DoJ Responds to FOIA Appeal, Directs FBI to Search Further for Lash Files

A May 10 email from the Department of Justice stated my appeal for files on Jeffrey Alan Lash "has been processed with the following final disposition: completely reversed/remanded." The email was from the DoJ Office of Information Policy and addressed an appeal filed due to the FBI previously reporting requested records were unable to be identified. From the DoJ email:

Readers will recall my post on the Lash case summarized the 2015 story of a man found dead in a vehicle in the Los Angeles upscale community of Pacific Palisades. The bizarre saga involved a stash of millions of dollars in weapons and ammo, about a quarter of a million dollars in cash, and testimonies that the deceased had claimed to be an ET-human hybrid working with U.S. intelligence agencies, among other odd plot twists. The post went on to become my most viewed by far, and continues to consistently be among the most viewed per week in spite of having been posted two years ago.

Outside Pacific Palisades condo where Lash reportedly lived
in what an LA police captain called the worst case of
weapons hoarding she'd seen in her 27-year law enforcement career  

My initial FOIA request to the FBI for records on the Lash case was filed in 2016. I was subsequently informed by the Bureau in a letter dated Dec. 15, 2016, that records were unable to be identified, but it was added that the "response neither confirms nor denies the existence of your subject's name on any watch lists." It was also clarified to be a standard notification "and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist."

The letter further stated, "If you have additional information pertaining to the subject that you believe was of investigative interest to the Bureau, please provide us the details and we will conduct an additional search."

I subsequently wrote, in part, in an appeal dated Feb. 1, 2017:

I therefore point out 'The Guardian', in an article dated July 23, 2015, reported the late Mr. Lash believed he "was a secret government operative under constant surveillance by the CIA, the FBI or both." The article may be viewed at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/23/jeffrey-alan-lash-firearms-spy

Similarly, 'The Washington Times' reported Lash identified himself to neighbors as "Bob Smith" and "claimed to have worked for either the FBI or CIA." The July 23, 2015, article may be viewed at:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/23/jeffrey-alan-lash-space-alien-secret-agent-dead/

'The Los Angeles Times' and many other media outlets reported similar circumstances. Files available for release are therefore requested on any investigations the Bureau may have conducted of Jeffrey Alan Lash, as well as any interest in or relationships with Lash.

Let's hope a further search for responsive records at the FBI turns up something interesting and available for release. For those of you following the political sword rattling taking place between the White House and FBI, it might be worth noting that the letter received in the May 10 email was actually contained in a pdf, and was dated March 23. For whatever reasons, the March letter was not emailed until the day after former Director James Comey was fired. I mention this because it might or might not indicate ripples of the political turbulence reach throughout the FOIA staff and process in some manner. 

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View previous posts on the Jeffrey Alan Lash case and my related FOIA requests

FOIA Rundown

In the post below I'll summarize the contents and status of some of my requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I'll also share some links I hope you'll find useful.

Joint Security Control

I submitted a rather lengthy and detailed request on Joint Security Control (JSC) records from 1946-47 pertaining to deception operations, among other items. The request was filed Sep. 6, 2016, to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which quickly issued a negative response Sep. 27. An appeal is currently pending. 

At his blog Anachronism, James Carrion made a series of posts in August and September of 2016 in which he explored the JSC and its implementation of deception operations during the 1946-47 time frame. The era was of course a boom for what became high profile UFO cases.

James called on researchers to join his attempts to further understand details of circumstances surrounding the JSC. I deemed it a worthy request, given the existence of declassified documents establishing that the U.S. intelligence community explored the topic of UFOs as a psychological propaganda and warfare tool. 

Along with JSC records of 1946-47 deception operations, my Sep. 6 FOIA submission also included similar such files of the Plans and Operations Division of the War Department. NARA Archivist Mr. R.E. Cookson wrote in part in his Sep. 27 response:

[Y]our request consists of topics rather than describing specific documents, and therefore is not reasonably specific enough for us to be in a position to easily locate documents responsive to your request. A preliminary search of the finding aids that are available to us reveals that your request could contain information in any one of 4 record groups. 

