Tag Archives: FBI

Man Pleads Guilty to pointing a Laser at Aircraft Near Bob Hope Airport

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A North Hollywood man pleaded guilty Monday to one count of pointing the beam of a laser at an aircraft, announced André Birotte, Jr., the United States Attorney in Los Angeles, and Bill Lewis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Adam Gardenhire, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of a federal indictment that charged him with pointing the beam of a laser at aircraft in the special maritime jurisdiction of the United States. Gardenhire was arrested in April 2012 after being named in a two-count indictment filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles that alleged he pointed the beam of a laser at a private plane and a police helicopter.

The federal statute used to charge Gardenhire is part of legislation signed into law in 2012 by President Obama that makes it a federal crime to deliberately point a laser at an aircraft. The indictment marked the second time a violation of the new statute had been charged in the United States.

According to the statement of facts outlined in the plea agreement, Gardenhire deliberately aimed a commercial-grade green laser at multiple aircraft on the evening of March 29, 2012. The laser attack was initially reported by a pilot operating a privately owned Cessna Citation as the pilot was preparing to land at Burbank Airport. The laser struck the pilot of the airplane in the eye multiple times and caused him to suffer vision impairment that continued through the following day. Later that evening, the beam of Gardenhire’s laser struck a police helicopter multiple times. The helicopter was operated by a pilot with the Pasadena Police Department who was responding to the report of the laser attack on the Cessna. The helicopter pilot was wearing protective gear and therefore did not suffer eye damage or vision impairment as a result of the laser.

Air and ground investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Pasadena Police Department, and the Burbank Airport Police Department identified Gardenhire as a suspect later that evening.

Gardenhire faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced. Gardenhire is currently scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2013.

This investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Pasadena Police Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Burbank Airport Police Department, and the Federal Aviation Administration, and the FBI.

Gardenhire is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.

Reports of laser attacks have increased dramatically in recent years as laser devices have become more affordable and widely available to the public. Technology has advanced the effectiveness of laser devices and has increased potential safety hazards for pilots operating aircraft, as well as their passengers and crew. Hazards to pilots include temporary distraction and impaired vision, which is particularly dangerous during the critical takeoff or landing phase of flight. In addition, pilots have reported the need to abort landings or relinquish control of the aircraft to another pilot as a result of laser attacks. California consistently leads the nation in reports of laser attacks. Over 3,500 laser attacks were reported in 2011.

Missing FBI Agent’s Body Found in Burbank Hills Near School

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BurbankNBeyond.com Exclusive
By Craig Sherwood and Stan Lynch, with Photos By Ross A. Benson

 

The mysterious disappearance of FBI Agent Stephen Ivens has possibly been solved.  His decomposing body was found Monday evening, July 30, less than 2 miles from his home. The 81-day ordeal for the Ivens family has finally come to an end.

Burbank Police investigate a body discovered in the brush behind St. Francis School. (© Ross A. Benson)

A body, believed to be that of  Stephen Ivens, was found by two hikers on Monday evening in brush, several yards above the Mother Cabrini Chapel that is located in the back parking lot of St. Francis Xavier Church and School, 3801 N. Scott Rd.  A paved, gated access road, Scott Way, winds up the hillside nearby.  Police believe the body has been at that location since he went missing on May 11.  It is in an area with dense brush, and nott easily visible from the road, the nearby Villa Cabrini townhomes, or from the church parking lot.  Police recovered a firearm at the scene, believed to be Ivens’ FBI issued service weapon.

Burbank Police did not publicly reveal the discovery of the body until today, to allow time for Iven’s family to be notified of the possible find.  His wife and 2 year-old son live in Burbank, and his mother lives in Massachusetts.

Burbank Police investigate a body discovered in the brush behind St. Francis School. (© Ross A. Benson)

Ivens was last seen alive on May 10, by his wife, Thea Ivens, at their apartment in the 1700 block of Scott Road.  She called police to report that her husband was missing, the following morning.  She told police that he was depressed and possibly suicidal.  His FBI issued handgun was missing from their apartment.  Her call to police set off a massive search by local police officers, sheriff’s deputies, search and rescue groups, and FBI agents.  After 12 days of intense activity, the search went to a “lead-driven” status.

Because Ivens was a runner and hiker, authorities considered that he might have walked into the Verdugo Mountains.   Dogs had tracked his scent to the trailhead at the Stough Canyon Nature Center.   Initially, authorities had requested that the public stay out of the hills above Burbank.  However the next day, in a joint news conference with the Burbank Police Department, L.A. Sheriff’s Department, and FBI, they asked the public to be on the lookout for Ivens.

