Question: “Why were there FBI agents at a Mansfield hotel on Trimble Road on Wednesday morning?”
MANSFIELD — That’s a great question, one to which we wish we could provide a better answer.
Unlike local law enforcement agencies, federal authorities are more likely to be more secretive about their activities until an operation is complete, even if those actions are seen by the public.
After readers tipped Richland Source on Wednesday morning about the activity at a hotel at 500 N. Trimble Road, we contacted Mansfield police chief Jason Bammann for insights.
However, the chief said MPD merely supplied additional manpower and that any information about the operation would have to come from the FBI.
The FBI used to have a local agent in Mansfield, someone who had a relationship with local media and could provide at least some answers when operations were conducted.
For many years, that agent was LaVern C. “Smokey” Stover, who retired in 1986 after 35 years with the bureau. He died at age 71 in 2003.
We called the phone number for a local Mansfield FBI office. It’s no longer working.
These days, all media inquires have to go to the FBI’s office in Cleveland.
We called and also emailed the FBI public affairs office to ask what, if anything, was happening in Mansfield on Wednesday morning.
Susan Licate, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Dept. of Justice/FBI in Cleveland, was polite, but not overly helpful.
“I can confirm the FBI was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity in the area of Trimble Road, Mansfield earlier today, and there is no threat to public safety. As in any given matter, if charges are filed, they will eventually become a matter of public record,” Licate responded via an email.
Based on her response, that the agents were conducting “court-authorized law enforcement activity,” we tried again and asked if search warrants were served. We asked how many agents were involved. We asked what time the operation occurred. We told her there is a great deal of public interest when the FBI is visibly working in Mansfield.
Licate’s emailed reply was curt.
“I don’t have anything additional to share at this time,” she wrote.
We will continue to follow the FBI investigation through public records requests and by monitoring the federal court system through its Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) online system.
Until then, thanks for a great question. And we apologize we don’t have a better answer today.