I appealed the response, citing the existence of documents already establishing the purposes in creating the JSC included the design and implementation of deception operations. That being the case, I requested further consideration be given to how a researcher might otherwise learn about such established operations than request their files. The appeal was submitted in October and I am awaiting a response.

Here's how you can help: Submit FOIA requests on the JSC.

For example, the May, 1947, revised JSC charter could be cited. As James Carrion wrote:

In May of 1947, JSC received a revised charter, one that authorized it to continue its deception mission not just under wartime conditions but also during times of peace. JSC was tasked with preventing important military information from falling into the hands of the enemy, to control classified information through proper security classification, to correlate, maintain and disseminate all of the information furnished to JSC by the War and Navy Department Bureau of Public Relations, and finally the very important mission of cover and deception planning and implementation.

Several additional docs establishing JSC involvement in deception operations may be found in posts by James. I encourage you to cite such documents, and request files on the specific operations referenced therein.

Requests of this nature might best be submitted to the National Archives and Records Administration due to the age of the records. You may file via email at specialaccess_foia@nara.gov and learn more here. For those unfamiliar with the process, a sample FOIA letter is provided at the bottom of the page linked.

Whatever the JSC operations may have involved, I see no good reasons researchers should avert from further study. Even those who suspect the government intentionally covered up an ET presence and/or UFO-related data should seek supporting evidence in files of the JSC, a high level unit specifically tasked with controlling and classifying important information.

I encourage you to submit requests and seek answers. Let us know how it goes!

Jeffrey Alan Lash

As many readers are aware, I've submitted a number of information requests to various agencies about the Jeffrey Alan Lash case. The latest correspondence comes from an exchange with the CIA. On Feb. 21, Acting Information and Privacy Coordinator Allison Fong wrote in part:

After conducting a search reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents, we did not locate any responsive records that would reveal an openly acknowledged CIA affiliation with the subject.

To the extent that your request also seeks records that would reveal a classified association between the CIA and the subject, if any exist, we can neither confirm nor deny having such records... If a classified association between the subject and this organization were to exist, records revealing such a relationship would be properly classified and require continued safeguards against unauthorized disclosure. You may consider this finding a denial of this portion of your request... 

I think that's a reasonable ruling, all things considered. Much more so than the response to the original FOIA request in which CIA Information and Privacy Coordinator Michael Lavergne indicated it could be difficult for him to identify files on who I was asking about. 

Of all the agencies, I'm probably most disappointed in the LAPD lack of transparency in its investigation of the case. I find it particularly concerning when we can't count on police departments to help clarify actuality. The Loveland (Colorado) Police Department, for example, was very helpful in 2014 when I requested files on Stan Romanek's claims of being assaulted. In relatively short order I was provided records indicating detectives strongly suspected Romanek staged the scene of the alleged assault. 

The last line out at this point on Lash is to the FBI. The Bureau is yet to rule on my appeal of its initial response of having no files on Jeffrey Alan Lash.

Gulf Breeze Six

I've so far filed a total of six FOIA requests on the Gulf Breeze Six, four in February and two more in March. Two were sent to the NSA and Army Office of the Inspector General. I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review of the file referenced by Philip Coppens. The late writer and researcher explained how 1400 of the file's 1600 pages were originally withheld, so I'm hoping more of it will now be declassified and released. 

Requests were also submitted to the CIA and FBI in the hopes relevant records will be declassified. Both agencies were reported by newspapers to have been involved in the detention and interrogation of the six. I invited consideration the group became public figures, as such status may in some cases result in making more information available. All of the requests included supporting materials.

The FBI is the only agency to respond as of yet. It declined to release any records, suggesting more evidence of public notoriety was required. I replied, offering copies of web pages that establish Vance Davis (of the GB6) wrote a book about the ordeal, spoke publicly at conferences, conducted written and live interviews, and that the saga was widely covered by the media, among other citations provided. I'm awaiting a ruling on the appeal.

