District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Marc Gange, 35, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to a prison term of 46 months on 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).

     Gange pled guilty in February 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Upon completion of his prison term, Gange will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.

     According to the government's evidence, on Nov. 15, 2012, Gange contacted a man he believed to be the father of a 12-year-old 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, Gange engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer.

     During this period of time, Gange sent the undercover officer approximately 79 images of child pornography which depicted, among other things, adult men engaged in sexual acts with children.  Following Gange’s arrest on Dec. 5, 2012, the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force conducted a search of his work space and residence. Officers recovered approximately three videos and over 1,000 images of child pornography from a USB drive and the defendant’s computer.

     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 sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force who investigated the case. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – John Morris, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of nine years and seven months on 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 a plea of nolo contendere in April 2013 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 sentenced Morris today. Upon completion of his prison term, Morris will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     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 wearing 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 and the block surrounding the bank. The bag left inside the bank contained an alarm clock.

     In announcing the sentence, 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 prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Michael A. Brown, a former member of the Council of the District of Columbia, pled guilty today to a charge of bribery for a scheme in which he accepted a total of $55,000 in a series of meetings, spanning eight months, with undercover FBI agents posing as officials of a company that purportedly wanted to win  government contracting opportunities.

            The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Timothy Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Division 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, 48, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert L. Wilkins scheduled sentencing for Oct. 3, 2012. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that the applicable range would be 37 to 46 months in prison and a possible fine of $7,500 to $75,000. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of up to 37 months, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release.

            The plea agreement also calls for Brown to pay a money judgment of $35,000 in forfeiture, covering the amount of money he collected before confronted by law enforcement.

             Brown is the third member of the Council of the District of Columbia to plead guilty within the past two years to federal charges involving crimes committed while they were in office. Harry L. Thomas Jr., who represented Ward 5, pled guilty in January 2012 to federal theft and tax charges in a scheme in which he used more than $350,000 in taxpayer money for his own personal benefit. Kwame  R. Brown, the Council’s former Chairman, pled guilty in June 2012 to a federal charge of bank fraud, involving two personal loans, and a second criminal charge involving a violation of the District of Columbia’s campaign finance laws.

            The charge against Michael A. Brown involves a scheme in which he admitted taking the cash payments in return for his assistance in winning the District of Columbia government’s approval for a company that was seeking to be classified as a Certified Business Enterprise, a designation that would create potentially lucrative business opportunities; Brown also agreed to help the company with government contracting opportunities.

             In a second scheme, Brown admitted concealing the true source of $20,000 that was secretly contributed to his failed bid in 2007 for a seat on the District of Columbia Council. Under the plea agreement, Brown will not be criminally prosecuted for this conduct.

            “Today Michael Brown became the third member of the D.C. Council to plead guilty to a felony in the last 18 months,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “This prosecution should make clear that we will not allow the politics of pay to play to flourish in the District of Columbia. We will not tolerate the backroom deals, the secret payments, and the unreported cash that corrupt not only our elections and public officials but our entire system of government. Our work will not stop until we stamp out the show-me-the-money culture that has deprived the great citizens of the District of Columbia of the honest government that they so desperately want and deserve.” 

            “Today, Mr. Brown took responsibility for his actions and admitted to accepting bribes and knowingly circumventing campaign finance laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Gallagher. “This case is not only one more example of an elected official violating the public trust for their own benefit, but it is also another example of the determination and resolve of law enforcement in putting an end to such activity.  We will not stop our pursuit until public corruption is a thing of the past within the District of Columbia.”

            “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to providing its financial investigative expertise to work with our law enforcement partners in order to combat public corruption, such as Mr. Brown’s," said Special Agent in Charge Kelly. “Today's plea is a reminder that one’s status as a public official will not protect you from federal prosecution.”

            Brown was elected as an at-large member of the District of Columbia Council in 2008 and took office in January 2009. He left office on Jan. 2, 2013, following his defeat last November for re-election. Brown then launched a bid to win another at-large Council seat in a special election scheduled for April 23, 2013. However, he withdrew his candidacy on April 2, 2013, less than three weeks after he was confronted by law enforcement in the bribery scheme.

Bribery Scheme:

            According to a statement of offense signed by the government as well as the defendant, Brown’s at-large Council duties included acting as Chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Housing. The committee is responsible for matters related to economic, industrial and commercial development. The bribery scheme focused largely on a special program run by the District of Columbia government to help its small local businesses become economically viable: the Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) program.

            Status as a CBE carries preferential procurement and contracting opportunities. To be eligible for this designation, businesses must meet certain requirements and be certified by the District of Columbia’s Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD).

            Prior to July 11, 2012, Brown had discussions about obtaining assistance of $50,000 to $75,000 for Brown from a government contractor.  Brown expected to assist the government contractor with its business if the contractor provided such financial assistance to Brown.

            These discussions led to a series of meetings with two undercover FBI agents, posing as employees of a Maryland company that wanted CBE approval and contracting opportunities.  Between July 2012 and March 2013, Brown met in person with one or both of the undercover agents a total of eight times. He communicated primarily with an agent described in the court documents as “Undercover Employee 1” or “UCE-1.” He was in contact with this undercover agent on more than 30 separate days, in person, by phone, or by text, frequently seeking payment, in whole or in part, for the efforts he was making on the company’s behalf.

            Indeed, over the months, Brown made calls on the company’s behalf to the director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, introduced the undercover agents to a contractor at a symposium he sponsored, and took other actions meant to speed through the company’s attempts to win approval as a CBE. He continued these efforts even after his defeat in the November 2012 election. In January 2013, the Department of Small and Local Business Development did a site visit for the company’s application.

            According to the statement of offense, the payments were made during these meetings:

            July 11, 2012: Brown met “UCE-1” at a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Brown accepted $15,000 in cash as part of a promised amount of $50,000 for Brown’s efforts to use his official position to assist the company in becoming a CBE and obtaining contracting opportunities. The cash was in denominations of $100 bills and in a duffel bag with a Washington Nationals baseball hat and two Nationals T-shirts. Brown referred to the cash payment as a loan, but “UCE-1” said that he could keep the money.

            During subsequent discussions with the undercover agents, Brown occasionally referred to the payments as a “loan.” However, Brown understood that he was not expected to repay the money.  No loan documents were ever drafted – and no loan terms were ever discussed – between Brown and the undercover agents.

            Aug. 7, 2012: Brown met with “UCE-1” at the Washington, D.C. restaurant and accepted an additional $10,000 in cash in exchange for continuing to assist the company in obtaining approval of its CBE application and contracting opportunities. The cash was in denominations of $100 bills and placed inside a Washington Redskins coffee mug. “UCE-1” stated that Brown would get “the other 25” upon approval, and Brown said, “or north.” Brown said he would call the Department of Small and Local Business Development after the company submitted the necessary paperwork for the CBE application and aim to have the application moved “to the top of the pile.”

            Aug. 28, 2012: Brown again met with “UCE-1” at the Washington, D.C. restaurant and accepted $5,000 in cash in exchange for Brown’s assistance with the CBE application and contracting opportunities. The cash was in denominations of $100 bills and in a silver coffee mug. Brown said he would continue efforts to move the company’s application as quickly as possible.

            Nov. 29, 2012: Brown hosted his economic development symposium and introduced the two undercover agents to the director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development concerning the company’s CBE application. Brown also introduced the undercover agents to a local businessman, who, according to Brown, facilitated financing for contractors.  That night, Brown met “UCE-1” at the Washington, D.C. restaurant andaccepted another $5,000 in cash as payment for his assistance with the CBE application and contracting opportunities. The cash was in denominations of $100 bills and in an envelope.

            March 14, 2013: Brown met the two undercover agents at a conference room at a Washington, D.C. hotel, after being told that the company was pleased with how quickly its application was moving along and ready to make its final payment. During the meeting, Brown accepted $15,000 in cash as fulfillment of the company’s promise to pay $50,000 to Brown for assistance in obtaining CBE approval and government contracting opportunities. Brown also accepted a “bonus” of $5,000 cash for Brown’s past official acts on behalf of the company and future influence if Brown were re-elected to public office. The cash was in denominations of $100 bills and wrapped with a rubber band.

            At the end of the meeting, law enforcement agents entered the room to announce their presence and seized the $20,000 in cash from Brown. The company subsequently withdrew its CBE application.

Campaign Finance Scheme:

            In the spring of 2007, Brown was a candidate in a special election for the Ward 4 seat on the D.C. Council. Around that time, he met with a business owner, who is identified as “Co-Conspirator 1” in the statement of offense. Brown sought a campaign contribution but understood that “Co-Conspirator 1” would not contribute in a public manner because certain business activities required support for other candidates, based on various political dynamics.

            Brown understood that the contribution from “Co-Conspirator 1” would be publicly disclosed as having been contributed in the name of another person. He also understood from his discussion that it would exceed the limits on the amount that an individual could contribute to a political campaign committee. At the end of the meeting, “Co-Conspirator 1” told Brown that Brown would hear from somebody to arrange the contribution.

            Following this meeting, Brown was contacted by Eugenia C. Harris, another business owner, in the District of Columbia. Then, as agreed upon by Brown, Harris and “Co-Conspirator 1,” a series of bank transfers began taking place. Brown understood that a total of $20,000 originated from “Co-Conspirator 1.” Harris sent two wire transfers, of $10,000 each, to Brown’s personal bank account. Brown, in turn, contributed the funds to his campaign.

            Brown subsequently caused the campaign committee to file a form with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance that publicly disclosed that Brown made an individual contribution of $25,000 to his political campaign committee, which Brown knew disguised the fact that “Co-Conspirator 1” was the source of most of this money.

            Harris pled guilty on July 10, 2012 to conspiring to disguise the source of campaign contributions in federal and local elections, including the 2010 District of Columbia mayoral campaign. She pled guilty to one count of conspiring to violate federal campaign finance law and to obstruct justice; one count of engaging in fraud and making false statements, and one count of conspiring to violate District of Columbia campaign finance law.

            In announcing today’s guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge Gallagher, 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 worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson, David A. Last, and Bryan Seeley of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony D. Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.  Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Lenisse Edloe, and Nicole Wattelet, and Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence.

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WASHINGTON - Darlene Ford, 46, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $75,000 from a charter school where she worked as a temporary accounting employee.

     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, Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Steven Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

     Ford pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft from a program receiving federal funds. The Honorable Robert L. Wilkins scheduled sentencing for Sept. 16, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that the applicable range is 12 to 18 months in prison and a fine of $3,000 to $30,000.

     Under the plea agreement, Ford must pay $75,350 in restitution to the César Chàvez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy. She also is subject to the forfeiture of a money judgment of the same amount.

     According to the government’s evidence, Ford was a temporary employee at the César Chàvez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy. She was placed at the school’s finance department by a temporary accounting staffing firm from January 2010 until March 2010. Her responsibilities included the processing of invoices from vendors, including presenting documents to the Director of Finance for signature on payments.

     Public charter schools are independently-operated public schools that are open to all District of Columbia residents. César Chàvez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy received various government funds, including funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

     While in the finance department, Ford carried out her scheme by accessing the school’s accounting system and changing names listed on pending checks. She replaced the names of legitimate vendors with those of fictitious vendors and then forged the signature of the Director of Finance on the checks. Ten such checks were made out to fictitious vendors, totaling $75,350. These checks were then cashed and used for the benefit of Ford and/or her friends and associates.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Chief Lanier, and Special Agent in Charge Anderson commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Diane Hayes and Krishawn Graham, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Herbert Arrington, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 36-year prison term on charges stemming from his attempted execution of three men in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Arrington was found guilty by a jury in March 2013 of assault with intent to kill while armed, 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. He was sentenced June 7, 2013 by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck.

     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 sentence, 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.

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WASHINGTON - James Parks, also known as Antonio Parks, 22, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from two sexual assaults that he committed earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Parks pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse and one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin on Aug. 16, 2013.  He faces up to 15 years in prison on the attempted first-degree sexual abuse charge and 180 days on the misdemeanor charge. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

     According to the government’s factual proffer at today’s plea hearing, on Jan. 25, 2013, Parks was at the home of one of the victims, on 23rd Street SE. That night, Parks sexually assaulted another woman while she was unconscious in an upstairs bedroom of the home. 

     On the night of Feb. 14, 2013, Parks was back at the same home. That night, he and another man forced the resident into the basement, where Parks sexually assaulted her.

     In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Sexual Assault Unit.  He also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

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WASHINGTON – Alexander Buckley, 22, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed for the January 25, 2013 slaying of a Maryland girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     The defendant entered his plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Russell Canan scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2013.  

