NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, December 15, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1791, the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to
the Constitution, took effect while Congress met in Philadelphia's
Congress Hall, now part of Independence National Historical Park.

INCIDENTS

00-747 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Fraud; Harassment of Federal Officer

An investigation was begun last January into some letters that had been
addressed to one of the park's rangers and were sent to headquarters.
The letters appeared to be a legal claim against the ranger and asked
that $5 million be remitted to the claimant. The ranger had arrested the
claimant in the past, but no basis could be found for the claim. Other
letters arrived containing completed copies of IRS Form 8300 and stating
that the ranger had deposited $5 million in an account for the claimant,
which was untrue. The IRS was contacted and a joint investigation was
begun. Investigators found that the same individual had filed claims
against many other government employees, including IRS agents, federal
judges, assistant U.S. attorneys, and state and local police -- a total
of 67 claims (to date) for over $313 million. The suspect was running a
scheme called "Redemption," which has two objectives -- to harass and
intimidate government officials, and to pass fake Treasury checks called
site drafts. The suspect was found to be a member of several
anti-government groups known to employ this scheme. Investigators also
found that he was a convicted felon and had several firearms at his
residence. An undercover operation was begun in which the suspect's
group and remote compound were infiltrated. Additional intelligence was
acquired, as was probable cause for a search warrant. On December 7th,
the suspect was lured from his residence/compound by the undercover
officer and arrested on a warrant charging him with fraudulent claims
(18 USC 287). A search warrant was executed at his home at the same
time. The residence was secured by the state police special response
team and cleared for explosives by the state fire marshal's bomb squad.
The building was searched by 23 special agents from the IRS, NPS, FBI
and ATF. They found and seized over 30 boxes of documents, eight
firearms and ammunition, about $150,000 in cash, 23 100-ounce bars of
silver, and large number of silver coins. The suspect is currently being
held and awaiting a detention hearing. Additional federal firearms
violations have been filed. The investigation into the suspect's
activities continues. If you have any questions about either the
Redemption scheme or this case, please contact special agent Chris
Schrader. [Gary Hartley, CR, NERI, 12/11]

00-748 - Virgin Islands NP (VI) - Drug Seizure

On the morning of December 8th, fourteen bales of cocaine were found on
the beach at Buck Island Reef. A park employee found the first bale on
the south shore of the island and advised the superintendent of St.
Croix.  DEA agents and local police came to the island and found several
more bales on both the north and south shores. The contraband was turned
over to DEA, which placed the street value at approximately $24 million.
The cocaine was probably dropped from a low-flying aircraft and was to
be picked up by a speed boat. The park employee said that a suspicious
boater had been seen combing the shoreline, but that he fled before the
agents arrived. The suspect is known to local police. The investigation
continues. [Schuler Brown, CR, VIIS, 12/12]

00-749 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Drug Arrests, Seizures

On December 8th, members of a local drug task force learned that two
suspected drug traffickers would be arriving in the park via a passenger
train and were reputedly carrying crack cocaine. Rangers and task force
officers set up a surveillance operation at the train station where they
would be arriving, which is within the park. When the two men -- S.F. of
Whipple, West Virginia, and C.P. of Brooklyn, New York -- arrived at the
station, they were contacted and questioned. After several evasive
answers, the officers were given consent to search their bags. A drug
dog alerted on a bag which was seized and found to contain a couple of
ounces of marijuana and nearly 85 grams of crack. The street value of
the latter was placed at about $4,000. Both men were arrested and
charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
[Chris Schrader, SA, NERI, 12/12]

00-750 - Lassen Volcanic NP (CA) - Illegal Hunting Cases

Rangers have taken legal action against two hunters for illegal hunting
in the North District during the past fall. One case involved a man who
had set up and hunted from a tree stand 200 feet inside the park's
northwest boundary. His tree stand was impounded and a criminal
complaint was filed against him for hunting in the park. The second case
involved a local man who allowed his four radio-collared hounds to enter
into the park while hunting for black bears. The dogs and their radio
transmitters were impounded, and a complaint was filed against him for
illegal hunting. [Mark McCutcheon, DR, North District, LAVO, 12/10]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

No new information. Please check the NPS Fire Management Program Center
web page (www.fire.nps.gov) for further information on fire plan
projects.

Park Fires

Lake Meredith NRA (TX) — On December 9th, the park suppressed two
fires — a 523-acre wildfire and a one-acre wildfire, both in a
designated ORV area. Both began in the Canadian River bottom and burned
up canyon breaks, threatening private ranch land. Crews contained the
fires by midnight. Both are suspected arson fires. No personal property
damage or injuries occurred. [Mike Davin, LAMR]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Jean Lafitte NHP&P (LA) — The park is seeking a seasonal GS-7
education technician for its Barataria Preserve Environmental Education
Center. The position will be filled from January through September,
2001. The recently opened center is "an educator's dream" —
indoor/outdoor atrium amphitheater, fully-equipped classroom,
state-of-the-art laboratory. The preserve provides one of the best
examples of the environmentally threatened Louisiana coastal wetlands,
offering both solitude and accessibility to over 400,000 school children
within a 45 minute drive. Program curricula have been developed to
provide staff with a solid foundation, yet with opportunities to refine
and expand these programs to keep pace with current research. As a
result, the program presents the real opportunity to have a profound
impact on students faced with the environmental dilemmas of living in
North America's greatest river delta environment. There is an abundance
of affordable rental housing available in nearby communities. The
vacancy announcement closed on December 22nd. It can be found on USAJobs
as JELA-01-04. You can also obtain a copy by calling the park personnel
office at 504-589-3882 x 135.

*  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by
park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address
requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing
hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on the web at
http://www.nps.gov/morningreport

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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