District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Nova Datacom, LLC and Its Former President Plead Guilty in Bribery Scheme Involving Government ContractsCompany Paid Public Officials in Return for Millions in Contracts, Submitted Fraudulently Inflated InvoicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nova Datacom, LLC, a Northern Virginia company, and its former president, Min Jung Cho, pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from their roles in a bribery and kickback scheme involving corrupt public officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Army as well as various government contractors.
Nova Datacom admitted to paying more than $15 million in bribes to three public officials in return for contracts awarded through the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Army. In addition, Nova Datacom admitted paying more than $790,000 in kickbacks to executives of two companies that channeled government sub-contracts to the firm.
The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA); Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
The developments are the latest in an ongoing investigation of the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases. Overall, participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through inflated and fictitious invoices.
Nova Datacom, LLC and Min Jung Cho, 44, of Springfield, Va., each pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to defraud the United States. In addition, Nova Datacom pled guilty to three counts of bribery.
The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan scheduled a status hearing for June 27, 2013. No sentencing date was set. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Nova Datacom faces a fine of $39.6 million to $79.2 million. Cho faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and financial penalties.
Two executives from other businesses pled guilty to charges in recent weeks. All told, 15 individuals and Nova Datacom have pled guilty so far in the investigation.
They include three defendants who worked closely with Nova Datacom throughout the course of the scheme: Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, former program managers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), an Alaska Native-owned small business.
Three other defendants who worked for Nova Datacom are among those who earlier pled guilty to charges. They include Alex N. Cho, also known as Young N. Cho, the brother of Min Jung Cho and the company’s former chief technology officer; Nick Park, a former employee who later opened his own business, Unisource Enterprise Inc. (UEI), and Theodoros Hallas, the company’s former Executive Vice President of Operations.
As part of the plea agreements, Nova Datacom and Min Jung Cho have agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against them in the amount of $6.8 million.
“Today’s guilty pleas hold a corporation and its former president criminally accountable for their roles in funneling millions of dollars into a sprawling bribery scheme involving corrupt public officials and compromised government contractors,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “They also reveal that this brazen fraud extended to the Department of the Army, where a corrupt public official exchanged contracts for cash, gambling in Las Vegas, and a $70,000 Lexus. Fifteen individuals have now pled guilty in this ongoing investigation, and today’s guilty plea by Nova Datacom demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable the corporations that benefit from crimes committed by their officers and employees.”
“Today’s pleas are yet two more admissions of guilt in the largest fraud scheme in the history of federal contracting cases,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to combat bribery and fraud, and we will ensure those who engage in such illegal activity are brought to appropriate justice.”
“The use of bribes and kickbacks to secure government contracts will not be tolerated in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program,” said SBA Inspector General Gustafson. “The SBA OIG appreciates the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the support of our interagency partners in bringing forth these plea agreements.”
“At a time when Government and taxpayer resources are being stretched to their limits and our Service members continue to make sacrifices to protect our national security, it is detestable that Nova Datacom would blatantly conspire to defraud the Government and, eventually, the American warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig of DCIS. “The illegal manipulation of contracts to facilitate bribes and kickbacks that circumvent the military contracting process costs the taxpayer and warfighter alike. This investigation sends a clear message to those who may follow in the defendants’ footsteps—the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our law enforcement partners will take aggressive action to identify and investigate those that endeavor to take advantage of the Department of Defense and the men and women of the Uniformed Services.”
Nova Datacom provided information assurance and security services to commercial companies and federal departments and agencies. The bribery charges involve Nova Datacom’s dealings with an unnamed former official with the Department of the Army and with Khan and Alexander of the Army Corps of Engineers. Evidence shows that the schemes began in 2007, as Nova Datacom moved heavily into government contracting.
According to the government’s evidence, Alex Cho founded Nova Datacom in 2004 and was its sole owner until 2007. That year, he transferred complete ownership of the company to his sister to enable the firm to apply to the Small Business Administration for status as a woman-owned, minority small business. This would give the company an advantage in securing government contracts. At the time of the transfer, Alex Cho did not intend that his sister would control Nova Datacom or control its day-to-day operations. Later in 2007, based on false representations the SBA certified Nova Datacom.
From 2007 through 2010, Nova Datacom sought government business by submitting false past performance references and evaluations that fraudulently burnished its qualifications. The company also engaged in bribery to win government contracts.
Scheme Involving the Army Corps of Engineers
According to the government’s evidence, one scheme involved bribery payments and promises to Khan and Alexander. Starting in 2007, Alex Cho, Min Cho, Park, and other representatives of Nova Datacom paid Khan and Alexander in exchange for their steering contracts and subcontracts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the company. Some subcontracts were awarded through Babb’s firm, EyakTek, and Babb also received kickbacks.
At Khan’s direction, Nova Datacom submitted fraudulently inflated quotes to the Army Corps of Engineers and EyakTek for the work performed. The fraudulently inflated amounts were referred to by Khan as “overhead,” and they generated the illicit proceeds of the scheme.
From in or about the spring of 2007 through Oct. 4, 2011, when Khan, Alexander and Babb were arrested, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded contracts and sub-contracts to Nova Datacom that included in excess of $20 million in “overhead.” Nova Datacom used portions of this “overhead” to make payments benefiting Khan, Alexander, Babb and others.
For example, Nova Datacom and its representatives gave, offered and promised things of value directly and indirectly to Khan in excess of $14 million. The company and its representatives offered, promised and provided things of value directly and indirectly to Alexander of approximately $1 million.
Finally, Nova Datacom and its representatives offered, promised and provided kickbacks directly and indirectly for the benefit of Babb in excess of $400,000.
Law enforcement stepped in as plans were in development to steer a long-term contract worth up to $780 million to Nova Datacom as the primary contractor.
Schemes Involving the Department of the Army
According to the government’s evidence, Alex Cho and Park paid a person identified as “Public Official C” a total of $50,000 in cash in 2007 in return for the award of subcontracts to Nova Datacom. In addition, they provided the official with first-class airline upgrades, entertainment, casino chips and lodging in Las Vegas. The official recommended the company receive a subcontract valued at nearly $330,000.
Also, in 2010, Alex Cho agreed to pay kickbacks to another businessman in return for subcontracts awarded to Nova Datacom through the Army. Oh Sung Kwon, also known as Thomas Kwon, was the co-founder and chief financial officer of Avenciatech, Inc. He helped Nova Datcom win a subcontract worth more than $1.4 million. Nova Datacom paid approximately $390,000 in profits derived from this contract for the benefit of Kwon.
Other Guilty Pleas
John Han Lee, 42, a co-founder of Unisource Enterprise Inc. (UEI), pled guilty on March 29, 2013 to one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Lee, 42, of Ashburn, Va., admitted taking part in schemes between 2008 and 2011 with “Public Official C” at UEI and two other firms that he later joined, “Company E,” and Avenciatech, Inc. With assistance from “Public Official C,” who had a secret ownership in UEI and Avenciatech, the companies got sub-contracts; in turn, they provided “Public Official C” with benefits including golf outings, hotel stays, a trip to the Bahamas, cash payments, a Lexus automobile worth about $69,000, meals and entertainment.
In addition, Lee admitted joining in a mortgage fraud scheme in northern Virginia between 2004 and 2008 that cost lenders more than $1.2 million.
King Everett Johnson, a former employee of UEI and the founder of Integrated Business and Technology Solutions, LLC (IBATS), pled guilty on March 29, 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Johnson, 42, of Jersey City, N.J., admitted participating in the conspiracy in 2009 with others, including “Public Official C,” who at the time was an assistant project manager for the U.S. Army based in Seoul, South Korea. In collusion with “Public Official C,” Johnson submitted fraudulent invoices from IBATS, totaling $124,163, to the Department of the Army through Company E. He received the proceeds, transferred $40,000 for the benefit of Kwon, and kept the rest for himself.
The others who earlier pled guilty to charges include Kerry Khan’s son, Lee A. Khan; Kerry Khan’s brother, Nazim Khan; Larry G. Corbett, owner of Core Technology LLC and Enterprise Technical Solutions, Inc.; Robert L. McKinney, the president of Alpha Technology Group, Inc., a provider of program management services; James Edward Miller, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., the owner of Big Surf Construction Management LLC; and Kwon, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Avenciatech, Inc.
In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Inspector General Gustafson, Special Agent in Charge Craig, and Director Robey thanked those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the Office of the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration; the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency; the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Army Criminal Investigation Command. They also expressed thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the forfeiture matter.
They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson, Bryan Seeley, and James Smith of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by Stephanie Brooker, former Chief of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Lenisse Edloe, Shanna Hays, Taryn McLaughlin, Christopher Samson, and Nicole Wattelet, and Legal Assistants Krishawn Graham and Jessica McCormick.
13-129Maryland Man Sentenced to Eight-Month Prison Term for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Girard Coles, Jr., 46, of Laurel, Md., was sentenced today to eight months in prison on a federal charge of failure to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Coles has one prior conviction in Maryland for a sex offense involving a minor victim, which requires him to register as a sex offender. Prior to his sex offense conviction, Coles was an officer for the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the government’s evidence, Coles was registering as a sex offender in the District of Columbia, but, between August 2010 and December 2012, he lived in Laurel, Md., and did not register that information with the District of Columbia and, for the majority of that time, did not register that information with the State of Maryland.
Coles pled guilty in January 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Coles will be placed on five years of supervised release.
As part of an overall strategy to combat child exploitation, the U.S. Marshals Service launched a nationwide operation in 2010 to target sex offenders who knowingly fail to comply with their sex offender registration requirements. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the U.S. Marshals Service, to assist the states in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and U.S. Marshal Hughes praised the members of the D.C. Superior Court Sex Offender Investigations Section of the U.S. Marshals Service, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case.
13-130District Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Murdering 16-Year-Old in Northwest WashingtonVictim, A Student at Roosevelt High School, Was Walking with the Defendant and Friends When the Defendant Suddenly Shot and Killed HimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Roseboro, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for first-degree premeditated murder while armed and related weapons charges in the slaying of a 16-year-old boy, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Roseboro was found guilty by a jury in February 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Two previous trials, in March and September of 2012, had resulted in hung juries. During the trial this year, the government presented additional evidence.
In sentencing Roseboro, the Honorable Russell F. Canan described the murder as a “senseless and cowardly killing” in which the defendant essentially “lured” the victim, Prince Okorie, to his death. The judge also ordered that, upon completion of his prison term, Roseboro will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government's evidence presented at trial, the homicide occurred just before 4:25 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2010, near the intersection of Delafield Place and 8th Street NW, near the Sherman Circle area. Mr. Okorie was a student at Roosevelt Senior High School, along with the defendant and other witnesses.
Sometime after school let out at 3:15 p.m., Mr. Okorie and other teenagers were standing on a nearby neighborhood porch when Roseboro and Roseboro’s girlfriend walked by, heading towards the direction of the defendant’s nearby home. Mr. Okorie and some of his friends then left that porch and headed toward another home near the intersection of 7th and Emerson Streets NW, which was a frequent hangout among teenagers.
Soon thereafter, Roseboro appeared and asked Mr. Okorie to walk to the store with him. Two of Mr. Okorie’s friends joined them. As the group of four began walking to a nearby store, one of them had a quick conversation with a parent before rejoining the group along their walk. That parent recognized the defendant’s face as being among the young men who were walking with Mr. Okorie, and later selected Roseboro from a photo array.
The group continued walking along. There were no signs of animosity or tension, and Roseboro revealed only a calm exterior. Suddenly, just as the group had turned onto Delafield Place, shots rang out. One of Mr. Okorie’s friends in the group heard the shots and saw the victim falling; this friend ran off, his ears ringing. A second of Mr. Okorie’s friends, whose ears were also ringing and who had been distracted at seeing an adult across the street doing something with trash, heard a gunshot and looked to see Mr. Okorie lying on the ground. When that second friend looked up, he saw the defendant standing near Mr. Okorie with a gun in his hand and a mean “mug” on his face. The second friend then ran away, north on 8th Street, and heard additional shots as he ran from the scene.
Meanwhile, the adult across the street looked over at some point after the first shot and saw the victim lying on the ground and the shooter standing over him, firing at the victim with a gun in his hand. The adult was not able to recognize or identify the shooter, but did notice that the gunman had a hairstyle that consisted of short twists or dreads, and that the shooter ran into an alley that pointed in a southeasterly direction. The adult was also certain that the gunman had been walking among the group that was with the victim before the shooting.