     According to the government’s evidence, in January 2013, the defendant met the victim, 18-year-old Siohban Lee, through a social media website known as “Tagged,” which allows users to view profiles and photographs posted by other users.  Tagged is available as an application to iPhone and Android phone subscribers and allows users to text one another via the Internet.  Initially, the defendant and the victim communicated only through Tagged.  Eventually, however, they exchanged phone numbers and began to communicate by phone. 

     Leading up to the early morning hours of January 25, 2013, the defendant and victim exchanged several text messages and phone calls, during which the victim agreed to meet the defendant for the very first time.  The defendant provided the victim with instructions to take the bus into D.C. towards Georgia Avenue, N.W., where he would meet her.  Sometime after 2:16 a.m., on January 25, 2013, the defendant met the victim in the area of 5th Street and Nicholson Street, N.W.  The victim was carrying a purse, and was in possession of both her iPhone and iPod Touch. 

     At approximately 2:30 a.m., the defendant shot the victim one time in the left side of the head, just behind her left ear, killing her.  The defendant took the victim’s iPhone and iPod Touch, and, leaving her purse behind, fled the scene. Law enforcement quickly located the defendant, who still had the phone in his possession.  As a result, the defendant was arrested just hours after the murder. 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers, and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Ethel Gregory and Marian Russell; Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman; and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Tyrone Edmondson, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to a 4 ½-year prison term on charges stemming from a series of break-ins of Northwest Washington homes, including one last Christmas, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Edmondson pled guilty in April 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of attempted second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 25, 2012, at about 8 p.m., Edmondson entered a home in the 800 block of Varnum Street NW through an unlocked rear door. He took computers, a video gaming system, a camera, shoes, jeans, and a jacket.

     On Jan. 21, 2013, at about 3:15 p.m., Edmondson entered a home in the 1500 block of Upshur Street NW through an unlocked rear sliding glass door. He took a computer, jewelry, phone and coat. Finally, on Jan. 22, 2013, at about 3:30 p.m., he entered a home in the 1500 block of Crittenden Street NW, once again through an unlocked rear door. This time, he took a television, a Kindle, and loose change. The owner of this home was upstairs at the time, and after hearing noises in her living room, called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Police responded, and found Edmondson in an alley near the house, with the victim’s property.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also praised the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Todd McClelland, Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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     WASHINGTON A U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael Todd Sestak, 41, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Director Gregory B. Starr announced today. 

     Sestak appeared this afternoon before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was arrested on May 13, 2013, in California and had been ordered held without bond following a hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He was removed to the District of Columbia, where the criminal complaint, dated May 6, 2013, was filed against him. Magistrate Judge Robinson ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

     According to the government’s evidence, Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012. 

     The investigation revealed that, beginning sometime in or around March 2012, Sestak agreed to approve visas to the United States for a fee.  According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, he conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens who worked to recruit customers - or to recruit other recruiters - to the visa scheme. Co-conspirators reached out to people in Vietnam and the United States and advertised a money-back guarantee for a visa to the United States.  They particularly advertised that they could obtain visas for people who would not be able to obtain a visa on their own, such as people who had been previously denied or refused entry into the U.S.  They encouraged customers with the idea that they could overstay their visas and disappear in the United States.

     The affidavit alleges that co-conspirators assisted visa applicants with their applications and prepared them for their consular interviews.  Upon submitting an application, the applicants would receive an appointment at the Consulate, be interviewed by Sestak, and approved for a visa.  Applicants or their families paid between $20,000 and $70,000 per visa. 

     Applicants paid for their visas in Vietnam, or by routing money to co-conspirators in the United States.  According to the affidavit, Sestak received several million dollars in bribes in exchange for approving the visas.  He ultimately moved the money out of Vietnam by using money launderers through off-shore banks.  Co-conspirators also had money laundered through off-shore banks to bank accounts in the United States, the affidavit alleges.

     To date, the investigation has seized over $2 million from a co-conspirator’s investment account in the United States.

     Two women have been charged in the scheme.They are Hong Vo, 27, an American citizen, and Truc Tranh Huynh, 29, a Vietnamese citizen, who are charged with conspiring with Sestak and others. Vo allegedly assisted with the recruitment of visa applicants and communicated with others about the payment for the fraudulent visas. According to charging documents, fraudulent visas granted by Sestak were connected to an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address controlled by Vo. Huynh allegedly participated in the visa scheme by obtaining documents necessary for the visa applications, collecting money and providing model questions and answers for visa applicants.  Sestak also allegedly approved a visa for Huynh to the United States, the application for which was submitted by the IP address controlled by Vo.

     Vo was recently arrested in Denver and is being held there while awaiting removal to the District of Columbia. Huynh was arrested June 3, 2013, and appeared today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She remains held without bond pending further proceedings.

     Charges contained in criminal complaints are merely allegations that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

     The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson and Mona N. Sahaf of the National Security Section and Catherine K. Connelly of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.  

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WASHINGTON – James F. Butler, 52, a contractor from Culpeper, Va., was sentenced today to 26 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution to an elderly woman he tricked into paying more than $170,000 for home improvements that were not performed, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     Butler pled guilty in November 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of first-degree theft of a senior citizen. He was sentenced by the Honorable Gerald I. Fisher. Judge Fisher ordered Butler to pay $174,471 in restitution to the victim. Upon completion of his prison term, Butler will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to a factual proffer, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Butler wrongfully obtained the money between December 2011 and February 2012 from the victim, who was then 93 years old and residing alone in Northwest Washington. The victim has memory issues that are readily apparent to anyone having a conversation with her.

     Butler met the victim at her home in December 2011. He and his workers asked her to execute multiple contracts for home improvement work. He then falsely represented that the victim owed him money for home improvement labor that was not performed, and for materials that were not installed. He and others told the victim that payments were due for material and labor a total of 38 times during a period of just one and a half months.

     Although Butler performed some work and provided some materials at the residence, it was for a fraction of the cost that the victim ultimately paid.

     From Dec. 24, 2011 through Feb. 12, 2012, the victim wrote multiple checks for home improvement work to the defendant. On some occasions, Butler would have her write him multiple checks on the same day, knowing that she did not remember already paying him. All told, Butler unlawfully obtained $174,471 from the victim.

     Butler is the owner of Nationwide Tree Specialists, a tree and stump removal business that is operated out of his home in Culpeper. He is not licensed as a general contractor in the District of Columbia or elsewhere.

     A financial advisor who did work for the victim noticed the payments and the matter was brought to law enforcement’s attention. Butler was arrested at his home in April 2012.

     “As our population grows older, we see more and more cases of scam artists exploiting the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has focused on both education and prosecution to fulfill our moral responsibility to protect our older neighbors from shady operators who try to take advantage of them.  This prosecution demonstrates the importance of reporting elder financial abuse so that we can prevent fraudsters from creating more victims.”

     “It is shameful that this criminal preyed on a vulnerable member of our community,” said Chief Lanier. “Hopefully, this sentencing will send a message to other would be thieves and con artists.”

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including the detective in the financial crimes and fraud squad who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Virginia State Police, City of Culpeper Police, and a regional law enforcement task force from Virginia. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie G. Miller, who prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is sponsoring a two-day conference this week designed to assist professionals who work with children exposed to violence, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     The conference, made possible through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, will be held June 5 and June 6, 2013.  It will include workshops, panel discussions and presentations for victim service providers, law enforcement officers, and attorneys regarding strategies for working with children and adolescents exposed to violence. Presenters have been drawn from the fields of mental health, law enforcement, social services, prosecution and the judiciary.

     U.S. Attorney Machen and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary are among those who will address the attendees. More than 250 people are expected to attend the event.

     The conference sessions will include training in investigating and prosecuting cases involving traumatized youths, as well as discussions about effective therapy and other strategies to help young people cope with the after-effects of violence.

     Every year, the lives of millions of children and adolescents in the United States are affected by exposure to violence as they become victims or witnesses to homicides and other violent crimes. Many are murdered or assaulted by loved ones, acquaintances or strangers, and many are caught in the crossfire of gang or community violence.

     The consequences of this problem are significant and widespread.Children’s exposure to violence, whether as victims or witnesses, is often associated with long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harm.  Children exposed to violence are also at a higher risk of engaging in criminal behavior perpetuating a cycle of violence as victims or offenders.

     Addressing the needs of children exposed to violence is a key priority for Attorney General Eric Holder, who launched the Defending Childhood Initiative to address the exposure of America’s children to violence as victims and witnesses.

     According to the Attorney General’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, exposure to violence is a “crisis that affects two out of every three of our children. Of the 76 million children currently residing in the United States, violence, crime, abuse and psychological trauma, touch the lives of an estimated 46 million each year.”

     “We have few greater moral obligations than protecting our community’s most vulnerable and distressed children,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Too many of our children have their innocence shattered and their futures forever changed by exposure to violence.  As the U.S. Attorney and as a father, I am excited about this opportunity to come together and discuss how we can better serve and defend our children.”

     “True justice depends on whether we’re meeting the needs and honoring the rights of victims and witnesses – especially when those victims and witnesses are our children,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Leary.  “Through the Defending Childhood Initiative and the task force’s efforts, we are working to improve our understanding of children’s exposure to violence and support efforts to translate that knowledge into practice.”

     This week’s conference will be held at the campus of Catholic University of America in Northeast Washington.

     The planning committee includes the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health; the District of Columbia Public Schools; the District of Columbia Department of Child and Family Services; the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing; Safe Shores: the D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center, and Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Services (ChAMPS).

     Conference partners include the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC); the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA); Fair Girls; the Multidisciplinary Team for Child Sexual and Physical Abuse in the District of Columbia; Children’s National Medical Center; the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence; the National Children’s Advocacy Center, and Break the Cycle.

13-192

WASHINGTON – Rashid Caviness-Bey, 20, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from a murder that took place during an attempted armed robbery in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Caviness-Bey was found guilty by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of charges of second-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license in the slaying of 19-year old Osman Al-Akbar. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Aug. 2, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 17, 2011, at about 1:30 a.m., Mr. Al-Akbar bicycled toward his home after visiting his girlfriend’s house.  As he was riding home, he talked on his cell phone with his girlfriend.  At the same time, Caviness-Bey and two teenagers emerged from Girard Park near the 2600 block of University Place NW.  They carried two guns and dressed in a manner to conceal themselves. 

     Mr. Al-Akbar encountered Caviness-Bey and the two teenagers in the 2600 block of University Place NW, where they tried to rob him.  During the encounter, Mr. Al-Akbar was shot three times in the back.  After he fell to the street, dying, he was shot a fourth time in the face with a second gun.  Mr. Al-Akbar died in the street next to his bicycle and personal belongings, which were scattered around him.

     Caviness-Bey and the teenagers fled after the shooting.  One of the teenagers and Caviness-Bey fled into a dead-end alley behind an apartment building at the corner of 15th and Fuller Streets NW.  Along the way, witnesses saw them discard the clothing they had worn to conceal themselves during the robbery.  One of the witnesses also spotted them with a gun.  The witness alerted the police to the alley that Caviness-Bey and the teenager ran into.  The police found Caviness-Bey and the teenager hiding at the bottom of a basement stairwell.  Nearby, the police found the two guns used to kill Mr. Al-Akbar.  The police also found the discarded clothing in the alley and in the trash receptacles near the alley.

     In announcing the guilty verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division, crime scene officers, and the Third Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Park Police.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ortwein (now with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan), who secured the indictment in the case; Criminal Investigator Durand Odom; Jelahn Stewart, Michael Hailey, David Foster, Marcia Rinker, Melissa Milam, and Christina Principe, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; Kimberly Smith, William Henderson, and Leif Hickling of the Litigation Technology Unit, Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell and Ethel Noble; the supervisors of the Appellate Division; and Librarian Lisa Kosow.  Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana L. Fulton who tried the case.

13-193

For Possession of Child Pornography

     WASHINGTON - Kevin Boteler, 56, of Richmond, Va., was sentenced today to two years in prison on 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).

     Boteler pled guilty to the charge in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Upon completion of his prison term, Boteler will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.

     According to the government's evidence, on Aug. 16, 2012, Boteler contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had entered a social network site.  On Aug. 16 and Aug. 17, 2012, Boteler engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer, whom Boteler believed was the father of a child.  During this period of time, Boteler arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the minor. Boteler, however, backed out prior to meeting the undercover officer.  During the course of their conversations, Boteler sent the undercover officer seven images of pre and post-pubescent female children posing nude.  In addition, Boteler sent the undercover officer one video of child pornography.

