My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column: Gone Phishing — Online Scammers Are Looking To Put A Hook In You

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column today on phishing and other online scams 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Gone phishing — Online scammers are looking to put a hook in you - Philly Daily

While taking a walk through my South Philadelphia neighborhood on a fine day with a fine cigar last week, I ran into a man who works in the computer security field.

Knowing that I write a column about crime, he spoke to me about the various computer scams that crooks are using to con people out of their money these days.

A couple of days later I thought of our conversation when I read the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s alert about “Phishing” scams.

On May 7^th the Attorney General put out an alert notice that asked Pennsylvania residents if they had ever received an email invitation to an event, conference, or birthday party from a friend or acquaintance using a digital invitation or a social planning platform?

“Attorney General Dave Sunday (seen in the above photo) is alerting Pennsylvanians of a new scam in which consumers receive email invitations from compromised accounts belonging to friends or acquaintances. These emails often include a link prompting recipients to view the invitation and RSVP,” the notice stated.

The alert notice explained that when clicking the link, users may be asked to log in or connect using a Google, Apple, Microsoft, or similar online account. Doing so can result in malware being installed on your device or your email credentials being stolen. Legitimate invitation platforms will not require you to sign in simply to view an invitation. 

“Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics to appear more credible and trustworthy,” Sunday said. “If you receive an unexpected invitation that requires you to log in or provide personal information, take a moment to verify it directly with the sender – that extra step can protect your personal data and prevent serious harm.”

The Attorney General’s Office explains how to spot these scams:

Verify the invitation with the sender of the email via a text or telephone call.

• Legitimate invites will never ask you to enter a password and rarely will ask you to download anything.
• Hover over links to confirm they lead to a legitimate website – if you’re unsure, do not click.
• Be cautious of generic invites.

The Attorney General’s Office offers advice on what to do if one thinks that their email may have been compromised:

• Change your email password immediately.
• Enable two-step authentication for your email account.
• Report email to your provider as a phishing attempt or scam.

“Consumers with any questions or believe they may have been involved in a scam should contact the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection by visiting the website, by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov or by calling the office at 1-800-441-2555.

 

On a national level, the FBI warns that “phishing schemes often use “spoofing” techniques to lure you in and get you to take the bait,” (as phishing is akin to fishing, get it?)

“These scams are designed to trick you into giving information to criminals that they shouldn’t have access to,” the FBI explained. “In a phishing scam, you might receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and is asking you to update or verify your personal information by replying to the email or visiting a website. The web address might look similar to one you’ve used before. The email may be convincing enough to get you to take the action requested.”

But once you click on that link, the FBI warns, you’re sent to a spoofed website that might look nearly identical to the real thing - like your bank or credit card site - and asked to enter sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, banking PINs, etc. These fake websites are used solely to steal your information.

Phishing has evolved and now has several variations that use similar techniques:

• Vishing scams happen over the phone, voice email, or VoIP (voice over internet protocol) calls.

• Smishing scams happen through SMS (text) messages.                                                            
• Pharming scams happen when malicious code is installed on your computer to redirect you to fake websites. Remember that companies generally don’t contact you to ask for your username or password.
• Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message. Look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing) and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate.
• Carefully examine the email address, URL, and spelling used in any correspondence. Scammers use slight differences to trick your eye and gain your trust.
• Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
• Set up two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication on any account that allows it and never disable it.
• Be careful with what information you share online or on social media. By openly sharing things like pet names, schools you attended, family members, and your birthday, you can give a scammer all the information they need to guess your password or answer your security questions.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.  

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Late Judge Anthony J. DeFino Honored With South Philly Street Renaming

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column today on the renaming of South 20^th Street for the late Judge Anthony J. DeFino.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

 Davis: Late Judge Anthony J. DeFino honored with South Philly street name - Philly Daily

It has been said that both assistant district attorneys and defense attorneys liked appearing before Judge Anthony J. DeFino. Even the defendants he put away for 40 or 50 years liked him. Now, that is a tribute to a jurist.

The late judge lived in a fine old house in the Girard Estate historic district in South Philadelphia. I live nearby and as we both went for daily walks through the neighborhood, I often came across him in the years before he died. He was a friendly and gregarious man, and he stopped to talk to everyone in his path, including me 

He read my weekly newspaper column in the old South Philadelphia American, and he would sometimes praise the column and other times he would mock it – but with humor, not rancor. I asked to interview him for the column, but he waved me off, stating modestly that he had nothing to say. 

Tragically, he died in a fire in his home in 2013 when he was 86.

On May 1, the Philadelphia City Council honored the late judge by renaming South 20th Street between Porter Street and Shunk Street where he lived in South Philadelphia as “Judge Anthony J. DeFino Way.” 