Additional evidence revealed that Roseboro was the only one in the group with the hairstyle described by the adult. In addition, the direction of the alley that the shooter was seen running into pointed towards Roseboro’s home, which was a short walk from the murder scene. Autopsy evidence revealed that the shooting was at close range, consistent with witness accounts. Firearms evidence was also consistent with the witness accounts of there being one shooter, as the three .45 caliber casings that were recovered from the scene were fired from the same gun.
The government also presented evidence at trial that Roseboro was seen not long after the murder at his home, where he attended a meeting with a job counselor who arrived at the residence no earlier than 5:13 p.m.. The defendant’s demeanor at that meeting was as calm and relaxed as witnesses had reported his demeanor just seconds before the shooting.
As at previous trials, in the most recent trial Roseboro took the witness stand and contended that he had walked home after school with his girlfriend and remained with her at his home during the entire time period until the job counselor arrived. The defense also relied on the testimony of two of Roseboro’s relatives, the defendant’s mother and his cousin, to argue that the defendant had arrived home and stayed at home with his girlfriend during this entire time period.
In addition, the defendant himself denied even knowing the faces of Mr. Okorie’s friends who were with the victim at the time of his murder, claiming that was the case even after hearing their names during jury selection and then seeing them when they took the stand at the first trial. Roseboro also denied ever having hung out near the porch where Mr. Okorie and his friends were before the shooter walked up and asked Mr. Okorie to come along with him to the store. Roseboro did acknowledge that the murder scene was a five- or ten-minute walk from his home.
At the most recent trial, the government presented rebuttal witnesses. The first, who had been called by the defense and had testified similarly at the last trial, testified that the defendant, Mr. Okorie, and Mr. Okorie’s friends did indeed know one another and were all friends, and had all hung out together on previous occasions. The witness also testified that Roseboro had been hanging out with the others near 7th and Emerson Streets on prior occasions before Mr. Okorie’s murder.
The second was Roseboro’s girlfriend at the time of the murder, who was then 16 years old. Her testimony conflicted with that of the defendant and his relatives. The girlfriend’s account – and the defendant’s cellphone records -- refuted his contention that he was snuggling with her on the living room couch, and being watched by his mother, at the time of the murder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including homicide detectives, mobile crime officers, and firearms examiners, as well as the work of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia. Mr. Machen also thanked the records custodian office for Sprint. U.S. Attorney Machen additionally commended the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell, Starla Stolk, Diana-Maria Laventure, Brendan Tracz, and Phaylyn Hunt; Marcey Rinker and Shawn Slade of the Victim Witness Assistant Unit; and Joseph Calvarese and Anisha Bhatia of the Litigation Services Unit. He additionally thanked librarians Lisa Kosow and Abbie Blankman, and Victim/Witness Service Coordinator La June Thames.
Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case each of the three times.
13-127District Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Dietterle, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Dietterle, a former intelligence analyst at the FBI, entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson is to sentence him on June 27, 2013. Dietterle faces a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of $250,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely sentencing range of 97 to 121 months in prison.
According to the government's evidence, on Nov. 7, 2013, Dietterle contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next several days, Dietterle engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer.
During this period of time, Dietterle sent the undercover officer three images of child pornography which depicted, among other things, adult men engaged in sexual acts with children. In addition, Dietterle sent the undercover officer various links to videos depicting graphic child pornography. Dietterle was arrested on Nov. 23, 2012 and has been in custody ever since.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julieanne Himelstein and Ari Redbord, who are prosecuting the case.
13-128Maryland Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine-Evidence at Trial Included Nearly 30 Kilograms of Cocaine, Found in A Storage Locker-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William M. Bowman, 34, formerly of Bowie, Md., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bowman and two others - Gezo G. Edwards, 39, and Henry B. Williams, 32 - were found guilty of the drug conspiracy charge in November 2012 following a five-week trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. In addition, Bowman was found guilty of possession of a firearm during the commission of narcotics offenses. The three defendants were among 14 people indicted in 2011, following one of the largest recent seizures of cocaine in the area.
The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Bowman this afternoon. Williams, of Glenn Dale, Md., was sentenced in February 2013 to a 51-month prison term. No sentencing date has been set for Edwards, of Silver Spring, Md. The government will be seeking a sentence of life imprisonment for Edwards at the time of his sentencing.
Last year, following the guilty verdict, the matter entered a second phase before the jury which determined that Edwards must forfeit assets that were the proceeds of or facilitated his drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the jury determined that over $366,000 in seized cash and a Rolex watch were among proceeds of the drug conspiracy or facilitated the drug dealing. Separately, Bowman did not contest the seizure of over $200,000 in additional money and a $9,400 diamond engagement ring that were recovered from his house at the time of his arrest.
In sentencing Bowman to 45 years, Judge Kollar-Kotelly stated that the Court had no choice but to impose this mandatory-minimum sentence. However, she noted that the sentence was appropriate in light of the fact that Bowman was an upper-level manager in a significant drug trafficking organization that infused multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine into the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the fact that the defendant possessed two .40 caliber pistols, an assault rifle, and body armor, and in light of the defendant’s significant criminal history. The court further ordered that Bowman pay $500 in special court assessments and that the 45-year sentence was to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“William Bowman was responsible for importing millions of dollars of cocaine from California for distribution on the streets of Washington, D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His conviction cut off a major source of supply of crack cocaine. This sentence reflects the strength of our commitment to preventing drug traffickers from flooding our neighborhoods with narcotics that fuel violence and addiction.”
“Today, justice was served as Mr. Bowman was sentenced for his participation in a large and dangerous drug trafficking organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “He will now pay the price for his activities, and our communities will be a safer place thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement and prosecutors.”
“This sentencing is a victory for our communities, as this large seizure of drugs would have had a devastating impact on neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. and Maryland,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division, along with our FBI partners, and the US Attorney’s Office have demonstrated once again that we will disrupt the trafficking of drugs, pursue criminals, and bring them to justice.”
The indictments in the case, returned in April 2011, followed a 15-month investigation by the FBI and MPD into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of cocaine in the metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from January 2009 through April 2011, the defendants and others maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine to dealers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The investigation revealed that Bowman and Edwards obtained large quantities of cocaine from sources in the Los Angeles area, which they transported back to the Washington, D.C. area for redistribution to wholesale traffickers, including Williams.
In April 2011, investigators learned that members of the defendants’ organization had arranged for a large shipment of cocaine to the area, and that they were storing it in a storage facility in Hyattsville, Md. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement searched the locker and recovered 29.5 kilograms of cocaine, nearly 2 kilograms of crack cocaine, several firearms, including an assault rifle, and packaging material, which included wrappings with cocaine residue that indicated that at least 60 additional kilograms of cocaine had passed through the storage facility and onto the streets of the Metropolitan Washington area. The cocaine had an estimated wholesale value of $1 million and an estimated street value of more than $3 million.
All told, 11 people have pled guilty to charges in the investigation. Bowman, Edwards and Williams were the only defendants to stand trial.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier commended the work of the FBI and MPD members of the task force who investigated the case. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, and the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County police departments, which provided assistance. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeanette Litz, Jeremy Stoller, Regan Gibson, and Starla Stolk, and Litigation Support Specialist Ron Royal.
Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Steven B. Wasserman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Zia M. Faruqui, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who are prosecuting the case.
13-126District Men Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed and Other Charges in 2008 Shooting in Southeast Washington-Early-Morning Gunfire Killed A Woman, Wounded A Man-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Walker and Rodney White, both 24 and from Washington, D.C., were found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other offenses stemming from a shooting at an apartment complex in 2008 in which a woman was killed and a man was wounded, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Walker and White, who also is known as Rodney Whiting, were found guilty of 11 counts each following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury convicted them of four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and weapons offenses. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2013.
The shooting took place on May 5, 2008 in the Benning Park Apartment complex in the 4800 block of G Street SE. The gunfire killed Jasmine McCray, 23.
At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on May 5, 2008, at approximately 3 a.m., Ms. McCray was with her boyfriend and several other men, including Levern Butler, in the “Down Bottom” portion of the Benning Park Apartment complex parking lot. They and others had just come back from the Le Pearl nightclub in Capitol Heights, Md., where an altercation occurred between Butler and another man, Kenneth Hinton. Hinton was at the nightclub with Walker and White and others from the “Up Top” portion of Benning Park.
Both Butler and Hinton were kicked out of Le Pearl and were seen afterwards by others as being very upset about the fight. Walker and White, along with Hinton, went back to the “Up Top” portion of Benning Park and armed themselves with guns. Then they went to the “Down Bottom” part of Benning Park, and began to fire upon the group including Ms. McCray.
As the shooting commenced, Ms. McCray was hit in the head and went down. She died a short time later, having also suffered from being run over by a car that was driven by one of the other men, who accidentally ran her over while trying to flee from the parking lot. Ms. McCray was part of a group including four other people, including a man who was shot in the hand.
Hinton died in a traffic accident about a week after the shooting. Walker and White were arrested in 2009.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the officers, detectives and mobile crime scene personnel who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Phaylyn Hunt, Antoinette Sakamsa, and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Intelligence/Security Specialist Lawrence Grasso; Victim/Witness Specialists Wanda Queen and M. LaVerne Forrest, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Specialist Michael Hailey.
Finally, he commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Glynn and Eric Gallun, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gorman and Veronica Sanchez, who investigated and prosecuted the case at trial.
13-125District Man Sentenced to 32-Year Prison Term in Kidnapping and Killing of 18-Year-Old Latisha Frazier- After Murder, Defendant Disposed of the Victim’s Body in Dumpster-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Brian Gaither, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 32-year prison term on a charge of first-degree murder in the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Gaither pled guilty in November 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to the charge of first-degree murder, days before he was to go on trial. He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Gaither will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a statement of facts signed by the defendant and submitted to the Court, Gaither was one of the leaders of a group of six young men and women who took part in the murder of Ms. Frazier.
On Aug. 1, 2010, Gaither and others decided that they would invite Ms. Frazier to an apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE to “teach her a lesson” because they suspected – with little evidence – that she had stolen $900 from one of them. During a discussion, they developed a plan to lure Ms. Frazier to a small bedroom, where they would beat her.
The next day, the group gathered at the residence to carry out the plan. Ms. Frazier, as planned, was invited to the residence and, upon her arrival, she was led to the bedroom. The group proceeded to strike Ms. Frazier. The females started to beat Ms. Frazier and she cried for them to stop. Gaither then joined in the attack, punching, kicking, and stomping on Ms. Frazier, and beating her until she was unconscious. The group decided to bind Ms. Frazier with tape around her wrists and ankles and then put her in a closet. At that time, Ms. Frazier was still alive. As she began to moan from the closet, Gaither returned to the bedroom and choked her. Later that day, someone checked on Ms. Frazier and reported to the group that the victim was dead.
Upon learning that Ms. Frazier had died, Gaither took part in a discussion about what to do with her body. The next day, he and others carried the body to a bathtub, where he and others attempted to dismember it. The defendant then placed Ms. Frazier’s body into a large plastic crate, which he threw into a dumpster in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE.
Ms. Frazier’s body was never recovered and is believed to be in one of two landfills in rural Virginia.
Gaither is among a number of people arrested in this case and has been in custody since January 2011. A co-defendant, Johnnie Sweet, 19, is scheduled to stand trial on April 22, 2013.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives from the Major Case/Cold Case Squad and the Seventh District. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields, Phaylyn Hunt, and Angela Lawrence. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Melinda Williams, who prosecuted the case.
13-124Two District Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Other Charges for Roles in Gun Battles Between Rival Crews- Crimes Include Multiple Shootings, Homicide -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two men were found guilty by a jury today of conspiracy to commit murder and other charges stemming from a violent rivalry that unfolded in 2010 between two street crews in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
William Spriggs, 31, and Raymond Davis, 30, were found guilty following a two-month trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Spriggs also was convicted of charges of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and other gun-related offenses. Davis also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and weapons offenses. The Honorable John Ramsey Johnson scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013.
A third defendant, Deante Harding, 25, was found guilty today of conspiracy to assault. Harding was sentenced to time served. All three defendants are from Washington, D.C.
The case centered on a series of shootings that occurred in 2010 in the Benning Terrace neighborhood of Southeast Washington. The rivalry involved individuals from the Avenue, an area in Benning Terrace west of 46th Street SE, and individuals from the Circle, a cul-de-sac in the 600 Block of 46th Place SE. Both crews dealt narcotics, possessed firearms, and sought to evade law enforcement. Spriggs, Davis and Harding were part of the Avenue group.