The final two FOIA requests were inspired by a discussion at Above Top Secret and submitted to the NSA and Army IG. I requested copies of the original mysterious message and accompanying photos sent to the Army and media outlets as reported in a story published in the Aug. 16, 1990, edition of the Gulf Breeze Sentinel and titled, Did mysterious note influence release of Gulf Breeze Six?. 

As Gordon Miller explained in a 1994 published email:

From the Gulf Breeze SENTINEL, August 16, 1990.

Brief article entitle [sic] "Did mysterious note influence release of Gulf Breeze Six?"

In full:

An interesting piece of the puzzle of the six army deserters who
showed up in Gulf Breeze, were arrested by the FBI, were taken to Fort Benning and Fort Knox, and then were released with General Discharges, has here-to-for not been shared with the general public.

That puzzle piece came in the form of of an unsigned typewritten
note presumbably [sic] sent to the US Army and all the major TV networks and wire services demanding the release of "The Gulf Breeze Six."

The note was accompanied by two photographs [Ed. note: of circular objects in the air that some people might refer to as "UFOs", which I cannot repreoduce. (sic)] and threatened the release of "500+ photos and plans you want back... unless they are released.."

The note ended "Answer code AUGSBB3CM"

Mark Curtis at WEAR Channel 3 first shared this intriguing note with
The Sentinel two days before the announcement that the Gulf Breeze Six were discharged from the Army and released.

The photos shown here [Ed. note: Well...*there* anyway.] are courtesy of Les Sinclair at WALA TV 10 and appear to be the same ones sent to WEAR.

The article concludes with an apparent photocopy of the note in question which reads, in its entirety:

ABC, NBC, CBS, AP, UPI

U.S. Army:

Free the Gulf Breeze Six.

We have the missing plans, the box of 500+ photos and the plans you want back.

Here is proof with close-ups cut out.

Next we send the closeups and then everything unless they are released.

Answer code AUGSBB3CM

You may submit FOIA requests online to the NSA. Requests to the Army IG may be submitted via email, and you can learn more at the website. 

Let us know how your FOIA efforts go, if you bear any results, and related thoughts. Happy hunting!  

Lash Files Remain Elusive

My latest efforts to obtain official files on the case of Jeffrey Alan Lash included FOIA requests submitted to the FBI and CIA. In December I received a response from Section Chief David M. Hardy of the Department of Justice Office of Government Information Services. It was regarding the request to the FBI.

Section Chief Hardy explained records responsive to my request were unable to be identified, adding that his "response neither confirms nor denies the existence of your subject's name on any watch lists." He further stated it was a standard notification "and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist."

Hey, thanks! 

In Hardy's defense, the FBI may very well have no files on Jeffrey Alan Lash. Hardy clarified that if I had additional information "pertaining to the subject that you believe was of investigative interest to the Bureau, please provide us the details and we will conduct an additional search." That's apparently above and beyond Lash's name and a summary of key aspects of the case as initially provided. 

I therefore offered in response an article published by The Guardian reporting the deceased Lash had claimed to believe he "was a secret government operative under constant surveillance by the CIA, the FBI or both." I also provided a Washington Times article indicating Lash identified himself to neighbors as "Bob Smith" and "claimed to have worked for either the FBI or CIA." Both articles were published July 23, 2015. Many similar sources could easily be cited.

That being the case, I reiterated my request for files available for release on any investigations the Bureau may have conducted on Jeffrey Alan Lash. I also requested records reflecting any interest in or relationships with Lash. We'll see what happens next.

Ceramic artwork depicting Don Quixote titling at windmills,
Columbia Restaurant, Tampa

Oh, That Jeffrey Alan Lash

The CIA was more rigid while sending me nothing. A January letter from Information and Privacy Coordinator Michael Lavergne explained, "Although you have provided some of the identifying information required before we can effectively search our files on an individual, we still need additional data before we can begin processing your request." Lavergne further stated the Agency requires some evidence of Lash's death. Also required is Lash's date and place of birth, as well as date and place of death, which, by the way, some of actually was provided in the initial request. 

"Without this data," Lavergne wrote, "we may be unable to distinguish between individuals with the same or similar names."