     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 work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.  They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

13-189

For Robbery of Senior Citizen
-Defendant Accosted the Victim in Broad Daylight in Northwest Washington-

     WASHINGTON – Reggie Gordon, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 40-month prison term on 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 in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow sentenced him today. Upon completion of his prison term, Gordon will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, Gordon accosted a 69-year-old man at about 2:40 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2013, in the 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 sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Todd McClelland, Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ray. 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.

13-190

For Fatal Stabbing in Southeast Washington
-Attack Followed Argument About the Victim’s Dog-

     WASHINGTON – Ellsworth Colbert, 57, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison on charges stemming from a slaying in Southeast Washington during an argument over the victim’s dog, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Colbert, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury in January 2013 of manslaughter while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Upon completion of his prison term, Colbert will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the evidence at trial, Colbert and the victim, Robert L. Wright, 37, became embroiled in an argument on the morning of March 4, 2012, in front of Colbert’s house in the 3500 block of Pope Street SE, in the Penn-Branch neighborhood. The trouble began after Mr. Wright and a friend walked their dog on Colbert’s property.  Colbert became enraged and brandished a knife and a walking stick.

     The altercation moved up the street to the house where the dog was kept, located in the 3600 block of Highwood Drive.  During the course of the argument, Colbert lunged at Mr. Wright and cut him in the neck with his knife.  Mr. Wright then retrieved a nearby shovel, and the two continued their altercation in the middle of the street.  During the course of the fracas, Colbert tackled Mr. Wright to the pavement, causing him to lose possession of the shovel.  Colbert then stabbed Mr. Wright in the back, chest and abdomen resulting in his death. 

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who worked on the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives, mobile crime technicians, and others.  He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick, San Lane, Phil Aronson, Kwasi Fields and Sharon Newman, Litigation Support Services Specialists Ron Royal and Josh Ellen; Intelligence Analyst Lawrence Grasso, and Victim Advocate Tamara Ince.

     Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Feitel and Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the case at trial.

13-188

Charged With Fraud and False Statements

     WASHINGTON – The former president and CEO, and the former vice president of corporate finance of China North East Petroleum Holdings Limited (CNEP), an oil and gas company whose stock is traded in the United States, have been charged with defrauding investors in connection with public offerings of stock.

     Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.

     Wang Hongjun, 41, and Chao Jiang, 32, both Chinese citizens residing in California and New York, respectively, were indicted on May 23, 2013, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud and four counts of securities fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Jiang is also charged with two counts of false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during sworn testimony, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The indictment was made public today.

     According to the indictment, Hongjun served as the president and CEO of CNEP from 2009 to 2010, and as the chairman of the Board of Directors beginning in 2010.  Jiang served as the vice president of corporate finance and corporate secretary of CNEP from 2008 until approximately 2011.  The charges allege that in June of 2009, CNEP registered a shelf offering with the SEC proposing to sell up to $40 million of CNEP common stock in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange.  In September and December of 2009, CNEP made two separate offerings pursuant to the June registration.  In documents filed with the SEC related to the offerings, and in other public statements to investors, Hongjun and Jiang informed investors that CNEP intended to use the funds raised from the securities offerings for general corporate purposes and to repay a prior corporate debt. 

     The indictment alleges that, instead of using the offering proceeds as represented to CNEP’s investors, Hongjun and Jiang misappropriated approximately $1,265,000 of the proceeds by wiring the money to bank accounts in the name of their family members – approximately $965,000 to Jiang’s father and approximately $300,000 to Hongjun’s wife – which was used, in part, to purchase a home in California, jewelry and a Mercedes-Benz.

     In addition, the indictment alleges that Jiang testified falsely under oath to the SEC in Washington, D.C., about these transactions.  In that testimony, Jiang stated that none of his family members had received anything of value over $500 from CNEP, despite having wired $965,000 from CNEP’s bank account to the account of his father.  Jiang also testified falsely regarding the use of proceeds from the securities offerings.

     An indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

     In a related action, the SEC had previously filed a civil enforcement action against Hongjun, Jiang and others in the Southern District of New York.

     The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office and IRS-CI.  The department wishes to thank the SEC for its significant assistance in this case. The investigation is continuing.

     This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Daniel Kahn and Kevin Muhlendorf of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Johnson for the District of Columbia.

13-187

WASHINGTON – Orpel Tucker, 44, of Washington, D.C., and Tania Firmani, 46, of Brooms Island, Md., have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme which cost mortgage lenders more than $1.3 million.

     Tucker was sentenced on May 16, 2013 to a 37-month prison term and Firmani was sentenced today to 15 months of incarceration. Both appeared before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

     The sentences were announced 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.

     Tucker pled guilty in October 2010 to two charges: conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, and wire fraud.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Walton ordered her to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. He also signed a forfeiture order in the amount of $1.3 million. Upon completion of her prison term, Tucker will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     Firmani pled guilty in July 2010 to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Walton ordered her to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. Upon completion of her prison term, Firmani will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the statements of offense signed at the plea hearings, from September 2005 to April 2008, Tucker and Firmani, with the assistance of others, defrauded banks and other lenders of money through false statements and misrepresentations. 

     Tucker, Firmani, and others used about 20 residential real estate transactions to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans of over $7.5 million.  Loan documents in support of these mortgages listed false employers and false salaries for the buyers, exaggerated the assets available to the buyers to pay back the loans and make cash contributions, and incorrectly listed the buyers’ intent to occupy the houses. The appraisals misrepresented the conditions of the homes, greatly enhancing the appraised prices, and by doing so, raising the amount of loans which the lenders were willing to extend.

     During the settlement of the sales transactions, thousands of lender dollars were siphoned off through fake “renovation” invoices and misrepresentations on the settlement documents.   Through this process, Tucker fraudulently obtained approximately $1.1 million, even though she was not the seller on any of the properties.  Tucker used some of this money to pay for the assistance of others in the conspiracy, to share with a co-conspirator who brought her into the scheme, and to pay for bogus “down payments” for the buyers.

     After closing, the co-conspirators failed to pay the mortgages on many of the properties.  The lenders were forced to foreclose and resell the properties at a loss of over $1.3 million.

     Firmani acted as the settlement agent in most of these transactions. She also assisted others in their mortgage schemes, including Akinola George, who was sentenced to 40 months in prison, and LaFrances Dudley O’Neal, who is pending sentencing after a jury trial.

     George, 44, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud. George was involved in 22 property sales and foreclosures cost those mortgage lenders $2 million.  O’Neal, 49, of Clinton, Md., was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy and bank fraud charges. She was involved with seven real estate properties, with fraudulently obtained mortgages, all of which fell into foreclosure with a loss in excess of $950,000.

     Another defendant, Donald Ramsey, 46, of Alexandria, Va.,  pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud and is to be sentenced Aug. 2, 2013.He acted as a loan broker for O’Neal for some of her seven properties.

     In announcing the sentences, 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:  Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo,  Diane Hayes, Shanna Hays; former Paralegal Specialist Sarah Reis, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas in the Asset Forfeiture Section.  Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.

13-183

WASHINGTON – Alazajuan Gray, 20, and Clifton Smith, 21, have been found guilty of armed robbery and other charges stemming from a series of attacks, including three separate incidents against Metrorail passengers, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Gray, of Washington, D.C., and Smith, of Oxon Hill, Md., were found guilty by a jury on May 23, 2013 of armed robbery, robbery, obstruction of justice, threats, contempt of court, carrying a dangerous weapon and other charges. The verdicts followed a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2013. The defendants face a statutory maximum of 33 years in prison for armed robbery and additional time for the other offenses.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 21, 2012, at about 11:30 p.m., Gray and Smith approached several college students who had recently moved to Washington, D.C.  As these college students, including the victim, were on a Metrorail train at the Fort Totten station. Gray, who was armed with a handgun, took the victim’s iPhone and money. Smith encouraged Gray to take the victim’s property. The victim did not report the crime at the time; Smith told him not to “snitch” and tell the police or he would be harmed.

     One week later, on Sept. 28, 2012, at 8:30 p.m. the victim, who was returning home from his part-time job he used to pay for community college, was at the Fort Totten Metro station and again encountered Gray and Smith. Gray approached him and flashed a gun. Gray and Smith chased the victim into the station’s kiosk. While inside the kiosk, Smith demanded if he was “snitching” and then assaulted the victim. Gray and Smith fled, but soon were caught by police.

     Neither the gun nor the victim’s iPhone were found on either of the defendants.  However, police found an iPhone near the location where Smith was stopped that night by the Metro Transit Police. The iPhone was linked to a separate Sept. 28, 2012 robbery. That robbery occurred at 7:30 p.m. on a Metrorail train at the Gallery Place/Chinatown station. In that incident, Gray grabbed an iPhone from a woman who had also recently moved to Washington, D.C. She was studying her graduate school homework as the train arrived at the station.  After Gray snatched the iPhone, Smith then blocked the victim’s attempt to chase after Gray.

     Cellular tower evidence placed Gray’s cell phone at the scene of the first armed robbery. 

     In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the Metro Transit Police and the FBI for assisting in the investigation. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Todd McClelland, Lynette Briggs, Lynda Randolph, and Kendrell Smith; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Thomas Royal, Will Henderson, Josh Ellen, Paul Howell, Claudia Gutierrez, and Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocates  Jennifer Clark and James Brennan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Suzanne Curt and Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chiefs of the Appellate Division. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden, of the Felony Major Crimes Section, who is prosecuting the matter.

13-184

To More Than 10 Years in Prison for Series of Assaults
Four Others Earlier Sentenced; Group Targeted Victims in Chinatown and Other Areas

     WASHINGTON – Two leaders of a violent crew, both from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from various gang-related crimes, including beatings, attempted robberies, and obstructing justice, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     Bernard Trowell, also known as “McLovin,” and Deandre M. Williams, both 19, were among six men who pled guilty in February 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to actively participating in a crew called “Show Out” that committed crimes in areas including Chinatown, Metro Center, NoMa, Bloomingdale, and Woodley Park. Since at least Jan. 1, 2012, the crew’s members canvassed the areas looking for targets of opportunity and teamed up to assault their victims, rob them of items of value, or both. They pursued people they thought were vulnerable to their surprise attacks, including people traveling alone to or from work, homeless people, and people distracted by their cellphones.

     The crew also was accused of engaging in “flash mob” style robberies at drug stores, convenience stores, and gas stations, in which multiple members flooded in to the business at the same time, overwhelming and intimidating the staff, and stealing items. 

     The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz, who sentenced the defendants, said that the crew committed “violence for the sake of violence.”  

     Trowell was sentenced to 12 years in prison on one count each of conspiracy, aggravated assault, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang.
Williams was sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison on one count each of aggravated assault, assault with significant bodily injury, obstructing justice, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang.

     Upon completion of their prison terms, both defendants will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     Judge Leibovitz sentenced the other four defendants on May 10, 2013. They included  Quayshawn L.  Leggett, 20, who also had a senior position in the group; James D. Matheny, 19; Ricardo J. Williams, 20, and Travis L. Morris, 21. All are from Washington, D.C.

     Leggett and Matheny were sentenced to nine years in prison. Ricardo Williams was sentenced to 8 ½-years, and Morris was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison on one count each of aggravated assault and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. They, too, will be placed on three years of supervised release after their prison terms.

     As part of their plea agreements, the defendants, along with Trowell and Deandre Williams, admitted participating in various crimes, including these incidents:

     -June 5, 2012: Beating in the 600 block of H Street NW

     All six defendants who pled guilty in February admitted taking part in the beating of a man near a bus stop in the 600 block of H Street NW. As the victim approached the bus stop, at about 3:20 a.m., he was surrounded and assaulted. Deandre Williams and a juvenile member of Show Out knocked the man to the ground, and then multiple members punched, kicked and stomped him. Deandre Williams and others stole items from the victim while he was on the ground, including his cellphone and bank card. The victim was knocked unconscious for several minutes. He eventually found a police officer and received medical attention. He was treated later for a concussion, broken nose, and bruises to the head, face and torso.

     --June 5, 2012: Beating near 2d and K Streets NW

     Crew members targeted a second victim at about 3:45 a.m. The victim was walking to work near 2d and K Streets NW when Deandre Williams approached him and struck him repeatedly about the face and head with his fists. During this attack, Deandre Williams shouted racial slurs at the victim. The victim received medical treatment on the scene and later was given stitches to close a bleeding laceration to the side of his face. Deandre Williams pled guilty to assault with significant bodily injury for his role in this attack.

