FBI File Frustrations

[Snakes]

I feel your pain, cavita. The only person I know of who sued and won was Angela Clemente, who had a high-powered lawyer who was an expert in the FOIPA law. She obtained the release of the Greg Scarpa files, but they were still heavily redacted.

I think she appealed it and got a second batch with less redactions, but they still take out too much.

What's the proper route when filing an appeal? Just typing a letter saying, "Hey, these records are 30 years old, what ongoing investigation could it jeopardize?"

I can help you out, check your PM.

Hey snakes can you PM me what to exactly state regarding appeals for future searches ? I FOIA requested files on Lufthansa suspect Angelo Sepe, it has been granted still waiting on files though, been like 9 months already.

That's a normal waiting time for files, especially for requests of a broad nature. Wait and see what you get before going through the trouble of appealing.

[Lefty_Ruggiero]

I feel your pain, cavita. The only person I know of who sued and won was Angela Clemente, who had a high-powered lawyer who was an expert in the FOIPA law. She obtained the release of the Greg Scarpa files, but they were still heavily redacted.

I think she appealed it and got a second batch with less redactions, but they still take out too much.

What's the proper route when filing an appeal? Just typing a letter saying, "Hey, these records are 30 years old, what ongoing investigation could it jeopardize?"

I can help you out, check your PM.

Hey snakes can you PM me what to exactly state regarding appeals for future searches ? I FOIA requested files on Lufthansa suspect Angelo Sepe, it has been granted still waiting on files though, been like 9 months already.

That's a normal waiting time for files, especially for requests of a broad nature. Wait and see what you get before going through the trouble of appealing.

Understood, they said there were like 14,000 files on him, ordered 999 pages. He was highly profiled around that time. They wanted to get him on Lufthansa Heist. I hope for some juicy stuff in it.

[Snakes]

I feel your pain, cavita. The only person I know of who sued and won was Angela Clemente, who had a high-powered lawyer who was an expert in the FOIPA law. She obtained the release of the Greg Scarpa files, but they were still heavily redacted.

I think she appealed it and got a second batch with less redactions, but they still take out too much.

What's the proper route when filing an appeal? Just typing a letter saying, "Hey, these records are 30 years old, what ongoing investigation could it jeopardize?"

I can help you out, check your PM.

Hey snakes can you PM me what to exactly state regarding appeals for future searches ? I FOIA requested files on Lufthansa suspect Angelo Sepe, it has been granted still waiting on files though, been like 9 months already.

That's a normal waiting time for files, especially for requests of a broad nature. Wait and see what you get before going through the trouble of appealing.

Understood, they said there were like 14,000 files on him, ordered 999 pages. He was highly profiled around that time. They wanted to get him on Lufthansa Heist. I hope for some juicy stuff in it.

Yeah, your best bet would be to narrow it down to a certain time frame. Just ask your assigned agent how you can reduce the scope of your request; normally they are more helpful to people who are more specific in their requests, plus it will be processed quicker.

[cavita]

Well two years and three months later I received my requested FBI file on an LCN member who died in 1980. Though I provided proof of death on nearly 50 associates and members the processor ended up leaving a couple names unredacted and they weren't even names I had included. Though it was nice to have the file it's still frustrating at all the redactions- names and things blacked out even 70 years after the fact.