Damion Moore
Citing ‘cultural appropriation, deteriorating relationships with quite a few regulation enforcement businesses and ongoing felony investigations into operation into Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.)’, the Metropolis Council of Norman, Oklahoma and the Norman Police Division (NPD) unanimously refuse an O.U.R. donation value $25,270.50. NPD and Metropolis of Norman be a part of a rising checklist of regulation enforcement businesses and municipalities that refuse to have any affiliation with O.U.R. and its founder, Tim Ballard. American Crime Journal obtained one other copy of O.U.R.’s Mutual Settlement Doc, which proves as soon as once more, that scant donations gave O.U.R. a license to masquerade as “consultants”, “companions” and “operators”, continuously posturing themselves as the driving pressure behind the arrest of pedophiles and the rescue of over 5,000 kids. By their very own admission, with none involvement or consultation- they proceed to report arrests and the kid rescues as their very own.
On October 26, Norman Police Division Deputy Chief Ricky Jackson stood earlier than Norman Metropolis Council to ship his last report on his investigation into Operation Underground Railroad. Citing ‘issues of cultural appropriation, deteriorating relationships with quite a few regulation enforcement businesses and an ongoing felony investigation into operation into Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.)‘, he formally requested to withdraw his request for a donation value over $25,000. This was in stark distinction to the October twelfth metropolis council assembly which he enthusiastically introduced the request earlier than council members.
In contrast to the earlier metropolis council assembly which Deputy Chief Jackson appeared detached about Tim Ballard and O.U.R.’s status, he made it clear, Norman Police Division didn’t need any kind of affiliation with Operation Underground Railroad. Norman Metropolis Council then unanimously voted to disclaim O.U.R.’s donation of a Graykey Digital Forensic Extraction Device and a one-year service license valued at $25,270.50. The gadget would have given the Norman Metropolis Police Division the power to obtain information from Android and iOS units, with what Deputy Chief Jackson stated was “two, probably three warrants”.
What usually is a slam dunk for Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad, shortly turned one other embarrassing nightmare. Earlier than the October 12, 2021, metropolis council vote, Norman Metropolis Ward 1 Councilmember Brandi Studley had appeared into O.U.R. Not solely calling consideration to Tim Ballard and O.U.R.’s cultural appropriation, however their deteriorating relationships with quite a few regulation enforcement businesses.
That’s when Deputy Chief Ricky Jackson of the Norman Police Division started to look into Operation Underground Railroad’s background.
Extra generally often called a Cell Gadget Forensic Instruments (MDFTs), the Graykey Digital Forensic Extraction Device is a tool made by Grayshift, LLC. The corporate makes a speciality of cell gadget and digital forensics. MDFTs extracts information, together with encrypted and inaccessible information from Android and iOS units.
Whereas a breakthrough for regulation enforcement, MDFTs have become the subject of controversy the previous few years. With the gadget regulation enforcement can bypass safety features, then extract and overview information and communications with or with no warrant(relying on jurisdiction). This provides regulation enforcement the power to search for cellphone numbers, texts, emails or voicemails to realize intelligence on drug exercise, gangs, crimes and different unlawful actions. It can also obtain, learn and consider encrypted information which might reveal issues like youngster pornography. The gadget combats what Christopher Wray of the FBI once called “warrant-proof encryption”, which was a characteristic on iPhones. In some jurisdictions, the gadget has been used with no warrant.
How the gadget could be used was one other severe situation debated amongst Norman Metropolis Councilmembers.
Whereas Grayshift, LLC. claims their gadget can extract encrypted and inaccessible information from iOS units, Apple says, “not so quick”. Based on one Norman Metropolis resident who addressed metropolis council, he contacted Apple and guaranteed him that Grayshift’s declare that they will bypass safety features and encryption in nonsense. Between frequent updates and proprietary coding, even when the gadget have been in some way in a position to bypass the software program and extract information, a brand new replace would render the gadget out of date.
O.U.R.’s Home Regulation Enforcement Help Mutual Settlement for the Receipt of Contributions
Operation Underground Railroad’s Home Regulation Enforcement Help Mutual Settlement for the Receipt of Contributions (MAD) with Norman Police Division is identical precise settlement that has led to dozens of regulation enforcement businesses to chop ties with the group. Scant monetary donations and supplies such because the Graykey Digital Forensic Device has allowed O.U.R. to masquerade as “consultants”, “companions” and “operators”, posturing themselves as the driving pressure behind the arrest of violent offenders and the rescue of trafficking victims- for years. It has emboldened O.U.R. to make outlandish and disproven claims, similar to having rescued over 5,000 trafficking victims. In actuality, they’ve had no involvement in circumstances, operations or particular person arrests.