     -June 7, 2012: “Flash Mob” near North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue

     Ricardo Williams and several others approached a gas station and convenience store at about 4:20 a.m., in the area of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue. After the station attendant opened the locked door, Williams and the others overwhelmed and intimidated him. They grabbed food or beverage items and fled without paying. Ricardo Williams pled guilty to attempted robbery for his participation in this attack.

     -June 19, 2012: Obstruction of Justice

     During the evening hours, Deandre Williams and others approached a former associate at a bus stop in Chinatown and threatened to kill him if he talked to police. Deandre Williams pled guilty to obstruction of justice for this incident.

     -June 21, 2012: Attack at Metro Center

     Leggett and others were on the lower platform at the Metro Center Metro station when they confronted a man at about 5:20 a.m. Leggett demanded money and threatened the victim. The victim did not give him any money, and one of the individuals punched him in the face, knocking him down. Leggett pled guilty to attempted robbery for his role in this attack.

     -July 31-Aug. 1, 2012: Threats to Do Bodily Harm, Obstruction of Justice

     Matheny posted audio recordings to his Facebook page, in which he is rapping. In three of them, he accused a Show Out member of “snitching.” The songs carried a threat that this member would be shot “on sight.” Matheny pled guilty to threats to do bodily harm and obstruction of justice for these threats.

     As part of the plea agreement, the government dismissed charges against the defendants involving four other violent crimes that were charged in the indictment. The indictment covered a total of 10 violent crimes, nine of which occurred during a three-week period in June 2012.

     Two other defendants in the case earlier pled guilty to charges. The investigation into other members of the crew is ongoing.

     In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier praised the work of the officers, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked on the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Metro Transit Police Department, which assisted in the investigation. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Bednar and Clare Pozos, who are prosecuting the matter.

13-185

Plead Guilty to Pandering Charge

-Two Admit Luring Young Woman Into Prostitution-

     WASHINGTON - Amina Hamid 20, and Charles Mayberry, 19, both of Oxon Hill, Md., pled guilty today to a charge of pandering, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Both defendants pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2013. They face a statutory maximum of five years in prison on the charge.

     According to the government’s factual proffer at today’s plea hearing, in early 2013, Mayberry lured a young woman into working for him and Hamid by telling her that prostitutes who worked for him earned up to $1,000 per day. Thereafter, Hamid set up an ad on a website in which she advertised the young woman as “. . . the girl u can use like a toy.” 

     Hamid used her own cellphone number in the ad and handled calls from potential customers. Then she and Mayberry drove the young woman to agreed-upon locations with the customer.  Hamid told her what to charge for various sex acts. The young woman turned over the proceeds to Hamid and Mayberry, who then gave her a share.

     On May 10, 2013, an undercover police officer, posing as an interested customer, texted Hamid’s cell phone and made arrangements to meet the young woman at a hotel room on New York Avenue NE.  Hamid and Mayberry delivered her to the hotel, where they waited for her to return with the money.  When the undercover officer gave a pre-arranged signal, an arrest team moved in and arrested Hamid, Mayberry and the young woman.

     In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Joint Task Force on Human Trafficking, which investigated the case. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case. 

13-186

WASHINGTON – Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as “Piolin,” 32, pleaded guilty today to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico.  The court also unsealed today the guilty pleas of three other defendants on related murder, attempted murder, racketeering and accessory charges. 

     The guilty pleas, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were 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.; Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division; and ICE Director John Morton.

     As set forth in court filings, on Feb. 15, 2011, Espinoza, a commander in Los Zetas Cartel, a heavily armed Mexican narco-trafficking cartel and transnational criminal organization, attempted to hijack Special Agent Zapata’s and Special Agent Avila’s armored government vehicle as the agents were driving on Highway 57 in San Luis Potosi.  Two armed Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” forced the agents off the road and surrounded their vehicle.  Espinoza, the leader of the attack, ordered the agents to exit their vehicle.  When the agents refused and attempted to identify themselves as American diplomats from the U.S. Embassy, the hit squad members fired weapons near and into the vehicle, striking both agents.  Estaca members continued to fire at the vehicle as the agents attempted to escape by driving away.  Special Agent Zapata died as a result of the gunshot wounds he suffered during the attack, and Special Agent Avila was seriously injured.

     On April 19, 2011, Espinoza was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on multiple counts pertaining to the murder of ICE Special Agent Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Avila and, on Dec. 20, 2011, was extradited from Mexico to the United States.  This morning, the defendant entered a guilty plea before Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth to the murder of Special Agent Zapata, an officer and employee of the United States, and the attempted murder of Special Agent Avila, an officer and employee of the United States. 

     In addition to the announcing the guilty plea of Espinoza, prosecutors also announced related guilty pleas by three other defendants.  Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, also known as “Catracho,” 25, pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2011, to federal charges concerning the murder of Special Agent Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Avila.  Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, also known as “Cacho,” 30, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2012, also to federal charges concerning the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.  Francisco Carbajal Flores, also known as “Dalmata,” 38, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2012, to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.

     As part of their guilty pleas, Espinoza, Rivera and Villagran admitted to being members of a Los Zetas hit squad and to participating directly in the Feb. 15, 2011, ambush of the two Special Agents.  The fourth defendant, Flores, acknowledged assisting Zetas members after the Feb. 15 attack.

     All four defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.  No sentencing date has been set for the defendants.

     “Special Agent Zapata died for his country in a senseless and brutal attack, and Special Agent Avila was grievously wounded in the same ambush by members of Los Zetas Cartel,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “Both men are American heroes who dedicated themselves to protecting the United States, only to be attacked by vicious thugs.  I hope that today’s announcement of guilty pleas by the Cartel members directly responsible for the attack brings some measure of justice to the victims and their families.  A team of dedicated prosecutors and investigators has worked day and night to identify and hold these defendants accountable.  Our work is far from over, and we will continue to devote our full resources and work with our law enforcement partners here and abroad to investigate and prosecute those responsible.”

     “The deadly ambush of two highly dedicated and courageous American law enforcement officers by the Los Zetas drug cartel demanded an intense, dedicated and forceful response,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “The message to any criminal who dares to commit an act of violence against a U.S. law enforcement officer serving in a foreign land is unmistakable - if you commit such a heinous crime, we will not forget, we will not falter, and we will not rest until you are brought to justice.  Our work in this critical case will continue until all of those who participated in the murder of Special Agent Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Avila are held accountable.” 

     “With the assistance of our law enforcement partners, assailants responsible for murdering Agent Zapata and wounding Agent Avila have been brought to justice,” said FBI Assistant Director Hosko.  “While there is nothing we can do to change what happened that fateful day in Mexico, let it be known that an attack against any federal agent serving his or her country is an attack on all federal agents and as such remains a priority for the FBI until those responsible are brought to justice.”

     “Today’s announcement is a very important milestone in the effort to see that justice is served in the murder of ICE Special Agent Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila,” said ICE Director Morton. “Both men were trying to make the world a safer place, and today’s result is a very welcome step to honor their service and sacrifice.”

     This case is being investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.  

     The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime and Gang Section and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided substantial assistance. 

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WASHINGTON - Torron Frieson, also known as Torron Frierson, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 7 ½-year prison term on 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 in March 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 sentenced him. Upon completion of his prison term, Frieson will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     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 cashier counter.  As the cashier prepared to provide change for the chip purchase, Frieson walked into the cashier’s booth, produced a long black handgun, 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, leaving his cell phone behind.

     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 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, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednessday, May 22, 2013

     WASHINGTON - Leon W. Bailey, 44, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a prison term of 3 ½ years for breaking into a pizza restaurant and trying to take money from the cash register, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

           Bailey pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second-degree burglary.  He was sentenced on May 21, 2013 by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. After his prison term, Bailey will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 23, 2013, at about 4:50 p.m., Bailey, who was wearing a grey mask, entered a pizza restaurant in the 1500 block of North Capitol Street NW. An employee saw the masked man barging into the restaurant and tried to close the door to the kitchen and cash register area. Bailey, however, kicked the door and broke it open.

     Once inside the cash register area, Bailey demanded money. The employee opened the cash register and Bailey began grabbing money from the drawer.  When the employee realized that Bailey did not have any weapons on him, he called to his colleagues for help.  The other employees rushed to the front of the store and tackled Bailey.  They then struggled to hold him as he was kicking and trying to get away.  The employees were able to detain Bailey until the police arrived. Police found Bailey was on the ground, with money strewn on the floor.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the work of Victim/Witness Advocate Kristina Rose, who assisted the victims, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Eugene Weatherford, 60, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $340,000 in government money, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.

     Weatherford, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to theft of government funds. The Honorable Richard W. Roberts scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2013. Weatherford faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 18 to 24 months of incarceration.

     In connection with the guilty plea, Weatherford admitted that from March 1999 through June 2012, he received and negotiated U.S. Treasury checks issued in the name of his mother, who died in February 1999. These checks included retirement benefits from the U.S. Social Security Administration and annuity benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

     According to the government’s evidence, following his mother’s death, Weatherford continued to receive and negotiate the U.S. Treasury checks in her name by depositing them into a joint bank account that they shared.  In certain instances, Weatherford signed his own name in endorsing the backs of the checks issued in his mother’s name, and in other instances, he left the endorsement blank, aside from instructions to deposit the money into the joint bank account.

     Weatherford admitted that, through this scheme, he obtained approximately $255,038 in Social Security retirement benefits and $91,484 in OPM annuity benefits, for a total illicit gain of approximately $346,522.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge McGill and Inspector General McFarland commended those who investigated the case from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and OPM’s Office of Inspector General.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Angela Lawrence and Nicole Wattelet, Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Connelly, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Last, who prosecuted the case.

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In Traffic Fatality in Southwest Washington
-Impaired Driver Struck Pedestrian, Who Died After She Was Pinned To a Tree-

     WASHINGTON – Maria N. Werts, 49, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Werts entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon Jr., scheduled sentencing for July 26, 2013. The plea agreement, contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for Werts to serve a seven-year prison term for her offenses. 

     According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday afternoon, April 28, 2013, Werts was drinking malt liquor and smoking crack cocaine immediately before getting behind the wheel of a 2010 Toyota Yaris.  While driving on First Street SW, at about 2:45 p.m., Werts ran a red light at the intersection of South Capitol Street, making an illegal right turn on red. A southbound driver on South Capitol Street had to swerve to avoid colliding with Werts.

     Werts lost control of the Toyota she was driving, and mounted the sidewalk adjacent to the southbound lanes of South Capitol Street.  The victim, Emmajean Gainey, 58, was walking on that sidewalk with another pedestrian.  Both Ms. Gainey and her companion attempted to avoid being struck by Werts, but Werts struck Ms. Gainey head on, and pinned Ms. Gainey against a tree between the sidewalk and the roadway.  Ms. Gainey was killed instantly.

     Bystanders immediately called 911, and attempted to push the Toyota from Ms. Gainey’s body.  Witnesses saw Werts get out of the Toyota’s driver’s seat and attempt to leave the scene.  Werts was stopped by witnesses until police arrived.  When police arrived, they administered filed sobriety tests, which Werts failed.  Werts was arrested and, while at a police station, breath tests indicated that her blood alcohol content was above the legal limit for driving.  Werts later admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking cocaine immediately prior to getting into the car.  While she denied driving the car, stating that she was merely a passenger, several eyewitnesses identified Werts on the scene as the driver responsible for Ms. Gainey’s death. 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Unit.  He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane, Shavaka Melvin and Phil Aronson.  Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Two Pakistani nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges alleging that they operated Internet sites that illegally shipped pharmaceuticals from Pakistan and the United Kingdom to customers in the United States. 

     Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq, 40, and Tahir Saeed, 51, are accused of operating Internet sites that, since late 2005, illegally shipped $2 million of pharmaceuticals from Pakistan and the United Kingdom to customers worldwide, including nearly $780,000 in sales to U.S. purchasers.

     The defendants, who were arrested in London last fall, have been arraigned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were brought to the District of Columbia by the U.S. Marshals Service. Ul Haq had his first court appearance today. Saeed was arraigned on April 18, 2013. Both remain in custody pending further proceedings.

     The developments were announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Antoinette V. Henry, Special Agent in Charge of the Metro Washington Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

     The defendants were indicted Nov. 6, 2012, following a presentation of evidence by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, working in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch. The 48-count indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to import controlled substance pharmaceuticals into the United States; conspiracy to distribute controlled substance pharmaceuticals; conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce; importation and distribution of controlled substance pharmaceuticals; introduction into interstate commerce of misbranded drugs, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. It also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme.