The designation recognizes his decades of committed service to Philadelphia’s judicial system and his status as a lifelong South Philadelphian.  

Judge DeFino served on the bench of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas for nineteen years before retiring in 2007. He received the Thurgood Marshall Award in 2001 for improving standards of justice in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania courts, and the Cesare Beccaria Award in 2008 for contributions to justice and legal education.

I attended the street renaming ceremony on 20th Street. Council President and 2nd District Councilman President Kenyatta Johnson (seen in the above photo with the DeFino family) served as the Master of Ceremonies before more than 100 people, including retired and current judges, attorneys, politicians and friends, neighbors, and the family of Judge DeFino.

Speakers praising the judge’s life and legacy were Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady, Kevin M. Dougherty, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, and Jody Della Barba of the Girard Estate Association, who suggested the street renaming to Council President Johnson. Also speaking about the late judge were his daughter, Judge Rose Marie DeFina, two of his sons, attorneys Michael and Vincent DeFino, and three of his grandsons.    

“I was blessed a long time ago as an assistant DA to be assigned to his honor’s courtroom,” said Justice Dougherty. “There is not a day that I don’t think of Room 254 City Hall without a smile. I spent maybe three years with his honor and through that time, each day and every day, I would walk into the courtroom, and he would be standing in his black robe on top of the bench with his arms crossed going, “What can I do for you today, Dougherty?”    

“We are here today to not only salute his legal acumen, or the many lives he helped change in Philadelphia,” said Dougherty. “We are here today to give a tribute to a man, a husband and a father.” 

His grandson, Vincent Anthony DeFino Jr., spoke fondly of his late grandfather.

“I’m standing here today as the proud grandson of Judge Anthony J. DeFino and the son of his youngest child, Vincent Anthony DeFino Sr., the baby of his eight children. Grandpop was a South Philly kid through and through. He grew up on East Passyunk Avenue, served in the Army, worked his way through Temple Law School, and spent over 50 years in the courtroom as a lawyer and later as a respected Common Pleas Judge who handled some of the city’s toughest criminal cases. 

“But what we remember most is the man behind the robe. The guy who never forgot where he came from, who lit up every room with that big South Philly smile, and he taught every one of his 20 grandchildren that fairness, hard work, and kindness are what really matters. So today when the 2500 block of South 20th Street officially becomes ‘Judge Anthony J. DeFino Way,’ it feels like the City is simply putting his name where his heart always lived.

“Grandpop, we miss you every day, but your legacy of justice, humility and love now has a permanent home here in the neighborhood that you cherished.” 

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here weekly. He is also a frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Note: You can read my other Philly Daily Crime Beat columns via the link below:

 Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns                                                                                                         

The Russians Are Coming: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Russian GRU Unit That Is Hijacking Routers To Steal Sensitive Information

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on Russian GRU hackers.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

 Davis: The Russians are coming to a computer near you - Philly Daily

Earlier this month, the National Security Agency (NSA) and other federal agencies co-sealed an FBI public service announcement, “Russian GRU Exploiting Vulnerable Routers to Steal Sensitive Information.”

The  public service announcement accompanied an announcement from U. S. Attorney David Metcalf in Philadelphia, the Department of Justice, and the FBI that a court-authorized technical operation to neutralize the U.S. portion of a network of small office/home office (SOHO) routers compromised by a unit within Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU: Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoe Upravlenis) Military Unit 26165, also known as APT28, Sofacy Group, Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm, Fancy Bear, and Sednit.

Having spent more than 37 years doing security work as a young sailor in the U.S. Navy and later as a Defense Department civilian, I’m well-aware of the Russian GRU, which is essentially the same gang as the old Soviet GRU. (Above is the GRU emblem). 

The GRU is the Russian military intelligence agency that operates worldwide alongside the Russian foreign intelligence agency the SVR, which is essentially the old First Main Directorate of the old KGB.

During my time in the Defense Department, I was trained to guard against the KGB (later the SVR) and the GRU. I often traveled to Washington D.C. to receive briefings from the FBI, CIA, DIA and NSA on the threat from the SVR/KGB and the GRU.

The GRU, the military group that includes the Spetsnaz special operations forces and the “active measures” unit that murdered a Russians defector with radiation poisoned tea, also employs full-time hackers.       

According to Metcalf, the hacker unit used the routers to facilitate malicious Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking operations against worldwide targets of intelligence interest to the Russian government, including individuals in the military, government, and critical infrastructure sectors.

