I had to find gloves for MM and myself. This is crazy. I slept in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and t-shirt last night. I was worried I’d get overly warm with all that…instead I was pulling covers trying to wrap myself up in a cocoon!

I forgot my stupid sweater this morning, so I have nothing to put on in the office. It’s freezing in here, too! My fingers are starting to go numb.

I WANT MY WARM FLORIDA WEATHER!!!

I just realize that since my blog has had some “issues” in the past 24 hours, the information about my newest blog is no longer up here. I have set up a separate blog just for my wedding planning. So, now, you can keep up with all that craziness over at www.weddingplanningwithfrenchie.com. I hope you enjoy it!