District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Johnnie Sweet, 19, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree felony 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. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     The jury returned the verdict following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sweet was found guilty 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.

     According to the government’s evidence, Sweet was one of the leaders 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 a group of six young 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 Sweet.  Sweet 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. 

     To dispose of the body, Sweet helped carry her to the bathtub, where he and his friends attempted to dismember her.  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. 

     Of the seven people charged, six former co-defendants have pled guilty. They include Brian Gaither, 25, who was sentenced earlier this month to a 32-year prison term after pleading guilty to first-degree murder; Laurence Kamal Hassan, 24, who pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping; Cinthya Proctor, 21, who pled guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit evidence tampering; 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.

     “Johnnie Sweet showed no remorse in organizing and participating in the senseless murder of Latisha Frazier. The heinous nature of his actions was only matched by the cowardly manner in which he carried out his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Today a jury of twelve District of Columbia residents found him guilty of first-degree felony murder and other charges. Mr. Sweet now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars. We can only hope that today's result will bring some measure of closure to Latisha Frazier's family, who will forever grieve the loss of their loved one.”

     “This was a brutal crime,” said Chief Lanier. “Hopefully, the family of Latisha Frazier can take some comfort in knowing that the culprits will pay for this horrific offense.”

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier 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 – George G. Kahl, 42, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty today to traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, 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).  

     Kahl entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer is to sentence him on July 26, 2013.  Kahl faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of $250,000.

     According to the government's evidence, on Feb. 9, 2013, Kahl contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged female child 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 few days, Kahl engaged in graphic online e-mail and text message conversations with the undercover officer.  During these conversations, Kahl arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the purported child. On Feb. 22, 2013, Kahl traveled from Alexandria to Washington, D.C. for that purpose and was arrested.

     This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood  initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.  They also commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON -  Shelly S. Singhal, Dennis L. Pelino, and Loretta Fredy Bush, formerly of Xinhua Finance Limited (Xinhua Finance), a Chinese company trading publicly in Japan, were sentenced today to prison terms after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service.

     All three defendants pled guilty in February 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth.

     Singhal, 45, of Newport Beach, Calif., and Pelino, 65, of Miami Beach, Fla., were each sentenced to nine months of incarceration. Bush, 54, of San Francisco, was sentenced to one month of incarceration. Following their terms, each defendant will be placed on three years of supervised release. Bush will be required to serve the first 150 days of her release period in home confinement. Chief Judge Lamberth also ordered each defendant to pay $20,000 fines.

     The sentences were announced by Mary B. McCord, Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

     In connection with the guilty pleas and as set forth in detail in the executed Statements of Offense, the defendants acknowledged that Singhal was the owner and Chairman of SBI Advisors, LLC, a California limited liability company engaged in the business of providing investment advisory services as well as buying and selling securities.  Bush and Pelino acknowledged that, from time to time, they participated in investment and borrowing opportunities developed and recommended by Singhal. 

     Beginning in or about April 2005, Entrée Capital, a limited liability company formed at Singhal’s direction, opened an account at the First Internet Bank of Indiana and transferred funds to Bush and Pelino. Bush and Pelino executed a series of promissory notes obligating them to repay the funds within a fixed term and to pay interest annually at a fixed rate, but the notes did not provide for the method of calculating interest (simple or compound). 

     The defendants acknowledged that, in or about August 2006, documentation was executed to transfer the ownership of Entrée Capital to a foreign national residing outside the United States.  Employees of SBI Advisors continued to maintain Entrée Capital’s books and records.  Between January 2006 and January 2009, Bush and Pelino made several interest payments at the rates prescribed in the promissory notes they had executed, but these payments were not made according to any fixed schedule.

     Singhal, Bush and Pelino acknowledged that, in or about October 2008, the Entrée Capital account at the First Internet Bank of Indiana was closed by the management of the bank.  Each of the defendants acknowledged that, by in or around February 2009, he or she had learned that the Entrée Capital account was closed.  In addition, the defendants acknowledged that in 2009 and continuing into early 2010, they became aware that the foreign national to whom ownership of Entrée Capital had been assigned had failed to respond to inquiries or otherwise acknowledge his ownership of Entrée Capital.

     The defendants acknowledged that from April 15, 2010 through May 10, 2011, they conspired to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service in the ascertainment, assessment, and determination of whether the principal balances owed to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino had become forgiven debt and represented income to Bush and Pelino. 