According to the government’s evidence, during the spring of 2010, individuals from the Avenue traded retaliatory shootings with individuals in the Circle. Davis, for example, on one occasion shot at an individual coming from the Circle. Also, on May 14, 2010, three Avenue members, including Spriggs and Davis, ran into the Circle and fired multiple gunshots, hitting a Circle crew member.
Then, on May 30, 2010, Circle members armed themselves and went to the Avenue and shot at individuals. Several minutes later, several Avenue crew members ran up into the Circle, firing their weapons, where they encountered multiple Circle crew members who fired at them. During the shooting, a bystander from the Circle, Antwan Buckner, 32, was shot and killed.
In its verdict, the jury convicted Spriggs of first-degree murder while armed in the killing of Mr. Buckner, and acquitted Davis of that charge. Harding also was acquitted of some offenses. Harding was arrested in March 2011 and until November 2012 was serving time for a probation violation.
In separate proceedings, other individuals from the Circle were tried and convicted or pled to crimes related to the murder of Mr. Buckner and an additional murder.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick, Sharon Newman, and Meridith McGarrity; Litigation Technology Specialists Thomas Royal and Kimberly Smith; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and the entire staff of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-123International Credit Card Trafficker Sentenced to 88 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, aka “BadB,” was sentenced today to 88 months in prison for trafficking in millions of stolen credit and debit cards and for his role in the theft of more than $9 million from an Atlanta-based credit card processor.
The sentence was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director for Investigations David J. O’Connor and Special Agent in Charge Mark F. Giuliano of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.
Horohorin, 30, a citizen of Russia, Israel and Ukraine, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District of Columbia. In addition to his prison term, Horohorin was ordered to pay $125,739 in restitution and sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Horohorin was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia in November 2009 on charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. In a separate investigation, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned a superseding indictment against Horohorin in August 2010, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.
In August 2010, French law enforcement authorities, working with the U.S. Secret Service, identified Horohorin in Nice, France, and arrested him as he was attempting to board a flight to return to Moscow. Horohorin was extradited to the United States on June 6, 2012. After Horohorin’s arrival in the United States, the two cases pending against him were consolidated in Washington, D.C.
On Oct. 25, 2012, Horohorin pleaded guilty to two counts of access device fraud as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to Horohorin’s plea agreement, he used online criminal forums to sell stolen credit and debit card information, known as “dumps,” to online purchasers around the world. Horohorin, using the online name “BadB,” advertised the availability of stolen credit and debit card information through these online forums and directed purchasers to create accounts at “dumps.name,” a fully-automated dumps vending website operated by Horohorin and hosted outside the United States. At the time of his arrest, Horohorin possessed more than 2.5 million stolen credit and debit card numbers.
Horohorin admitted that he was one of the lead cashers in an elaborate scheme in which counterfeit payroll debit cards were used to withdraw more than $9 million from ATMs around the world. Hackers broke into the computers of a credit card processor located in the Atlanta area, stole debit card account numbers and raised the balances and withdrawal limits on those accounts while distributing the account numbers and PIN codes to cashers, like Horohorin. Horohorin, and those he recruited, used one of the stolen account numbers to withdraw more than $125,000 from ATMs in and around Moscow.
The District of Columbia case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Ethan Arenson, Carol Sipperly and Corbin Weiss of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Weiss also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Key assistance was provided by the French Police Nationale Aux Frontiers and the Netherlands Police Agency National Crime Squad High Tech Crime Unit. The FBI Atlanta field office provided information helpful to the investigation.
The Northern District of Georgia case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Oldham and Lawrence R. Sommerfeld of the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Sipperly of CCIPS. The Atlanta case was investigated by the FBI. Assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement partners. The U.S. Secret Service provided information helpful to the investigation.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled Horohorin’s extradition from France.
13-122District Woman Sentenced to 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
On Charges in Two Stabbings, Including One That Killed a Man
-Attacks Took Place in Northeast Washington-WASHINGTON – Quindetta Cosby, 49, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for carrying out two stabbing attacks last year in Northeast Washington, including one that killed a man, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Cosby pled guilty in November 2012 to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and one count of felony assault with significant bodily injury. She was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. Upon completion of her prison term, Cosby will be placed on eight years of supervised release.
In the fatal attack, according to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 13, 2012, Cosby got into an argument at about 6:20 p.m. with the victim, Paul Morris, in the 2200 block of Fourth Street NE. Cosby’s friend also got involved in the argument, which escalated into a physical fight. Mr. Morris, 49, and Cosby’s friend threw punches at each other. Cosby joined the fight, which her friend was losing, and hit Mr. Morris. Mr. Morris struck Cosby, knocking her down.
Cosby then pulled out a knife and stabbed Mr. Morris in the left side of his upper torso. Mr. Morris fled into the 300 block of Bryant Street, NE, while dripping blood from the stab wound. Cosby chased Mr. Morris while screaming threats to kill him. When Mr. Morris retreated to a porch on the street, Cosby kept following him, threatened again to kill him, and stabbed him on the porch. Mr. Morris died shortly thereafter.
The other attack took place on July 16, 2012. In that incident, Cosby got into an argument with a woman in an apartment in the 600 block of Edgewood Street NE. The argument spilled into the hallway, where she pushed the victim to the floor. Cosby attacked the victim with a knife, resulting in a significant cut to the victim’s arm.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives and officers of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Fifth District of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget Fitzpatrick, Victim Witness Advocate Tamara Ince and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton, who prosecuted the case.
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District Man Sentenced to Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
On Charges in Armed Robbery and Shooting
-One of the Victims Shot Multiple Times, Yet Survived-WASHINGTON –Darius Joshua, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison on charges stemming from a 2011 shooting in the Congress Park community of Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Joshua pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Joshua will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 21, 2011, at about 11 p.m., Joshua ambushed a man and a woman with a loaded handgun as the victims walked through a shortcut next to what used to be McGogney Elementary School in the 3400 block of Wheeler Road SE. He ordered the woman to the ground and put the gun to her head before robbing her and telling her to leave the scene. Joshua ordered the man to stay behind and then he shot him multiple times. The victim was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery and survived the attack.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District who investigated the case, as well as the members of the community whose cooperation led to the defendant’s prosecution. He also thanked those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Jim Brennan, Tanya Via, Laverne Forrest, Debra Cannon, and Michael Hailey of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Richard Cheatham, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-118District Man Sentenced to 15 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
For His Role in Northwest Washington Robbery
-Alert Citizen Helped Police Find the Defendant-WASHINGTON – Walter Little, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 months of incarceration for his role in a robbery last fall in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Little pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of robbery. The Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, Jr. sentenced him to five years in prison, but suspended all but 15 months of the time on the condition that Little successfully complete four years of probation. Little also must pay $900 in restitution to the victim.
According to the government’s evidence, Little attacked a man at about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2012, in the 4800 block of Ninth Street NW. He brandished a pistol and hit the victim with the weapon, causing the man to lose consciousness. Then he, along with two other males, robbed the man of his wallet containing between approximately $900 and $1000.
Six days after the robbery, a witness who had seen Little commit the crime saw him again at Ninth and Decatur Streets NW, and alerted the police. Once officers were on scene, the witness positively identified Little as the person who had the gun and committed the robbery.
After his arrest, Little admitted to taking part in the robbery, and taking $200 of the $900 stolen, but he maintained that he was not the person with the gun. No other arrests have been made in the case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.
13-121District Man Found Guilty of Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
In 2012 Attack at Deanwood Metro Station
-Defendant Pointed a Gun in Victim’s Face Before Taking His Wallet-WASHINGTON – Zachary Pollard, 18, of Washington D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of robbery in an attack last year at the Deanwood Metro station in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Pollard was found guilty on April 4, 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, Pollard and an unidentified accomplice approached the victim at about 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 18, 2012 near the Metro station, in the 4700 block of Polk Street NE. Pollard, standing in front of the victim, pulled out a gun and pointed it in the man’s face while the accomplice threw the victim to the ground. Pollard then rifled through the victim’s pockets and took the victim’s wallet, which contained credit cards and $11. The victim reported the crime to the station manager, who called Metro Transit Police.
Less than 10 minutes later and about a half mile from the Deanwood station, a Metro Transit Police officer spotted Pollard, who matched the description given for a police lookout. The officer stopped Pollard, who was eating a fast-food apple pie. Minutes later, as other officers arrived on the scene and without having been told what had been taken in the robbery or the reason why he had been stopped, Pollard spontaneously stated, “Man, I didn’t rob nobody for no $11.” Officers recovered $9 in cash from the defendant.
At the time of the crime, Pollard was free on personal recognizance while awaiting trial for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and other charges. He was arrested in that case on Oct. 14, 2012. Pollard has pled not guilty in that matter and is awaiting trial later this month.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detective, officers, and mobile crime scene officers from the Metro Transit Police Department who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Theresa Nelson, and Victim Advocate Kristina Rose. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas, who prosecuted the case.
13-119District Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
For Federal Drug Trafficking Offenses;
Cocaine and Other Drugs Seized in Search of His Apartment;
Drugs Had a Street Value of About $100,000WASHINGTON – Eddie P. Burroughs, 24, was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison on three federal drug charges stemming from a search by law enforcement that led to the seizure of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana from his Southeast Washington apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Burroughs was found guilty in December 2012 by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of possession with intent to distribute large amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Upon completion of his prison term, Burroughs will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) executed a search warrant on Dec. 6, 2011 at the defendant’s apartment in the 3400 block of 13th Street SE and found two kilograms of crack cocaine, over 100 grams of powder cocaine, nine pounds of marijuana, almost $10,000 in U.S. currency, and equipment used in the production of crack cocaine. The narcotics had a street value of approximately $100,000 and were already packaged for wholesale redistribution.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the MPD detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to the forensic chemist and fingerprint examiner who worked on the case. Finally, he thanked those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca; Intelligence Analyst John Marsh; Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Caputy, who assisted with the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo and George Eliopoulos, who investigated and tried the case.
13-116District Man Accused of Embezzling $1 MillionRead the Press Release
From Indonesian Airline and Committing Tax and Mortgage Fraud
-Defendant Indicted on Seven Counts, Including Bank Fraud-WASHINGTON - Jon C. Cooper, 64, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges that he embezzled $1 million from an airline company headquartered in Indonesia, filed a false tax return concealing the embezzled income, and committed mortgage fraud.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Cooper initially was indicted in September 2012 by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on charges of conspiracy, first-degree fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He has pled not guilty to those charges. Today a grand jury returned a superseding indictment with those charges as well as additional allegations, including new counts of bank fraud, making a false statement on a loan application, and aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. The superseding indictment also reincorporates a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds obtained through the wire fraud and money laundering scheme.
Among other things, today’s indictment accuses Cooper of using various false pretenses, such as forged letters, to induce the Indonesian airline to make a $1 million security deposit to lease aircraft. As alleged in the indictment, Cooper moved the security deposit into his personal account and spent the funds on various personal expenses, such as credit card and loan debt. The indictment also charges that Cooper failed to report the embezzled funds on his tax return.
If convicted, Cooper faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and financial penalties for bank fraud, as well as additional time and penalties for other counts.
Cooper is to be arraigned on the charges on April 11, 2013.
According to the superseding indictment, in or about December 2006, Cooper and a co-conspirator offered to lease two aircraft to an Indonesian airline company, although Cooper’s company owned no such aircraft. Instead, Cooper induced the Indonesian airline to agree to the deal - and pay a $1 million security deposit - by using a forged letter from an attorney whom Cooper claimed would hold the deposit. Similarly, Cooper allegedly used a forged letter purporting to represent that Cooper’s company had an agreement to buy the aircraft it would lease to the Indonesian airline. As the superseding indictment charges, based on those and other false representations, the Indonesian airline made the $1 million security deposit. But the very day the security deposit was received, Cooper moved it to his personal account. Cooper then spent it on personal expenses, such as his credit card debt and personal loans.
Also, as alleged in today’s indictment, Cooper filed a false tax return for 2006, in which he failed to report as income the funds he had embezzled.
In addition, as alleged in the superseding indictment, Cooper used part of the stolen money to pay a home mortgage loan he obtained by fraud, and which Cooper’s income otherwise could not support. Specifically, the indictment charges, in or about May 2006, Cooper falsely over-represented his income to obtain a $780,000 cash-out mortgage loan. As the indictment alleges, by later that year (just before the embezzlement), Cooper was receiving notices of default on this and other debt.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Field Office of IRS-CI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
13-117Former CEO/Owner of Home Health Care Provider Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Records in Connection with A Federal Audit-Audit Involved Medicaid/Medicare Payments-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeannette N. Awasum, the former owner of a health care provider, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from falsifying records in connection with a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services audit.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent In Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS - OIG) for the region including the District of Columbia.
