NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Significant Car Clouting Conviction

During 2002 and 2003, the park was hit with a large number of vehicle larcenies at several locations on the Tennessee side. An investigation was begun that led to the identification of D.K. of Gadsden, Alabama, as the person responsible for the car clouts and the subsequent credit card and check fraud. She was indicted on eight state and federal felony counts, including theft of property from the vehicles (18 USC 661), unauthorized use of an access device totaling more than $1,000 in a calendar year (18 USC 1029 (a)(2)), and transporting and using fraudulent checks affecting interstate commerce (18 USC 2314). D.K. was arrested in Alabama and subsequently pled guilty to six of the eight counts. She was then allowed out on a bond, pending sentencing in May, 2006. In February, 2006, NPS investigators received a call from detectives in Birmingham, Alabama. A new rash of vehicle larcenies was occurring in the Birmingham area and assistance was being sought in hopes of identifying the responsible party. Case information was provided to NPS investigators and D.K. was once again identified as the responsible individual. D.K. was subsequently apprehended and convicted on state and local charges. The assistant U.S. attorney decided to allow D.K. to serve her state time before bringing her to Tennessee to be sentenced for her federal crimes. In May, 2007, D.K. was sentenced on her federal crimes. She received 30 months incarceration, which was at the high end of the sentencing guidelines, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $29,500 in restitution and assessed $600 in special assessments. This case was made largely on the basis of handwriting analysis evidence, as the store surveillance videos were often poor in quality and physical evidence at the larceny sites was often minimal at best. It should also be noted that the plea agreement was drawn up in such a way that D.K. accepted responsibility for 29 car clouts, even though she was only indicted for her participation in two such larcenies. Investigators are sure that D.K. was involved in well over 100 larcenies in the park during 2002 and 2003. [Lisa Slobodzian]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS (internal) or NPS Digest (external):

Lake Superior Basin Parks - The Service's national incident management team is working with four parks and a reservation to complete a prevention, detection and response plan for viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a fatal fish disease that's spreading through the Great Lakes - but has not yet been found in Lake Superior.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6157" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6157

Risk Management Division - Deere & Company, of Moline, Illinois, is recalling about 5,400 John Deere compact utility tractors because the forward drive pedal can get stuck, posing a risk of loss of control and injury to the operator and bystanders.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6160" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6160

Fire and Aviation Management - The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior are recruiting burned area emergency response (BAER) technical specialists to work on NPS and national DOI BAER teams. Applications are due by February 14th.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6158" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6158

In the Media - A weekly summary of news stories about or of consequence to the NPS, including links to the articles. Today's summary includes articles on elk research at Rocky Mountain, the prospects for funding for California's state parks, a debate over the future of the National Mall, and an effort by SEAC archeologists to find traces of the cabin where Abraham Lincoln once lived.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6161" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6161

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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).

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