“Since at least 2024, GRU actors have exploited known vulnerabilities to steal credentials for thousands of TP-Link routers worldwide. The actors then accessed many of these compromised routers without authorization and manipulated their settings to redirect DNS requests to GRU-controlled servers - i.e., malicious DNS resolvers. GRU actors were indiscriminate in their initial targeting and manipulation of routers. The actors then implemented an automated filtering process to determine which DNS requests were of interest and warranted interception. For select targets, the GRU’s DNS resolvers provided fraudulent DNS records for specific domains that mimicked legitimate services — including Microsoft Outlook Web Access — to facilitate Actor-in-the-Middle attacks against encrypted victim network traffic. In doing so, the GRU actors harvested unencrypted passwords, authentication tokens, emails, and other sensitive information from devices on the same network as the compromised TP-Link routers,” the announcement stated.

“Russian military intelligence once again hijacked Americans’ hardware to commandeer critical data,” said Metcalf. “In the face of continued aggression by our nation-state adversaries, the U.S. government will respond just as aggressively. Working with the FBI — and our partners around the world — we are committed to disrupting and exposing such threats to our nation’s cybersecurity.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg added. “The GRU’s predatory use of networks in American homes and businesses for its malicious cyber operations remains a serious and persistent threat,” said “NSD will continue to use every tool at our disposal to detect such intrusions and expel hostile foreign actors from our Nation’s networks.”

“Operation Masquerade — led by FBI Boston — is the latest example of how we’re defending our homeland from Russia’s GRU, which weaponized routers owned by unsuspecting Americans in more than 23 states to steal sensitive government, military, and critical infrastructure information,” said Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, of the FBI’s Boston Field Office. “The FBI utilized cutting edge technology and leveraged our private sector and international partners to unmask this malicious activity and remediate routers. Now we’re asking everyone who has a router to secure it, update its firmware, and replace it if needed. By working together, we can guard against nefarious nation state actors trying to compromise our national security.”

“Operation Masquerade demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying, exposing, and disrupting the Russian government's efforts to compromise American devices, steal sensitive information, and target critical infrastructure,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “GRU actors compromised routers in the US and around the world, hijacking them to conduct espionage. Given the scale of this threat, sounding the alarm wasn't enough. The FBI conducted a court-authorized operation to harden compromised routers across the United States. We urge all router owners to take the remediation steps outlined today, because defending our networks requires all of us. The FBI will continue to use its authorities to identify and impose costs on state-sponsored actors who target the American people.”

According to court documents unsealed in Philadelphia, the FBI developed a series of commands to send to compromised routers in the United States, designed to collect evidence regarding the GRU actors’ activity, reset DNS settings (i.e., remove GRU DNS resolvers and force routers to obtain legitimate DNS resolvers from their Internet Service Providers (ISPs)), and to otherwise prevent the GRU actors from exploiting the original means of unauthorized access.

As described in court documents, the government extensively tested the operation on firmware and hardware for affected TP-Link routers. Other than stymieing the GRU’s ability to access the routers, the operation did not impact the routers’ normal functionality or collect the legitimate users’ content information.

The court-authorized steps to remediate compromised routers can be reversed by legitimate users at any time through factory resets with hardware reset buttons. Legitimate users can also reverse changes by logging into web management pages and restoring desired settings (e.g., factory default settings).

The FBI is working with ISPs to provide notice of the operation to users of SOHO routers covered by the court’s authorization. If you believe you have a compromised router, please contact your local FBI field office or file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com. 

Note: You can read my previous Crime Beat columns via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns

  

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column: My Q&A With Kathryn Canavan, The Author Of 'Killer In The House: 10 Days Of Terror In A Pennsylvania Suburb

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column with a Q&A with Kathryn Canavan (seen in the below photos), the author of Killer in the House: 10 days of Terror in a Pennsylvania Suburb.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: My Q&A with Kathryn Canavan, the author of ‘Killer In The House: 10 Days of Terror in a Pennsylvania Suburb’ - Philly Daily

I first interviewed journalist and author Kathryn Canavan in 2021 when my Crime Beat column appeared in Philadelphia Weekly.

I interviewed her about her outstanding book, True Crime Philadelphia: From America’s First Bank Robbery To The Real-Life Killers Who Inspired Boardwalk Empire.  The true crime book should be of interest to all crime aficionados, especially those living in the Philadelphia area.

Kathryn Canavan now has another true crime book that I read and found most interesting. I reached out to her and asked her why she wrote Killer In The House: 10 Days Of Terror in a Pennsylvania Suburb.

“Three reporters from my first newspaper job showed up at a book signing I did for my last book at a Barnes & Noble in Bucks County,” she explained. “We all started talking about crimes we covered, and they said I should write about the sextuple Abt spree killing because I was the first reporter on the scene and it was the most sensational case in Bucks County in the '70s. I said, "I don't write about murders; I write history." One of them said, "It is history. It's 47 years ago." They had me. On my way home I drove to the street where it happened. I parked at the intersection in front of the house. As soon as I saw the house again, I knew I was going to write a book. 