Awasum, 49, of Germantown, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of falsification of records in connection with a federal investigation. She is to be sentenced July 9, 2013 by the Honorable Richard J. Leon. The charge carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, in early June 2010, Awasum, the Chief Executive Officer and owner of Tri State Home Health and Equipment Service, was informed that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requested the physician-signed plans of care for 130 of its patients. These plans of care are what authorize providers like Tri State to provide home healthcare services to Medicare and D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries.
Awasum knew that Tri State lacked plans of care for 62 of these 130 patients. Tri State received approximately $1,879,853 from Medicare and D.C. Medicaid for treating these 62 patients during the period for which plans of care were missing. Awasum directed her employees to fraudulently create plans of care for the services that these 62 patients received, making it appear as if the documents had been created prior to the services being provided. In total, the employees created 81 plans of care for these 62 patients.
Awasum instructed one of her employees to take the 81 fabricated forms to a doctor whom Awasum knew never examined these patients. Despite the fact that this doctor never examined these patients, he signed the plans of care in June 2010, making it appear as if he authorized these 62 patients receiving home healthcare services prior to the time that Tri State provided these services. The employee, at Awasum’s directions, placed the fraudulent 81 plans of care in Tri State’s file so that the forms would be present when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services audited the services provided to these 62 patients.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Donna Galindo, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-115District Man Enters Plea of Nolo Contendere in Bank Robbery Case-Defendant Arrested Shortly After the Crime-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Morris, 64, of Washington, D.C., entered a plea of nolo contendere today to a charge of bank robbery while armed, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Morris entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under a nolo contendere plea, a defendant is convicted of the offense, accepts responsibility, and agrees that the government could prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the defendant in such a plea does not admit to the facts of the case. The Honorable Richard W. Roberts scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2013. Morris faces a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, just before noon on March 22, 2012, Morris walked into a TD Bank in the 1200 block of First Street NE. He was wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses and a cap. He demanded money from two bank tellers, claiming that he had a bomb. The tellers turned over about $3,700. Morris left a bag behind, which he claimed had the bomb, and warned that he could remotely control its detonation.
Two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were in the area at the time of the robbery, and they quickly spotted Morris across the street from the bank. A third MPD officer arrived on the scene, and Morris told him, “Yeah, I did it. It’s rough out here.” Morris, who at the time of his arrest was dressed in a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses and a cap, also could be seen clearly on video surveillance photographs of the robbery.
The stolen money was recovered after the robbery. Morris’s bomb threat led to an emergency response that included the evacuation of the bank. The bag left inside the bank contained an alarm clock.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier thanked those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI’s Washington Field Office, including the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Stephanie Brooker, former Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz. Finally, they expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-114District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in 2011 Collision with Bicyclist in Northeast Washington -Victim Knocked to Street, Escaped Serious Injury-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - John W. Diehl, 57, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in August 2011 in which the truck he was driving struck a bicyclist in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Diehl pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of leaving the scene after a collision and destruction of property. The plea includes a deferred sentencing agreement that calls for Diehl to perform 25 hours of community service, undergo counseling for anger management, complete a drivers’ safety course, and complete alcohol and drug treatment if necessary over the next year. If he complies with all of the conditions of the agreement, the government will not oppose a defense motion to withdraw the guilty plea and will move to dismiss the case. The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2014.
If the defendant does not comply with the conditions, the government can oppose his withdrawal of the plea and ask the Court to immediately proceed with sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 31, 2011, at about 9:05 a.m., the victim was riding his bicycle and traveling west in the 3000 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. Diehl pulled up in his truck next to the victim, drove alongside him as he was riding, and cursed at him for being in the middle lane.
Diehl then changed lanes and drove his truck into the bicyclist’s lane, striking him with his truck and knocking him to the ground. After knocking the victim off of his bicycle, Diehl drove away without stopping. As a result of the collision, the victim suffered injury to his shoulder, road rash and multiple scrapes and bruises, as well as damage to his bicycle.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District, who were involved in the arrest and investigation of this case. U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed his appreciation to Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Richard Cheatham, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 13-Year Prison Term for Repeatedly Stabbing A Man in 2012 Attack-Victim Was Dating Defendant’s Ex-Girlfriend-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Eugene Freeman, 30, of Temple Hills, Md., has been sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges stemming from an attack in which he repeatedly stabbed a man who was dating his ex-girlfriend, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Freeman was found guilty by a jury in December 2012, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of charges of aggravated assault while armed, mayhem while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury. He was sentenced March 29, 2013 by the Honorable Florence Pan.
According to the government’s evidence, Freeman and his former girlfriend broke up in April 2012 and have two children. Shortly after the break-up, the ex-girlfriend began dating the victim, and Freeman began to threaten them. On May 20, 2012 at approximately 8:30 p.m., Freeman went to his ex-girlfriend’s house in the 4500 block of South Capitol Street to pick up the two children. As Freeman walked away from the building with his children, the victim came around the corner. Freeman turned around, saw the victim and went after him with a knife.
As the confrontation continued, outside and inside the building - witnessed by the children - Freeman stabbed the victim twice in the back. He then cornered the victim underneath the stairwell of the building and repeatedly stabbed him. All told, Freeman stabbed the victim six times, including once in the eye. The victim lost his left eye as a result of the assault.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocates Maria Shumar and Shawn Slade; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Kristy Penny, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou, who prosecuted the matter.
13-112District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Weapons Charges in Hold-Up of Northwest Washington Store-Gun and Other Evidence Tied Him to the Crime-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Torron Frieson, also known as Torron Frierson, 35, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a robbery earlier this year of a liquor store and market in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Frieson pled guilty on March 25, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery and two related firearms offenses. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2013. He faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison for robbery and up to 25 additional years for the weapons charges.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 7, 2013, at about 8:35 p.m., Frieson entered the M & S Liquor Store and Market in the 200 block of Upshur Street NW. He pulled a mask over his face, grabbed a bag of chips, and walked to the counter across from the glass-empaneled cashier booth. As the cashier prepared to provide change for the chip purchase, Frieson walked around the counter and into the cashier’s booth, produced a long black handgun which appeared to be operable, pointed it at the cashier, and grabbed money from the register.
The cashier attempted to move the gun away from him and a physical struggle ensued. During the struggle, the cashier was struck and items in the store were broken. Frieson’s gun and car keys fell to the floor, and parts of the mask came off his face. The cashier threw the gun down an aisle and ran out the store. Frieson then retrieved the gun, and fled the scene.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) determined that the defendant had been in the store to purchase beer minutes before he returned for the robbery. Officers also determined that the set of keys left behind by the defendant belonged to a Dodge Durango parked in an alley by the store. Officers found a .45-caliber cartridge stamped 45 Colt Hornady inside the store near the cashier counter. The Dodge Durango was registered to Frieson.
Pursuant to a search warrant, the Dodge Durango was searched and the beer that Frieson had purchased minutes before the robbery was inside the car. Frieson also was identified in a photo array. Frieson was arrested on Feb. 15, 2013 at a residence in Northeast Washington. Inside of one of the bedrooms at the residence was a black Ruger .45 caliber revolver with six cartridges stamped 45 Colt Hornady.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who is prosecuting the case.
13-111District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery, Admits Stealing Dog from Woman at Gunpoint-Defendant Told Victim: “Yorkies Cost A Lot of Money”-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Young, 18, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of armed robbery stemming from an attack earlier this year in which he stole a dog from a woman at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Young pled guilty on March 22, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 5, 2013, at about 10:35 a.m., Young approached a woman who was walking her Yorkshire Terrier in the area of Fifth and Kennedy Streets NE. Young displayed a handgun and said, “Give me your dog. Yorkies cost a lot of money.” He then grabbed the victim’s dog and ran toward Chillum Place NE.
The victim, who yelled for help, noticed that Young dropped his phone on Kennedy Street directly next to where the dog’s leash had dropped. While Young continued running, the dog escaped and ran to its home. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) determined that the dropped phone belonged to Young, and learned that he had a GPS device on his ankle. Police obtained Young’s GPS records, which placed him directly in the area of 5th and Kennedy at the time of the robbery as well as in the flight path described by witnesses.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who is prosecuting the case.
13-110Maryland Woman Found Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scheme That Cost Lenders More Than $900,000-She and Others Used Straw Buyers to Generate Fraudulent Loans; - Actions Led to Evictions of Some Tenants-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – LaFrances Dudley O’Neal, 49, of Clinton, Md., has been found guilty by a jury for her part in a mortgage fraud scheme that cost lenders more than $900,000.
The verdict was announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Joseph W. Clarke, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and William P. White, Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
O’Neal was found guilty by the jury on March 27, 2013 of four felony charges, including conspiracy and bank fraud, after a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, O’Neal and others identified District of Columbia area homes and straw buyers to obtain mortgages through false loan applications, forged documents, and fraudulent settlements. Co-conspirators acted as a mortgage broker, title and escrow agent, and other professionals to assist O’Neal with tricking the mortgage lenders and banks into lending $2.6 million in mortgage loans on the belief that the straw buyers had the means and the willingness to pay the mortgages.
Every one of the mortgages fell into default, and the lenders were forced to foreclosure with an aggregate loss to the lenders in excess of over $900,000.
According to the government’s evidence, the title and escrow companies paid O’Neal from the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds, at times using fraudulent “invoices” which falsely stated that renovation work had recently been completed and that money was due at settlement. As a result of these false invoices and inaccurate settlement statements, title and escrow agents turned over more than $400,000 of fraudulent loan proceeds to O’Neal.
In spite of promising the straw buyers that she would pay the mortgage and in spite of receiving rental income from the D.C. Housing Authority and their client tenants, O’Neal failed to pay the mortgages on all of these properties and the lenders foreclosed on the houses with the result being the tenants were evicted.
Two other defendants earlier pled guilty to charges related to the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. Donald M. Ramsey, 45, a mortgage broker from Alexandria, Va., and Tania Firmani, 46, a title and escrow agent from Chesapeake Beach, Md., each pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud.
“Mortgage fraud is a significant law enforcement priority for our office that has serious repercussions to our economy beyond the losses suffered by the financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “LaFrances Dudley O’Neal’s scheme not only cost lenders more than $900,000 but also led to foreclosures and evictions. This prosecution shows our resolve to bring to justice those who would seek to commit mortgage fraud for personal gain.”
“Ms. O’Neal took advantage of mortgage lenders and banks by falsely leading them to believe that they were supporting homeownership in the District of Columbia; instead, she bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “There is no safe harbor for criminals in this business, and the FBI will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to eradicate fraud within the real estate and mortgage industries.”
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen, Inspector in Charge Barksdale, Special Agent in Charge Clarke, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Commissioner White praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Financial Analyst Crystal Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Corrine Laxman, Diane Hayes, Lenisse Edloe, Shanna Hays, Nicole Wattelet; former Paralegal Specialist Sarah Reis; Litigation Services Specialist Kimberly Smith; Law Interns Nicole Audet and Jason Navia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.
13-107Former Corrections Officer Found Guilty of Bribery for Taking Cash to Smuggle Contraband into D.C. Jail-Defendant Accepted $1,000 from Undercover Agent-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeremiah Moorman, 30, a former corrections officer, has been found guilty by a jury of bribery and first-degree theft charges for accepting money under the promise of bringing contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office announced today.
Moorman was found guilty on March 27, 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, Moorman was employed as a corrections officer for the District of Columbia Jail. Prior to Oct. 12, 2011, he met with individuals inside the jail to discuss the possibility of smuggling contraband to an inmate inside the facility. On Oct. 12, 2011, Moorman contacted a person by telephone outside the jail who he believed was an associate of an inmate; in fact, however, that person was an undercover FBI agent.
During the phone conversation, Moorman agreed to smuggle an RSA token to an inmate in exchange for $1,000. An RSA token is an authentication mechanism that allows a computer user to access secure computer databases, often bank accounts. On Oct. 14, 2011, Moorman met the undercover agent in Northwest Washington. The agent handed the RSA token and $1,000 to Moorman during the meeting.
Moorman is among three corrections employees convicted of bribery charges in recent months. Daishawn Goodson, 26, a former employee of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), pled guilty in December 2012 to a federal bribery charge and was sentenced March 22, 2013 to eight months of home detention. April Johnston, 42, a former corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, pled guilty earlier this month to a federal bribery charge. Both were arrested following undercover investigations by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Goodson and Johnston each accepted money to smuggle items into correctional facilities.
