By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON — The Fox show “America’s Most Wanted”, which aired for 23 years,  and helped capture some of the most dangerous fugitives wanted by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies, is being cancelled.

The Associated Press reported Monday that the show, hosted by  John Walsh, attracted about 5 million viewers, and claimed  it had  helped nab 1,151 fugitives worldwide.

But Kevin Reilly of Fox Entertainment Kevin said the show was too expensive and had not been making money for a while, AP reported.

Angeline Hartmann, a correspondent for the show, told ticklethewire.com on Monday:

“I can tell you that the news today came as a devastating blow to all of us at AMW.

Angeline Hartmann

“For every one of us, this is not a job but a passion that dictates our lives. We feel privileged to work so closely with law enforcement and we consider it an honor to help victims seeking closure and justice.”

“We helped capture more than 1150 fugitives and recovered dozens of missing children. The feedback we’ve been getting all day has been a resounding “Why?” and “How on earth…?”

“We don’t have the answers and I feel saddest for crime victims and their families.”

John Walsh told AP: “I was quite surprised. We performed hard for you and we had a good year. We caught more guys than we’ve ever caught.”

John Walsh

Walsh told AP he was going to talk to other outlets about airing the show.

Mobsters have a reputation for enjoying free things: TVs, Rolex watches, meals, computers. You name it.

Still, it’s fair to assume, Emilio Fusco, a made man in the New York Genovese Crime Family, was none to happy when he got a free plane ride back to the U.S. from Italy — compliments of the federal government.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of Manhattan announced Monday that Fusco was extradited from Italy to face racketeering and other charges in connection with the Genovese family crimes. Authorities said Fusco arrived in New York Friday afternoon, and was arraigned in Manhattan federal court earlier Monday.

Fusco was charged with co-defendants Felix Tranghese, Ty Geas, Fotios Geas and Arthur Nigro in in a superseding indictment unsealed in July 2010.

Tranghese pled guilty in January 2011, and Nigro, Fotios, Fotios Geas and Ty Geas were were convicted in April of racketeering charges, multiple murder charges, and multiple extortion charges.

“Emilio Fusco will finally face the justice he deserves—something that he never afforded his alleged victims,” Bharara said.

Authorities said that in 2003,  Fusco, prior to being sentenced for an earlier racketeering conviction, got hold of a court document showing that Genovese family capo Adolfo Bruno had spoken with an FBI agent about Fusco’s status in the Genovese family.

After that, Arthur Nigro, who was the acting boss of the Genovese family, gave the order to murder Bruno. Fusco and others conspired to carry out the murder, and Bruno was killed on Nov. 23, 2003.

Less than three weeks before Bruno’s murder, authorities said Fusco, a fellow Genovese family soldier and two associates, murdered Gary Westerman to help their position in the family and to prevent Westerman from snitching to the feds about crimes committed by members and associates of the Genovese family, authorities said.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Judge Orders Hearing in Mi. Mosque Plot (AP)
• Child Porn Conviction Brings 15 Years (Buffalo News)
• White Church Defaced With Racist Graffiti (KSLA)
• Islamic Group Asks FBI to Investigate Mosque Arson in Tex. as Hate Crime (PR Newswire)
• Ala. U.S. Atty. Nominee Handled Major Civil Rights Prosecution (Main Justice)
• Justice Dept. Steps Up Enforcement of Pro-Life Protestors (Greeley Gazette)

James Cavanaugh/atf photo

Dingdong the witch is dead.

Yet the Al Qeada organization remains active and no doubt bent on revenge to show the world it is viable and deadly.

Law-enforcement leaders now have a special challenge: To learn the lessons of history that can help formulate a forward-looking strategy. Don’t count al Qaeda out. Like a wounded cobra, it still may be able to strike out and kill, with the wound only fueling its determination.

Yes, we all remember the attacks on 9/11, and the attacks on the trains of London, Madrid and Moscow. Yes, these were deadly and theatrical attacks we will never forget.

But Al Qaeda has another long-standing tactic of death rarely talked about in law-enforcement command circles: A long history of assassinating leaders. We must be conscious of this and respond if we want to stay ahead of the curve.

One of the seminal events of the modern terrorist era was the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the hands of the Muslim brotherhood.

Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON –– I have mixed feelings about the White House proposal to have FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III stay two years more beyond his 10-year term, which expires in September. The opinions of newspaper editorial boards around the country reflect my ambivalence.

All recognize the need for continuity in such uncertain times. All praise Mueller for taking on the job at a time of rapid change. They also note that after Hoover’s death in 1972, Congress passed legislation to limit the term to 10-years, pointing to the politics and power Hoover amassed, and how he abused his position and stepped over the line and made many important people, including presidents, fear him.

Continuity. Sure it’s important. But change is constant, a part of life, a part of Washington.  And as the Washington Post rightfully asks:”But when are continuity and stability at the FBI not critical?”

James Akagi/ oakridge gov photo

James T. Akagi, an assistant special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City DEA office, and a 25-year veteran of the agency, has been named the new police chief for Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Oak Ridge city manager Mark Watson said Akagi, 49, began his career with the DEA in 1986, and was stationed at a number of international and domestic offices including Los Angeles, Dallas and Santo Domingo,  according to a press release. He was picked among 117 applicants.

He will head up a department of 61 sworn personnel and 17 civilians with a $6 million budget.

His salary will be $110,000, a drop from $151,269 at the DEA, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported

By Allan Lengel

ATF has rubbed the Motley County, Tex., government the wrong way.

The city attorney Tom Edwards says ATF could face Class C misdemeanor charges for violating the county’s burn ban after the agency detonated unwanted explosives, which triggered a fire that scorched 150 acres of land, according to the Plainview Daily Herald.

“We have the federal government that has just refused aid to the state of Texas for all our fire damage throughout the state, and then here comes federal agents who start another fire,” Edwards told KCBD-TV.

The Plainview paper reported that Jim Luera, resident agent in charge for the ATF in Lubbock, took full responsibility for the fire. It took close to six hours to extinguish the blaze.

Luera said ATF detonated the explosives because it had a mounting stockpile, the paper reported. He said the detonations were used as a training exercise for bomb squads from several area cities.

He said landowners would be reimbursed for the damage, the paper reported.

Boston Mobster Whitey Bulger

The FBI suspects that Top Ten Fugitive, Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger is hiding out in Europe, Time magazine reports.

A team of investigators are ” keeping a close eye on Europe,” Time reported. “The team has an idea of which country Bulger is possibly in but won’t say for fear of alerting him.”

Bulger, who is a suspect in 19 murders, was last spotted in London in 2002 by a businessman at the gym of the Meridien Hotel in the city’s Piccadilly Circus, Time reported.

Bulger has been on the lam for about 15 years. The FBI is offering a $2 million reward for his arrest.

The magazine reported that Bulger told people one day he expected to be on the lam.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Police Seek Evidence in IMF Leader’s Alleged Attack (AP)
• Jurors Due in Chicago Fed Court for Mumbai Attack Trial (AP)
• Trial Begins for Brother of Skater Nancy Kerrigan (AP)
• U.S. Cattle Inspectors Leave Mexico Amid Drug War (AP)
• Miami Imam and 2 Sons Due in Court on Terror Charges (AP)
• Head of Philly FBI Discusses His Job (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Column: Good Decision to Keep Mueller (Security DeBrief)
• Justice Dept. Lawyers Block Stock Market Merger (Wall Street Journal)

FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICE ACT STORIES OF INTEREST

• Gabon Grenade Sale Bribe Case Brought by US With Galleon Probe Tactics (Bloomberg)
• U.S. Wins Conviction in Bribery Act Trial (Reuters)
• Lindsey Manufacturing Convicted: What Does that Mean? (Wall Street Journal)
• Azusa Firm, Two Execs Convicted of Mexican Bribery Scheme (Los Angeles Times)
• Rockwell Automation under Investor Investigation over Foreign Bribery Allegations (PR-USA.net)
• Steve Wynn Isn’t Worried About Regulators Despite Sands Probe (Wall Street Journal)
• BofA, JPMorgan, Boeing, Galleon, HealthSouth in Court News (Bloomberg)
• U.K. Follows Through With FCPA-Inspired Bribery Act (China Briefing)
• Chadbourne & Parke Launches UK Bribery Act Website (PR-USA.net)
• Valve Company Exec Admits Paying Bribes for Contracts (Reuters)
• FBI: Some US Rogue Firms Operate in Indonesia (Jakarta Post)

‎

‎