Los Angeles Coroner's Department arrive to process the scene.( © Ross A. Benson)

Speculation mounted during the second day of the search, when paramilitary-looking heavily armed men wearing body armor were seen in Wildwood Canyon.  One of our staff members was ordered to leave the area and not photograph the men.  Unsubstantiated reports circulated on the internet that Ivens might be involved in some international intrigue.  However, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office stated that Ivens was not involved in any criminal activity.   Stephen Ivens, 35, had been an FBI agent for 3 years, and prior to that had been a Los Angeles Police officer for 8 years.

On May 16, Iven’s wife, mother, and uncle held a tearful news conference on the steps of the Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters, in which they pleaded for the public’s help in finding the missing agent.  They created a web page, and a Facebook page. On June 13, Iven’s wife and uncle held a news conference in front of the Stough Canyon Nature Center, where she shed some light onto case.

The area where a body was discovered behind St. Frances School. (© Ross A. Benson)

“My husband was depressed about something at work,” said Thea Ivens, “but it was not about his actual job as an FBI agent,” adding, “He loved his job.”  She declined to elaborate further.

As the search stretched past it’s second month, police unofficially speculated that Iven’s body was probably somewhere in the mountains surrounding Burbank.  They noted that sometimes bodies go undiscovered for years in the hills adjacent to populated areas.

 

Note: Video shot this morning is now up for viewing. Just go to the Front Page and click on the video.

Photo from Google Images where body was found Monday night

Local Searches for Missing Special Agent Transition to Lead-Driven Searches

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Information is being sought regarding Stephen Ivens, a resident of Burbank, California, who was reported missing on Friday, May 11, 2012. Stephen Ivens has been a special agent (SA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation since September 2008 and is assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office. On the morning of May 11, officers with the Burbank Police Department responded to the 1700 block of Scott Road, in Burbank, California, where Ivens resides with his family. SA Ivens’ family last saw him at the Scott Road residence the previous evening.

Special Agent Stephen Ivers

Initial investigation indicates that SA Ivens may have been distraught and possibly suicidal. SA Ivens’ FBI service weapon, a Glock handgun, was missing when police responded to the residence, and it is possible the handgun is in SA Ivens’ possession. Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, and there is no indication that SA Ivens intended to harm others. The FBI and the law enforcement community are concerned for SA Ivens’ well-being and have public safety concerns with regard to the missing weapon.

Comprehensive searches conducted during the past 12 days in the nearby Verdugo Mountains met with negative results. Investigators will continue to focus on lead-driven searches, as well as information provided by the public. More than 100 tips from residents, area-hikers, and others were received by the investigative team. Photos and a description of SA Ivens may be found at the following link: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/stephen-ryan-ivens/view.

SA Ivens is a former police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is known to be an avid runner and is described as a white male, 35 years of age, 6’0” tall, 160 lbs., with brown eyes and receding brown hair. SA Ivens normally wears prescription glasses. SA Ivens is believed to have departed on foot and may have been wearing athletic or casual attire. The search for SA Ivens originally focused on the Verdugo Mountain range based on the proximity of the mountains to SA Ivens’ home, as well as an early scent detected by a canine unit. Investigators have not ruled out that the scent may have been based on an earlier visit to the Verdugo Mountains by SA Ivens. At no time was there conclusive evidence that SA Ivens went in the direction of the Verdugo Mountains, though this possibility has not been ruled out. Investigators believe it is also possible that SA Ivens may have gone in another direction and are, therefore, relying on anyone who might have seen SA Ivens, or does see him, to call the Burbank PD or the FBI with information.

Since May 11, several agencies have supported the search efforts. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s personnel from Altadena, Montrose, Santa Clarita, and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Teams* assisted in Verdugo Mountain searches, including specially trained reserve sheriff’s deputies and civilian volunteer rescuers, as well as Special Enforcement Bureau-Emergency Services Detail deputy paramedics, bloodhounds, off-road motorcycles, and a helicopter crew. Law enforcement personnel, including air, ground, and canine units with the following law enforcement agencies provided considerable assistance during the search efforts: Burbank Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, and the Burbank Airport Police Department. Teams made up of approximately 40 FBI agents at a time were paired up with the search and rescue teams during several days of searching.

The Burbank Police Department is leading the missing person investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts or circumstances surrounding the disappearance of SA Ivens is urged to contact the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3000 or the FBI in Los Angeles at 310 477-6565.