“Corrections officers play a critical role in maintaining order in our prison system. Instead of preventing contraband from entering the prison population, Jeremiah Moorman betrayed his oath of office by agreeing to smuggle contraband into prison in exchange for cash.” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His guilty verdict after trial marks the third conviction in the last three months of a corrections officer for bribery related charges and demonstrates this office’s commitment to rooting out corruption wherever it is found.”
“The smuggling of contraband into our jails endangers the integrity and safety of our corrections system,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “The FBI will continue to work to protect the system by thoroughly investigating all cases of bribery and corruption.”
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who prosecuted the case.
13-109District Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder While Armed and Other Charges in Christmas 2009 Attack-Gunshots Killed One Man, Wounded Two Others-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marlo Garcia, also known as “Lupita,” 24, was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in a shooting on Christmas Day 2009 that killed one man and wounded two others, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Garcia, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of the charges following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury convicted him of three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related weapons offenses. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 25, 2009, Garcia was invited by his friend, Miguel Romero, to attend a Christmas party at about 4 a.m. at a rooming house in the 5400 block of Fourth Street NW. Garcia brought a .25-caliber handgun to the location, and while there, he went out in an alley to shoot it. When told to stop, he became agitated.
Garcia then went inside the residence and began dancing and groping his friend’s girlfriend. Mr. Romero’s cousin approached Garcia to calm him, and Garcia shot him in the head. He then shot the girlfriend in the head and shot Mr. Romero in the back, neck and head. Garcia then fired yet another shot but missed a fourth person at the apartment. Mr. Romero, 21, died immediately. The other two shooting victims still have bullets lodged in their brains.
After shooting the victims, Garcia fled the apartment. He was arrested two days later.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime scene officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rakoczy, Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Melissa Milam, Iris Vega, Marcy Rinker, Laverne Forrest, Michael Hailey, Katina Adams and David Foster, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.
13-108District Woman Sentenced to 54 Months in Sexual Assault of Girl on A Metrobus-Defendant Later Threatened 14-Year-Old Victim-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Pamela Taylor, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 48 months on the felony 2nd degree child sexual abuse count and a consecutive 180 days on the misdemeanor threats count stemming from a sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on a Metrobus in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr. announced.
Taylor pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count each of second-degree child sexual abuse and threats, in an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. She was sentenced by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Other conditions include supervised release for 3 years, she must register as a sex offender for 10 years and while in prison, receive substance and mental health counseling.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Dec. 10, 2011, Taylor first encountered the victim on a Metro train at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. Taylor approached the girl on the train and mentioned members of the victim’s family, leading the girl to believe that Taylor knew the family. At one point, Taylor tricked the girl into providing her cellphone number. At the Anacostia Metro station, Taylor followed the victim onto a Metrobus. During the bus ride, Taylor sat next to the girl and touched the girl inappropriately. The girl had to force her way past Taylor to get off the bus. The following day, Taylor called the teenager, threatening to assault her if she stepped outside of her home.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metro Transit Police Department, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel and Victim Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
13-106Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Home Detention on Bribery ChargeContract Employee Took Cash to Smuggle Items into D.C. Correctional Treatment FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daishawn Goodson, a former corrections officer, was sentenced today to eight months home detention for accepting money to bring contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Goodson, 26, pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. She also received two years of probation. In addition, Goodson has agreed to a $1,000 forfeiture judgment.
According to the government’s evidence, Goodson was employed by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) as a corrections officer at the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility. CCA, a private company, has a contract to provide services to the D.C. Jail. In January 2012, Goodson made a telephone call to a person who she believed was an associate of an inmate. In fact, that person was an undercover agent with the FBI. During the call, Goodson agreed to smuggle a computer thumb drive to an inmate at the corrections facility in return for cash.
Goodson met the undercover agent on Jan. 10, 2012 near the Eastern Market. Goodson agreed to bring the thumb drive and $100 to the inmate in return for $400. The undercover agent handed Goodson the thumb drive and $500. On Jan. 18, 2012, Goodson and the undercover agent had another meeting near Eastern Market and discussed the fact that the first attempt to smuggle the thumb drive and currency into the facility went well. Goodson agreed to smuggle another computer thumb drive and $100 into the facility in return for $400. Once again, the undercover agent gave Goodson a thumb drive and money. Goodson left the meeting and was subsequently arrested.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who prosecuted the case.
13-105District Woman Sentenced to One Year Incarceration for Courthouse Attack of Deputy U.S. Marshal-Defendant Threw Repeated Punches, Pushed Deputy into A Wall-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Janell Shaw, also known as Janelle Kara Shaw, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for assaulting a Deputy United States Marshal, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Shaw pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following her incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 16, 2012, a judge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia received testimony that Shaw had tested positive for controlled substances while Shaw was on release in a pending misdemeanor assault case. After hearing the violation report, the judge ordered that Shaw be taken into custody by the courtroom’s deputy marshal. The deputy marshal instructed Shaw to place her hands behind her back. Shaw refused to move from the defendant’s table and then pushed the deputy marshal.
The deputy marshal then brought Shaw into the area between the courtroom and the cell block area, but Shaw continued to resist cuffing. As they proceeded to the cellblock area, Shaw pulled away and struck the deputy marshal with a closed fist multiple times about the head and face. Other deputy marshals arrived and helped to secure the defendant. As a result of this incident, there was significant damage caused to the cellblock area and the deputy sustained injuries requiring treatment for abrasions to her face, head and for a neck sprain.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and U.S. Marshal Hughes commended the actions of all the Deputy U.S. Marshals who work to keep all of the judges, court personnel, attorneys, and visitors safe while attending court proceedings. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-104Two Leaders of Non-Profit Sentenced for Failing to Report Misuse of $392,000 in Grant Money- Helped Conceal Activities of Former Council Member Harry L. Thomas, Jr. -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marshall D. Banks and James Garvin, who helped lead the Langston in the 21st Century Foundation, a non-profit organization that operated youth programs in the District of Columbia, were sentenced today to three years of supervised probation, 80 hours of community service, and ordered to pay full restitution for failing to report and concealing the misappropriation of $392,000 in government grants.
The sentences, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Banks and Garvin pled guilty in January 2012 to one count each of misprision of a felony (theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds). They were among five people to plead guilty to charges in an ongoing investigation into activities involving former District of Columbia Council Member Harry L. Thomas, Jr. Thomas pled guilty last year to charges stemming from a scheme in which he used more than $350,000 in taxpayers’ money that was earmarked for the arts, youth recreation, and summer programs for his own personal benefit.
Thomas resigned as a condition of his plea agreement and is now serving a 38-month prison sentence. The Honorable John D. Bates sentenced Banks and Garvin this morning.
The others who have pled guilty include Millicent D. West, the former director and chief executive officer of another non-profit organization that promotes youth opportunities, and Danita C. Doleman, the president of Youth Technology Institute. West and Doleman pled guilty to charges in connection with grant money that was used to pay for an inaugural ball. They are awaiting sentencing.
Banks, 72, and Garvin, 56, had leadership positions with the Langston in the 21st Century Foundation (Langston 21), a non-profit. Banks, of Washington, D.C., was the founder, and Garvin, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was a board member. Garvin also is the general manager of the Langston Golf Course in Northeast Washington, a site of some of the non-profit’s activities.
Langston 21 operated youth activities designed to foster educational advancement, including programs at Langston Golf Course, which is located in Ward 5 of the District of Columbia. Garvin worked with Banks, who also was director of the organization.
According to the government’s evidence, Thomas, who represented Ward 5, informed Garvin in 2007 that he wanted to obtain grant funds to conduct activities in the ward. Thomas informed Garvin that Thomas needed a non-profit to act as the recipient of the money. Thomas also stated that a portion of the funds could be dedicated to youth programs at Langston Golf Course.
At Thomas’s request, Garvin asked Banks whether Langston 21 would serve as the non-profit needed by Thomas to receive the grant funds and forward money to Thomas. Banks agreed. Langston 21 then executed a grant agreement for $392,000 with a non-profit public-private partnership that got funding from the District government.
Thomas told Garvin that Team Thomas, an organization he controlled, would be a suitable organization to carry out the grant, which was for youth programs. However, neither Thomas nor Team Thomas was mentioned in the agreement with the public-private partnership.
In January, May, October and December of 2008, the public-private partnership issued quarterly grant payments to Langston 21 to fund youth sports activities. At or about the time of each check, Thomas directed Banks or Garvin to have Langston 21 issue checks to either Team Thomas or another organization, HLT Development, also controlled by Thomas.
Langston 21 received $392,000 in grant funds from the public-private partnership. From that grant money, Banks and Garvin issued checks to Team Thomas and HLT totaling $306,000.
In January 2008, a member of Thomas’s staff, acting on the Council member’s behalf, e-mailed budget paperwork for the grant to Garvin and an employee of the public-private partnership, as part of the process for the approval of funds to Langston 21. The budget paperwork contained false representations. Based on his review of this paperwork, and from other interactions with Thomas, Garvin determined in or about January 2008 that the grant agreement proposed by Thomas was not legitimate, and that Thomas intended to misappropriate for his personal benefit at least some of the money that would be passed through Langston 21.
At the time of the other payments, in May, October and December of 2008, Garvin did not believe that youth sporting events had been conducted to justify the distribution of the grant funds. Yet he, along with Banks, participated in the grant process and thereby concealed Thomas’s misappropriation of funds.
In addition, Banks knew that no D.C. youth were brought to the Langston golf course by Thomas to participate in grant-related activities. Sometime before October 2008, Banks determined that Thomas was not using the grant funds for their designated purposes. Yet he continued to deposit grant funds into Langton 21's bank account and then write checks to Team Thomas and HLT with the term “youth sports” or “learning center” on the memo lines.
Like Banks, Garvin did not report the improprieties to authorities. By continuing to obtain and receive grant payments, redistribute funds to Team Thomas and HLT, and otherwise participate in the scheme, Garvin and Banks helped to conceal Thomas’s actions.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly commended the work of those who investigated the case for the FBI and IRS-CI. They also expressed appreciation to former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney G. Saleski and Bridget M. Fitzpatrick, who earlier worked on the case, as well as Criminal Investigators Matthew Kutz, Mark Crawford and Melissa Matthews; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Diane Hayes, Shanna Hays, Lenisse Edloe and Monica Johnson, and Legal Assistant Krishawn Graham, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan W. Haray, James E. Smith, Ellen Chubin Epstein and Matthew Graves of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Peter Mason of the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, who prosecuted the case.
13-103District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Stabbing A Man in the Neck-Defendant Used Screwdriver in the Attack-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Alonzo Douglas Hebron, 53, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison for stabbing a man in the neck with a screwdriver during an altercation in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Hebron pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Upon completion of his sentence, Hebron will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 23, 2012, at approximately 2:45 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was called to an apartment in the 1100 block of Queen Street NE, where officers found a man suffering from a stab wound to the neck area. Police determined that the victim, Hebron, and two others had been inside the apartment talking. At one point, Hebron had gotten into an altercation with the victim, escalating to the point that he stabbed the victim in the neck with a screwdriver.
The victim suffered massive bleeding from the wound and was transported to a hospital for emergency attention. Hebron fled the scene. The two eyewitnesses helped the police identify Hebron through the use of a photo-array and he was later arrested based on an arrest warrant.
In announcing today's sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-102Former Business Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $730,000 from D.C. Law Firm-Defendant Issued Unauthorized Checks, Paid Himself Excessive Salary-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William B. McNichols, 48, who handled accounting and other financial matters for a Washington, D.C. law firm, pled guilty today to one count of mail fraud in the embezzlement of more than $730,000, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
McNichols, of Colchester, Conn., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert L. Wilkins scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, a potential fine, and other penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, McNichols faces a likely range of 27 to 33 months in prison and a fine of $6,000 to $60,000. As part of his plea agreement, he has agreed to pay $732,863 in restitution to the law firm. He also is subject to a forfeiture judgment.
According to evidence presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, McNichols worked from May 2001 until March 2011 as the finance/business manager of Trister, Ross, Schadler and Gold, PLLP, a law firm. From approximately December 2007 until the summer of 2010, McNichols also performed accounting services for an affiliated company, the Ross Yoon Agency, which was based at the law firm.
Beginning in August 2004 and continuing until March 2011, McNichols embezzled about $631,736 from Trister Ross and about $101,127 from the Ross Yoon Agency. He obtained the money from Trister Ross by issuing excessive salary payments to himself and by issuing checks to pay personal credit card bills and other personal expenses. He obtained the money from the Ross Yoon Agency by issuing unauthorized checks to himself. He used the U.S. mail to send the unauthorized checks to his credit card companies and other companies.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave praised those who investigated the case for the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, who is prosecuting the case.