Final 12 months, I interviewed two police departments which each accused O.U.R. of defrauding donors and fabricating rescues. Each departments obtained donations from O.U.R. in 2017, they usually had not heard from them since. As of 2021, Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad have been counting these division’s arrests “as their very own”. Much more troubling, every of those arrests O.U.R. felt at liberty so as to add a half dozen victims or so. One supplied an article printed on O.U.R.’s web site claiming they netted two arrests. The article went on to say 5 kids have been freed as a result of O.U.R.’s involvement on this explicit sting.
Solely drawback was, there have been no kids. Each males have been busted with youngster pornography they have been distributing on-line. O.U.R. took parts of a real story and manufactured a human trafficking ring.
“Each bust is a human trafficking ring. They claimed to free extra kids in simply two municipalities final 12 months than the complete state reported final 12 months [2016]. It’s fiction. Regulation enforcement doesn’t want O.U.R.. They want regulation enforcement[to make money].
The Mutual Settlement Doc explicitly states:
“that O.U.R. donors should be learn concerning how their donations equate to “measurables” essential to fight youngster exploitation. By accepting this donation, you agree to offer O.U.R. with numbers of any people arrested, or victims recognized with the help of the donation. O.U.R. doesn’t require require any names or case identifiers, simply uncooked numbers supplied in bimonthly experiences which O.U.R. will solicit“
The ‘MAD’ additionally specifies “The place O.U.R.’s contributions help an operation leading to arrests or different newsworthy exercise, acknowledgement of O.U.R.’s help is requested in Related Press releases”. It goes on to state that O.U.R.’s media rep will “coordinate with LEA’s designated media rep”.
We witnessed this primary hand when O.U.R’s. “press agent” pestered and solicited Washington State Patrol for press releases by way of electronic mail concerning the NET Nanny stings. One factor was clear, Operation Underground Railroad’s high precedence was publicity.
Each greenback they donate, generates extra “sizzle”.
Norman Metropolis Council: A Story of Two Conferences
October 12, 2021
Within the Norman City Council Meeting Agenda for October 12, 2021, Kevin Foster Chief of the Norman Police Division had despatched a request to Norman Metropolis Council (Merchandise 11) to simply accept a donation from Operation Underground Railroad for a Graykey Digital Forensic Device and a one-year service license that’s valued at $25,270.50. When the request got here up on the assembly NPD Deputy Chief Ricky Jackson stepped to the rostrum to enthusiastically current the request.
Earlier than Merchandise 10 was completed, half of town council had questions on Merchandise 11.
At first, the councilmembers appeared involved concerning the use and potential abuse of Cell Gadget Forensic Instruments (MDFTs).
Ward 4 Councilmember Lee Corridor requested Deputy Chief Jackson if he, “supposed to develop any kind of protocol or procedures on limiting the use [of the device] to this explicit space of crime investigation or would you be utilizing it for different investigations that you simply need to do?”
Lee Corridor’s query echoes these of critics of MDFTs. Whereas the gadget is usually bought to the general public and metropolis councils strictly as a gadget to battle probably the most severe and heinous crimes similar to youngster exploitation, homicides or organized crime, not often is that the case. Very often the gadget is used to bust drug customers and violate the probation and/or parole of non-violent offenders. It’s a instrument used for retribution extra usually than it’s used for murder investigations. Particularly towards those that refuse to cooperate with authorities.
Deputy Chief Jackson responded that the way in which he understood it, “because it pertains to workers”, the gadget was to “be used for youngster exploitation and crimes towards kids”. He did relent that within the occasion that information extraction was wanted for another kind of crime, “similar to a murder”, that they would wish to specify precisely what was wanted in a warrant and have a choose signal it.
Derailed as soon as once more
Ward 1 Councilmember Brandi Studley acknowledged to Deputy Chief Jackson that when she was studying by means of the Mutual Settlement Doc between Norman Police Division and Operation Underground Railroad, the settlement stated nothing about it getting used solely for youngster exploitation or human trafficking, however could possibly be used for any kind of investigation.