     As of April 15, 2010, the principal balances owed by Bush and Pelino to Entrée Capital were approximately $2,153,663 and $1,380,633, respectively. The defendants acknowledged failing to notify and otherwise concealing from the Internal Revenue Service that the nominal owner of Entrée Capital had effectively abandoned its assets, including the principal balances payable to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino, to delay the payment of any income tax due and owing on those unpaid amounts as forgiven debt.  They acknowledged discussing among themselves and with others the fact that the owner of Entrée Capital was a foreign national and that any information in the foreign national’s possession was possibly beyond the authority of the Internal Revenue Service to obtain.  Singhal did not direct his employees at SBI Advisors, who maintained Entrée Capital’s books and records, to issue Forms 1099-C (Cancellation of Debt) to Bush and Pelino, which forms would have notified the Internal Revenue Service that Entrée Capital was treating the principal balances payable to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino as forgiven debt.  Bush and Pelino acknowledged filing Forms 1040 (U.S. Individual Tax Return) for the tax year 2009, which returns failed to declare any portion of the $2,153,663 and $1,380,633 owed to Entrée Capital as income to Bush and Pelino, respectively.

     As part of the plea agreements, the government agreed to move at sentencing to dismiss with prejudice the indictments previously returned against the defendants.

     Three others earlier pled guilty to charges in the investigation.

     In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney McCord, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly praised the investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division.  They also recognized the work of U.S. Attorney’s Office Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo, Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, and Legal Assistants Lenisse Edloe and Krishawn Graham. Finally, they commended the efforts of Trial Attorney Kenneth C. Vert, U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Northern Criminal Enforcement Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Hooks and Michael K. Atkinson, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Anthony Lamont Burns, 39, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from two sexual assaults that he committed years ago, including one attack against a 14-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Burns pled guilty on April 26, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree child sexual abuse and attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 23 years in prison. The Honorable Robert E. Morin approved the plea and sentenced Burns immediately. Following completion of his prison term, Burns will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

     According to the government’s evidence, the teenage victim was walking in the 4300 block of Iowa Avenue NW at about 10 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2003 when an unknown man grabbed her by the neck and placed a knife to her chest. The assailant told the girl that if she yelled, he would stab her in the heart.  The man forced the girl into his vehicle and then made her perform numerous sexual acts against her will.  When he finished, he drove the teenager back to where he had abducted her and allowed her to exit his car and leave.  She immediately ran home and reported the assault to her family.  Her family, in turn, immediately notified the police.

     The girl had never seen Burns before the assault and had no idea who attacked her.  However, the assailant’s semen was found on the girl’s underwear, and subsequent DNA analysis, developed after Burns was convicted in 2010 of a separate felony, tied him to the crime.

     DNA evidence also linked Burns to a second attack, which took place in 2006. On April 29, 2006, at about 5:45 a.m., a woman was walking in the 6400 block of Georgia Avenue NW when a stranger approached her, brandished a knife and demanded money.  The woman told the man she had no money.  The man then forced her to the rear of a building in the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, where he made her lay down in a bed of mulch and raped her.  When he finished, the man ordered the victim to walk toward Georgia Avenue NW.  She complied, then ran to a gas station and reported that she had just been raped by a stranger at knifepoint.  As in the case of the 14-year old girl, semen that was recovered from the victim was shown, through subsequent DNA analysis, to belong to Anthony Burns.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the cases for the Metropolitan Police Department, especially the members of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Division. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case. 

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WASHINGTON – Detrek Baker, 24, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for the April 2012 slaying of a man at a Northeast Washington bus stop, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

      Baker entered his plea on April 26, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013. 

      According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, April 28, 2012, the victim, James Sherrod, Jr., and a friend, both 22, walked to the U5 Metro bus stop in front of Mayfair Manor, in the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace NE. Baker, who was carrying a red, black, and grey single-strap book bag, was standing at the bus stop along with several other young men. 

      For nearly an hour, the victim, Baker, and others stood at the bus stop, talking.  At about 1:40 p.m., without provocation or warning, Baker pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Sherrod in the head. When the victim collapsed, Baker stood over him and fired additional bullets into his body. 