“I went home and researched for three days. Then I drove back to Bucks County. On my first day in the neighborhood, I found the patrolman who found the six bodies, a man who helped me on the raucous night of the arrest, and the sole survivor. I thought it was kismet.”

How did your coverage of the murders as a young reporter affect your journalism career? 

“My stories about the Abt murders and the killer's outrageous trial led to a job at a much larger newspaper. I moved to Delaware, but the Abt case was always somewhere in the back of my mind. I always wondered what happened to the people I got to know over the five months between the six murders and the court trial." 

How would you describe the Abt family? 

“Peggy and Jack Abt both worked and they both commuted to Philadelphia daily, but they found time to do things with their five kids and volunteer in the community. There were allegations that at least one of their sons was using hard drugs." 

How would you describe the community where the murders took place? 

“Trevose was a woodsy working-class suburb surrounded by caves and hills and the Neshaminy Creek, on the western edge of Bucks County, just two miles from Northeast Philadelphia. It was a neighborhood so safe that middle-schoolers had oversized sleepovers in an empty lot in the summertime."

Why were the Abt family murders so disturbing to the community? 

“Neighbors had good reason to believe the murders had something to do with drugs and Clifford Abt, 23. They didn't.”

I’m not sure if I should ruin the suspense for people who don’t know the case, but how would you describe the mass murderer who slayed the family? 

“The killer broke into the Abt house after the last family member left for the day and waited 11 hours to kill them all one-by-one as they came home for the weekend, expecting nothing more than a Friday night fish fry. After each murder, he dragged the body to the basement and then tidied up the kitchen to fool his next victim. He sat at the family piano and waited. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He didn't watch television. 

“He was a milquetoast 24-year-old who failed at everything he tried. One prospective employer passed him over because she thought he wasn't assertive enough. 

After he killed six people he went home and made himself a tuna fish sandwich.”

 What was his motivation? 

“The killer believed two of the Abt boys were bullying him. Ironically, they were the only two members of the family he didn't stick around long enough to kill.”

What eventually happened to the murderer? 

“He died in prison in 2020. Although it was at the height of covid, he died of natural causes. He was convicted in 1976, but he didn't have one visitor at prison until 1979, although he was from a family of six and they lived less than an hour's drive away. The man who visited him in 1979 was his public defender.” 

You also write about the murder of an elderly couple near the Abt family murders. Were the two sets of murders connected? 

“The Abt murders were not connected at all to the Vogenberger murders that happened on the same day and during the same hours and just four miles apart. Ralph and Marguerite Vogenberger, both 77, were hit with Taser guns and then shot to death in their gracious Victorian farmhouse just up Brownsville Road from the Abts. Police speculated their killers were using the Tasers to torture them into revealing where on their property they kept thousands of dollars in cash. The couple never gave up their hiding places.” 

Was that case ever solved? 

“Bensalem Police solved the Abt case in 10 days before the advent of DNA, street cameras, databases, facial recognition, or even cell phones. The Vogenberger murders were never solved. Police tried everything. They even brought in a Delaware psychic who worked for two steak dinners. Her consultation didn't lead to the murderers, but she did tell police exactly where to look for two metal boxes full of cash. A cold case detective working the murders in the 2020s suspected the same two men as the 1976 detective did -- a shirttail cousin of Marguerite Vogenberger and his pal. They escaped from prison together six months earlier. They sent more than 100 items to the FBI for fingerprinting, but not one had a fingerprint from either suspect.

“There was one common thread between the Abt murder scene and the Vogenberger one. Police found a size 9D Sears boot print in the dust in the Vogenbergers' attic. They found the same boot print in the blood in the Abts' basement.”

What takeaways do you want your readers to have from the book? 

“I guess just the fragility of life. Maria Bryant, who was the Abt's papergirl, summed it up years later when she told me, "It was just an ordinary day, but there was a killer behind the wall." People expect things to go bump in the night, but, in 1976, nobody fretted a killer would invade the sanctity of their home in the middle of the afternoon. One woman who was a child in the neighborhood in 1976 is approaching retirement now, but she said she's still frightened when her family is away and she has to walk into her house alone.

“Every word in the book comes directly from police notes, court transcripts, autopsy reports, IQ tests, school records, prison records, news databases, the killer's own eidetic confession or interviews I conducted in 1976 or 2022, 2023 or 2024. Reinterviewing people I interviewed in 1976 was like boarding a time machine. I reconnected with the survivor, the detectives, the defense attorney, the patrolman who found the body, and the neighbors. We didn't know each other well at all in 1976, but we all shared one thing -- we were all on Fleetwood Avenue during the 10-day search for the killer, and the slayings shook us all back when multiple murders still jolted people.”

