NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, October 18, 2007

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INCIDENTS

USS Arizona Memorial

Association Employee Convicted Of Stealing $170,000

On October 10th, F.N., 43, pled guilty in federal court to stealing $170,000 in cash receipts from her former employer, the Arizona Memorial Museum Association's bookstore and gift shop, which is located in the park's visitor center. She also pled guilty to one count of filing a false income tax return for 2002. “I took the money,” she told the magistrate judge in court, “and failed to report the money as income when I filed my tax return.” The association first began detecting cash shortages about two months after F.N. started stealing money in May of 2005. F.N.'s job include verifying cash receipts from revenues generated at the store. The association's revenues were the third highest among all NPS cooperating associations in 2005. F.N. faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for February 14th. Participating in the two-year-long investigation were rangers from the park, NPS special agents from Lake Mead, Yosemite and Hawaii Volcanoes, and agents and detectives from DOI's Office of the Inspector General, the IRS, the FBI, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Honolulu Police Department. [Neil Akana, Special Agent]

HYPERLINK "http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/NEWS01/710110358/1001/NEWS01" http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/NEWS01/710110358/1001/NEWS01

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/).

* Fire and Aviation Management - On the evening of Sunday, October 21st, the CBS News show 60 Minutes is expected to feature a story on wildland fire and the impacts of global warming.

* Virgin Islands - News story: “Scientists from NOAA, in cooperation with researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service, are reporting the first description of coral loss on a deep U.S. Caribbean reef. Their findings are reported in this month's issue of the journal Continental Shelf Research.”

* Southeast Region - Director Bomar has announced that Paul Anderson, currently superintendent of Denali NP, will be serving as acting regional director for Southeast Region.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828).

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