      Immediately after the shooting, Baker ran toward 800 Kenilworth Avenue NE. Eyewitnesses observed him pause beside one of the trash dumpsters there while running away; later they directed the police to those dumpsters.  Inside one of the dumpsters was a red, black, and grey single-strap book bag and a .357 revolver.  Inside the revolver were five spent casings and one live round.  Two bullets were recovered from Mr. Sherrod’s body during an autopsy; police determined that those bullets were fired from the .357 revolver found in the dumpster.

      Individuals at the bus stop as well as several members of the community spoke with law enforcement. They reported what they had observed at the bus stop.  These eyewitnesses were instrumental not only in helping the police identify Baker as the shooter within hours of the murder, but also in strengthening the evidence against him, ultimately resulting his guilty plea. 

      In accepting the defendant’s guilty plea, Judge Dixon asked the defendant why he shot Mr. Sherrod. Baker admitted that there was no ongoing hostility or “beef” between him and the victim; rather, he simply stated that he shot the victim because he “did not like him.”

      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, Marian Russell, and Kendra Johnson; Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Intelligence Specialists Lawrence Grasso, Shannon Alexis, Sharon Johnson, and William Hamann.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized former Assistant U.S. Attorney J.P. Cooney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

13-147

WASHINGTON - A 48-year-old man pled guilty today to one count of attempted first-degree child sexual abuse for sexually assaulting a young male relative in 2008, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The defendant, of Laurel, Md., is not identified here to protect the privacy of his victim. He entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2013. The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.

     According to the government’s evidence, the defendant repeatedly sexually abused the victim in 2008, when the child was 9 or 10 years old. One of the sexual assaults took place at the defendant’s place of employment in Washington, D.C. In May of 2009, the victim reported the abuse to his mother and then to law enforcement.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the Metropolitan Police Department, Youth Investigations Unit.  He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donhue Griffith, Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam, and the Litigation Support Unit, including Paul Howell.  He acknowledged the outstanding work of the Children’s Advocacy Center and specifically, Karen Giannakoulias, who provided critical services and treatment to the victim. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who indicted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Eugene A. Kelly, 28, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related charges for the shooting of two teenagers in Northwest Washington on Memorial Day of 2011, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced. 

     The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2013.  

     According to the government’s evidence, on May 30, 2011, at about 10:15 p.m., the victims, two 15-year-old boys, were walking home in the 1400 block of New Jersey Avenue NW.  As they were walking, Kelly opened fire and shot both teenagers. Isaiah Harris was killed by a single gunshot wound to his body. The surviving victim was shot in the leg.

     Just before the shooting, Kelly, who was riding a small trick bike, had stopped to talk to a neighborhood acquaintance.  The defendant mentioned his brother’s 2008 murder, and stated his belief that someone from the nearby 5th and O Streets neighborhood was responsible. Kelly announced that someone was going to pay for his brother’s murder, and said that he was going to retrieve a gun.  He then retrieved a gun by a nearby dumpster and rode east on P Street toward New Jersey Avenue.  Seconds later, the defendant fired multiple times, targeting the two teens.

     The victims did not know Kelly and had no knowledge of or involvement in the 2008 murder of his brother.  They were simply walking from the area of 5th and O Streets NW. 

     During a search warrant of the defendant’s home two days later, law enforcement officers found a small trick bike that matched the witnesses’ descriptions of the bike used by the shooter, as well as ammunition consistent with the type used in the murder.  

     Finally, on Sept. 14, 2011, a guard at the District of Columbia Jail found a note taken from an inmate during a routine morning check.  The note, signed by Kelly with his jail identification number, provided a witness’s name and address, and identified members of the witness’s family.  A handwriting expert from the FBI concluded that Kelly wrote the note.

     In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which were involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Ethel Noble, Victim /Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Joseph Calvarese, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ortwein, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer A. Kerkhoff and Holly R. Shick, who tried the case.

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WASHINGTON – A one-count indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging Marta Rita Velazquez, 55, with conspiracy to commit espionage, announced John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security;   Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

     The charges against Velazquez stem from, among other things, her alleged role in introducing Ana Belen Montes, now 55, to the Cuban Intelligence Service (CuIS) in 1984; in facilitating Montes’s recruitment by the CuIS; and in helping Montes later gain employment at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).  Montes served as an intelligence analyst at DIA from September 1985 until she was arrested for espionage by FBI agents on Sept. 21, 2001.  On March 19, 2002, Montes pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of Cuba.  Montes is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.