Killer In The House is a fascinating, well-written and well-researched true crime book.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.  

Note: You can read my Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat columns on Katheryn Canavan's True Crime Philadelphia via the link below:  

Paul Davis On Crime: True Crime Philadelphia: A Look Back At Philly Bootleggers, Kidnappers, Mobsters And Murderers 

Ex-Cops Sound Off — My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column Offers A Q&A With Gary Capuano, Creator Of The Retired Philly Cops Facebook Group

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column with a Q&A with Gary Capuano, the creator of the Retired Philly Cops Facebook Group.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Ex-cops sound off — a Q&A with Gary Capuano, creator of the Retired Philly Cops Facebook group - Philly Daily

For all of its flaws and weaknesses, Facebook is a valuable tool for people to connect via the Internet.

Facebook, which began in 2004, is a social networking website in which people post comments, photographs, and links to news and other content on the Internet. One can also watch videos.

I belong to several Facebook groups, from Navy veteran groups, where I’ve reconnected with shipmates I served with decades ago, to various news and entertainment groups.

I recently joined the Retired Philly Cops Facebook group.

Although I’m not a retired cop, I’ve covered Philly cops as a writer for more than 30 years. I’m interested in what these retired cops with their long history and experience have to say.  

The Retired Philly Cops Facebook group was created by Gary Capunao (seen in the above and below photos), a retired Philadelphia police sergeant who often offers his views on cops and crime here.

I reached out to Gary Capuano and asked him about his Facebook group.

“I created the Facebook page Retired Philly Cops in March 2023 following a disagreement with a former administrator/moderator of another law enforcement site,” Capuano explained. “Since then, I have served as both the administrator and moderator. I make every effort to properly vet posts and monitor comments to maintain a respectful and constructive environment.”

How many members do you have? Is the page growing?

“The group has grown steadily and now includes over 1,400 members, many of whom are retired police officers. Our membership also includes active-duty officers, as well as family members, friends, and community supporters who are pro-police.”

What type of subjects do your members post about?

“Unlike some other groups, I strive to encourage open and healthy dialogue. I believe everyone’s opinion matters, and I do not restrict members’ voices simply because their views may differ. I have personally observed other groups and organizations limit discussion by disabling comments on certain posts, which I do not believe fosters transparency or trust.”

Why do retired cops tend to sound off after they retire?

"Many of our members, particularly recently retired officers and those injured in the line of duty, feel strongly about current issues. Some are more outspoken, in part because active-duty officers have previously faced discipline, and in some cases termination, following the release of the “Plain View Project” in 2016.

I was personally involved in that project. Prior to the implementation of any formal social media policy, I made a post stating that an officer did a “good job” when his partner was shot and injured and he returned fire, striking the suspect. That was the entirety of my comment. As a result, I was subpoenaed by Internal Affairs while I was out injured and subjected to questioning. Ultimately, no disciplinary action was taken.”

Are retired cops still involved with active-duty cops?

“On the group page, I regularly share news articles related to policing, including crime issues in Philadelphia and other major cities. I also make it a point to honor our fallen by posting the anniversary dates - end of watch - of Philadelphia police officers, ensuring their service and sacrifice are never forgotten. Members also use the platform to exchange practical information, such as contact numbers for various police department offices, and to discuss personal challenges—particularly those faced by officers injured in the line of duty.

Unfortunately, many report ongoing difficulties, including poor communication and perceived indifference from officials, which appears to be a recurring concern.”

Do retired cops criticize or champion the actions of the Philadelphia Police Department?

“Retired officers frequently discuss the current state of the police department as well as the District Attorney’s Office. As a former law enforcement officer and the author of The Unofficial History of the PPD, I allow political discussion within the group. I do so because policing and politics are inherently connected. Police authority is derived from the political process, and departmental funding is determined by elected officials.

From my experience, political pressure plays a significant role in shaping departmental policies and priorities, including which issues are addressed most urgently. Recent events - both locally and nationally - have demonstrated how public protests and civil unrest can influence political responses, which in turn affect how police leadership directs its officers. I also maintain contact with former co-workers who are still on active duty, which provides me with ongoing insight into both the progress being made and the challenges that remain within the department.”

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com. 

Note: You can read my previous Crime Beat columns via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Born To Kill Gangster Who Joined The FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on the Born To Kill gangster joining the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitive List.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: ‘Born to Kill’ gangster joins FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives list - Philly Daily  

One suspected member of the notorious “Born To Kill” gang, also known as the BTK gang, recently made the big-time as the FBI named hm to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List. The FBI is offering $1 million dollars for information leading to his arrest.  