My bad. There's probably a truckload of files on Jeffrey Alan Lashes who claimed they were ET-human hybrids on the CIA payroll before they died and were left by women to decompose in cars in Pacific Palisades. I'll try to be more specific in my followup.

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Related posts:

Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange Case of Jeffrey Alan Lash

LAPD Denies Request for Lash Files

LAPD: Lash Files Will Not Be Releasable

LAPD: Lash Files Will Not Be Releasable

The late Jeffrey Alan Lash

I spoke by phone today with Jennifer Trinidad of the Los Angeles Police Department Discovery Section. She was identified as a point of contact in my recently received letter denying my request for the files on Jeffrey Alan Lash. 

I called to inquire if there was some type of process, such as a waiting list of sorts, whereby I could be informed when the files, currently not releasable, might become available for release. I was hopeful that might help both LAPD and me save time and effort from dealing with my possible future requests for the files.

Trinidad informed me that the classification of the Lash files, "investigatory," means they will not be made releasable in the future. I clarified that covered all files and reports, including even initial documentation of the circumstances, which she confirmed was indeed the case. I was free to make future requests if I so chose, Trinidad explained, but the files would not be releasable. An option would be to attempt to subpoena the files, but it was clear we should not anticipate the information becoming releasable by the LAPD. 

LAPD Denies Request for Lash Files

The Los Angeles Police Department denied a request for the release of files related to the case of Jeffrey Alan Lash submitted under the California Public Records Act. The deceased body of Lash was discovered by LAPD in a parked vehicle in Pacific Palisades, and a rather incredible story of weapons, cars, cash, CIA operatives and ET-human hybrids proceeded to unfold. LAPD indicated the denial was issued because the request sought "records that are either investigatory records or properly part of an investigative file," adding that such files are exempt from disclosure.

My request, submitted February 26 to the LAPD Discovery Section, stated in part:

I am requesting copies of files available for release related to the discovery of the body of Jeffrey Alan Lash. The corpse was discovered by police on or about July 17, 2015 in Pacific Palisades. Of particular interest are files depicting investigations and conclusions of circumstances surrounding the deceased, but all records and files related to the Lash case available for release are requested.

The LAPD response, received by email March 7, explained:

The Los Angeles Police Department is cognizant of its responsibilities under the Act. It recognizes the statutory scheme was enacted in order to maximize citizen access to the workings of government. The Act does not mandate disclosure of all documents within the government's possession. Rather, by specific exemption and reference to other statutes, the Act recognizes that there are boundaries where the public's right to access must be balanced against such weighty considerations as the right of privacy, a right of constitutional dimension under California Constitution, Article 1, Section 1. The law also exempts from disclosure records that are privileged or confidential or otherwise exempt under either express provisions of the Act or pursuant to applicable federal or state law, per California Government Code Sections 6254(b); 6254(c); 62540; 6254(k); and 6255. 

Your request seeks records that are either investigatory records or properly part of an investigative file. In accordance with Section 62540, records of investigations conducted by, or investigatory files compiled by, any local police agency for law enforcement purposes, are exempt from disclosure. Therefore, I am denying your request.

I suspect there may be ongoing aspects of the investigation which would contribute to the decision to retain all files. Perhaps submitting the request again at a later date would be more productive, or making similar requests to additional agencies under the Freedom of Information Act would eventually reveal more information. 

Researchers wishing to email information requests to LAPD may do so at discovery@lapd.lacity.org, and the Discovery Section may be reached by telephone at 213-978-2100. Read more about the California Public Records Act on the LAPD website.     

Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange Case of Jeffrey Alan Lash

Jeffrey Alan Lash,
2010 Cal. DL photo

On or about July 17, police retrieved the deceased body of Jeffrey Alan Lash from a vehicle parked in Pacific Palisades, Cal. The story soon broke that two women, Catherine Nebron and Dawn VadBunker, parked the car where it was discovered with the corpse inside. Attorney Harland Braun had apparently informed authorities of its location. 

Braun was hired by Nebron and described her as Lash's longtime fiancee. Braun informed the media that Nebron and her employee and assistant, VadBunker, were with Lash on July 4 when he died of causes brought on by terminal illness. They were reportedly in a grocery store parking lot at the time. 