     If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts involving the conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances, as well as up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit international money laundering.  They face a maximum penalty of five years for conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce, and additional time if convicted of the other charges.

     According to the indictment, the defendants and others owned, operated and conducted business as Waseem Enterprises and Harry’s Enterprises, wholesale pharmaceutical companies that were located in Pakistan. The businesses were used to unlawfully distribute a wide variety of controlled substances and prescription drugs through Internet sites. The defendants and others also advertised their companies on Internet sites to generate business.

     Ul Haq and Saeed directed U.S. customers to submit payments via Western Union to numerous individuals in Karachi, Pakistan, in order to conceal the fact that the funds were going to Ul Haq and Saeed.  As alleged in the indictment, the defendants admitted in e-mails that they paid bribes to Pakistani customs officials to facilitate shipment of the drugs out of Pakistan, and warned that U.S. customers bore the risk of interception by U.S. customs officials. The indictment alleges that the defendants packaged the drug shipments in ways which reduced the likelihood of interdiction by customs inspectors and told customers that, despite the packaging, some of the shipments might not get through. 

     The drugs shipped into the United States included methylphenidate (sold as Ritalin); various anabolic steroids; alprazolam (sold as Xanax); diazepam (sold as Valium), lorazepam (sold as Ativan), clonazepam (sold as Klonapin) and other controlled and non-controlled substances.

     The strict statutes and regulations for pharmaceuticals – allegedly bypassed in this case by the defendants’ conduct -- are designed to protect consumers from adulterated, contaminated, and counterfeit drugs, and assure that medically necessary drugs are dispensed by licensed pharmacists who are filling legitimately issued prescriptions by licensed physicians. 

     In early October 2012, a law enforcement task force investigating the case learned that the defendants would be traveling from Pakistan to northern Europe.  With the assistance of Interpol and law enforcement agents in Germany and the United Kingdom, the defendants were tracked from Germany to London.  With coordination from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. authorities lodged provisional arrest warrants for the defendants in the United Kingdom.

     The defendants were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police Service Fugitive Squad at a hotel near Heathrow Airport on October 19, 2012.  They subsequently were presented to Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London and ordered held pending extradition to the United States.  On March 25, 2013, the United Kingdom Minister of State issued extradition orders for both defendants, which became final when neither defendant appealed.

**

     “These defendants are accused of taking part in an international conspiracy to sell and ship unregulated pharmaceuticals to American consumers, without any doctors involved,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “The extradition of these Pakistani nationals demonstrates our commitment to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who are intent on shipping unregulated and potentially dangerous drugs into the United States.”

     “The illegal sale of prescription drugs by Internet pharmacies operating around the world presents a serious threat to public health and safety,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to diligently investigate the fraudulent sale of controlled prescription drugs to protect our citizens from this danger.” 

     “The FDA will aggressively pursue those who offer drugs for sale over the Internet that are of unknown safety and efficacy, bypassing FDA’s regulatory authority and placing citizens at risk," said Antoinette V. Henry, Metro Washington OCI Field Office.

     An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. 

     This investigation was sponsored and supported by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Marshals Service provided assistance. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Dominguez and Linda I. Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, who coordinated the investigation and presented the evidence to the grand jury.

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WASHINGTON – Christopher Young, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a four-year prison term on a charge of armed robbery stemming from an attack in which he stole a dog from a woman at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Young pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Young will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     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 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.

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WASHINGTON – Kevin Richard Halligen, 51, an Irish citizen, pled guilty today to wire fraud, a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he defrauded $2.1 million from a Netherlands-based commodities trading company, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
 

     Halligen pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, the first of two counts of an indictment that was returned against him in 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss the second count of the indictment, which was a money laundering charge stemming from the same scheme. The charge of wire fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties agreed that Halligen’s likely range would be a prison term of 33 to 41 months and a fine between $7,500 and $75,000.

     Under the plea agreement, Halligen also must pay $2.1 million in restitution to the company that was the victim of his scheme.

     The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2013.

     The wire fraud charge stems from actions taken by Halligen in 2006 and 2007, when he was the Chief Executive Officer of Red Defence International (RDI), a London-based security consulting and crisis management firm, which was hired by Trafigura Beheer BV (Trafigura), a Netherlands-based international commodities trading company, and its London-based law firm, Waterson Hicks.  Trafigura hired RDI as a consultant in crisis management after two Trafigura executives were captured and imprisoned in the Ivory Coast while visiting there for the purpose of determining the company’s next steps to address an environmental issue caused by the leakage of toxic waste material from Trafigura vessels in an Ivory Coast port.

     While employed by Trafigura, Halligen claimed to have incurred $2.1 million in expenses related to pursuing a strategy in the United States aimed at convincing the United States to assist in securing the release of the Trafigura executives; in reality, Halligen spent the money on a home in Great Falls, Va., which was to be his personal residence, as well as other personal expenses, according to the government’s evidence.

     “This CEO exploited a company desperate to secure the release of its executives from a foreign prison,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “He conned the company out of $2 million he claimed would be used to support his efforts to rescue them, but instead used the money to buy a six-bedroom mansion.  The extradition and imprisonment of this CEO demonstrates the strength of our resolve to prosecute corporate fraud.”

     “Instead of assisting in the release of two executives imprisoned in the Ivory Coast, Mr. Halligen utilized the money paid to him to support his own lavish lifestyle,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with prosecutors, the FBI will continue to pursue individuals who devise schemes to defraud companies of money for services never provided to them.”

     According to a Statement of Offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, at the request of Trafigura, Waterson Hicks hired RDI in October 2006 to help secure the release of two Trafigura executives who were arrested and detained in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The arrests followed an environmental spill off the coast of Abidjan. Under a contract that took effect in October 2006, RDI was to provide security intelligence and public relations services related to Trafigura’s presence in the Ivory Coast and to assist with facilitating the release of the Trafigura executives. Under the contract with RDI, Waterson Hicks paid RDI and then, in turn, the law firm was reimbursed by Trafigura.

     During November 2006, after other efforts to secure the executives’ release proved unsuccessful, Halligen suggested that the U.S. government should be involved with facilitating negotiations with the Ivory Coast.  His stated strategy was to utilize his contacts in the United States to encourage Ivory Coast officials to release the executives. Halligen said the “American Strategy” would cost an additional $2.1 million, on top of the money RDI already was receiving.

     The $2.1 million supposedly was to be used to pay expenses incurred by Halligen in the United States to hire consultants and lobbyists to influence officials in the United States on Trafigura’s behalf. In December 2006, Halligen was informed that the law firm had received the $2.1 million from Trafigura. Then, in January 2007, Halligen told the law firm to wire $2.1 million from their bank account in London to his personal bank account in the United States.

     Between November 2006 and January 2007, Halligen traveled to the United States on numerous occasions, claiming to have met with U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., allegedly in furtherance of the “American Strategy.”  While in Washington, D.C., he began dating a woman who resided in the area and subsequently became engaged to her.

     Halligen gave his fianceé a $2 million budget to find a suitable house in which they would live after their marriage. Shortly thereafter, she found a six-bedroom, 4 ½-bathroom residence in Great Falls, Va.  On Jan. 11, 2007 - the day after $2.1 million was wired to Halligen’s personal bank account for the American strategy - Halligen wired nearly $1.7 million from his account to complete the purchase of the Great Falls residence.

     None of the proceeds from the $2.1 million payment from Waterson Hicks to RDI were ever directed toward reimbursement of expenses related to the “American Strategy.” In addition to spending nearly $1.7 million on the purchase of the Great Falls residence, the rest of the money was spent on other personal expenses.

     The Trafigura executives ultimately were released in February 2007.

     At the time of his indictment in November 2009, Halligen was no longer residing in the United States.  On Nov. 25, 2009, he was arrested at a hotel in Oxford, the United Kingdom, so that he could be extradited to the United States. At the time of his arrest, Halligen was using an alias. Subsequent to his arrest in the United Kingdom, Halligen litigated issues surrounding his extradition to the United States. He ultimately was extradited in December 2012. 

     Halligen was incarcerated in the United Kingdom from the date of his arrest in November 2009 until his extradition in December 2012.  When he was presented for his initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, in December 2012, he was ordered to be held without bond and he has been incarcerated since that time.  Halligen will continue to be incarcerated while he awaits his sentencing date.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office who handled the case. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegals Donna Galindo, Tasha Harris, and Krishawn Graham.  Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maia L. Miller and Matt Graves, who are prosecuting the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Vasu Muthyala who investigated the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Brandon Andrews, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 39 ½ years of incarceration on charges stemming from the killing of a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Andrews was found guilty in February 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of second-degree murder in the slaying of his ex-girlfriend’s brother, Leonard Bigelow, 43. The jury also found him guilty of a charge of assault with a deadly weapon for shooting at Mr. Bigelow’s father; threats to injure, for threatening his ex-girlfriend, and related weapons offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin.

     According to the government’s evidence, Andrews and Mr. Bigelow’s sister dated for approximately 10 months. However, on Aug. 22, 2011, she ended the relationship after Andrews threatened her while they were driving through the District of Columbia.

     After the break-up, Andrews repeatedly tried to call and sent text messages to his ex-girlfriend, but she did not respond. Many of the defendant’s text messages included profanity, threats and demands that she answer him. Andrews also went by the Bigelow family home repeatedly, though he was uninvited and unwelcome. 

     On Aug. 23, 2011, for example, Mr. Bigelow was with his sister at their home when Andrews came by.  Andrews and Mr. Bigelow argued when Mr. Bigelow informed Andrews that he was unwelcome and that his sister did not want to talk to him.  Andrews’s ex-girlfriend became so concerned about his behavior that she sought a protective order from the Court the following day to keep Andrews away from her and her family.

     On Aug. 25, 2011, Andrews demanded his clothing via text messages. The following day, the ex-girlfriend dropped off the clothes on a street corner near a homeless center in the 400 block of Second Street NW, where Andrews stood and resided. She did not give them to Andrews directly because she feared him.  Later that day, Andrews sent text messages claiming that the clothes were taken by others before he could retrieve them.  He also used profanity and threatened her property and her safety.

     On the evening of Aug. 26, 2011, Andrews called and texted his ex-girlfriend multiple times, but she did not respond.  Then, Andrews called her home. Mr. Bigelow answered the phone and told Andrews that his sister did not want to see him or speak to him.  Andrews declared that he was coming to the home at approximately 10 p.m.  Mr. Bigelow said that he would be there.

     Andrews arrived about 10:45 p.m. with a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his pocket.  He emerged from an alley and into the 1300 block of Emerald Street NE, and walked toward the house.  Mr. Bigelow, his sister, and his father saw Andrews coming. Mr. Bigelow went onto the front porch with his father, while his sister called 911.  Andrews stopped in front of the house and, without a word, shot at Mr. Bigelow and his father twice.  He struck Mr. Bigelow with a bullet in the chest.  Andrews then walked back the way he came.  Mr. Bigelow collapsed and died that night from the gunshot wound.

     On Aug. 27, 2011, law enforcement located Andrews at the corner of Fifth and F Streets NW. When he was arrested, he told the police that he had a gun in his pocket.  The police found in his pocket the loaded.25 caliber semi-automatic pistol used to kill Mr. Bigelow.

     At trial, Andrews claimed self-defense and alleged, among other claims, that at the time of the shooting Mr. Bigelow charged at him with some type of weapon in his hand.  The government strongly disputed Andrews’ claim.  According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Bigelow did not have a weapon and did not approach Andrews.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives and officers of the Criminal Investigations Division and the First District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Fugitive Task Force.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Snyder, who secured the indictment in the case, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Victim Witness Specialist Katina Adams-Washington, Leif Hickling of the Litigation Technology Unit, and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell.  Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana L. Fulton who tried the case.

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WASHINGTON – Cinthya Proctor, 21, and Laurence Hassan, 24, were sentenced today to prison terms for second-degree murder and other charges in the August 2010 kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Proctor was sentenced to 21 years of incarceration on charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. Hassan was sentenced to an 18-year prison term for second-degree murder and kidnapping. Both defendants, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     Proctor, who pled guilty in July 2011, and Hassan, who pled guilty in October 2011, are among six defendants who have pled guilty to charges related to the killing. A seventh defendant was found guilty by a jury last month of first-degree felony murder and other charges.

     According to the government’s evidence, Proctor and Hassan were part of a group of six young men and women who took part in the murder of Ms. Frazier.