According to the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Trung Duc Lu is wanted in connection with the August 2014 torture, kidnapping, and murder of two Vietnamese brothers who’d engaged in drug dealing in Philadelphia. Lu also allegedly took part in the torture and attempted murder of a third victim - the brothers’ friend and fellow dealer, called Sonny by the FBI, who worked with the authorities after surviving the incident.

Lu, a U.S. permanent resident who never pursued U.S. citizenship, is believed to have fled the United States for his home country of Vietnam.

“Adding Trung Lu to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list reflects the seriousness of his alleged crimes and our unwavering commitment to bringing him to justice,” said FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs. “The FBI and our partners will continue to leverage every available resource—both here at home and abroad—to locate and apprehend him. No matter how much time passes or where he attempts to hide, the FBI will continue pursuing him until he is found and taken into custody."

According to FBI Philadelphia Special Agent Scott Baber, the lead investigator on Lu’s case, Lu’s apprehension would end a 12-year quest for justice for his alleged victims, whom Baber noted, had wives, friends, and jobs beyond their criminal activity.

“They were people who, in many ways, were trying to live the American dream,” said Baber. “They were certainly flawed characters and broke the law, but their transgressions should not have resulted in them meeting the kind of end that they did.”

The FBI said at the heart of the announcement is rooted in large-scale marijuana distribution between New York City and Philadelphia. Three Philadelphia drug dealers - two brothers and their friend - would get large amounts of the drug from a large, New York-based distributor on consignment. The idea was that they could resell the marijuana at a higher price than what they owed the distributor and still turn a profit once they paid them back. The trio soon started gambling the money they owed their source up north. This led their suppliers to deploy individuals to recoup the stolen funds.

The FBI explained that in August 2014, Trung Duc Lu and others were allegedly sent from New York City to Philadelphia to find the dealers and recoup the debt, which Baber said exceeded $100,000. When the men reached Philadelphia, they reportedly met up with Tam Le, a local point of contact who knew the victims from the drug business. Tam Le then reportedly lured each of the men to a house in Southwest Philadelphia, one by one.

“When they arrived at his residence in Southwest Philadelphia, each one was attacked, tied up, and savagely beaten in an attempt to extract the money,” Baber said. “And each person was forced to call the next person. Ultimately, all three victims were tied up inside this family's garage in Southwest Philadelphia.”

The FBI stated that Lu and his co-conspirators collected some of the missing money and then murdered the three men. The BTK gangsters left the house and transported the three murder victims in a van.

“They then arrived at a parking lot on the Schuylkill River, pulled each victim out of the van, stabbed each one viciously, tied them down with weighted buckets, and threw them into the river,” Baber said.

“Miraculously, after being mistaken for dead, Sonny escaped the river and flagged down a motorist who dialed 9-1-1 and triggered a police response,” Baber said.

The FBI stated that Sinny’s statement provided to the Philadelphia Police Department enabled the authorities to obtain a search warrant for Tam Le’s residence. The ensuing search turned up evidence of torture, and a later search of the river led to the recovery of the other victims’ bodies.

“Le was eventually indicted in Philadelphia, captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2015, convicted in 2016, and sentenced to death,” Baber said. “The FBI opened an investigation into the incident around 2018, since the Bureau believed the circumstances of the alleged crime and evidence recovered suggested a nexus with organized crime,” Baber said.

“But Sonny hadn’t been able to identify any of his other attackers, since they’d been hidden behind masks, and there was also no forensic evidence left behind that could be attributed to the subjects,” Baber recalled.

In May 2017, Baber and his co-case agent traveled to New York City and interviewed someone who confirmed that Lu owned that phone number. Records indicated that Lu fled the country soon after on a flight to Vietnam. “We believe that he’s there today,” Baber said.

“He was on the run from a drug cartel and had been involved in massive drug trafficking,” Baber explained, “So he hoped to trade assistance for protection. The co-conspirator signed a plea agreement with the FBI, and his cooperation resulted in the federal indictment of the remaining subjects, including Lu. Lu is the only person who's not been held accountable for his involvement in the crime, and

that's where we are today,” Baber said.

According to the FBI, Trung Duc Lu was born in Vietnam. He and his mother came to the U.S. as refugees when he was a teen, settling in New York City’s Queens borough. However, his criminal record began soon after.

“BTK had its origins in New York City, in the Chinatown area, going all the way back to the 1980s and ’90s,” Baber said. “A series of large federal indictments really crippled the organization.” However, one of Lu’s BTK associates is believed to have dispatched him to Philadelphia to commit his alleged crimes.

