Investigators of the Year
Matthew Szustowicz and Luis Tomlinson
State Troopers, New Jersey State Police
I respectfully request that Troopers Matthew Szustowicz #6930 and Trooper Luis Tomlinson #6932 be considered for the 2008 Federal Law Enforcement Foundation Award for their valor in the line of duty as depicted below. On July 28, 2006. Trooper Matthew Szustowicz #6930, and Trooper Luis Tomlinson #6932, graduated from the 145th New Jersey State Police Class just two badge numbers apart. They were initially assigned at different stations. Twenty-one months later, they were together again, assigned on the same squad at Troop "A " Woodstown Station in rural Salem County, New Jersey. On April 19, 2008, at 3:30 in the morning, Troopers Szustowicz and Tomlinson were on patrol together. They were traveling East bound on Route 40 in Upper Pittsgrove Township, when two vehicles traveling in the opposite direction, passed by them at an extremely high rate of speed. Trooper Szustowicz turned the marked Troop car around and attempted to close the distance on the two target vehicles. The vehicles continued to travel at a high rate of speed on Route 40, through the Borough of Woodstown, and then onto State Highway 45 into Mannington Township. A look up on the license plate of the second vehicle, a green Chevrolet Cavalier, revealed that it was reported stolen out of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, on April 13, 2008. The troopers continued to pursue this vehicle. The lead vehicle had sped off out of sight. As the Troopers had caught up to the rear of the stolen Chevy Cavalier, it slowed down to about 35 miles per hour in front of a farmhouse located at 741 Route 45, Mannington Township, Salem County, New Jersey. The sole occupant and driver, later identified as 19 year old Curtis Boyd, from Newark, Delaware, climbed across the front seat, and jumped from the passenger door of the moving vehicle. He then ran toward a barn on the farm property. The vehicle traveled across the highway and came to rest in a farm field. Trooper Tomlinson was immediately able to exit the passenger side of the troop car and pursue the suspect on foot. The suspect ran into a dark lean-to shed on the farm property with Trooper Tomlinson quickly closing ground. Trooper Szustowicz felt it best to position himself at the rear of the bam that the shed was attached to, and prepared for the suspect to exit. As Trooper Tomlinson entered the dark lean-to shed, he heard the suspect rustling in the far comer. As he approached the comer where he heard the noise, the suspect immediately discharged one round from a handgun. Trooper Tomlinson heard a loud boom and saw an orange flash. The round struck Trooper Tomlinson on his left cheek and ear. Trooper Tomlinson, obviously shocked, and in extreme pain from the bullet wound, was still able to maintain his composure. He relied on his survival training, and quickly went into a self-defense mode because he knew the suspect had a gun and was willing to use it. Trooper Tomlinson quickly gained control of the suspect by physically wrestling him to the ground. Trooper Tomlinson fought for his life by maintaining control over the suspect's body knowing the gun was trapped beneath the suspect's body while he was face down on the ground. The suspect was trying to roll and Trooper Tomlinson knew he could not allow the suspect to break free from his control. Blood from the gun shot wound was pouring down Trooper Tomlinson's face, and into his mouth. He was also having a hard time hearing because of the close proximity of the blast, and the gunshot wound to his ear. Upon hearing a gun shot, Trooper Szustowicz immediately rushed to the aid of Trooper Tomlinson not knowing if anyone had been shot. Trooper Szustowicz observed Trooper Tomlinson on top of the suspect. He also saw the suspect's left arm underneath his body. Trooper Szustowicz tried to pull the left arm out, and after numerous attempts to gain possession of the gun, the suspect would not comply to the Troopers' order to release the gun. Trooper Tomlinson feared for his own life, and for Trooper Szustowicz's life, because the suspect was attempting to free his arm so he could shoot the troopers. Trooper Tomlinson fired one round from his issued weapon, killing the suspect. In doing so, the round accidentally traveled through Trooper Szustowicz's right wrist before it entered the suspect. Trooper Szustowiez, now in great pain, and without the use of his right hand, and not knowing the suspect was dead, was able to maintain his composure. He quickly grabbed the suspect's Glock handgun that was now next to the subject, and threw it aside. Trooper Szustowicz then grabbed the suspect's left wrist and cuffed it. Trooper Tomlinson pulled the suspect's right wrist back and joined it to the suspect's handcuffed left wrist. It was at this point when both Troopers realized the other had been shot, and the suspect had expired. Both wounded troopers were immediately transported by Trooper James Brook #6283 to the Memorial Hospital of Salem County. They were treated for the gun shot wounds they sustained during this incident. Trooper Szustowicz was later flown to Cooper Hospital for additional treatment and surgery upon his right hand. Trooper Tomlinson was released from the Memorial Hospital of Salem County after receiving numerous sutures for a severe laceration caused by the bullet to the left side of his face and ear. Troopers Szustowicz and Tomlinson's bravery and decisive action in the face of grave danger brought great honor upon themselves and the Division of State Police. They exhausted all physical means to gain control of the suspect's gun before having to resort to deadly force. Their physical and mental ability to survive this deadly encounter with only 21 months of service, truly embody the New Jersey State Police core values of Honor, Duty and Fidelity.
Philip A. Swabsin
Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Division
SA Swabsin is the case agent of the investigation targeting Islamic extremist Oussama Kassir. Kassir was indicted, along with two other co-conspirators, Abu Hamza Al-Masri and Haroon Rashid Aswat, on multiple terrorism counts including an attempt to establish a jihad training camp in the Pacific Northwest in late 1999, and posting jihad material, including explosives manuals, on the internet. SA Swabsin single-handedly reviewed eight computer hard- drives previously used by Kassir, seizing thousands of files from each hard-drive, and coordinating the detailed search warrant return for each with the SDNY. SA Swabsin spearheaded the review of hundreds of floppy discs and compact discs previously used by Kassir, again seizing thousands of files from these floppy and compact discs and coordinating the detailed search warrant return with the SDNY. SA Swabsin coordinated Kassir's successful extradition from the Czech Republic to the U.S. in late 2007, which included significant liaison/coordination activity with FBIHQ, SDNY, DOJ, multiple LEGATS, U.S. Marshal's Service, Bureau of Prisons, multiple local/state police agencies in New York, and foreign services in Sweden, England, and the Czech Republic. Following Kassir's extradition, SA Swabsin led the FBI's massive effort to identify, copy, and turn over to defense all discoverable material. This effort required extensive coordination with SDNY, DOJ, multiple LEGATS, multiple FBI Field Offices, multiple U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and multiple foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The material turned over to-date includes thousands of documents, hundreds of floppy and compact discs, and numerous computer hard-drives.