Bouchard gets boost at ATF

Washington Times ^ | Tuesday, January 27, 2004 | By Jerry Seper

[JohnHuang2]

A veteran agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been named to head the ATF's Office of Field Operations, where he will oversee regulatory and criminal enforcement for 23 field divisions throughout the country.

Michael R. Bouchard, who supervised the ATF's investigation and apprehension of Washington snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, will also be responsible for oversight of ATF personnel who inspect federally licensed firearms and explosives dealers and manufacturers, and for all criminal investigators focusing on illegal firearms and explosives matters, arson, violent gangs, and alcohol and tobacco diversion.

[JohnHuang2]

Tuesday, January 27, 2004 Quote of the Day by CurlyBill

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Michael R. Bouchard, who supervised the ATF's investigation and apprehension of Washington snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo

So he's the one who defied Chief "Ain't going to be no profiling while I'm boss" Moose and leaked the real description of the car and occupants that resulted a few hours later in their arrest when a truck driver recognized them and called police? Did the Washington Times' employee mean that apprehension?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Atlas Sneezed]

FY-04-07
Contact: Jan Kemp
202-927-8500


For Immediate Release
www.atf.gov
January 16, 2004

ATF NAMES NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR FIELD OPERATIONS

WASHINGTON, DC - Special Agent Michael R. Bouchard, who supervised ATF's investigation and apprehension of convicted Beltway snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, has been chosen to head ATF's Office of Field Operations.

As Assistant Director for Field Operations, Mr. Bouchard will oversee regulatory and criminal enforcement for 23 field divisions throughout the country. This includes personnel who inspect federally licensed firearms and explosives dealers and manufacturers, all criminal investigators focusing on illegal firearms and explosives matters, arson, violent gangs, and alcohol and tobacco diversion. He will also oversee the resource deployment of ATF's National Response Teams, which respond to major arsons and bombings nationwide. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Bouchard was the Deputy Assistant Director for Strategic Intelligence and Information.

Mr. Bouchard began his career as a police officer and detective with a local police department in Connecticut in 1979. He joined ATF in 1987, and served in numerous positions at ATF Headquarters and across the country. Mr. Bouchard was the Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Division where he was responsible for criminal and regulatory enforcement issues in Maryland and Delaware. While Resident Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division covering western Massachusetts, ATF increased its resources to combat firearms trafficking and gangs in the city. Mr. Bouchard also handled the investigation into one of the largest arson for profit fires in the history of Massachusetts. While Special Agent in Charge of the Resource Management Branch, he oversaw the logistics for the Oklahoma City deployment and all church fires in the mid to late 1990s. He was Special Agent in Charge, Arson Enforcement Branch; Chief, Arson and Explosives Programs Division; and Director, Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative.

As a member of the National Response Team, Mr. Bouchard supervised ATF's efforts at several major incidents, including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon.

A native of Connecticut, Mr. Bouchard received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire/Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven, New Haven, Conn.; Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, Washington, D.C.

He serves on the Arson and Explosives Committee with the International Association of Police Chiefs, and previously served on committees with the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Arson Investigators.

###
http://www.atf.gov/press/fy04press/011604bouchard.htm
Looks like the WT is re-printing press releases.

[Atlas Sneezed]

From Neal Knox:

Montgomery County, Maryland, Police announced last week that
they are forming a new "task force" with state police, Secret
Service and BATF to pursue tens of thousands of anonymous tips
about people owning handguns, received during the search for the
Beltway Sniper.

The "task force" plans to determine which of those reputed
gunowners may be prohibited from gun ownership by state or Federal
law.

The list, of almost 100,000 supposed handgun owners, was set
aside during the sniper search because law enforcement was seeking
someone with a rifle.

"If, for instance, someone called to say, 'The guy next door
has a couple handguns,' that did not apply," Michael Bouchard,
special agent in charge of the Baltimore BATF office told the
Washington Times.

I can imagine the outcry if a state-county-Federal law
enforcement task force were following up on anonymous tips that
neighbors had some marijuana -- which, unlike guns -- is illegal
for anyone to possess.

http://www.nealknox.com/alerts/msg00130.html

[Atlas Sneezed]

Sniper tips to aid hunt for firearms
Washington Times ^ | 1/03/03 | Arlo Wagner and Matthew Cella

Posted on 01/02/2003 10:04:24 PM PST by kattracks

Montgomery County police said yesterday that they will use tens of thousands of tips from the October sniper hunt to track down those who violate Maryland gun laws.

