Associate Magazine-Jan/Mar 2021
Continued from "Stopping Cellphone Theft", on page 28
4. The device should be powered up and unlocked. 5. The device is then attached to a cord in the kiosk and the device is run through CheckMend.com to see if it has been reported lost or stolen. We do accept devices that cannot be powered on; however, we will extract the IMEI once it arrives at our processing center in Louisville, KY and update the transaction form. 6. Any flags will cause the transaction to be declined. Also, if a thumb print is required, we use a NIST compliant biometric device and the captured image can be used for fingerprint comparisons. The diagram below provides an overview of our process.
located and after 3 days of investigating the case investigators de- termine the son had sold us a cellphone. The request was made to retrieve the device as part of the investigation. Forensic inspec- tion of device finds multiple (>120) internet searches of interest: • Ammunition used in the murder • Weapon type used in the murder • Suspicious search terms A representative from ecoATM testified at a suppression hearing, the item was found to be admissible, the 22-year-old son was convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. • California, 2017 - Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department High Tech Crimes Task Force - Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation received a tip that the suspect was traf- ficking in child pornography. Detectives interview the suspect and checked his computers, but nothing was found. Detectives learned the suspect had recently sold his personal phone at an ecoATM kiosk. The phone was still in the ecoATM system. The phone was provided to investigators, without a warrant or sub- poena, at no cost. A forensic search of the phone by investiga- tors located child porn trafficking evidence. Information/device provided by ecoATM led to arrest/conviction of the suspect who pled “no contest” and was sentenced to 8 years in State prison. The lead Detective credited ecoATM’s assistance ask key. • New Mexico/Florida, November 2020 – The United States Marshal’s Service reached out to ecoATM regarding a fugitive suspect from a homicide case. They knew at the time the suspect had sold a cellphone previously to ecoATM. What was located by ecoATM was that another device was just sold in Florida by the suspect. The updated information provided the Marshal’s Service helped them locate the suspect and arrest her the next day. They advised they had no idea the suspect had fled to Florida and believed she was still somewhere in the Midwest. THE DIRECTORS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT Max Santiago , Senior Director of Law Enforcement Relations - Deputy Commissioner (Ret.), California Highway Patrol (Parlia- mentarian – IACP Executive Board). Director Santiago previously served as the Deputy Commis- sioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and was a distin- guished member of the CHP for 30 years. The CHP is comprised of over 11,000 personnel and is the largest state police agency in the U.S. and the fifth largest police organization in the country. As the second-in-command, Director Santiago was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CHP and provided execu- tive level oversight over a wide range of the CHP’s activities including criminal investigations; crime prevention; computer related crimes; information technology; information security; law enforcement performance inspections, audits, and program evaluations; CHP Academy training programs; counter-terrorism operations, and homeland security. Michael McCann , Director of Law Enforcement Relations – Chief (ret.), River Vale Police Department, NJ (Member – IACP Crime Prevention Committee. Michael McCann began his Law Enforcement career in 1988 with the Haworth Police Department in Northern New Jersey. In
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To reiterate, there is no requirement for a subpoena or warrant, and no cost to the agency. CASE EXAMPLES Here are a few examples of cases ecoATM has assisted in beyond property crimes. For several of these cases, ecoATM was able to assist due to the fact delayed reporting of the IMEI was permitted in those states or jurisdictions. Without that permis- sion, several of these cases possibly would never have been made. • Florida, April 13, 2016 – Omar Mateen sells ecoATM an old LG cellphone valued at $9.00. Delayed IMEI reporting was approved in this transaction. June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen shoots and kills 49 people at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, FL and injures 53 others. That cellphone was still in ecoATM’s possession and was handed over to the FBI in at the ecoATM lobby within an hour of the request. The cellphone assisted in the overall investigation in this case. • California, June 2016 – Antioch police investigate the death of a 44-year-old man shot in the head. No murder weapon was
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