13-101Maryland Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for 2011 Murder at Northwest Washington Restaurant-Defendant Shot Victim Without Provocation-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexis Pineda, 26, of Suitland, Md., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison on a charge stemming from the killing last year of a patron at a restaurant in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Pineda pled guilty in October 2012, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. His friend, Jaime Cruz, 31, of Lanham, Md., pled guilty that month to obstructing justice in the case. Cruz was sentenced on Oct. 19, 2012, to three years of incarceration.
The Honorable Robert E. Morin sentenced Pineda. Upon completion of his prison term, Pineda will be subject to five years of supervised release. However, he will be deported to his native country of El Salvador at that time due to his other earlier conviction for an illegal re-entry charge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, Pineda, Cruz and another friend went to the El Sauce Restaurant, in the 1200 block of Eleventh Street NW, at about 2:30 a.m. on March 27, 2011. Pineda encountered the victim, Jose Manuel Hernandez-Romero, 24, inside the restaurant. Then, without provocation, he shot Mr. Hernandez-Romero one time in the chest with a revolver.
Immediately afterward, other patrons tackled Pineda outside the restaurant and wrestled the revolver away from him. Cruz tried to pry Pineda from the other patrons and threatened to shoot them unless they released him. Cruz also assaulted one of the patrons who held Pineda. Pineda repeatedly screamed, “I’ll kill him.” Despite the threats and assault, the patrons bravely continued to hold Pineda until the police arrived and arrested him.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives and officers of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Third District of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Advocates Christina Principe and Melissa Milam, Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell and Meridith McGarrity. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana Fulton, David Saybolt and Alan Boyd, who prosecuted the case.
13-100District Man Sentenced to 78 ½ Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Three Women Who Thought He Was A Taxicab Driver-Defendant Trapped Victims in His Fake Cab, Drove Them to Secluded Areas-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emero Tornero, who targeted his victims by pretending to be a taxicab driver, was sentenced today to 78 ½ years in prison for a series of sexual assaults against women who got into his vehicle as passengers, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Tornero, 32, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty in January 2013 of 16 charges after a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The charges included multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, as well as related firearms offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck.
According to the government’s evidence, Tornero, pretending to be a taxicab driver, picked up women who hailed his “taxicab” in a series of incidents from 2005 to 2008. He trapped them inside the vehicle, which was rigged so the back doors and windows would not open from the inside. Then he took the victims to secluded locations, where he raped them.
The first attack took place at about 11:30 a.m. on May 10, 2005. The victim, 23, was with her three-year-old daughter, heading to a relative’s house, when she hailed the defendant’s taxicab at 9th and N Streets NW. Tornero abducted and took the victim to a secluded area. He threw the child to the front seat and sexually assaulted the victim in the back seat.
The second incident took place at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2006. The victim, 25, hailed a taxicab driven by the defendant near 8100 New Hampshire Avenue in Montgomery County, Md., so that she would not be late to work. Tornero instead took her to a deserted parking lot in the District of Columbia, where he raped her at gun and knife point.
The third attack occurred at about 2 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2008. The victim, 29, came into the District of Columbia to have a girls’ night out with her sister. The victim became extremely intoxicated inside a nightclub in the downtown area. After leaving the club, she was separated from her sister. Still very intoxicated, the victim got into Tornero’s taxicab alone, with the intention of going home. The victim passed out during the ride and the defendant took her to a secluded area, where he raped her while she was unconscious.
The cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and City of Alexandria Police Department (ACPD), but remained open and unsolved until the second and third sexual assaults were linked through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), along with a robbery of a man in June 2008, who worked at a bar in downtown Washington and who had hailed the defendant’s taxicab to take him home to Arlington, Va. The linkage of these crimes led MPD to identify Tornero as the suspect. MPD detectives obtained a sample of the defendant’s DNA, and it matched the DNA left behind by the assailant in 2006 and 2008.
“Few defendants deserve to spend their lives in jail as much as Emero Tornero,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “He is a predator who turned a taxicab into a cage on wheels that he used to lure, capture, and rape women. The District of Columbia is much safer without this serial rapist driving our streets looking for his next victim.”
In a separate case, Tornero was found guilty by a jury in 2011 of charges stemming from a series of violent attacks that took place in 2008 against Maryland and Virginia taxicab drivers who were working in the District of Columbia, including one victim who was 78 years old. He was sentenced to a prison term of 24 years and three months for those crimes. His sentence today runs consecutively to the sentence imposed in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives from the MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit and officers from the Third, Fourth and Fifth Districts and Forensic Science Division and the work of officers and detectives from ACPD. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam; Paralegal Specialists Troy Griffith, Jason Manuel and Kristy Penny; Victim Witness Specialists David Foster, Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames, and Litigation Technology Specialists Jeanie Lattimore-Brown, Leif Hickling and Josh Ellen. Lastly, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David Last, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Lindsay Suttenberg, who co-tried the case.
13-098District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in Killing of His Then-Girlfriend’s 20-Month-Old Child- Defendant Was Asked to Babysit for the Child -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jonathan Fullard, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of his former girlfriend’s 20-month-old son, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Fullard, who pled guilty in October 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Fullard will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to a proffer of facts, signed by the defendant as well as the government, on March 4, 2012, Fullard was babysitting his then-girlfriend’s 20-month-old son, Keyontae Osbia Moore, at a residence in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE while she went to work. At about 3 a.m. on March 5, 2012, Fullard called his then-girlfriend and stated that the toddler had stopped breathing. Keyontae was initially taken to United Medical Center, and later transferred to Children’s National Medical Center, where physicians found trauma to his head, and body. The child died on March 5, 2012 from multiple blunt force trauma.
The District of Columbia medical examiner’s office ruled the case a homicide. The evidence indicates that Fullard was the only person caring for the child at the time of his injuries. There also was evidence that the child had been sexually assaulted.
Initially, when questioned by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the defendant provided a false name of “Jonathan Mason” and was released. After the child’s death, Fullard’s true name was discovered and he was subsequently arrested on March 12, 2012.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney and Victim Advocates Tamara Ince and Marcey Rinker. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.
13-099Two District Men Plead Guilty to Robbery Charges in Hold-Up at Northwest Washington Apartment Building-Defendants Targeted Victims in the Lobby-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Richardson, 22, and Kendall Lowe, 21, both of Washington, D.C., have pled guilty to charges stemming from a robbery last fall at an apartment building in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
The defendants pled guilty on March 8, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Richardson pled guilty to robbery and carrying a pistol without a license. Lowe pled guilty to robbery. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow scheduled sentencing for May 17, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, Richardson and Lowe targeted the victims, two men, at about 10:40 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2012 after seeing them in the lobby of an apartment building in the 200 block of Hamilton Street NW. Richardson and Lowe went into the lobby. Then, with Lowe acting as a look-out, Richardson pointed a gun at one of the victims and demanded money, getting $47. Richardson then turned and pointed the gun at the second victim and demanded money. When that man said he had no money, Richardson and Lowe fled the building.
A witness spotted the defendants the following day and called police.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-093Maryland Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison on Federal Charges of Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 37-year-old man from Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to federal charges of transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Upon completion of his prison term, the defendant must register as a sex offender for 25 years. He also will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government's evidence, in August 2010, an underage girl reported to the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department that the defendant had been sexually abusing her for three years, in Maryland and in another state. The girl also told authorities that, using his cellphone, the defendant videotaped the abuse. Further investigation revealed that the defendant transported the videotaped images of the sexual contact with the girl.
A subsequent search warrant of the defendant’s residence revealed that he possessed numerous still images and videos in several electronic devices including cameras, cellular phones and computers. Those images depict him engaging in sexual contact with the girl.
This case was initiated by the Montgomery County Police Department and referred to the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute those who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended Montgomery County Police Department Sgt. Errol Birch and Detective Kristie Taylor for their work on the investigation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Julieanne Himelstein, who prosecuted the case.
13-096Former Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery ChargeEmployee Took Cash to Smuggle Items into D.C. JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – April Johnston, a former corrections officer, pled guilty today to a federal bribery charge for accepting money to bring contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Johnston, 42, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert L. Wilkins scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2013. The charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine. Johnston also is subject to a forfeiture judgment of $2,500.
According to the government’s evidence, at the time of the offense, Johnston was employed as a corrections officer for the District of Columbia Jail and had met with individuals inside the jail to discuss the possibility of smuggling contraband to an inmate. In September 2011, she made a telephone call to a person who she believed was an associate of an inmate. In fact, however, that person was an undercover agent with the FBI.
Johnston met the undercover agent on Sept. 28, 2011 at her residence in Maryland. During the meeting, the undercover agent paid her $1,000 and gave her a computer thumb drive to smuggle into the jail. She agreed to use her position as a corrections officer to smuggle the item to the inmate in return for the money, and she later did so.
On Oct. 5, 2011, Johnston again met the undercover agent at her residence. This time, the agent paid her $1,500 along with a thumb drive and mobile USB flash drive to smuggle into the jail. Once again, she smuggled the items into the jail in return for the money.
Johnston is the second corrections employee to plead guilty to a bribery charge in recent months. In December 2012, Daishawn Goodson, a former corrections officer employed by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), pled guilty to taking money to smuggle contraband into the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility. She is awaiting sentencing.
In announcing today’s guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B Waxman, who is prosecuting the case.
13-094District Man Found Guilty of Posing as Government Employee and Stealing Car from 87-Year-Old Woman-Defendant Took Keys from Victim, Then Sold Her Car for Scrap Metal-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Thomas Williams, 43, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of stealing a car from an 87-year-old woman after pretending to be a public officer of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Williams was found guilty of four charges following a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They included second-degree theft of a senior citizen, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, false impersonation of a public official, and failure to appear. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 16, 2012, Williams flagged down a tow truck driver and asked him if he was available to tow a car to a junkyard in Maryland. The tow truck driver agreed and the two men drove that morning to the home of the victim, who lives alone in Northeast Washington. Williams knocked on the front door, flashed an identification card, and told the victim that he was from the District of Columbia government and had orders to take her car, a 1996 Ford Contour that was parked in the driveway. She begged and pleaded with Williams not to take her car, saying that she was going to give it to one of her granddaughters.
Williams, however, insisted that he had to take the car and threatened to charge the victim if she did not comply. He took the keys out of her hand, hooked the car to the tow truck, and drove it to a junkyard in Maryland, where he sold the vehicle for scrap metal.
An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) followed up on the victim’s report by checking on the car’s vehicle identification number and finding that the vehicle had been scrapped at the junkyard. The officer then went to the junkyard, reviewed the paperwork, and linked Williams to the vehicle and the crime.
Following his arrest, Williams was released by a Superior Court judge and ordered to return on a subsequent date. He did not return on that date and was eventually apprehended by the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Machen praised those who worked on the case from the MPD, the U.S. Marshals Service and its Superior Court Warrant Squad, and the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Theresa Nelson, Litigation Services Specialist Thomas Royal, and Victim Advocate Kristina Rose. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-095District Man Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in 2011 Slaying in Northeast Washington-Defendant Waited for Victim, Then Shot Him in an Alley in Broad Daylight-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Terry Johnson, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed and related weapons charges for a slaying that took place in 2011 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Johnson was found guilty on March 8, 2013 following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on May 8, 2013 by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Johnson, who has previous felony convictions, faces enhanced penalties that could lead to a life prison sentence for these crimes.
According to the government’s evidence, the murder took place at about 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2011 in the 5200 block of Clay Street NE. Johnson had an ongoing feud with the victim, Andre Wiggins, 19, in which the two men on multiple occasions ambushed and fired gunshots at one another. The feud stemmed from Mr. Wiggins’s then current romantic relationship with Johnson’s ex-girlfriend.
On Oct. 26, 2011, Johnson was told that Mr. Wiggins followed one of Johnson’s children and the mother of that child (not the woman at the center of the feud) as they walked in the neighborhood. Johnson was infuriated upon hearing this and promised to “take care of it.” Johnson went to Mr. Wiggins’s neighborhood, positioned himself in an alley, and waited for his arrival. Upon seeing Mr. Wiggins, Johnson who was armed and wearing a mask, ran him down, firing multiple times and leaving Mr. Wiggins dead in the street.
