AFOSI Special Agent flashcards
AFOSI Special Agent · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Chain of custody
- A documented, unbroken record of every transfer and handling of evidence from seizure to final disposition, used to authenticate evidence and rebut tampering claims.
- Best evidence rule
- FRE 1002 requires the original writing, recording, or photograph to prove its content, unless an exception such as a duplicate or lost original applies.
- FRE 901 authentication
- The proponent must present sufficient evidence for a reasonable juror to conclude an item is what it is claimed to be; chain of custody is one method.
- Biological evidence packaging
- Air-dry biological samples before packaging in paper, keep them cool, and avoid sealing damp material in plastic to prevent degradation and mold.
- Miranda custody trigger
- Warnings are required when a reasonable person would not feel free to leave and questioning is designed to elicit incriminating responses.
- Sixth Amendment attachment
- The right to counsel attaches at formal initiation of adversarial proceedings and is offense-specific, unlike the Fifth Amendment right.
- 18 U.S.C. § 1001
- Criminalizes knowingly false statements in matters within federal jurisdiction; materiality is an element and the statement need not be under oath.
- 18 U.S.C. § 1519
- Prohibits knowingly falsifying or destroying records in a matter within federal jurisdiction, including in anticipation of such a matter.
- 18 U.S.C. § 371
- Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; requires an agreement and an overt act by any conspirator.
- Espionage statute
- 18 U.S.C. § 794 covers gathering or delivering defense information to aid a foreign government, with intent to aid a foreign nation.
- 18 U.S.C. § 793
- Covers unauthorized retention, transmission, or possession of national defense information, including gross negligence in removing documents.
- Classification levels
- Executive Order 13526 establishes Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret; derivative classification requires a classified source and proper marking.
- Insider threat indicators
- Unexplained foreign travel, unusual after-hours access, financial distress, unreported foreign contacts, and attempts to bypass security controls.
- Need-to-know
- A clearance grants eligibility for access, but actual access requires both a valid clearance and a validated need-to-know for the information.
- CFAA
- 18 U.S.C. § 1030 criminalizes unauthorized access to protected computers, exceeding authorized access, and damage to protected computers.
- 18 U.S.C. § 2703
- Governs government access to stored electronic communications; content over 180 days old generally requires a warrant, non-content records a subpoena.
- Order of volatility
- Collect from most volatile (CPU registers, cache, RAM) to least volatile (backups, archival media, printouts) to preserve fragile digital evidence.
- Digital evidence hashing
- Hash the image at acquisition, work from a verified copy, and record the tool version and write-blocker use for later verification.
- Fraud elements
- A false statement of material fact, knowledge of falsity, intent to deceive, justifiable reliance, and resulting loss.
- False Claims Act
- 31 U.S.C. § 3729 prohibits knowingly submitting false claims; qui tam relators may share in recovery, with treble damages and penalties.
- Anti-Kickback Act
- 41 U.S.C. § 8701 et seq. prohibits kickbacks between subcontractors and prime contractors on federal contracts.
- Procurement fraud indicators
- Split purchases below thresholds, change orders after award, unusual sole-source justifications, and bidder rotation.
- 18 U.S.C. § 208
- Disqualifies a federal employee from participating in matters affecting personal financial interests, a core conflict-of-interest rule.
- Cognitive interview
- A recall-enhancement method using context reinstatement, full reporting, changed order, and changed perspective without suggestive questioning.
- Voluntariness of statements
- Promises of leniency and threats can render a statement involuntary; document exact wording of waivers, invocations, and requests for counsel.
- Source motivation assessment
- Evaluate sources for money, revenge, ideology, or coercion, and document reliability and access in a source debriefing report.
- Entrapment defense
- Requires government inducement plus lack of predisposition; the focus is on the defendant's readiness before government contact.
- Report objectivity
- Separate observation from inference, attribute statements to their source, and avoid conclusory characterizations in the narrative.
- Rough notes preservation
- Do not destroy original notes after typing the report; they may be discoverable and subject to production in litigation.
- AFOSI mission
- A field operating agency of the Department of the Air Force providing criminal investigative and counterintelligence services to the Air Force and DoD.
- Posse comitatus
- 18 U.S.C. § 1385 restricts use of federal military personnel for domestic law enforcement, with limited statutory exceptions.
- Giglio obligation
- Requires disclosure of impeachment information about government witnesses, extending the Brady disclosure duty beyond exculpatory evidence.