     Ms. Frazier vanished on Aug. 2, 2010. For months, her family relentlessly sought to find her, passing out flyers and contacting local news stations to publicize her disappearance.  In late January 2011, one witness finally stepped forward and contacted the Metropolitan Police Department, revealing the truth of Ms. Frazier’s whereabouts. 

     On the day of her disappearance, the government’s evidence showed, Ms. Frazier had been brutally murdered by the group of six men and women (ages 16 to 23), all of whom she believed to be her friends.  The group had suspected - with little evidence - that Ms. Frazier had stolen about $900 from one of the men, Johnnie Sweet. He recruited others and exacted a plan of revenge in which they would call her over to an apartment where they claimed to be socializing. 

     When Ms. Frazier arrived at the apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE, the group took her to a small bedroom where Sweet and others punched, kicked, and stomped her all over her body.  Ignoring her pleas for them to stop, they bound her in duct tape, taped a pillowcase over her head so she could not scream, and shoved her in a small, dark closet.  When she screamed and moaned, one of the members of the group placed her in a sleeper hold to “put her to sleep.”  Later, the group discovered that she had died. 

     Upon learning that Ms. Frazier had died, Proctor took part in a discussion about what to do with her body. The initial plan was to dismember the body, put it in a container, and dispose of it in a park. The next day, Proctor joined in an attempt to dismember the body in a bathtub. But she became physically ill and went to a hospital before the body was removed from the apartment. That evening, Ms. Frazier’s body was thrown into a dumpster, and it is now believed to be somewhere in one or two landfills in rural Virginia. 

     In addition to Proctor and Hassan, those pleading guilty include Brian Gaither, 25, who was sentenced in April 2013 to a 32-year prison term after pleading guilty to first-degree murder; Anneka Nelson, 18, who pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping; Lanee Bell, 19, who pled guilty to kidnapping, and Antoine McCullough, 27, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. Except for Gaither, the other defendants are awaiting sentencing.

     Sweet, 19, was found guilty by a jury on April 30, 2013, of first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances; first-degree premeditated murder with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2013. Sweet faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 60 years of incarceration.

     In announcing today’s sentences, 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.

     They 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, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Melinda Williams, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Antowaun Lynch, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 50-month prison term on federal drug and weapons offenses stemming from a search in which he was caught by police with a gun and phencyclidine (PCP), announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Lynch pled guilty in March 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. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. After his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     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 sentence, 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. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittan Heller, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Anthony Butler, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 years and 10 months in prison on 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 March 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of armed robbery, carrying a dangerous weapon, felony threats, and possession of an open container of alcohol. He was sentenced by the Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, Jr. Butler, who has previous convictions for robbery, carjacking and other crimes, is to be placed on five years of supervised release following his prison term. In announcing the sentence, Judge Burgess indicated that he wanted to keep Butler off the streets and keep the citizens of the District of Columbia safe.  Butler also faces parole revocation.

     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 was left on the side of the street without a phone, any money, and the keys to her house.  She ran down the street and flagged down a motorist who allowed her in his car, and together they 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 the knife.  He was arrested.  At the Fourth District Police Station, the woman’s identification was found in his pocket.  At trial, Butler argued that he had merely found the purse on the side of the road.

     In announcing the sentence, 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.

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WASHINGTON – Maurice Fair, 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed in a slaying that took place in 1995 at an apartment in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Fair pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a 10-year prison term. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2013. 

     According to the government’s evidence, the victim, James W. Belton, 18, was fatally shot on Oct. 5, 1995. Fair, who was then 17, had gone to Mr. Belton’s apartment, in the 1400 block of Sheridan Street NW, to smoke marijuana. While there, he shot Mr. Belton twice in the head with a .38-caliber revolver, causing Mr. Belton’s death.  At the time of the murder, no arrests or leads were developed linking the defendant to the slaying.

     On July 4, 2004, Fair approached police and told them he had set his mother’s house on fire.  He was transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. While at the hospital, the defendant, spontaneously, told hospital staff that he shot and killed a man eight years earlier with a .38-caliber gun.  He was not arrested for the homicide at that time. 

     Fair was arrested and interviewed on Oct. 23, 2007 by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in relation to the death of Mr. Belton. He told police that while visiting Mr. Belton on Oct. 5, 1995, he became paranoid and thought that Mr. Belton and another individual (who was not present) were going to rob and hurt him.  He subsequently shot Mr. Belton in the head. At the time that Mr. Belton was shot, he was seated on a couch, unarmed, and had not done anything to suggest to Fair that he was going to rob or hurt him.  After the shooting, Fair left the scene on a bicycle.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case.  He also acknowledged the effort of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.  Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ed Burley, who indicted the case, Steve Snyder, who worked on the investigation, and Cynthia G. Wright, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON - Clarence McCallum, 48, has been sentenced to a 34-year prison term on charges of kidnapping and felony threats stemming from an attack last year against an 18-year-old woman in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     McCallum, of Washington, D.C., has previously been convicted of violent offenses. He pled guilty in this case in October 2012 before he was to go on trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He subsequently moved to withdraw his plea, but that motion was denied last month. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow sentenced him on May 13, 2013. Upon completion of his prison term, McCallum will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, at about 9:30 p.m. on May 27, 2012, the victim was walking home from work when McCallum grabbed her from behind in the 1200 block of V Street SE.  He dragged her towards a nearby alley, at which point she managed to break free and run into the middle of the street.  When she pulled out her cellphone and told McCallum that she was going to call 911, he told her that he would "get" her and started walking away. 

     While on the phone with 911, the victim followed McCallum so that he would not get away. She was aided by a neighborhood Good Samaritan who, when informed of what had just happened, agreed to help follow the assailant. After more than 10 minutes of pursuit, all while the victim remained on the line with 911, McCallum slipped into an alley. When he came out on the other side, several minutes later, the Good Samaritan spotted him and pointed him out to the police. After a brief foot chase, McCallum was stopped and placed under arrest.

     At the time of the arrest, McCallum had been on parole for barely six weeks. He pled guilty in 1983, in two separate cases, to assault with intent to rape and rape while armed. He also pled guilty in 1984 in Prince George’s County, Md., to charges of kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon, and use of a handgun. Since his incarceration for those cases, he had been released on parole four times and had his release revoked four times, all following rearrests for assault-related conduct. 

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case from 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 Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, Paralegal Specialists Theresa Nelson and Ethel Noble, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Dillon of the Superior Court Homicide Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Darnell Antonio Parker, 43, formerly of Arlington, Va., has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, 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) announced today.

     Parker pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering. He was sentenced on May 9, 2013 by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. As part of the sentence, Parker was ordered to forfeit assets in the amount of $375,000. He will be placed on supervised release for five years when his term of incarceration is complete. 

     According to the government’s evidence, Parker sold large amounts of cocaine to others participating in the drug conspiracy. Parker and others carried out the drug operation from September 2010 through March of 2012, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network operated in the District of Columbia as well as in suburban Maryland. 

     Parker was arrested on March 1, 2012, following an investigation led by the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Safe Streets Task Force. That day, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on Parker as he drove a Honda Accord from Washington, D.C., into a parking lot in Oxon Hill, Md. Law enforcement observed Parker exit the Honda, kneel near the driver’s side, and manipulate something inside. A few moments later, law enforcement stopped Parker a distance away after he entered another person’s vehicle.

     Law enforcement stopped Parker and searched him and the Honda Accord. That search revealed approximately $10,000 in cash underneath the front passenger seat, and two secret compartments located in the side panels in the back seat.  In one of the compartments, law enforcement discovered six large compressed bricks of powder cocaine that weighed slightly below six kilograms.  The search of Parker himself turned up more than $7,000 in cash.

     Parker was among numerous people indicted in the case. More than a dozen defendants have pled guilty to charges in the investigation.

     This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia.  The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. In addition, they expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police for their assistance in the investigation.

     They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Zamarin and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Anthony Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.

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WASHINGTON – April Arnold, 31, of Waldorf, Md. pled guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from her role in an identity theft and tax fraud scheme involving the filing of returns seeking more than $20 million in fraudulent refunds.

     The plea, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Eric M. Thorson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Treasury; and David Beach, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.

     Arnold pled guilty before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Alan Kay to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims. She will be sentenced at a later date by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and other penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Arnold likely faces 18 to 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $40,000.

     The case represents one of the largest prosecutions to date involving the use of stolen identifying information. Eight other defendants have pled guilty to charges in the case. They include Kevin Brown, 42, of Capitol Heights, Md., a key organizer and leader of the scheme.

     According to evidence presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, Arnold was among participants in a massive identity theft and false tax refund scheme involving an extensive network of more than 100 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. It also involves bank tellers and postal carriers. From 2006 to date, they allegedly caused the filing of at least 7,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $20 million in refunds. The case remains under investigation. 

     According to the government’s evidence in this case, the refunds were sought in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. At one nursing home alone, at least 14 identities were stolen, including five from people who were deceased at the time tax returns were filed in their names. Some people sold their identifying information. Some victims unwittingly turned over their identifying information after being told that they were due an income tax refund or were entitled to some “Obama Stimulus Money.”

     The government’s evidence showed that participants in the schemes had various roles: some stole the identifying information; some permitted their personal identifying information to be used; some created and mailed the fraudulent federal tax returns; some permitted their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; some helped cash the checks; some provided bank accounts for negotiation of checks, and some forged endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks.

     The false returns typically claimed that the “taxpayer” operated a sole proprietorship, as a barber or day care provider, claimed phony dependents, and then reported income that was sufficient to generate tax refunds based on the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes.

     From January 2009 through November 2009, Arnold allowed her bank accounts to be used for the deposit and negotiation of 66 fraudulent U.S. Treasury tax refund checks, totaling about $145,351. All but one of these checks had been mailed to various residential addresses in the District of Columbia. Arnold did not know the individuals whose names were listed on the checks that were deposited into her bank accounts.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Inspector in Charge Barksdale, Inspector General Thorson, and Special Agent in Charge Beach commended those who investigated the case. 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 Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Four men, all from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from various gang-related crimes, including beatings, attempted robberies, and obstructing justice, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     The defendants were among six men who pled guilty in February 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to actively participating in a crew called “Show Out” that committed crimes in areas including Chinatown, Metro Center, NoMa, Bloomingdale, and Woodley Park. Since at least Jan. 1, 2012, the crew’s members canvassed the areas looking for targets of opportunity and teamed up to assault their victims, rob them of items of value, or both. They pursued people they thought were vulnerable to their surprise attacks, including people traveling alone to or from work, homeless people, and people distracted by their cellphones.

     The crew also was accused of engaging in “flash mob” style robberies at drug stores, convenience stores, and gas stations, in which multiple members flooded in to the business at the same time, overwhelming and intimidating the staff, and stealing items. 

     The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz sentenced the defendants this morning. They included Quayshawn L.  Leggett, 20, who allegedly had a senior position in the group; James D. Matheny, 19; Ricardo J. Williams, 20, and Travis L. Morris, 21.

     Leggett was sentenced to nine years in prison on one count each of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Matheny also was sentenced to a nine-year prison term, on one count each of aggravated assault, obstructing justice, threats to do bodily harm, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Williams was sentenced to an 8 ½-year prison term on one count each of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Morris was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison one count each of aggravated assault and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang.

     Upon completion of their prison terms, all four of the defendants will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     Two other leaders of the “Show Out” crew, both of Washington, D.C., are scheduled to be sentenced May 24, 2013.  They include Bernard Trowell, also known as “McLovin,” 19, described in an indictment as “the self-styled president” of the group, and Deandre M. Williams, 19. Both pled guilty in February 2013 to charges stemming from their roles in the crimes.

     “The Show Out crew ambushed vulnerable victims in some of our city’s most vibrant neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Today’s sentences hold four members of the crew accountable for their roles in a series of beatings, robberies, and flash mobs. These prison terms are just punishment for the lawless behavior of these young people.”

     “This pack of thugs roamed around the city and preyed upon people whom they perceived to be vulnerable,” said Police Chief Lanier. “The level of violence was unjustifiable. I commend the officers and detectives from the First District, the members of the Intelligence Division and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in bringing these criminals to justice.” 

     As part of their plea agreements, the defendants, along with Trowell and Deandre Williams, admitted participating in various crimes, including these incidents:

            -June 5, 2012: Beating in the 600 block of H Street NW

     All six defendants who pled guilty in February admitted taking part in the beating of a man near a bus stop in the 600 block of H Street NW. As the victim approached the bus stop, at about 3:20 a.m., he was surrounded and assaulted. Deandre Williams and a juvenile member of Show Out knocked the man to the ground, and then multiple members punched, kicked and stomped him. Deandre Williams and others stole items from the victim while he was on the ground, including his cellphone and bank card. The victim was knocked unconscious for several minutes. He eventually found a police officer and received medical attention. He was treated later for a concussion, broken nose, and bruises to the head, face and torso.

