Air marshal busted for kiddie porn
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A federal air marshal from Hicksville has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography and false credentials identifying him as both an a FBI agent and a CIA agent, federal officials said.
Michael McGowan, 32, of 47 Haverford Rd., was arrested by federal postal inspectors late Wednesday at a casino in upstate Verona near the Canadian border, officials said.
At a hearing in federal District Court in Syracuse yesterday, McGowan did not oppose being transferred to the federal District Court in Central Islip for arraignment on the charges Monday, officials said.
Lisa Peebles, the federal public defender representing McGowan in Syracuse, did not return calls seeking comment.
Yesterday's court hearing was the result of a sting by the Postal Inspection Service in which McGowan's home was raided on June 30 after he had attempted to purchase what he thought was child pornography over the Internet, according to William Kezer, head of the Postal Inspection Service in New York.
A subsequent search of McGowan's home computer showed more than 1,300 images, including photographs and movie clips of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf.
But a next-door neighbor, who asked not to be identified, stood up for McGowan, saying he told her he had the pornography because he was working on an investigation of child pornography in hopes that his good work would earn him a promotion so he could move back to his family in Texas.
Mauskopf said that McGowan also had told postal inspectors a similar story, but his supervisors denied that he was authorized to do so or to have FBI or CIA credentials.
McGowan has been an armed sky marshal since March 2002. His job is to provide protection on planes, according to Jamie Zuieback, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcment, which oversees the air marshal program.
Zuieback declined to discuss McGowan's background or the screening process used in hiring marshals. Zuieback said McGowan was suspended without pay yesterday.
McGowan had been on administrative leave since June 2 when the New Jersey State Police said that he had been involved in a traffic incident, Zuieback said. Sources said the incident involved apparent "road rage" in which McGowan was being investigated for allegedly pulling a gun on another motorist.
I know this guy and he's not a pedophile, I believe he honestly was trying to impress his superiors in ICE by breaking up an illegal ring. This story doesn't explain it all of course, it's just a blurb but there's more too it. He's a good guy, but a definate hot head.
It's a shame, because now he's completely fucked. I was actually tring to get him brought into the TSA so he could transfer to TX.
actually this isn't unusual, especially from us former INS guys (he was in the boarder patrol). I once worked with a guy who was conducting his own investigation on the russian mob (he himself was russian). he followed them, took their pictures, even talked to them trying to get into their organization. He then took this to the FBI trying to get a job. They didn't take too kindly to an INS agent taking this upon himself.
McGowan was going to get tickets to the Rush concert in August; I wonder if that's on hold.... just kidding. Keep the faith Mike!
and incase the link stops working:
A federal air marshal from Hicksville has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography and false credentials identifying him as both an a FBI agent and a CIA agent, federal officials said.
Michael McGowan, 32, of 47 Haverford Rd., was arrested by federal postal inspectors late Wednesday at a casino in upstate Verona near the Canadian border, officials said.
At a hearing in federal District Court in Syracuse yesterday, McGowan did not oppose being transferred to the federal District Court in Central Islip for arraignment on the charges Monday, officials said.
Lisa Peebles, the federal public defender representing McGowan in Syracuse, did not return calls seeking comment.
Yesterday's court hearing was the result of a sting by the Postal Inspection Service in which McGowan's home was raided on June 30 after he had attempted to purchase what he thought was child pornography over the Internet, according to William Kezer, head of the Postal Inspection Service in New York.
A subsequent search of McGowan's home computer showed more than 1,300 images, including photographs and movie clips of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf.
But a next-door neighbor, who asked not to be identified, stood up for McGowan, saying he told her he had the pornography because he was working on an investigation of child pornography in hopes that his good work would earn him a promotion so he could move back to his family in Texas.
Mauskopf said that McGowan also had told postal inspectors a similar story, but his supervisors denied that he was authorized to do so or to have FBI or CIA credentials.
McGowan has been an armed sky marshal since March 2002. His job is to provide protection on planes, according to Jamie Zuieback, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcment, which oversees the air marshal program.
Zuieback declined to discuss McGowan's background or the screening process used in hiring marshals. Zuieback said McGowan was suspended without pay yesterday.
McGowan had been on administrative leave since June 2 when the New Jersey State Police said that he had been involved in a traffic incident, Zuieback said. Sources said the incident involved apparent "road rage" in which McGowan was being investigated for allegedly pulling a gun on another motorist.
I know this guy and he's not a pedophile, I believe he honestly was trying to impress his superiors in ICE by breaking up an illegal ring. This story doesn't explain it all of course, it's just a blurb but there's more too it. He's a good guy, but a definate hot head.
It's a shame, because now he's completely fucked. I was actually tring to get him brought into the TSA so he could transfer to TX.
actually this isn't unusual, especially from us former INS guys (he was in the boarder patrol). I once worked with a guy who was conducting his own investigation on the russian mob (he himself was russian). he followed them, took their pictures, even talked to them trying to get into their organization. He then took this to the FBI trying to get a job. They didn't take too kindly to an INS agent taking this upon himself.
McGowan was going to get tickets to the Rush concert in August; I wonder if that's on hold.... just kidding. Keep the faith Mike!
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