Lu is 5’7” tall, with black hair and brown eyes. He’s also extensively tattooed on his back, both of his arms, and the left side of his chest. He’s a nail technician, by profession, and speaks English and Vietnamese.

Although he’s believed to be in Vietnam, Baber explained, Lu still has ties to the U.S - including children he had with a woman here.

And as a Vietnamese national, his status as a U.S. permanent resident still entitles him to due process rights under American law.

The FBI says that anyone with information about Lu and/or his whereabouts should call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com. 

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The DA Gangbusters' Takedown Of 21 Violent Philly Gang Members

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on the DA’s takedown of 21 violent gang members. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: DA Gangbusters take down 21 violent Philly gang members - Philly Daily

While Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is grandstanding at the Philadelphia airport, leveling silly threats at federal ICE agents who are aiding travelers process security procedures in the absence of TSA security personnel who are unpaid by Congress, it appears that some of his subordinates at the DA office are on the job.  

A case in point is the March 19^th announcement that the DA’s office brought charges against 21 defendants, all members of local street gangs in Philadelphia. The 21 defendants were indicted for their role in more than a dozen shootings and gun-related crimes across Philadelphia. According to the DA’s Office, the crimes occurred between January 2022 and August 2023, with a total of 32 victims, including the murder of 18-year-old Aquill Foster.

“The 33rd Philadelphia County Investigating Grand Jury has determined that Maliek Robbins, Jayme Drayton, Marquan Flamer, Baahij Arthur, Atum El, Emmitt Hardee, Damar Holmes, Rahmel Humphrey, Carl Jarett, Quadir Spady, Elante Outerbridge, Eli Simmons, Malik Sweets, Ivan Williams, Javon Fisher, Baseer Johnson, Aliaan Harris, Taaj Lennon, Bryant Cumberbatch and Samerah Pendleton are implicated in one homicide, 18 non-fatal shootings, three gunpoint carjackings, one car theft, and one gunpoint robbery,” stated the DA’s Office. “One other individual is not being named at this time as part of the ongoing investigation. The Investigating Grand Jury also determined that the defendants are connected to the street groups known as “The Senders,” “The Close Range Gang,” “7th Street,” and “PNB.”

“Five of the defendants were taken into custody today while several others were already in custody awaiting trial on other charges.”

The Charges are:

Maliek Robbins

• Aggravated Assault
• Robbery
• Conspiracy

Jayme Drayton

• Murder

Marquan Flamer

• Murder

Baahij Arthur

• Attempted Murder

Atum El

• Attempted Murder

Emmitt Hardee

• Conspiracy to Commit Attempted Murder

Damar Holmes

• Aggravated Assault

Rahmel Humphrey

• Attempted Murder

Carl Jarett

• Attempted Murder
• Robbery
• Theft by Unlawful Taking

Quadir Spady

• Attempted Murder
• Aggravated Assault

Elante Outerbridge

• Attempted Murder
• Robbery

Eli Simmons

• Attempted Murder
• Aggravated Assault
• Robbery

Malik Sweets

• Attempted Murder

Ivan Williams

• Attempted Murder

Javon Fisher

• Attempted Murder
• Aggravated Assault
• Robbery

Baseer Johnson

• Attempted Murder
• Robbery
• Aggravated Assault

Aliaan Harris

• Attempted Murder

Taaj Lennon

• Aggravated Assault

Bryant Cumberbatch

• Attempted Murder
• Aggravated Assault

Samerah Pendleton

• Conspiracy to Commit Attempted Murder

“This is a good day for the citizens of Philadelphia, including the residents of South Philadelphia whose neighborhoods have been terrorized by this senseless violence like many other neighborhoods,” said Krasner. “Our office will continue to take down those who perpetrate violence and we will not stop until all Philadelphia neighborhoods feel safe. Thank you to Assistant District Attorneys Bill Fritze, Adam Farraye, and Katherine Reamy, the entire DAO’s Gun Violence Task Force, and our law enforcement partners for their thorough and decisive work in this investigation.”

Bill Fritze, the DA’s chief of the Gun Violence Task Force, added, “The charges we announced today are the continuation of the efforts we first disclosed a year ago with the sweeping indictments of these gangs based in South Philadelphia. Utilizing a number of methods, the continued investigations of those initial shootings committed in retaliation revealed other targeted shootings in which often innocent bystanders were struck by gunfire. We also thank the individuals whose hard work led to these arrests, specifically Detectives Kelley Gallagher, Patrick Cavalieri, David Gannone, Ryan Moore, Christopher Maitland, Andrew Gallagher, Steven Blackwell, Officers Copestick and Berryman from the Criminal Intelligence Unit, the Attorney General’s Office including Agent Matthew Winscomb, our partners at the FBI and the DIVIC, and Criminal Analysts Amanda McCourtie and Ashley Waples.”