            --June 5, 2012: Beating near 2d and K Streets NW

     Crew members targeted a second victim at about 3:45 a.m. The victim was walking to work near 2d and K Streets NW when Deandre Williams approached him and struck him repeatedly about the face and head with his fists. During this attack, Deandre Williams shouted racial slurs at the victim. The victim received medical treatment on the scene and later was given stitches to close a bleeding laceration to the side of his face. Deandre Williams pled guilty to assault with significant bodily injury for his role in this attack.

            -June 7, 2012: “Flash Mob” near North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue

     Ricardo Williams and several others approached a gas station and convenience store at about 4:20 a.m., in the area of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue. After the station attendant opened the locked door, Williams and the others overwhelmed and intimidated him. They grabbed food or beverage items and fled without paying. Ricardo Williams pled guilty to attempted robbery for his participation in this attack.

            -June 19, 2012: Obstruction of Justice

     During the evening hours, Deandre Williams and others approached a former associate at a bus stop in Chinatown and threatened to kill him if he talked to police. Deandre Williams pled guilty to obstruction of justice for this incident.

            -June 21, 2012: Attack at Metro Center

     Leggett and others were on the lower platform at the Metro Center Metro station when they confronted a man at about 5:20 a.m. Leggett demanded money and threatened the victim. The victim did not give him any money, and one of the individuals punched him in the face, knocking him down. Leggett pled guilty to attempted robbery for his role in this attack.

            -July 31-Aug. 1, 2012: Threats to Do Bodily Harm, Obstruction of Justice

     Matheny posted audio recordings to his Facebook page, in which he is rapping. In three of them, he accused a Show Out member of “snitching.” The songs carried a threat that this member would be shot “on sight.” Matheny pled guilty to threats to do bodily harm and obstruction of justice for these threats.

     As part of the plea agreement, the government dismissed charges against the defendants involving four other violent crimes that were charged in the indictment. The indictment covered a total of 10 violent crimes, nine of which occurred during a three-week period in June 2012.

     Two other defendants in the case earlier pled guilty to charges, and a third adult member of the crew is still being sought.  The investigation into other members of the crew is ongoing.

     In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the officers, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked on the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Metro Transit Police Department, which assisted in the investigation. Additionally, they thanked local businesses for their assistance in the investigation, including Transwestern, a property management company, and employees of Securitas, a private security firm. Finally, they praised the work of those who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Bednar and Clare Pozos, who are prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – A 41-year-old man was sentenced today to five years in prison on a charge stemming from a sexual assault earlier this year against a woman with whom he had a child, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim and her family. He pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced him. Upon completion of his prison term, the man will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, the defendant and the victim once had a romantic relationship and she is the mother of his teenage child. On or about Jan. 10, 2013, he learned that the victim was involved in a romantic relationship with another man, which upset him. That day, he spoke to the victim on the telephone, demanding sex.  When she rejected his advances, he showed up at her house in Southeast Washington, sent their child to the store to buy food, and propositioned her again.  When the victim rejected his advances and told him that she was seeing someone, the defendant forced her to the bed and sexually assaulted her. During the assault, the defendant told the victim, among other things, that, “you will always be mine.”

     In announcing the sentence plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Kristy Penny, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Jean Frederic Godoc, 30 of Paris, France, was sentenced today to an 81-month prison term after earlier pleading guilty to traveling to the United States to have sex with an under-aged child and one count of transportation of child pornography.

     The sentencing, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by   U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Earl L. Cook, Chief of the Alexandria, Va., Police Department.

     Godoc, who pled guilty in May 2012, was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. Godoc also must register as a sex offender for 25 years.

     According to a factual proffer of evidence presented during the plea proceeding, between Sept. 1, 2011, and Dec. 22, 2011, a detective from the Alexandria, Va. Police Department, who was operating undercover as part of a Virginia statewide law enforcement initiative, entered a website which is frequented by those who have a sexual interest in children. Godoc and the undercover officer communicated online over the three-month period, and the defendant indicated an interest in traveling to the United States and having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. In arranging the visit, Godoc offered to bring presents for the girl and her younger sister. On Dec. 22, 2011, Godoc boarded a plane in Paris and traveled to the United States.  Once he arrived, bearing his computer and the promised gifts, he was arrested.

     A search of Godoc’s computer revealed that the defendant had transported several hundred images of child pornography to the United States.

     This case was the result of collaboration by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the Northern Virginia-District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Alexandria City Police Department, the Virginia Department of State Police, and the MPD, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

     The prosecution was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. 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, Chief Lanier and Chief Cook praised the work of Alexandria Police Department Detective Betty Sixsmith. They also commended the work of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Northern Virginia-District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.  Finally, they commended the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Legal Assistant Charmonique Price, and the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Julieanne Himelstein, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Deairich R. Hunter, 48, an attorney from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by six months of home detention, on a federal charge stemming from his theft of more than $100,000 in payments from insurance companies that were intended to settle some of his clients’ disability and personal injury claims.

     The sentencing took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., 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.

     Hunter pled guilty in January 2013 to a charge of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care. He was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. The judge ordered Hunter to pay restitution and also entered a $73,901 forfeiture money judgment against him.

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, from August 1998 until April 2009, Hunter was a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and practiced law in the District of Columbia.  Also during that time period, he was a member of the bar of the state of Maryland. 

     Between 2003 and 2009, Hunter was retained by various individuals in disability and personal injury claim disputes.  Those clients generally agreed that Hunter was entitled to one-third of any recoveries regarding their settled claims. Hunter generally agreed to notify these clients of any offers of settlement and to inform clients of significant developments, among other things.  In some cases, he agreed to pay his clients’ health care expenses directly from the proceeds of the recovery in their cases.

     However, on a number of occasions, Hunter settled such claims without notifying his clients and without authority to do so and then he stole the settlement proceeds, resulting in a total loss amount from this scheme in excess of $109,830.  The Court sentenced Hunter to pay $253,549 in restitution for the benefit of these former clients and other former clients who were harmed by Hunter’s actions.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Commissioner White commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. 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 prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Ronnie Moore, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from an incident last year in which he lured a woman into his car and then tried to sexually assault her, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Moore pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse and felony threats.  The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2013.  As a result of the plea, Moore must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

     According to the government’s evidence, on March 10, 2012, at about 10 a.m., Moore was driving a four-door blue car at the intersection of Branch and Pennsylvania Avenues SE.  The victim, then 19, was standing at a bus stop at that location, and Moore pulled up and offered the victim a ride.  Moore said that he knew the victim’s mother, who he mentioned by name, and the victim accepted the ride. 

     Once inside his vehicle, Moore began complimenting the victim on her looks and asked her if she would be willing to have sex for money.  When the victim refused, Moore threatened to kill her if she did not comply.  The victim then punched Moore in the face and attempted to escape.  Moore struggled to keep her in his car.  The victim was able to escape the car, but left several personal effects in the vehicle.  Moore sped away from the area.

     On June 20, 2012, the victim saw Moore in a checkout line at a supermarket on Alabama Avenue SE. She and a relative confronted Moore, and then reported the sighting to a police officer working at the supermarket.  Moore was then placed under arrest. 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sex Crime Investigations Division.  He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Advocate Lesley Richardson, Paralegal D’Yvonne Key, and Information Technology Specialist Kimberly Smith.  Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. and Jeff T. Cook, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON – A Pakistani citizen was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Two co-defendants were sentenced for the same charge in December 2011 to 40 and 36 months in prison.

     The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; John Morton, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Division.

     Irfan Ul Haq, 37, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates. On Dec. 21, 2011, Judge Bates sentenced Qasim Ali, 32, to 40 months in prison, and Zahid Yousaf, 43, to 36 months in prison. On Sept. 12, 2011, each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. As part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to a stipulated order of removal to Pakistan upon the completion of their criminal sentences.

     “Today’s sentence successfully brings to a close our prosecution of three criminals who aimed to use their human smuggling network to help a person who they believed to be a terrorist infiltrate our homeland,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “By convicting three Pakistani nationals who were operating out of Ecuador, we have demonstrated our ability to dismantle human smuggling operations throughout the world when they threaten our national security.”

     “This case underscores our continuing commitment to dismantle networks that facilitate terrorist travel,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “I thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who were responsible for this successful prosecution.”

     “Mr. Haq conspired with others to smuggle into the United States an individual who was believed to be a member of a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Such conduct presents a serious threat to our national security, and we will continue to work closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to prevent human smugglers from operating at home or abroad, and to punish them for their crimes.”

     “ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents will continue to use every available resource to protect the American public from terrorist organizations and individuals who support them,” said ICE Director Morton. “Today’s sentence demonstrates our international resolve to ensuring that our nation is safer and more secure. I applaud the outstanding work conducted by our HSI attaché office in Ecuador who led this extensive investigation. I would also like to commend our HSI office in Atlanta, along with our law enforcement partners in the United States and Ecuador, who assisted us in this case.”

     “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: Individuals such as Ul Haq, who operate outside the law to support terror represent a threat to our safety. Ul Haq and his co-conspirators sought to smuggle men into the US and did not care if they came here to ‘blow up’ something as long as they got paid. Ul Haq in turn provided material support to the TTP. Such would-be supporters of terror will be dealt with severely under our system of laws. I commend the FBI and everyone involved in the prosecution of this case for bringing him to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Gillies.

     Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf were arrested in Miami on March 13, 2011, on an indictment filed in the District of Columbia charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. Based on the defendants’ guilty pleas to terrorism conspiracy charges, the government dismissed at the sentencing hearing today the charges of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling against the defendants.

     Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf admitted that between Jan. 3, 2011, and March 10, 2011, they conspired to provide material support to the TTP in the form of false documentation and identification, knowing that the TTP engages in terrorist activity and terrorism. According to court documents, Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf conducted a human smuggling operation in Quito, Ecuador, that attempted to smuggle an individual they believed to be a member of the TTP from Pakistan into the United States. The TTP was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department on Sept. 1, 2010.

     Court documents indicate that law enforcement agents directed confidential sources to ask the defendants, who were residing in Ecuador at the time, for their assistance in smuggling a fictitious person from Pakistan to the United States. Over the course of the ensuing negotiations, the defendants were made aware that the person to be smuggled was a member of the TTP who was blacklisted in Pakistan.

     According to the court documents, the defendants agreed to move this person from Pakistan into the United States, despite his purported affiliation with the TTP. Ul Haq, according to the court documents, told the confidential sources that it was “not their concern” what the men “want to do in the United States – hard labor, sweep floor, wash dishes in a hotel, or blow up. That will be up to them.” The defendants accepted payment from the confidential sources for the smuggling operation and procured a false Pakistani passport for the purported TTP member.

     The investigation was conducted by the HSI attaché office in Quito, Ecuador, with the HSI office in Atlanta, the Miami Division of the FBI and the Ecuadorian National Police.

     The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

     The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Embassy in Quito and the Government of Ecuador provided invaluable support.

     The case was prosecuted jointly by prosecutors from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division, the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – Three men were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to distribute large quantities of heroin in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. They were among those arrested in 2012, following a nine-month investigation by law enforcement.

     The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     Thaxton Young, Jr., 46, of Columbia, Md.; Gerry Duane Burnett, 42, of Washington, D.C., and Jesse McLester Young, Jr., 42, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., were found guilty following a three-week trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Burnett was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana.

     The Honorable Beryl A. Howell set sentencing for Aug. 2, 2013. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a potential life sentence.

     Thaxton Young, Jr., Burnett and Jesse Young were indicted in 2012, following an investigation by the DEA into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin in the metropolitan area.  The investigation determined that from May 2011 through March 2012, the defendants and others maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of heroin to dealers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

     The investigation revealed that Thaxton Young, Jr. and another conspirator obtained large quantities of heroin from his cousin and co-defendant Jesse Young in the Bronx, New York area, which they transported back to the Washington, D.C. area for redistribution to wholesale traffickers, including Burnett.

     Investigators seized over 170 grams of heroin during the investigation, along with over $7,000 in cash, along with jewelry valued at over $25,000.

     “These defendants' commitment to flooding our community with narcotics was outmatched by law enforcement's commitment to protecting our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  "Swift, coordinated action by DEA, MPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office kept these three men from poisoning our city with heroin.  I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors who have worked so hard to make sure these drug dealers pay a steep price for their crimes.  With these criminals behind bars, the District is today a safer and healthier place."