During the trial, the government presented cell tower records, text messages, and other evidence linking Johnson to the murder. Among other things, the defendant threatened a jailhouse witness while en route to court in the final days of trial.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case, including detectives and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Unit and Sixth Police District. He also expressed appreciation to the FBI Special Agent who worked on the case as well as those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Paul Howell; Victim Witness Security Specialist Katina Adams; Victim Advocate Tamara Ince; Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson, and Investigator Durand Odom. Finally he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Taylor and Michelle Bradford, who prosecuted the case.
13-092District Man Convicted of Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed and Other Charges in 2010 Shooting-Defendant Opened Fire on Victims During Robbery of Marijuana-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Herbert Arrington, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges for his attempted execution of three men in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The jury also found Arrington guilty of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2013.
According the government’s evidence, in the days before the shooting, Arrington had inquired about purchasing a large quantity of marijuana from one of the victims. On the evening of June 9, 2010, he met the three men inside a parked GMC Yukon in the 2100 block of 8th Street NW. After one of the victims provided the marijuana to Arrington, he pulled out a firearm and shot all three men at point-blank range. All of the victims suffered gunshot wounds, and two were seriously injured. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), who were working off duty at a nearby club, heard the shots and quickly rushed to the aid of the victims.
The victims, rushed to various hospitals, survived the attack. Arrington, who escaped with the marijuana, was arrested six days after the shootings.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of the detectives, officers, and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kalisha Johnson-Clark and Information Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Thomas Royal. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh, who led the investigation and obtained the indictment in the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Cannon and Jonathan I. Kravis who prosecuted the case at trial.
13-097Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Robbery of Seven Men in Northwest Washington-Early-Morning Attack Took Place in Courtyard-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Torrell Page, 21, was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from a robbery in which he and a 17-year-old accomplice targeted seven men in a courtyard in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The co-defendant, Isaiah Harris, 17, was sentenced today to a two-year prison term, with all but six months of the time suspended on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised release. Harris also was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.
Page pled guilty to robbery and Harris pled guilty to attempted robbery in December 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Florence Pan. Upon completion of his prison term, Page will be placed on three years of supervised release. He and Harris also must make restitution to the victims.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 13, 2012, at about 12:35 a.m., Page and Harris staged their attack in a courtyard in the 900 block of Gallatin Street NW. They approached their first victim in the rear of the courtyard, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. Page pointed what appeared to be a semi-automatic firearm at the victim’s chest. He then pointed it at six other men, who were standing in the courtyard. Page yelled, “Hands up or I’ll kill y’all.” Harris then went into each of the victims’ pockets and took their personal property, including wallets, debit cards, cellphones and other items.
Page and Harris fled the courtyard and the victims chased them through the neighborhood. Both defendants were stopped by the police and identified by each of the seven victims as the men who had robbed them of their property. The weapon, which had been spray painted and taped over to look like a semiautomatic firearm, turned out to be a paintball gun.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers and others who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Todd McClelland, and Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden, of the Fourth District Unit of the Felony Major Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-090New York-Based Corning Incorporated to Pay United States $5.65 Million to Resolve False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corning Incorporated has agreed to pay the United States $5.65 million to resolve claims that it knowingly presented false claims to the United States for laboratory research products sold to federal agencies through Corning’s Life Sciences division. Corning, a New York based corporation, creates and makes glass and ceramic components for consumer electronics, mobile emissions controls, telecommunications and life sciences.
The settlement resolves claims relating to a contract entered into by Corning in 2005 to sell laboratory research products to federal government entities through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. The MAS program provides the government and other General Services Administration authorized purchasers with a streamlined process for procurement of commonly-used commercial goods and services. To be awarded a MAS contract, and thereby gain access to the broad government marketplace and the ease of administration that comes from selling to hundreds of government purchasers under one central contract, contractors must agree to disclose commercial pricing policies and practices, and to abide by the contract terms.
The settlement resolves allegations that, in contract negotiations and over the course of the contract’s administration, Corning knowingly failed to meet its contractual obligations to provide GSA with current, accurate and complete information about its commercial sales practices, including discounts offered to other customers, and that Corning knowingly made false statements to GSA about its sales practices and discounts. The settlement further resolves allegations that Corning knowingly failed to comply with the price reduction clause of its GSA contract by failing to disclose to GSA discounts Corning gave to its commercial customers when they were higher than the discounts that Corning had disclosed to GSA, and by failing to pass those discounts on to government customers. The United States alleged that, because of these improper dealings, it received lower discounts and ultimately paid far more than it should have for Corning products.
"At a time when our political leaders are making tough choices about how to rein in federal spending, government contractors need to understand that they will not get away with overbilling the taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. “Companies that want to take advantage of federal contracts are obligated to deal openly and fairly with their government customers. When contractors fail to meet their obligations, we will hold them accountable and seek to make the taxpayer whole.”
“This settlement shows that the United States expects all contractors participating in the MAS program to make full and accurate disclosures of their commercial pricing practices to the GSA and to act in good faith when dealing with the United States government,” said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The failure to make full and accurate disclosures material to the government’s contracting processes will not be tolerated.”
“Contractors need to be honest and follow through with their promises to the federal government – or pay the consequences," said Brian D. Miller, Inspector General for the General Services Administration.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by a former Corning Life Sciences sales representative Kevin Jones under the qui tam, or whistleblower provisions, of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. Mr. Jones will receive $904,000 as his share of the government’s recovery.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney=s Office for the District of Columbia; the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; and the GSA’s Office of Inspector General in investigating the allegations in this case. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
13-089District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Shooting High-Powered Rifle- Incident Took Place in Broad Daylight in Southeast Washington-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Nathaniel Carter, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting that took place in broad daylight in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Carter pled guilty in January 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Upon completion of his prison term, Carter will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the shooting took place at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2011, in an apartment community in the 3400 block of 13th Place SE. Carter fired six shots from a high-powered rifle at another man who tried to flee from the gunfire. The dispute stemmed from an alleged altercation that occurred between the two men in 2009. The men had largely avoided each other until a verbal altercation on the morning of the shooting. No one was injured by the gunfire, including numerous innocent bystanders who were in the area at the time of the shooting. At least one round pierced an apartment door, striking the steps inside.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), acting on information from the community, quickly located the firearm and other hidden evidence from the crime scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the detectives of MPD’s Seventh District who were involved in the arrest and investigation of this case, as well as the members of the community whose cooperation led to the successful prosecution of this case. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Richard Cheatham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-087District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery Charge in Attack of Senior Citizen-Defendant Accosted the Victim in Broad Daylight in Northwest Washington-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Reggie Gordon, 29, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of robbery for an attack against a senior citizen that took place earlier this year in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Gordon pled guilty on March 7, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2013. Under the court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, Gordon faces a likely range of 30 to 42 months in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Gordon accosted a 69-year-old man at about 2:40 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2013, in area of 14th and Newton Streets NW. Gordon approached the victim from behind, with a knife in his hand, and demanded, “Give me the bag, give me the cash.” The victim handed over a bag, which contained cigarettes, and took money out of his pocket and handed it to Gordon. After Gordon fled, the victim flagged police, who immediately began searching the area. Gordon was stopped soon afterward by police and arrested.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), whose quick work led to the defendant’s arrest. He also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Todd McClelland, and Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden, of the Fourth District Unit of the Felony Major Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-091District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges After Search Turns up A Semiautomatic Gun and PCP-Defendant Arrested After A Struggle with Police-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antowaun Lynch, 29, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to federal drug and weapons offenses stemming from a search last fall in which he was caught by police with a gun and phencyclidine (PCP), U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Lynch pled guilty on March 7, 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to unlawful possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2013. Lynch faces up to 20 years in prison. Judge Collyer ordered that he be held without bond pending his sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, 2012, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were called to the 600 block of Edgewood Street NE to investigate several robberies. Lynch was part of a group of people that the officers encountered. When the officers approached him, Lynch appeared nervous and asked, “Why are you doing this?” Lynch continued to turn his body to the right toward the police car and away from the officers. He put his right hand on his waistband at his side. An officer then put his hand on Lynch’s waistband and noticed a weapon was concealed in the area.
When Lynch attempted to grab the weapon and remove it from his waistband, the officers grabbed onto the gun. Lynch kicked and resisted the officers who were trying to remove the gun and arrest him. After this struggle, the officers were able to retrieve the weapon, a semiautomatic handgun loaded with six rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. After his arrest, officers also found a clear glass vial with a black top containing a yellow liquid of approximately one ounce of fluid PCP in Lynch’s pants pocket.
Lynch has a 2005 felony conviction in Virginia.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the actions of the MPD officers who participated in this arrest and the removal of the handgun and drugs. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Brittan Heller, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-088District Man Found Guilty of Armed Robbery and Other Charges in 2012 Attack in Northwest Washington-Defendant Robbed Victim After Asking Her for Directions-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Butler, 51, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from the armed robbery of a woman last fall in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Butler was found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of one count each of armed robbery, carrying a dangerous weapon, and possession of an open container of alcohol, as well as two counts of felony threats. He is to be sentenced on May 17, 2013 by the Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, Jr. Butler, who has previous convictions for robbery, carjacking and other offenses, faces enhanced penalties that could lead to a life prison sentence.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place about 8 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2012, near the National Zoo. The victim was walking alone near Adams Mills Road and Walbridge Place NW, headed to a friend’s house for a dinner party, when Butler saw her. He got out of a large red pick-up truck that was blocking her path and pretended to ask for directions.
Butler quickly grabbed the woman’s arm, thrust a knife up to her stomach, and demanded her phone and purse. After he got those items, he demanded her necklace. When she couldn’t get her necklace off fast enough, Butler yelled at her to take it off or he would kill her. After robbing her, he told her to run in the opposite direction and again threatened her if she didn’t comply.
Butler then took off in the pick-up truck. The victim flagged down a motorist who called 911. About 10 minutes later, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery Intervention Program spotted a truck matching the description of the one Butler was using near a gas station at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW. Officers found the victim’s belongings spread around the truck; Butler had a knife. The victim identified Butler and he was arrested.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-086Six Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges for Producing and Selling False Identification Documents-Charges Followed Investigation of Ring in Northwest Washington-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Six men pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from the operation of a ring that produced and sold false identification documents in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, D.C. field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The defendants were indicted in October 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, following an investigation into sales of fraudulent identity documents near the Columbia Heights Metrorail station at 14th and Irving Streets NW.
Those pleading guilty include: Rocio Sanchez-Flores, also known as “Amador” and “Taliban,” 30, of Washington, D.C., the alleged ringleader of the scheme; Carlos Armando Rivas-Rivas, also known as “Paisa,” 41, of Silver Spring, Md.; Javier Lopez, also known as “Pumba,” 45, of Washington, D.C.; Juan Guarneros, also known as “Lobo,” 54, of Washington, D.C.; Victor Bedillo, 42, of Silver Spring, Md., and Juan Lopez-Medina, also known as “Juanito,” 43, of Washington, D.C.
Each defendant appeared before the Honorable Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy. Except for Guarneros, all also pled guilty to a charge of transfer of fraudulent identity documents. Guarneros pled guilty to a charge of production of fraudulent documents. The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and financial penalties. The charges of transfer and production of fraudulent identity documents carry a statutory maximum of 15 years of incarceration and financial penalties. Sentencing will be set at a later date before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan.
“Today's guilty pleas are the culmination of a successful effort to dismantle a document fraud ring that operated for years in Columbia Heights,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “'Taliban̙' Sanchez-Flores created an assembly-line fraud factory in his D.C. home, churning out fake government documents for cash. Those bogus documents facilitated other criminal activity and undermined effective law enforcement. The District of Columbia is safer and more secure with this ring out of business.”
“Today’s guilty pleas represent the diligence and hard work of HSI special agents in dismantling a fraudulent identity ring that served as a one-stop shop for those seeking to obtain counterfeit identification cards,” said Special Agent in Charge Torres. “HSI in D.C. is committed to combatting identity theft and document fraud by targeting illicit organizations that pose a threat to potential victims in our area.”
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendants as well as the government, members of the group participated in the ring from in or around March 2010 until October 2012, when authorities made arrests. The defendants produced and sold false documents, including permanent resident cards, employment authorization cards, Social Security cards, and State licenses and identification cards. Depending on the type and quality of fraudulent identity documents, the defendants charged customers between $40 and $200 per transaction.
Potential customers typically provided their photographs, names, dates of birth and the kinds of fraudulent documents they wanted to purchase. Documents were manufactured at Sanchez-Flores’s home in the 1500 block of Ogden Street NW.
