Melvin D. King Jr.’s long law-enforcement career is taking him to Houston, where he will be the new special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Field Division, according to ATF.

King began his career with the federal agency in 1988, when he was assigned to the Washington Field Division in Richmond. He helped found “Project Exile,” a strategy to reduce firearms in cities.

Since then, King has worked in New Jersey, South Carolina and North Carolina, according to the agency.

“I am happy to be here in South Texas and under my leadership we will continue the ATF mission to reduce violent crime and stop firearms trafficking to criminals both domestically and internationally,” King said a press release. “I plan to continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. Another one of my priorities will be to partner with the firearms and explosives dealers in South Texas as we conduct our mission to regulate the industry.”

Steve Neavling

 Jonathan V. Hoang wanted to be a federal law enforcement agency since he was a child.

He even unsuccessfully applied to the agency in 1986.

Now the 47-year-old San Jose man is accused of impersonating a federal drug agent by forging credentials, adding lights and sires to his truck and using his disguise to bypass credit checks, intimidate rivals, haggle over rent and dole out vigilante justice, the Mercury New reports.

Jonathan V. Hoang faces four counts, including pretending to be an officers of the United States, after he was arrested and indicted last week.

Hoang went as far as carrying a handgun and wearing a fake badge, according to the Mercury News.

Mayor Tony Mack

As the FBI investigates Trenton City Hall and Mayor Tony Mack, residents are calling for the creation of an ethics board to protect against corruption, the Trentonian reports.

At a city council meeting Thursday, officials didn’t discuss details of the FBI investigation, saying they were unaware of specifics.

Residents called on the council to create an ethics board to keep elected officials in check.

“The ethics board should be a no-brainer,” “local businessman Tracey Syphax said, according to the Trentonian. “That’s definitely something we need.”

Steve Neavling

The Justice Department is mulling over what to do with eight employees who tried to get their children or other relatives hired by the agency, the Washington Post reports, citing a study released Thursday by the department’s inspector general.

Officials accused of the nepotism violations are career employees, not politicians, and include the director and two assistant directors of human resources; the director and deputy director of facilities and administrative services; and a senior adviser to a deputy assistant attorney general in the division.

“The department takes seriously the findings in this report, and we are moving immediately to address the report’s findings,” Gina Talamona, a Justice Department spokeswoman, told the Post.

Talamona pledged quick action and said nepotism would not be tolerated.

OTHER STORIES OF INTERESTS

• DEA Leads Crackdown on Synthetic Drugs
• FBI Among Officials Visiting Aurora Victims
• More Arrests in Donovan Influence Peddling Case
• Department of Justice Probing Standard and Poor’s
• Ex-Miami Police Chief Wore FBI Wire in Probe

Richard McFeely/fbi photo

During his brief tenure in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore feed office, Richard A. McFeely refocused investigations on corruption and gangs, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Now McFreely is becoming assistant director of criminal and cyber operations at FBI headquarters.

During his thee years in Baltimore, McFreely oversaw high-profile cases, including the investigations of Baltimore police, violent drug trafficker Steven Blackwell, founder of the prison gang Dead Man Inc. and a man who tried to blow up an Army recruiting station, according to the Sun.

McFreely said he wasn’t changing the priorities of the FBI, but believed there was a disproportionate focus on terrorism.