Opposite to the Deputy Chief’s declare that he vetted O.U.R, Studley started to unleash.
“You stated you guys have been approached by this firm?”
She emphasised that she needed to learn some data on Operation Underground Railroad and its founder Tim Ballard.
“he got here below investigation and is the topic of a number of investigative sequence that particulars his relationship with corrupt international authorities officers, his historical past of fabricating rescues and statistics, and a number of other experiences detailing accusations by regulation enforcement businesses each international and home accusing Ballard of fabricating and exaggerating their relationships together with accusations of making and fostering an atmosphere of kid intercourse trafficking and proof detailing the O.U.R. was an ongoing felony enterprise since its founding”
She continued…
“O.U.R. is centered round black and Latino kids in its fundraising work, however ignored requests by black activists to vary the group’s title. On the similar time, Ballard referred to as an Operation Underground [Railroad] portray by Utah artist Jon McNaughton, who additionally did a portray of Barack Obama burning the Structure in 2012- he created a portray for this group depicting Ballard, his spouse and different white individuals carrying black and brown kids rescued from trafficking alongside a literal railroad with Harriet Tubman standing to the aspect, in referencing alongside their path”
Brandi Studley expressed what usually is missed when discussing O.U.R. and their perpetuation of LDS Church mythology, rooted in American Exceptionalism and the white savior complicated. Tim Ballard was, in spite of everything, a pseudo-historian that dabbled in LDS biblical fanfiction when he caught the attention of M. Russell Ballard and conservative commentator Glenn Beck. That is coming from a person, faith, group, state and tradition that’s over 99% white and dwelling an higher center class collective existence. Tim Ballard is clueless of simply how offensive cultural appropriation is and worse, his exploitation of black and brown kids. Even to the disgust of lecturers activists, and even different Mormons, Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad nonetheless compares themselves to the abolitionists that advocated towards slavery all through U.S. historical past.
Based on Historical past–
The Underground Railroad was a community of individuals, a lot of them former slaves, providing shelter at a sequence of secure factors that escaped slaves from the South used to journey towards the free states and Canada. It grew steadily from a number of clandestine efforts that converged from the late 18th century till the Civil Warfare.
There may be nothing “underground” about O.U.R. they usually’re not abolitionists. They lack range and integrity. In truth, they’re fairly the other. Equating human trafficking to chattel slavery right here in the US is grotesque sufficient of an analogy. Dozens of different anti-human trafficking organizations stopped equating the 2. The Nationwide Survivor Community acknowledges, nonetheless, “slavery and trafficking are two totally different experiences which will correlate and have related structural ideas however usually are not the identical.”
One other advantageous instance of that is the mass hysteria over “Vital Race Idea”, which isn’t taught in colleges. As an alternative it’s getting used as a guise to institute white nationalism. Republicans need to whitewash a historical past that has not solely been whitewashed, however romanticized and celebrated for about 150 years.
It’s offensive.
Studley would conclude with an article crucial of O.U.R. by Anne Gallagher, who’s the nations main skilled on human trafficking; “which is that this firm that approached you guys, she stated that their raids present an alarming lack of knowledge about how subtle felony trafficking networks should be approached and dismantled and referred to as their operations ‘smug, unethical, and unlawful’, so I simply need to ensure that all of us perceive who we’re getting in mattress with right here. And if there’s software program that’s obtainable, for one of these uncovering gadget, you probably have a warrant from a choose, I’m positive there are different firms that will be keen that will help you that we might work with.
However I’m not comfy getting in mattress with this firm in any respect. And I don’t suppose you guys as a police division ought to need to get in mattress with somebody like this both”
Deputy Chief Jackson acknowledged that he’d, “positively look into that and see, drill additional into their background and their historical past”
The one drawback was, Deputy Chief Jackson already claimed he did a background examine on Operation Underground Railroad. Regardless of the dozen or so headlines from main information businesses in O.U.R.’s dwelling state of Utah, it didn’t elevate any purple flags.
He explains, “From our standpoint, as regulation enforcement, we take a look at it as a instrument to assist us additional all these investigations. Their utilization of it on the aspect, you understand, I’d wish to know that, but when we’re in a position to make the most of that to save lots of kids, we’re gonna try this. However what he does on the aspect and what this firm is to alleged to have been doing, I’ve no management over that a part of it”.