Public’s Help Asked In Hunt For Missing FBI Agent

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(LtoR) Captain Mike Parker LASO, Burbank Police Captain Denis Cremins, Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, Steven Gomez brief the media about the missing FBI agent. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

A massive search effort is underway to find a missing Burbank man who is an FBI Agent.  Authorities are now asking for the public’s help in locating Stephen Ivens. They believe he may be in the Verdugo Mountains.

Ivens, was last seen by his family on Thursday night.  He lives in the 1700 block of Scott Road with his wife and young child.  His wife called police to report him missing shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning. He is described as despondent and possibly suicidal.  His service weapon is missing from his home.

He has been an FBI agent for three years, working on national security in the Los Angeles area.  Prior to becoming an FBI agent, Ivens was with the Los Angeles Police Department for eight  years.

Ivens is an avid hiker and runner.  Bloodhounds tracking his scent believe he headed into the hills above Burbank.  The search efforts have concentrated on the Verdugo Mountains.  Police and FBI agents were passing out missing person fliers early Saturday morning to hikers at trailheads near the Stough Canyon Nature Center and Wildwood Canyon.

In a news conference this afternoon, Burbank Police Captain Denis Cremins, Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, Steven Gomez, outlined the efforts being taken to find Ivens.  Several law enforcement agencies have contributed manpower and resources to the search effort.

The Burbank Police Department has been handling the  missing person investigation.  A 40-member Sheriff’s search and rescue team (half of whom are volunteer Reserve Deputies)  have been combing the hills above Burbank.   The Sheriff’s helicopter has also been used in the search.  In addition, the Los Angeles and Long Beach Police Department have brought in bloodhounds for tracking, and the Glendale Police Department has provided off-road vehicles.

When asked if the manpower and resources involved in the search were increased because the missing person is a law enforcement officer, Capt. Parker responded, “This is not an unusual effort. We would do the same for other missing persons.”

FBI Agent Stephen Ivens

A check of one of the trails above Wildwood Canyon by the Burbank Police Shooting range found a four-man heavily armed team with automatic weapons walking the trails.  The team would not identify the agency they were with.  A command post has been set up across from the Starlight Bowl made up of different agency personnel.

So far the search has not turned up Ivens or any evidence connected to him.   He is 35 years old, White, 6 feet tall, 160 lbs., with brown eyes and receding brown hair.  He wears prescription glasses. What he was wearing when he went missing is unknown.  If you see him, police request that you do not contact him, but call 911 or the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3000.

BurbankNBeyond’s John Savageau also contributed to this story

18 Year-Old Man Arrested After Being Indicted for Pointing a Laser at an Aircraft

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A North Hollywood man was taken into custody this morning after being charged in a federal indictment that alleges he pointed the beam of a laser at multiple aircraft, announced Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and André Birotte, Jr., the United States Attorney in Los Angeles.

Adam Gardenhire,18, was arrested this morning at his North Hollywood residence without incident. Gardenhire was named in a two-count indictment filed yesterday in United States District Court in Los Angeles that alleges he pointed the beam of a laser at a private plane and a police helicopter.

The federal statute used to charge Gardenhire is part of new legislation recently signed into law by President Obama that makes it a federal crime to deliberately point a laser at an aircraft. The indictment marks the second time a violation of the new statute has been charged in the United States, and the first time one has been charged on the West Coast.

According to the indictment, Gardenhire deliberately aimed a commercial-grade green laser at multiple aircraft on the evening of March 29, 2012. The laser attack was initially reported by a pilot operating a privately owned Cessna Citation. The indictment further alleges that the beam of Gardenhire’s laser was pointed at a helicopter operated by a pilot with the Pasadena Police Department who was responding to the report of the laser attack on the Cessna. Air and ground investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department identified Gardenhire as a suspect later that evening, and Gardenhire was taken into custody on state charges of pointing a laser at an aircraft. Gardenhire subsequently posted bail and was released from local custody while the joint investigation continued.

Reports of laser attacks have increased dramatically in recent years as laser devices have become more affordable and widely available to the public. In addition, technology has advanced the effectiveness of laser devices, with a resulting increase in the potential safety hazards for pilots operating aircraft and their passengers and crew. Such safety hazards include temporary distraction and impaired vision, which is particularly dangerous during the critical takeoff or landing phase of flight. In addition, pilots have reported the need to abort landings or relinquish control of the aircraft to another pilot as a result of laser attacks. California consistently leads the nation in reports of laser attacks. Over 3,500 laser attacks were reported in 2011.

Gardenhire is scheduled to make an initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge this afternoon in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.

If convicted of both charges in the indictment, Gardenhire faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Gardenhire is also subject to civil penalties by the Federal Aviation Administration.

This investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Pasadena Police Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the FBI.

Gardenhire is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.