"Our goal is to reduce illegal firearm possessions and violent crimes," said Capt. Nancy Demme, spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Police Department. She also said the intensive crackdown would begin in the county in a few weeks.

The mission will be carried out by a task force of county and state police officers, as well as federal agents of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Police authorities said many of the nearly 100,000 tips and the names of tipsters and offenders were set aside during the sniper investigation because it was clear they did not pertain to the shooter or shooters, who were using a rifle.

"If, for instance, someone called to say, 'The guy next door has a couple handguns,' that did not apply," explained Michael Bouchard, special agent in charge of the ATF office in Baltimore.

Though police say the tips could help solve cases and get illegal guns off the street, gun groups are uneasy about such a task force using information often submitted by neighbors.

"I just plain don't like it," said Robert Culver, co-chairman of Montgomery Citizens for a Safer Maryland, a Montgomery County-based gun-advocacy group.

Mr. Culver said the task force could go overboard while investigating gun owners, relying on "rumors" or fraudulent or misguided tips.

The sniper hunt ended Oct. 25 at an Interstate 70 rest stop near Myersville, Md., with the arrest of John Allen Muhammad, 42, and John Lee Malvo, 17. They are in Virginia jails awaiting capital-offense trials.

Six of the 10 sniper slayings occurred in Montgomery County. The first took place Oct. 2, with four more occurring in the county the next day, causing thousands of Maryland, Washington and Virginia residents to call a special tip-line telephone number with information about suspects and dubious circumstances.

"We are still getting a lot of tips as a result," Mr. Bouchard said, and those tips are being examined for possible violations of Maryland and D.C. gun laws.

Though the task force will focus on handgun owners convicted of violent felonies, Mr. Bouchard acknowledged that some tips already have led to persons who had no idea they owned guns illegally.

"We are not looking to take away any guns or ammunition that are legally possessed," he said.

Still, advocacy groups remain concerned.

A Web site for Maryland gun owners, www.direct-action.org, stated in an October article that the sniper shootings could lead to a "wanton politicizing of a crisis, leading to apparently unconstrained police activity."

The site offered advice to gun owners interviewed by authorities based on tips.

Gun advocates portray the crackdown as evidence of continuing hostility toward gun owners by county officials.

In 2001, the county failed in an attempt to ban gun shows at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg. When Silverado Promotions, the show's promoter, challenged the ban, a federal judge ruled that the Montgomery County Council broke the law when it tried to withhold county money to support the event.

The ruling is being appealed. In the interim, Silverado Promotions is holding a gun show at the Gaithersburg agricultural center this weekend.

Other jurisdictions are also following on tips received during the sniper shootings.

"We have detectives working on tips but we do not have a special task force," Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Cheryl Farrell said.

Prince George's County police are responding similarly. Capt. Andy Ellis, a department spokesman, said investigators are checking tips that might help solve other crimes or reveal new crimes.

Still, Virginia police officials in the commonwealth will work much differently on this issue compared with Montgomery or Prince George's counties because Maryland gun laws are "far more restrictive," said John Ritter, an Arlington County police detective.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/816014/posts

[Ancesthntr]

Montgomery County police said yesterday that they will use tens of thousands of tips from the October sniper hunt to track down those who violate Maryland gun laws.

Now there's an incentive to cooperate with the authorities!

These jerks in MD are certainly short-sighted. Yeah, they may bust a few dozen poor saps that didn't have every i dotted and every t crossed, but the effect both there and nationwide will be to get people to clam up - thereby reducing the effectiveness of future police investigations. My opinion of the MD and Montgomery County police after the "sniper" incident has been confirmed: they are a bunch of morons, in addition to having no concept of personal liberties. I'm very glad not to live anywhere near their jurisdication.

[Ancesthntr]

Is this the flesh and blood Malvone?

[MileHi]

Fits the profile

[Travis McGee]

He could be, but I never heard of him. The Bob Beaufort thing is a little close, but honesty, Beaufort was NOT named for THIS ATF guy. That's the truth.

[El Gato]

Michael R. Bouchard, who supervised the ATF's investigation and apprehension of Washington snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, will

What a puff piece (a piece of what I'll not go into). The ATF did not "apprehend the Murderous Muslims, they were caught because an alert citizen noticed something unusual, while the BATF, now BATFE, no such animal as ATF, was still looking for Chief Moose's white van with angry white guys in it.

I'm sure BATFE's evidence and analysis helped put them away, but the BATFErs didn't do a freaking thing to stop the assaults.