Studley and the Deputy Chief would travel for an additional minute or two, which at one level he seems to lastly digest what she is saying. She requested that metropolis council postpone the vote in order that Deputy Chief Jackson might examine Operation Underground Railroad additional and current his findings concerning the group at a later date.
A vote on O.U.R.’s donation was postponed till October 26, 2021, to provide NPD time to research Operation Underground Railroad.
October 26, 2021
On the October 26, 2021, meeting- Norman Police Division Deputy Chief Ricky Jackson acknowledged that he “appreciated Studley introduced this earlier than council”. He then requested that Metropolis Council vote no and refuse Operation Underground Railroad’s donation.
Jackson went on to inform the Norman Metropolis Council, “I couldn’t utterly really feel comfy going ahead with this group understanding that there are some issues on the market that could possibly be true”.
Elizabeth Foreman Ward 6 councilmember requested Jackson if NPD might discover related software program by means of one other group? Jackson stated that NPD might get hold of software program that was not developed or related by O.U.R.
Ward 4 Councilmember Lee Corridor requested if the estimated $25,000 lined the complete value of the software program and its licensing.
Jackson stated it will have.
Councilmember Corridor thanked Deputy Chief Jackson for utilizing his assets to research O.U.R.
“What was so disastrous” about Operation Underground Railroad that he “wouldn’t need to settle for this instrument?”, requested Ward 5 Councilmember Rarchar Tortorello.
Deputy Chief Jackson defined that his “constituents throughout the nation had a number of issues” concerning the group. Along with Studley’s proof, “that was sufficient” for him to disclaim this supply from Operation Underground Railroad.
Norman Metropolis Council then unanimously denied O.U.R.’s donation.
Norman PD and Metropolis Council made the dignified selection
In a day the place metropolis budgets are razor skinny and elevating taxes is a sin, Norman Metropolis Council made a transparent, concise selection. Irrespective of how tough it could have been. They might have used one of many dozens of excuses I’ve heard as to why they “had” to do enterprise with O.U.R.. As an alternative, the culturally appropriated title alone was a purple flag. I will likely be addressing that in a observe as much as this text. Then, because it appears as regular now, their police division launched an investigation into O.U.R.. After all, the apparent selection is to not do enterprise with Tim Ballard, who’s now a completely professed rightwing radical. A person with questionable ties to white nationalists and the exact same fringe radicals behind “The Huge Lie”. A fringe pseudo-historian and LDS fundamentalist (and for you good LDS of us studying, I don’t imply FLDS). An apparent con-artist turned rightwing grifter.
Had Norman Metropolis Councilmember Brandi Studley not noticed the title of this group on the upcoming agenda and took offense, then not researched the group? I don’t know if the investigation would have been launched.
Let’s say this assembly occurred only one 12 months in the past? I’m positive Studley’s objections would have been thought-about, however they in the end would have fallen sufferer to a corporation that has performed every part of their energy to silence, intimated and harass critics right into a Nondisclosure Settlement or silence.
What if the victims, former volunteers, workers and organizations which were preyed upon, exploited and abused by no means got here ahead? Tim Ballard and O.U.R. could be nonetheless be what they first informed Lynn Packer and I, “invincible”.
O.U.R.’s façade is crumbling and Tim Ballard has been uncovered, similar to his pal and protégé, Jim Caviezel.
Operation Underground Railroad, Uncovered
For the reason that revelation of a number of felony investigations into Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad, their status has quickly diminished. Then Vice News exposed O.U.R.’s so called “partnerships” with regulation enforcement businesses. As we suspected and reported, they and the occasional Ok-9 to police departments. That may be the extent of the relationship- if even that. Besides O.U.R. would proceed to say direct involvement in main stings and arrests by these departments. Only a scant donation gave O.U.R. a lifetime allowance to perpetuate in-depth involvement, similar to coaching and session to businesses. Their credibility quickly eroded. By merely fear-mongering human intercourse trafficking in the US with improbable unverifiable numbers, gave him all of the justification wanted to pillage, exploit, rape and torture black and brown individuals in third world international locations for revenue. A disgusting posturing try by Ballard to purchase his approach onto LDS management.