As part of his plea agreement, Sanchez-Flores agreed to the forfeiture of $5,000. All six defendants also acknowledged that, because they are not U.S. citizens, they consent to removal from the country upon completion of their sentences.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. field office, with assistance from other agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frederick Yette, T. Patrick Martin and Mona Sahaf, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
13-085Former U.S. Consulate Guard Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to ChinaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bryan Underwood, a former civilian guard at a U.S. Consulate compound under construction in China, was sentenced today to nine years in prison in connection with his efforts to sell for personal financial gain classified photographs, information and access related to the U.S. Consulate to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
Underwood pled guilty Aug. 30, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government with intent or reason to believe that the documents, photographs or information in question were to be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle. Upon completion of his prison term, Underwood will be placed on two years of supervised release.
The sentence was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Gregory B. Starr, Director of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Underwood, 32, a former resident of Indiana, was first charged in an indictment on Aug. 31, 2011, with two counts of making false statements and was arrested on Sept. 1, 2011. On Sept. 21, 2011, he failed to appear at a scheduled status hearing in federal court in the District of Columbia. The FBI later located Underwood in a hotel in Los Angeles and arrested him there on Sept. 24, 2011. On Sept. 28, 2011, Underwood was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government, two counts of making false statements and one count of failing to appear in court pursuant to his conditions of release.
“Bryan Underwood betrayed America’s trust by attempting to sell access to secure areas of the very U.S. Consulate compound he was charged to protect. Today, he is being held accountable for his actions. As this case demonstrates, we remain vigilant in protecting America’s secrets and in bringing to justice those who seek to compromise them,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.
“Access to classified information is a special responsibility to be honored, not a financial opportunity to be exploited,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Bryan Underwood is going to prison because he tried to make millions by selling secret photos of a U.S. Consulate to a foreign government. His sentence demonstrates our dedication to jealously guarding our nation’s secrets. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the agents who detected and stopped Underwood before he succeeded in betraying our country.”
“Bryan Underwood attempted to betray his country by using his access to sensitive information for his own benefit. Fortunately, he was stopped before classified information fell into the wrong hands,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with our partner agencies, the FBI will continue to diligently work to combat potential acts of espionage that threaten our national security.”
“The close working relationship between the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office resulted in the conviction of Bryan Underwood before he could potentially harm the security of our country,” said Director Starr of the Diplomatic Security Service. “This was a great success by all of the agencies involved.”
According to court documents, from November 2009 to August 2011, Underwood worked as a cleared American guard (CAG) at the site of a new U.S. Consulate compound that was under construction in Guangzhou, China. During this time, the compound was not yet operational. CAGs are American civilian security guards with Top Secret clearances who serve to prevent foreign governments from improperly obtaining sensitive or classified information from the construction site. Underwood received briefings on how to handle and protect classified information as well as briefings and instructions on security protocols for the U.S. Consulate, including the prohibition on photography in certain areas of the consulate.
In February 2011, Underwood was asked by U.S. law enforcement to assist in a project at the consulate and he agreed. In March and April of 2011, Underwood lost a substantial amount of money in the stock market. According to court documents, Underwood then devised a plan to use his assistance to U.S. law enforcement as a “cover” for making contact with the Chinese government. According to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood intended to sell his information about and access to the U.S. Consulate to the Chinese MSS for $3 million to $5 million. If any U.S. personnel caught him, he planned to falsely claim he was assisting U.S. law enforcement.
As part of his plan, Underwood wrote a letter to the Chinese MSS, expressing his “interest in initiating a business arrangement with your offices” and stating, “I know I have information and skills that would be beneficial to your offices [sic] goals. And I know your office can assist me in my financial endeavors.” According to court documents, Underwood attempted to deliver this letter to the offices of the Chinese MSS in Guangzhou, but was turned away by a guard who declined to accept the letter. Underwood then left the letter in the open in his apartment hoping that the Chinese MSS would find it, as he believed the MSS routinely conducted searches of apartments occupied by Americans.
In May 2011, Underwood secreted a camera into the new U.S. Consulate compound and took photographs of a restricted building and its contents. Several of these photographs depict areas or information classified at the Secret level. Underwood also created a schematic that listed all security upgrades to the U.S. Consulate and drew a diagram of the surveillance camera locations at the consulate. In addition, according to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood “mentally” constructed a plan in which the MSS could gain undetected access to a building at the U.S. Consulate to install listening devices or other technical penetrations.
According to court documents, the photographs Underwood took were reviewed by an expert at the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security who had original classification authority for facilities, security and countermeasures at the U.S. Consulate. The expert determined that several of the photographs contained images classified at the Secret level and that disclosure of such material could potentially cause serious damage to the United States.
In early August 2011, Underwood was interviewed several times by FBI and Diplomatic Security agents, during which he admitted making efforts to contact the Chinese MSS, but falsely claimed that he took these actions to assist U.S. law enforcement. On Aug. 19, 2011, Underwood was again interviewed by law enforcement agents and he admitted that he planned to sell photos, information and access to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to the Chinese MSS for his personal financial gain.
After initially being arraigned in this case on Sept. 1, 2011, Underwood was released on his personal recognizance, with certain conditions, including staying within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and returning to court for a status hearing on Sept. 21, 2011. Instead of returning to court as promised, Underwood purchased a bicycle, racks, panniers, helmet and multiple energy snack bars. He left a fake suicide note at his hotel room in Springfield, Va. Then, alive and well, he pedaled west out of Springfield and eventually boarded a bus in Wytheville, Va., under a false name. He was arrested on Sept. 24, 2011 in a hotel room in Los Angeles, with over $10,000 in cash and 80,000 Japanese yen. He has been in custody ever since.
The U.S. government has found no evidence that Underwood succeeded in passing classified information concerning the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to anyone at the Chinese MSS.
This investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
13-082District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Carjacking, Other Charges in Attacks in Southeast Washington-Defendant Carjacked Two Vehicles, Including One with A Pregnant Woman-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - James Corbin, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison on carjacking, robbery and theft charges in the violent takeover of two cars in a single afternoon, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Corbin hijacked one of the cars from a pregnant woman and rode off with her still in the passenger seat. He beat and threatened her until he finally pushed her out of the vehicle.
Corbin was found guilty by a jury in December 2012, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of two counts of carjacking, one count of robbery, and one count of first-degree theft. He was sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash. Upon completion of his prison term, Corbin will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the crimes took place on the afternoon of Dec. 16, 2007. Corbin’s first target was a woman who got lost in Southeast Washington while driving her five-year-old daughter to a violin concert. She saw Corbin walking, pulled up to him, and asked for directions. Without warning, Corbin jumped into the passenger seat, claiming that he lived near her destination and that he would provide directions as she kept driving.
Fighting against her impulse to believe she was in a dangerous situation, the woman drove with Corbin for about 10 minutes until he told her to slow down inside Fort Dupont Park. She did so, and Corbin tried to grab the keys from the ignition. When he couldn’t get the keys, Corbin got out of the car, went to the driver’s side door, and attempted to pull the woman out of the vehicle. As this was happening, two people pulled up behind her and ran towards the scene. Corbin ran off into the woods and got away. Corbin left behind some blood smears in the car.
Less than 30 minutes later, Corbin got into the front seat of another car that was parked near a gas station in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The victim, who was three months pregnant, was in the passenger seat while her boyfriend was inside the gas station.
Corbin approached the car, made eye contact, and suddenly got into the driver’s seat, yelling for the woman to exit the vehicle. The victim opened her door and tried to yell to her boyfriend for help. In response, Corbin punched her in the chest, pulled the door closed, and sped off with her still in the car. As he did so, Corbin told the woman, “…you should have gotten out. Now I’m going to kill you.” He said that he had a gun and would shoot her.
As they sped along the street, the victim tried to look behind the car, in hopes that someone might be following them and trying to help. As she did so, Corbin punched her in the face and demanded that she sit down. He then punched her in the stomach. The victim feared for her life and prayed for the safety of herself and the baby she was carrying. She remembered that she had a bottle of ginger ale in the car, and poured it onto her lap. She pleaded with Corbin, “I’m pregnant! I’m bleeding! I’m having a miscarriage!” This gave Corbin momentary pause. He slowed down the car– but did not stop – and pushed her out of the vehicle.
No arrest was made that day. DNA eventually linked Corbin to the blood left on the car at Fort Dupont Park. Follow-up investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Park Police established that Corbin was the source of that blood. Further investigation led to charges in both carjackings.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the U.S. Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the assistance of the FBI’s laboratory analysts and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Services. He expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Theresa Nelson and Antoinette Sakamsa; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lesley Slade; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Jim Brennan, of the Victim Assistance Unit, and John Cummings, Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Section. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Kenerson and Peter Lallas, who investigated and tried the case.
13-084Che Brown Sentenced to Three Months in Prison for Bank Fraud, Used False Documents to Modify His Mortgage-Claimed Income That He Didn’t Actually Receive-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Che M. Brown, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to three months of incarceration on a federal charge of bank fraud stemming from a scheme in which he submitted false documents to a mortgage lending service to win approval of a modification on a mortgage for his residence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Brown pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Brown will be placed on five years of supervised release. During that time, the judge ordered that Brown perform 200 hours of community service.
According to a statement of offense signed by the government as well as the defendant, Brown fell several months behind on his monthly mortgage in 2009. GMAC Mortgage LLC, a mortgage lending and servicing business, informed him that the mortgage was in default. GMAC also sent a letter to Brown in June 2009 that advised him that he should consider whether he was eligible for a loan modification that would make his monthly mortgage payment more affordable.
From September 2009 through September 2010, Brown schemed to defraud GMAC by submitting documents that made it appear that he had received $35,000 in income that he, in fact, had never received. Based on those and other representations, Brown was deemed qualified for the mortgage modification, which ultimately reduced his payments by $717.44 a month, to $1,499.
This marked the second time that Brown has been convicted of bank fraud. In 1995, he was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a scheme involving credit cards that resulted in $58,500 in losses.
The current prosecution arose from a broader investigation into the campaign activities of Brown’s brother, Kwame R. Brown, the former chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia. That investigation also led to the conviction of Kwame Brown in another bank fraud matter. Kwame Brown pled guilty in June 2012 to a federal charge of bank fraud stemming from false documents that he used to secure a $166,000 home equity loan, as well as a $55,335 loan that he used to purchase a boat. The Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced Kwame Brown in November 2012 to a day in confinement and six months of home detention. Following the period of home detention, Kwame Brown will be placed on two years of supervised release; during that time, Judge Leon ordered that he perform 480 hours of community service.
The cases were investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Special Agent in Charge Kelly commended those who investigated the case for the FBI and IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who prosecuted the case, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys David S. Johnson, Maia L. Miller, Matt Graves, and Ellen Chubin Epstein, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Butler, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
Finally, they expressed appreciation to Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Diane Hayes, Lenisse Edloe, Krishawn Graham, Tasha Harris, Shanna Hays, Christopher Samson, and Nicole Wattelet; former Paralegal Specialist Sarah Reis; former Legal Assistant Jared Forney; Criminal Investigators Matthew Kutz and Duncan Templeton; Litigation Support Services Specialist Thomas Royal; Information Technology Specialist Kimberly Austin; Victim-Witness Coordinator Dawn Tolson-Hightower; former Student Law Clerks Carl Barnes, Iris Postelnicu, and Danielle Rosborough, and Intelligence Specialist Lawrence Grasso, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
13-083District Man Sentenced to 16-Month Prison Term in Break-in at Public Charter School–At Time of Offense, Defendant Was on Probation for Earlier Robbery-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Thomas Asa Fields, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 months in prison on a charge stemming from a break-in last year at a public charter school in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Fields pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to attempted second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his sentence, Fields will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 22, 2012, at about 11:40 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the Options Public Charter School in the 1300 block of E Street NE for a report of an ongoing burglary. At the scene, the police set up a perimeter and observed Fields and two other suspects fleeing from one of the school's buildings. The police pursued these individuals and caught up to them. The police canvassed the school area and recovered a backpack, with four laptops belonging to the school. The backpack was located where the police had observed Fields leaving the building.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Fields was on probation for a prior robbery conviction and that he was wearing a GPS monitoring device as part of his probation conditions. Tracking information showed that he was inside the school at the time of the reported burglary. A second defendant earlier pled guilty to charges in the case.
In the robbery case, Fields previously pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to snatching an iPhone from an unsuspecting victim. He was placed on probation in July 2012. After Fields was re-arrested for the burglary matter, the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz revoked his probation and sentenced him to two years in prison.
Judge Richter ordered the sentence for the attempted burglary charge to be run consecutively to the sentence in the robbery matter, meaning that Fields now faces a total of three years and four months of incarceration.
In announcing today's sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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