Editor’s Note: Frank Report is not claiming the FBI tampered with evidence. FR is examining the evidence. FR is not pushing for Keith Raniere’s freedom. This investigation is about whether the FBI cheated. This post explores J. Richard Kiper’s credentials.
Some of the anti-Raniere brigade seem willing to overlook possible FBI tampering. They don’t realize how slippery their slope can be.
Dr. James Richard Kiper is a crucial witness for Raniere in his allegations of FBI tampering. The brigade says he is not qualified and had an unremarkable career at the FBI. They claim he was not particularly successful or well-regarded within the agency. Critics also allege FBI bias in Kiper, making his testimony worthless.
His LinkedIn page:|
Let’s see if he’s some quack who just popped up out of nowhere.
Dr. James Richard “Rick” Kiper served as a Special Agent in the FBI for 20 years.
Investigator in Miami
July 1999 – Jun 2002: 3 years
Miami Field Office, Miami, Florida
Kiper began his career as a case agent in Miami. He specialized in white-collar, organized, and computer crimes.
Payday Today USA FBI Case #1.
USA v Graziano
Ponzi Scheme Steals Millions
Dr. Kiper and the FBI crackdown on massive fraud and recover millions
More than 600 people invested in a Ponzi scheme run by the Bonano crime family. The family ran telemarketing rooms to get investors for fake check-cashing stores. The fraudulent company stole more than $12 million by the time the FBI got involved.
Dr. Kiper was the lead agent. He led an FBI squad in executing search warrants. They seized computers and digital media. They raided the offices and the home of the main target. Kiper also executed a search warrant on their computers. He seized hundreds of digital files.
During Dr. Kiper’s follow-on investigation, the FBI seized millions in assets.
Kiper said, “I fought hard to shut down these scammers and thugs, and it took me nearly two years to do it.”
The DOJ secured 29 indictments. As a result, more than $6.2 million in restitution went to victims. At the time, this was a Department of Justice record.
Kiper went to Washington DC.
Special Agent-Program Manager
Jun 2002- Aug 2004: 2 years and 3 months
FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC
Developed FBI’s first electronic case management system
Kiper developed the FBI’s first electronic case management system. He supervised a team of 15. He developed a plan for workforce training, reporting, and document management.
Briefings
Working with FBI Director Robert Mueller, he created briefings and presentations. Vice President Dick Cheney, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card received briefings. Kiper briefed congressional committees.
VCF User Training Report
Kiper and his team wrote the Virtual Case File (VCF) project. It was later re-branded as Sentinel, the FBI’s current case management system.
The core members of the VCF User Advocacy Group.
Kiper went back to Miami .
Acting Supervisory Special Agent
Aug 2004-Jun 2005: 11months
Miami Field Office, Miami, Florida
Kiper supervised a squad of Special Agents and professional support employees. He managed cases investigating internet fraud, telemarketing fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering.
Next, he went to San Salvador.
Assistant Legal Attache
Jun 2005 – Aug 2007: 2 years and 3months
U.S. Embassy, San Salvador, El Salvador
Kiper acted as liaison for the FBI and El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize. He worked to complete investigative leads and information requests, especially transnational street gangs. He investigated six American citizen kidnappings.
He created a Gang Problem Inventory to track US funding in Central America. He trained the Salvadoran National Police in witness security.
ILEA San Salvador Witness Protection July 16-20, 2007
ILEA San Salvador Witness Protection
Kiper went back to Miami.
Special Agent, Confidential Human Source Coordinator
Handled 600 Informants
Aug 2007 – Nov 2008: 1 year and 4 months
Miami Field Office, Miami, Florida
Kiper coordinated the safe and legal operation of more than 600 FBI informants in the Southern District of Florida.
Special Agent, Computer Forensic Examiner
Nov 2008 – April 2011: 2 years and 6 months
Miami Field Office, Miami Florida
Certified as an FBI Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) forensic examiner, he employed:
collection,
write-blocking,
preservation,
examination,
extraction,
analysis,
presentation of digital evidence for court proceedings.