A number of months in the past, Ballard’s sister-in-law and O.U.R.’s longtime Chief Monetary Officer Tevya Ware resigned. With out hesitation, she shaped her personal anti-human trafficking group, Coaxion World with Jon Traces, O.U.R.’s former President of Operations. They have been joined by retired detective Carlos Rodriguez former head of Washington State Patrol’s Lacking and Exploited Kids Activity Pressure (MECTF). Rodriguez additionally did a brief stint at O.U.R. till he and Ballard had a falling out.
It was an analogous concern echoed by Chris Loftis of the Washington State Patrol. He informed Vice News last December, “candidly, in a corporation of our dimension and a complete multi-year price range effectively into the billions, it’s not considerably price range impacting. We’re fairly comfy with our resolution to forgo any additional donations from them and keep away from additional affiliation with a corporation that may present distraction from the core mission.”
O.U.R.’s declare to fame was its affiliation with MECTF and their controversial NetNanny stings. Rodriguez was head of MECTF when starting in 2015, O.U.R. started donating funds to on to help the duty pressure. Between 2015 and 2020, O.U.R. had given a complete of $185,522 to help the duty pressure’s operations. Regardless of Tim Ballard peddling NetNanny as an O.U.R. pushed car, the full sum of their donations was over a six 12 months interval. To shed some mild on what was O.U.R.’s featured challenge and declare to fame, even when O.U.R. donated $200,000 a 12 months now, that’s lower than a fraction of a p.c of their annual earnings in any given 12 months.
In actuality, O.U.R. donated on common $31,000 a 12 months to Washington State Patrol for advertising. Besides O.U.R. obtained a lot extra. In distinction, they donated $2.5 million to Rudy Atallah’s nonprofit White Mountain Analysis in 2019 alone. Atallah simply so occurs to be employed by The Nazarene Fund in its newest iteration.
After the lack of Jon Traces, Tim Ballard scrambled to regain these so-called “partnerships” with home regulation enforcement businesses. A determined and shameful try and get hold of credibility and provides the looks of legitimacy to an illegitimate scheme as soon as once more.
Various Realities. Various Details.
What’s telling, is how Ballard intends to compensate for the losses. The lack of Paul Hutchinson. The lack of Tevya Ware and Jon Traces. Utah Lawyer Normal Sean Reyes protecting distant. The scandals and revelations by a few of his closest allies. Felony investigation after felony investigation.
So, as any rip-off artist and grifter would do throughout determined instances, they go to an alternate actuality and stay by different info. Tim Ballard has totally embraced Trumpism and has questionable associations with radical proper wing political figures. He particularly has shut ties to the leaders peddling “The Huge Lie” and people embracing white nationalism. Ballard has spent the previous couple of months palling round with traitors and terrorists like L. Lin Wooden, Mike Lindell and convicted felon and traitor Michael Flynn. Ballard who as soon as distanced himself from QAnon(barely) and their human trafficking fantasies and delusions, now totally embraces it. He’s now associating with key QAnon figures and commenced perpetuating debunked conspiracies similar to adrenochroming to his interior circle. To make issues worse, when Ballard and conservative commenter Glenn Beck restarted The Nazarene Fund scheme, they enlisted David Barton. An evangelist minister and pseudo-historian, Barton is a bigot, a radical rightwing extremist who is on Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) HATEWATCH.
Despite the fact that O.U.R. rakes in tens-of-millions of {dollars} per 12 months now, Ballard has some severe commitments. He tithes donor cash to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Equally, he made a dedication to M. Russell Ballard (no relation) performing president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to search out Mardy Gardy.
“These schemes by Ballard has by no means been about human trafficking or Christians in Afghanistan. Tim believes he’s a prophet and in search of to get a spot in LDS management. It has been a part of some revelation he had years in the past”.
Since Jon Traces departure and O.U.R.’s shift to radical rightwing politics, most regulation enforcement businesses have minimize what little ties they’d with Operation Underground Railroad. O.U.R. and Ballard are below a number of felony investigations and have remained completely silent on the difficulty.
When it comes all the way down to it, Ballard believes there’s more cash in rightwing grifting and conspiracies.
UPDATED
11.12.21- Added Norman Metropolis Council movies concerning O.U.R. discussions (know as merchandise 11) throughout metropolis council conferences on 10.12.21 and 10.26.21
Assets and Additional Studying
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/24/21133600/police-fbi-phone-search-protests-password-rights
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-barton
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/24/21133600/police-fbi-phone-search-protests-password-rights
https://www.lawfareblog.com/law-enforcement-accessing-locked-devices-quite-well-thank-you
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