Aiding the prosecutors in this case were the videos some of the gangbangers placed on Youtube, bragging about the shootings.

Back in the mid and late 1960s, I was a street corner half-a-hoodlum. Our South Philly street corner crew were no angels, and although we were more about girls, dancing and having fun, there was, admittedly, gang violence. But unlike today’s street gangs, we didn’t revel in it – and we certainly didn’t brag about it publicly.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com. 

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Need For A Police Museum In Philadelphia

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column today on the need for a police museum. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Does Philadelphia need a police museum? - Philly Daily

 

I was contacted by Gary Capuano (seen in the above photo), a retired Philadelphia police sergeant who has often commented on crime issues here.

 

Capuano advised me of his desire to fund, build and open a Philadelphia Police Museum.

 

“Myself and a few other former officers have been speaking on my Retired Philly Cops Facebook page about a police museum,” Capuano explained. “My old partner and fellow South Philadelphian, Adam Douglas, had proposed that the Police Department utilize the old Atwater Kent Museum that has been abandoned since 2018. 

"The Philadelphia Police Department is one of the oldest municipal police forces in the United States. It was officially established in 1854 through the Act of Consolidation, though policing in the city dates to 1684, when Watchmen were first appointed to maintain public safety. Despite this long history, Philadelphia does not have a museum dedicated to preserving the story of its police department. Establishing a Philadelphia Police Museum would help officers and the public better understand the origins and evolution of policing while honoring the sacrifices of those who served.”  

Capuano noted Philadelphia already preserves public safety history through the Philadelphia Fireman’s Hall Museum. 

“The police museum could preserve artifacts such as photographs, uniforms, equipment, and documents, while highlighting the duties, challenges, and sacrifices of officers, including those who died in the line of duty. Many of these items could come from department archives, retired officers, police families, historical collections, and donations from the community. It should present history in a fair and balanced way, acknowledging both achievements and past controversies to show how policing has evolved. An honest approach.” 

Capuano suggested that funding for the independent museum could come from private donations, grants, sponsorships, and partnerships with universities and historical organizations, with support from a nonprofit group. He also suggests free admission, like the Fireman's Hall Museum, to keep the museum accessible to the public.  

“A Philadelphia Police Museum would preserve an important part of the city’s heritage while promoting education, remembrance, and community engagement. The museum would foster a sense of pride and identity for police officers by highlighting the long, tradition of service. For the community, the museum would help to strengthen the connection with the police by helping them gain a deeper understanding of the duties, challenges, and responsibilities that officers face every day.” 

I agree with Gary Capuano about the need for a police museum, but I think the old police headquarters at 8^th and Race Streets, commonly known as the “Roundhouse” due to the building’s curvilinear design, would be a more suitable and historic place to house a police museum.  

Back in the 1990s, when I was a crime reporter and columnist for the South Philadelphia newspapers, I was a frequent visitor to the Roundhouse. I visited the Roundhouse to interview several police commissioners, first deputy commissioners, homicide detectives, and other police officials.  

Martin O’Donnell (seen in the above photo), a retired Philadelphia Police Lieutenant and a friend of Capuano, agrees with me. 

“The best place, with reasonable parking, would be the Roundhouse,” O’Donnell said. “Initial funding could come from the city and private funding. Subsequent funding could come from an ‘Event Day’ such as a day hosted by the FOP with all the proceeds going towards the Police Museum.”  

O’Donnell joined the police in 1979. He served in the 16th District and in 1982 and later worked in the 6th District In 1986 he was detailed to the Training Bureau. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1990 and was transferred to the Advanced Training Unit. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1995 and remained at the Training Bureau until he retired in August of 2004.

I first met O’Donnell in 1994 when I attended the pilot class of the Philadelphia Civilian Police Academy as a reporter on assignment for the South Philadelphia Review. I wrote an 11-part series on police training and operations for the weekly newspaper.  

I asked O’Donnell what would be featured at the proposed police museum.

“Articles for the museum could be obtained from current police districts and additional articles from storage from districts that have been closed,” O’Donnell said. “Each Special Unit may have some articles from the past that they could donate, and they could donate some current items they use today.

I asked if the Philadelphia Police Department would support an independent police museum.

“I think if this venture got some publicity, the Police Department would like the positive publicity and do what they could to support this. I believe many active and retired Officers would support this.

“I think I would promote the Police Museum with various Schools through and around the City of Philadelphia. This could promote a relationship with the Department and the Community and give the public an understanding of the real job of a Police Department. Additionally, this could be a resource for recruitment for police department.

I think that a police museum would be good for Philadelphia.             

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.