He consulted with agents and prosecutors. He provided technical, legal, and investigative advice and evidence for national security investigations. He also developed the Miami CART logo.
. 
CART Shark Logo
Kiper created this logo for the Miami Computer Analysis Response Team (CART). The ones and zeros in the background are binary code for “BYTE ME.”
Unit Chief, Senior FBI Manager
April 2011 – Jul 2013: 2 years and 4 months
FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia
Promoted to GS-15, a senior manager, Kiper taught at the FBI academy. He supervised instructors and the curriculum for the FBI New Agent Training Program. He served as Leadership Coordinator for the FBI Academy. In addition, he was an advanced instructor in the FBI Instructor Development Program. He trained instructors and supervised curriculum at the FBI National Academy in:
financial investigations,
investigative processes,
cybercrime,
counterterrorism,
counterintelligence.
As a Unit Chief in the FBI Academy, Dr. Kiper launched specialized training for all new FBI employees. The landmark project is Sentinel.
Sentinel ended the FBI’s 100-year-old paper-based filing system. Kiper brought the FBI into the 21st century with this electronic system.
The FBI and the Department of Defense assigned him to develop and deliver cybercrime investigation training to:
Albania,
Bosnia,
Singapore,
Moldova,
Georgia,
Bulgaria,
Colombia,
Serbia,
Azerbaijan,
Saudi Arabia,
Philippines
Cybersecurity Training
Dr. Kiper taught cyber investigators in the FBI Cyber Division. He taught digital forensic examiners for the FBI Operational Technology Division. He taught FBI forensic examiners how to train forensic examiners. He was a “trainer of trainers.”
With Director Comey in Riyadh
Teaching ISD to Prince Naif Academy
A diagram Kiper proposed to the FBI Academy executive management when he served as a Unit Chief in the Investigative Training Unit (ITU) in the Instruction Section (IS).
High-profile Child Pornographer Case #2
While Kiper spent much of his career teaching, he was called on by the FBI to handle tough forensic cases.
In 2012, James ‘Dub’ Maines was Rep. Joe Barton’s deputy district director. Maines attempted to send child pornography from his personal email to his US government email account. AOL blocked the email.
The FBI assigned Dr. Kiper to take charge of forensics. Kiper determined browser history, application data, logs, file system metadata and registry artifacts. He demonstrated how and when Maines opened his email. Kiper constructed timelines showing when Maines downloaded attachments and opened images. Painstaking investigation led to the discovery of 17 images involving children. One of them was a prepubescent girl performing various sex acts.
Maines planned to fight the case. Kiper created 150 exhibits to support his expert testimony at trial. The day before the trial, Maines changed his plea to guilty. The judge sentenced Marnes to five years in prison in March 2016.
Special Agent, Computer Forensic Examiner, and Instructor
Jul 2013 – Jul 2019: 6 years and 1 month
Miami Field Office, Miramar, Florida
He served as an FBI Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) forensic examiner and Acting Supervisory Special Agent of the Miami CART squad.
He taught cybersecurity and digital forensics at the Prince Naif Security College in Saudi Arabia. It was one of the last courses he taught for the FBI.
QCPD Cybersecurity Course
He trained the Quezon City Police Department in the Philippines in
Networking Fundamentals,
Online Digital Evidence,
Online Safety and Undercover Operations,
Basic Forensics,
Potential Bomber Case Study
Quezon City PD Writeblocking Demo
Extortion of Ivan Aguilera Case #3
In February 2017, Ivan Aguilera, the son of the late Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, contacted the FBI. Brigith Gomez and Carolina Roldan threatened to release damaging photos and videos of him. They asked for $50,000.
The FBI arranged for Aguilar to pay Gomez’s flight to Miami to pick up the cash. Instead, the FBI arrested her at the airport. Following her arrest, Gomez consented to a search of her cell phone.
