This week’s list of top tens from the FBI continued its pattern of having financial fraud cases as one of the dominant themes. However, although have three of the top ten, Terrorism topped the list this time with four cases.

On the Financial front the cases included the very high profile one of charging the Chief Financial Officer of Stanford Financial Group with obstruction of the SEC investigation to an employee of The Export Import Bank of the United States being charged with soliciting bribes in order to facilitate obtaining loan guarantees and other financial support.

On the terrorism front, the stories ranged from the charging of an individual in the United States on a student visa with providing material support for al Qaeda to a U. S. citizen being charged with sending 64 letters with white powder to J P Morgan Chase branches, as well as the FDIC and the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Full details of all of the stories may be obtained from the FBI’s web site at www.fbi.gov.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending February 27, 2009

1. Houston: Stanford Financial Group Executive Arrested

Chief Investment Officer Laura Pendergast-Holt was charged with obstruction of the SEC investigation of allegations that the Stanford Financial Group defrauded investors.

2. Springfield: Saudi National Indicted

Ali Al-Marri, who entered the U.S. on September 10, 2001 on a student visa, was charged with providing material support to al Qaeda and conspiring with others to provide material support to al Qaeda.

3. Washington Field Office: Dutch Citizen Pleads Guilty

Wesam al-Delaema, an Iraqi-born Dutch citizen, pled guilty to conspiring with the “Mujahideen from Fallujah” to murder Americans in Iraq using IEDs.

4. Cincinnati: U.S. Citizen Sentenced in Terrorism Conspiracy

Christopher Paul, aka Abdul Malek, was sentenced for conspiring to use explosive devices against targets in Europe and the U.S. and providing material support to terrorists.

5. New York: Investment Managers Arrested on Fraud Charges

Paul Greenwood and Stephen Walsh were arrested for securities fraud totaling more than $550 million.

6. Washington Field Office: Import-Export Bank Employee Indicted

Maureen Njideka Edu, a business development specialist, was charged with conspiring to accept and solicit bribes to facilitate obtaining loan guarantees and other financial support from the Ex-Im Bank.

7. Los Angeles: Chinese National Found Guilty

Zhi Yong Guo was found guilty of illegally exporting sensitive thermal-imaging technology to China.

8. Dallas: Lawyer Indicted on Weapons Charges

David Neal Duncan was indicted for twice attempting to board an aircraft with a concealed loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol.

9. Dallas: Indictment in Powder-Laced Hoax Letters

Richard Goyette, aka Michael Jurek, was charged with mailing 64 letters laced with white powder to 52 Chase Bank branches as well as to offices of the FDIC and to offices of the Office of Thrift Supervision.

10. Forty-Eight Children Recovered in Operation Cross Country III

A three-day national enforcement action, part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, led to the recovery of 48 children being prostituted domestically and to the arrest of 571 criminals.