November 06, 2014
Alexandria, VA — Due to the cooperation and communication across three law enforcement agencies, a Virginia domestic terrorist plotting acts of violence against local political leaders was arrested before he could act.
On Sunday, October 26, the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) Committee on Terrorism and Booz Allen Hamilton awarded the law enforcement agents responsible for collaboratively identifying, investigating and arresting this domestic terrorist with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Prevention of Terrorism at the IACP Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The 2014 Award recipients include:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, DC Field Office Joint Terrorism Task Force
- City of Manassas, Virginia Police Department
- Prince William County, Virginia Police Department
“The nation’s state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement community understands the importance of interagency training and partnerships to prevent terrorism on U.S. soil,” said IACP’s President, Chief Richard Beary, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida. “This successful investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the police departments of the City of Manassas and Prince William County are an outstanding example of how law enforcement is working together every day to protect the country.”
“In today’s world, such investigations are not only incredibly complex and require close cooperation across many law enforcement jurisdictions and agencies, but also require tremendous courage and teamwork to prevent tragedies from occurring on American soil,” said Booz Allen Hamilton Vice President Bob Sogegian. “We believe this award is important because it brings public attention to the dedicated service and sacrifice made every day by U.S. law enforcement to protect our communities.”
While living in Virginia in 2012, the suspect was making preparations to obtain a fully automatic weapon with the intention of assassinating a local political figure, violently engaging law enforcement and inciting a race war.
Law enforcement investigators at the Manassas Police Department and the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia informed the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office of a potential domestic terrorism threat, and launched an investigation that included the use of an undercover source who engaged the suspect online.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the Manassas Police Department and Prince William County Police Department, completed their undercover investigation and arrested the suspect for illegally obtaining weapons. He was later tried and convicted.
The investigation, from initial complaint to eventual prosecution, rested on the strong working relationships forged among the task force, Manassas Police Department and Prince William County Police Department and serves as a model for integrated investigations and cooperative intelligence-sharing across state, local, tribal, and federal agencies today.
To learn more about the IACP/Booz Allen Outstanding Achievement in the Prevention of Terrorism Award, please visit www.theiacp.org/IACP-Booz-Allen-Hamilton-Terrorism-Award.