After Lash died, the women reportedly relocated the vehicle, left the body in it and fled to Oregon. Braun stated the two did so for reasons including they believed Lash was an ET-human hybrid working for US intelligence agencies, and that his contacts would soon retrieve the body. They reportedly opted to not seek medical treatment for the dying man for similar reasons, and maintained they were following his prearranged instructions. It would later surface that at least one additional party may have also been with the two women, and the grocery store where the man was said to have died was, oddly enough, frequented by Whitley Strieber.

Nebron returned to the Los Angeles area from Oregon approximately twelve days later to find the remains of Lash still sitting undiscovered in the vehicle. It was apparently then that she contacted Braun for assistance and legal representation, and the attorney notified authorities of the body.

Police subsequently searched a condo owned by Nebron and reported to be the residence of her and Lash, which was located in the vicinity of where she and VadBunker left the car containing the corpse. The search resulted in the confiscation of some 1200 guns, additional weapons and literally tons of ammo estimated to be worth several million dollars. The two-bedroom, 2,000 square-foot condo was located in a relatively exclusive area and was valued at $750,000 to $1 million. Every room of the structure was reportedly stacked to the ceiling with guns and boxes of gun accessories, more weapons, such as machetes and bows, and cases of ammo. Police filled the driveway and a nearby alley with items brought out of the condo. An LA police captain described the scene as the worst case of weapons hoarding she had ever seen in her 27-year law enforcement career. Some $230,000 in cash was confiscated from the condo and reportedly counted in a neighbor's garage.

Media reports described neighbors as saying Lash occasionally claimed he was an intelligence operative, and neighbors also stated they did not know how the condo became filled with weapons and boxes. They had not noticed how all the items were delivered to the residence. 

Lash was additionally reported to have owned many vehicles, one of which was described as an SUV equipped to drive underwater. VadBunker's husband, Jim Curry, told reporters the woman's job entailed renting garages all over Southern California to store what he described as Lash's dozens of vehicles. The story, Curry explained, was that Lash was CIA and had other agents who might need vehicles on a whim. 

Online sleuths and interested parties began uncovering more info about VadBunker, including an odd letter she wrote to her parents, in which the woman described her recent actions as having been for the good of the world. VadBunker's mother, Laura VadBunker, corroborated existence of the hybrid story to the media, stating that the entire episode was "worse than a Twilight Zone movie." 

"He was part alien and part human and was out to save the world," Laura VadBunker added.

Also introduced in the online community was a suspicious alleged legal doc interpreted to have been posted by the younger VadBunker, establishing her as a member of the VadBunker family, but its origins and purposes were not entirely clear. While investigating the document, an individual using the screen name SysConfig subsequently identified the judge who allegedly signed it as having been retired prior to its creation date, further calling its authenticity into question.

SysConfig identified a unit neighboring the condo owned by Nebron as owned by Assistant District Attorney Whelma T. Llanos and attorney Dominic J. Messiha. The unit owned by Llanos was near the condo where Nebron and Lash reportedly resided and the weapons stash was confiscated, and it may possibly have been Llanos' garage where the nearly quarter of a million dollars was counted. SysConfig notified a news outlet which had previously covered the story. A response was received, but no particular interest was demonstrated by the outlet in the irony of an Assistant DA possibly being a neighbor of Lash and Nebron.

Authorities have not yet reported results of their investigations into the origins of the weapons, cash and additional items taken into custody. When all the dust settles, the legal status of the weapons and cash will prove to be key aspects of this truly bizarre story. The intentions of the various people involved, their lines of work, and the purposes of their actions and statements may never be entirely clear, only whether or not police ever file any charges against any of them. At this point, foul play is not suspected in the death of Jeffrey Alan Lash, whoever and whatever he may have actually been in life.   


UPDATES:

LAPD: Lash Files Will Not Be Releasable, 'The UFO Trail', March 15, 2016

LAPD Denies Request for Lash Files, 'The UFO Trail', March 7, 2016