     In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge Colder, and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents, officers and investigators from the DEA and MPD who investigated the case. They also thanked the Maryland State Police, 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 Jeremy Stoller and Regan Gibson, and Litigation Support Specialist Joshua Ellen.

     Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Opher Shweiki, Steven B. Wasserman and Magdalena Acevedo of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – A former medical doctor pled guilty today in Washington, D.C., to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in Kenya, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. 

     John D. Ott, 67, pled guilty before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.  Ott was charged in an information filed on March 21, 2012.

     According to filed court documents and proceedings, Ott was a former medical doctor who worked for non-governmental organizations and hospitals in Kenya.  Court records show that Ott also started an orphanage in Kenya.  Ott admitted that between approximately January 2004 and September 2012, he engaged in illicit sexual conduct in Muhuru Bay, Sori and Kendu Bay, Kenya, with at least 14 minors, who ranged in age from approximately nine to 17 years old when the illicit sexual conduct began.  Ott admitted that he frequently paid for schooling and provided other financial support, including housing, for minors with whom he engaged in illicit conduct.

     Ott has been in federal custody since he was arrested in December 2012, following his deportation from Tanzania.  Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Ott’s sentencing has been scheduled for July 26, 2013.

     The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Keith A. Becker of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia.  The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  Significant assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

     This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 CEOS, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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WASHINGTON - Tyran Mcelrath, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison on charges stemming from an attack he carried out against an elderly woman during a burglary last fall of the victim’s home in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Mcelrath pled guilty in February 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree burglary and one count of aggravated assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Following completion of his prison term, Mcelrath will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, Mcelrath left his home on the morning of Nov. 7, 2012, and traveled to the 3500 block of McKinley Street NW, where the victim, an 81-year-old woman, resided.  Mcelrath, who did not know the victim, went to the house intending to steal property, and broke into the home through a basement window.  At the time, the victim was on the second floor of the house, listening to music. 

     Mcelrath took some tools from the basement and made his way up to the main floor of the house, where he rifled through cabinets and took change from the victim’s change purse.  Mcelrath carried an Apple computer outside and hid it in bushes located at the base of the front porch steps. The victim then came downstairs to put on her shoes and discovered a stranger, later identified as Mcelrath, in the foyer.

     She walked toward the front door and politely asked Mcelrath to leave. Mcelrath punched her repeatedly in the face with closed fists until she lost consciousness.  Mcelrath then fled before police were called.

     A civilian witness, who came upon the victim sometime after the assault, called police.  Police found the victim disoriented and suffering from multiple bruises and broken teeth as a result of the beating. She was hospitalized for several days for severe facial contusions and head injuries and was traumatized by the attack. She was no longer able to live alone in the home. Her overall health declined in the ensuing months, and she recently died.

     Police were able to identify Mcelrath as the perpetrator when they searched GPS records, which showed Mcelrath inside the victim’s home between 11:41 a.m. and 12:21 p.m., when the crimes occurred.  Police used that same GPS information to locate Mcelrath in Southeast Washington the following day, and found that he matched the limited description that the victim was able to provide, and was wearing a mask that was the same as the one the victim had described.  Police subsequently obtained surveillance video from Metro that showed Mcelrath as he traveled to and from the crime scene.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives who investigated the case.  He also commended the efforts of Victim Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, for her work with the victim in this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Carroll and Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and indicted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Three men, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a gun battle in Northeast Washington in which two people were killed, including a 15-year-old innocent bystander, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Sequarn Tibbs, 21, Antonio Barnes, 21, and Earl Jackson, 20, entered the pleas on the day their trial was to begin in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Each defendant pled guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter, one count of conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr., scheduled sentencing for Tibbs for Aug. 16, 2013. Barnes is to be sentenced on June 28, 2013, and Jackson on July 10, 2013. All three remain in custody. The men face a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for each of the manslaughter counts and 25 additional years for the other offenses.

     According to the government’s evidence, the three defendants were part of a group, known as “Young Savage,” associated with the 37th Street/37th Place neighborhood of Southeast Washington. The violence came after the discovery on Oct. 12, 2009 that a burglary took place in the home of Jackson’s mother, located in the Clay Terrace area of Northeast Washington. A .38-caliber revolver, belonging to a juvenile co-conspirator, was stolen during the burglary.

     Late Oct. 12, 2009 and early Oct. 13, 2009, Jackson, Barnes, and others, including Tibbs’s brother, Daquan Tibbs, 18, decided that Clay Terrace residents were responsible for the burglary. The group decided to travel to the home of Jackson’s mother in Clay Terrace to identify and find the people responsible and get the property back - with force, if necessary. 

     They rode to Clay Terrace in a taxicab, while armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .40-caliber pistol and a .9-mm pistol. Once there, they decided to confront Clay Terrace individuals who were outside in the neighborhood. They demanded the .38-caliber revolver, and, although no money had been determined to be taken, they also asked for money.

     A male from the Clay Terrace group advised that they did not know who was responsible for the theft, but opined that it was probably a “young’un.”  Later, an older Clay Terrace resident came to the Jacksons’ house, and asked about the situation. This person also speculated it was probably “one of the little young’uns,” and left.  The older man later came back and returned the gun, not saying where he got it. He said that he did not know anything about the missing money.

     Sequarn Tibbs, meanwhile, joined the group in Clay Terrace. Throughout the day, several members of the group smoked marijuana. At one point, Jackson and the juvenile co-conspirator discussed whether they should wait until school was over to see if they could find the “young’uns” responsible for the theft/burglary.

     Shortly before 4 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2009, the defendants and others in the group left the house. The group took their guns with them, which included a .45-caliber pistol, a .40-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, and a .9-mm pistol.  They headed to a courtyard known in Clay Terrace as “Briscoe Court,” in the 300 block of 53rd Street NE. A gun battle soon began, with Sequarn Tibbs firing the first shot. During the gunfire, Daquan Tibbs was shot to death by a weapon fired by the juvenile co-conspirator. A 15-year-old boy, Davonta Artis – an innocent bystander – was shot and also killed. Three others were wounded.

     In August of 2010, all three defendants learned that warrants had been issued for their arrests, and they fled the Washington, D.C. area to avoid being apprehended. Tibbs was captured on Sept. 21, 2010 in New York. On March 14, 2011, Barnes was arrested on an unrelated matter in Gwinnett County, Ga., but he used a false name to avoid apprehension in this case.  He was bailed out of jail before law enforcement learned his true identity. However, on Jan. 13, 2012, he and Jackson were arrested in North Carolina.

     In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives, officers and mobile crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Tonolli, J.P. Cooney, Sharad Khandelwal and Heather Carlton; Paralegal Specialists Kendra Johnson, Alesha Matthews-Yette, Kwasi Fields, Kelly Blakeney, Sharon Newman, Fern Rhedrick and Marian Russell; Litigation Technology Specialist Joshua Ellen; Victim/Witness Advocates Marcia Rinker and Katina Adams-Washington, and Investigative Analysts Larry Grasso, Zachary McMenamin, Durand Odom, and John Marsh. Finally he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Taylor and Deborah Sines, who are prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Gregory Loreng, 45, of Fanwood, N.J., has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term on charges 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). 

     Loreng pled guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography in November 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on May 1, 2013 by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Loreng will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release.

     According to the government's evidence, on April 23, 2012, Loreng contacted a man who he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl, using a social network site frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Loreng engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer.  During this period, Loreng sent the officer multiple images of child pornography, including videos of adult men engaged in sexual acts with children. 

     Upon execution of a search warrant on the defendant’s residence in New Jersey, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force recovered devices containing numerous additional videos and images of child pornography.

     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 sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Joel R. Bromwell, 32, of Annapolis, Md., pled guilty today to charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Bromwell entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Aug. 30, 2013. Bromwell faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and up to 180 days of incarceration and a $1,000 fine for driving under the influence.

     According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2013, at about 8:15 p.m., Bromwell was driving a sport utility vehicle at a high rate of speed, headed east in the 1100 block of Florida Avenue NE.  The victim, Ruby L. Whitfield, 71, and two other individuals were walking across Florida Avenue at the intersection with 11th Street NE, in a marked crosswalk. Ms. Whitfield had just left church after an usher practice for the upcoming Palm Sunday.

     Vehicular traffic at the intersection had stopped to give Ms. Whitfield and the other pedestrians the right of way.  An eyewitness saw the SUV strike Ms. Whitfield without stopping, and she was lodged beneath the vehicle for about 86 feet. 

     An eyewitness followed the SUV as it drove from the scene and approached Bromwell while he was stopped at a red light a block away.  The witness told Bromwell that he had just hit someone and that he should return to the scene. Instead, Bromwell drove off without making his identity known. 

     The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located the SUV and Bromwell a short time later.  Bromwell failed field sobriety tests.  He admitted that he was the driver of the SUV and that he had been drinking prior to the crash.  Bromwell was arrested and, while at a police station, breath tests indicated that his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit for driving. 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Unit.  He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane, Fern Rhedrick and Phil Aronson.  Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Tommy T. Branch, 22, of Fort Washington, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from a pair of attacks last summer, including one in which a man was severely beaten with a baseball bat, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The jury returned the guilty verdict after a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Branch was found guilty of charges of conspiracy, aggravated assault while armed, armed robbery, assault with intent to rob, and attempted credit card fraud.

     The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for July 2, 2013.  Branch, who has been in custody since his arrest last year, faces a statutory maximum of 105 years in prison.

     According to the government’s evidence, Branch and two accomplices – Sunny B. Kuti and Michael Moore - decided on Aug. 17, 2012 to commit a robbery together. They drove to the Adams Morgan area of Northwest Washington in Branch’s car.  When they could not identify a suitable target, they drove to Capitol Hill and parked down an alley next to Eastern Market. 

     Shortly after midnight, early in the morning of Aug. 18, 2012, they saw the victim walking home and attacked him.

     Branch hit the victim in the side of the head with a bat.  He and his accomplices took the victim’s iPhone, credit card, and keys.  They then drove to a gas station in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, a few blocks away from the robbery scene. Branch tried to use the victim’s credit card to buy gasoline, but the card was refused because he did not know the cardholder’s zip code. 

     Following this attack, Branch, Kuti, and Moore drove to the Barry Farm area of Southeast Washington where they met a fourth man, Darrin L. Beal. They then set off for the Adams Morgan area to commit a second robbery. At about 3:20 a.m., while Beal remained in the car, Branch, Moore, and Kuti, while armed with a non-functioning BB gun that resembled a real handgun, targeted three victims in an alley off of the 1800 block of 18th Street NW, violently assaulting one victim and taking a cellphone, wallet, and set of keys from another.

     The victim of the first robbery, meanwhile, was found, unconscious, by police at about 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 18, 2012, on the front porch of a rowhouse in the 700 block of North Carolina Avenue SE.  He had a massive fracture to his skull and bleeding throughout the brain cavity due to the blow from the bat.

     “Tommy Branch used an aluminum baseball bat to put a young father into a coma,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “A young family has been changed forever because this defendant carried out a brutal beating to steal an iPhone and a bank card.  Today's jury verdict is a reflection of our community's outrage over random acts of violence and our determination to hold criminals accountable. He now faces the prospect of decades in prison and we will ask that he be punished to the full extent of the law.”

     Moore, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to charges for his role in the crimes and is awaiting sentencing. Kuti, 17, of Washington, D.C., and Beal, 25, of Washington, D.C., are awaiting trial. Both have pled not guilty to charges.

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including the First District Prosecution team.

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WASHINGTON - Antonio Moses, 32, of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to a 14-year prison term for sexually assaulting a woman in 2008, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Moses pled guilty in January 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse.  He was sentenced on April 12, 2013 by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Moses 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 the government’s evidence, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2008, the victim, then 18, returned to her home in Northeast Washington after buying groceries. When she entered her home, she was grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor by Moses, a stranger to her.  Moses choked the victim and dragged her into her bedroom while holding a small kitchen knife to her throat. He threatened to hurt her if she screamed, and then he sexually assaulted her.  After Moses was finished, he forced the victim to stay in the bedroom with him for another hour before finally fleeing at the sound of someone at the front door. 

     In 2008, the victim’s sexual assault kit was sent to a DNA laboratory for analysis. In April 2012, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received an investigative lead that led them to Moses as the man who had raped the victim in her home in 2008.               

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the outstanding work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, Sexual Assault Unit.  He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donhue Griffith and Victim Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan.  Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who investigated this case.

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