has anone heard of this type of FBI activity going
on in any other community? i wonder if this is a
"dry run" in a tiny place before it begins to happen
in big cities...?
"When Williams area residents turned on their televisions the morning of Feb. 25, some were stunned to find the airwaves dead. Subscribers of Eagle West Communications, Inc. soon realized their cable had been disconnected.
As part of an ongoing investigation involving the misuse of satellite transmissions, the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the offices of Eagle West Communications, Inc. and Indevideo Cable Co. Feb. 25. As a result, the FBI disrupted service of the two Arizona cable companies. It is unknown how long services will remain unavailable.
Both companies serve Williams and rural northern Arizona. Mesa-based Eagle West has served Williams for several years. While Eagle West does not have an office in Williams, the cable company did maintain a transmission facility off Country Club Road and employed at least one service technician.
The investigation included the execution of search warrants on 21 offices and transmission facilities in Arizona and other states. The FBI advised customers who think their cable broadcast might be re-labeled satellite transmissions to call (602) 294-4190.
The News called the number provided by the FBI and received a message confirming that multiple search warrants had been served on Eagle West and Indevideo Cable. The message asked that callers contact their local cable franchising authority or their current cable company for more information.
A call to Eagle West's main office in Mesa went unanswered.
The Williams Police Department received a courtesy call from the FBI notifying the agency they would be in the area Feb. 25, according to Williams Police Chief Herman Nixon. However, the WPD had no involvement in the search warrant and were not present when the search was executed."
Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:05 pm