The FBI assigned Kiper to extract evidence. He found written and audio communications between Gomez and Roldan. They suggested the women coordinated an extortionate plan. Aguilar received a threat via text.
Rolden took a plea deal. Gomez went to trial. She claimed her trip to Miami had nothing to do with collecting money from Aguilar.
Kiper testified about how he extracted text messages. Much of the evidence provided by Kiper clarified texts. He interpreted them, using his fluency in Spanish, to make it clear to the jury. Gomez’s written text messages proved she hatched an extortionate plot.
The jury found Gomez guity. The judge sentenced her to prison.
Wannacry Ransomware Attack Case #4
May 2017- Wannacry ransomware infected organizations running unpatched versions of specific Windows operating systems. The FBI tasked Dr. Kiper to travel to the country believed to contain the first victim of the infection. Dr. Kiper found that the country’s intelligence agency disconnected all the targeted computers. One laptop, however, was still on battery power.
Dr. Kiper collected its live random access memory (RAM) and duplicated all the hard drives. The RAM analysis proved key to identifying the methods and identity of the attacker. The Trump administration identified North Korea as the attacker on December 18, 2017.
The MAGA Bomber Case #5
October 22 to November 1, 2018: Cesar Sayoc mailed 16 pipe bombs to 13 famous critics of President Trump. The FBI arrested Sayoc.
Dr. Kiper processed digital evidence items belonging to Sayoc including his smart phone. He found Sayoc had searched for and located addresses of people who could be targets with packages en route. He arranged with FBI headquarters to warn the potential targeted individuals. Sayoc plead guilty to 65 counts and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Many of the anti-Raniere brigade, of which I am a charter member, discount Kiper. His career at the FBI, they say, is unremarkable.
The FBI likely tampered with evidence, according to Kiper. Tampering with evidence does not concern the brigade. Their concern is that Raniere remain in prison.
Funny, I am part of the reason Raniere is in prison. My point is not about whether Raniere is innocent or guilty. It’s not about freeing him. The tampering may mean that the FBI could not prove Camila’s exploitation. Camila did not testify at trial. She hid from the FBI.
Now she is willing to testify. This means that Raniere is likely to remain behind bars. If the FBI tampered with Camila’s photos, the Feds could charge him again. They don’t need the same photos. They have Camila.
Still, I’m interested in hearing what Kiper has to say. I want to find out if our servants, the FBI, have criminals among their ranks. You might be the one they target one day
The brigade will fight tooth and nail to prevent the investigation. They mock the experts and anyone who thinks two things could be true. Like Raniere could be guilty, and the FBI wanted to make sure.
Dr. J. Richard Kiper testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Kiper has earned several designations.
Credentials
Computer Forensic Examiner
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Advanced Instructor
FBI Instructor Development Program
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute
Demonstrate extensive knowledge and mastery of project management concepts, tasks, and techniques.
GIAC Gold Research Paper
Demonstrates subject mastery through in-depth technical research and the writing of a peer-reviewed paper.
GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics (GASF)
GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst
Demonstrated ability to configure and monitor intrusion detection systems, read, interpret, and analyze network traffic and related log files. Qqualified for security roles related to network and host monitoring, traffic analysis, and intrusion detection.
GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct formal incident investigations and advanced incident handling scenarios, including internal and external data breach intrusions, advanced persistent threats, anti-forensic techniques used by attackers, and complex digital forensic cases. Qualified to work in information security, computer forensics, and incident response fields.|
GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
Demonstrated ability to manage security incidents and defend against attacks. It focuses on methods used to detect, respond and resolve computer security incidents.
GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)
Demonstrated ability to conduct incident investigations including e-Discovery, forensic analysis and reporting, evidence acquisition, browser forensics, and tracing user and application activities on Windows systems.
GIAC Critical Controls
Demonstrated skills to implement and execute Critical Security Controls recommended by the Council on Cybersecurity, and perform audits.
GIAC Security Essentials
Qualified for hands-on responsibilities within IT system security roles.
