NORFOLK, Va. — FBI agents said they're stepping into the New Year closing several cases.
From bomb threats to a mass shooting, special agents with the local FBI office said it's been a busy year. Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan said there were some cases that proved to be a challenge.
"In December of 2021, we had Kim Habit, who was ordering precursor chemicals used in explosive devices," Dugan said. "Mr. Habit had a lot of the same materials that the national bomber had. When you first find out about someone collecting explosive materials, you don't know how much time we have until something goes bad."
Dugan said his teams made arrests in Hampton Roads related to another act of domestic terrorism a few hours away: the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
"We had folks that traveled from this area up to participate in the assault on the Capitol, and to date, 12 of those that were involved plead guilty," Dugan said.
As the seasons changed, so did the rate of crime, especially during the summer. Dugan said several arrests were related to violent crimes.
Dugan said there were 42 FBI-related arrests in 2022.
According to Dugan, arrests were made for crimes against children, and online lure operations resulted in a local predator being put behind bars.
"This past year we found one gentleman from Portsmouth that thought he was going to meet with a young girl he was arrested," Dugan said. "Part of the investigation found out that this was not the first time and he had thousands of child pornographic images on his devices and so for the first time in a long time we received a life sentence for the perpetrator."
Dugan said his team will be taking some other cases into the New Year with them, and there is hope potential witnesses will help. Public tips can be submitted to 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Special Agent in Charge Ryan Dugan's last name. It has since been corrected.