     The indictment against Velazquez, who is also known as “Marta Rita Kviele” and as “Barbara,” was originally returned by a grand jury in the District of Columbia on Feb. 5, 2004.  It has remained under court seal until today.  Velazquez has continuously remained outside the United States since 2002.  She is currently living in Stockholm, Sweden.   If convicted of the charges against her, Velazquez faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison. 

     According to the indictment, Velazquez was born in Puerto Rico in 1957.  She graduated from Princeton University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies.  Velazquez later obtained a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982 and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., in 1984. 

     Velazquez later served as an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and, in 1989, she joined the State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a legal officer with responsibilities encompassing Central America.  During her tenure at USAID, Velazquez held a Top Secret security clearance and was posted to the U.S. Embassies in Nicaragua and Guatemala.  In June 2002, Velazquez resigned from USAID following press reports that Montes had pleaded guilty to espionage and was cooperating with the U.S. government.  Velazquez has remained outside the United States since 2002. 

     The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about 1983, Velazquez conspired with others to transmit to the Cuban government and its agents documents and information relating to the U.S. national defense, with the intent that they would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of the Cuban government.

     As part of the conspiracy, Velazquez allegedly helped the CuIS spot, assess and recruit U.S. citizens who occupied sensitive national security positions or had the potential of occupying such positions in the future to serve as Cuban agents.   For example, the indictment alleges that, while Velazquez was a student together with Montes at SAIS in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s, Velazquez fostered a strong, personal friendship with Montes, with both sharing similar views of U.S. policies in Nicaragua at the time.

     In December 1984, the indictment alleges, Velazquez introduced Montes in New York City to a Cuban intelligence officer who identified himself as an official of the Cuban Mission to the United States.  The intelligence officer then recruited Montes.  In 1985, after Montes’ recruitment, Velazquez personally accompanied Montes on a clandestine trip to Cuba for Montes to receive spy craft training from CuIS. 

     Later in 1985, Velazquez allegedly helped Montes obtain employment as an intelligence analyst at the DIA, where Montes had access to classified national defense information and served as an agent of the CuIS until her arrest in 2001. During her tenure at the DIA, Montes disclosed the identities of U.S. intelligence officers and provided other classified national defense information to the CuIS.

     During this timeframe, Velazquez allegedly continued to serve the CuIS, receiving instructions from the CuIS through encrypted, high frequency broadcasts from her handlers and through meetings with handlers outside the United States.

     This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DIA.  It is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Clifford Rones of the Counterespionage Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Michael Harvey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

     The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – Irvin Johnson, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 82 years of incarceration for killing two men and wounding another, and shooting at a fourth man, in a pair of shootings in 2011, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Johnson was found guilty in February 2013 of a total of 15 charges following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They included two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and numerous related firearms offenses. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz sentenced him today.

     According to the government’s evidence, the violence stemmed from a longstanding dispute between Johnson and the victims, stemming from a robbery that Johnson had committed against one of their friends in 2008. During the evening hours of June 21, 2011, Johnson and an associate entered the 1500 block of Spring Place NW and shot at a man. No one was injured during the shooting, but a number of cars and buildings in the block were damaged.  

     Nearly three weeks later, in the early morning hours of July 9, 2011, in the 1400 block of Parkwood Place NW, Johnson ambushed and executed by shooting in the head Jimmie Simmons, 32, and Dominique Barbour, 31. The defendant also shot Anthony Thomas, then 21, in the head and chest.  Miraculously, Mr. Thomas survived.  Sadly, after a year of struggling from the injuries inflicted by the defendant, Mr. Thomas took his own life. 

     Immediately after the shooting, Johnson went on the run.  He hid at friends’ homes in Washington, D.C., and eventually fled to a relative’s house in Lusby, Md., where he was apprehended by the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Sept. 9, 2011.

     During the sentencing hearing, family members of the victims emotionally expressed their deep sorrow for the loss of their loved ones.  After reviewing submissions from the government, attorneys for the defendant, and many victim impact statements from the family members and friends of the victims, Judge Leibovitz sentenced the defendant to the 82-year prison term followed by five years of supervised release. Immediately before the judge imposed sentence, Johnson yelled out, “Just throw the book at me and be done with it.  I got things to do.”

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the outstanding investigative work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, including the Superior Court Warrant Squad; the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Maryland State Police.  Mr. Machen thanked Dr. Carolyn Revercomb, formerly of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, as well as the Court Supervision and Offender Services Agency.  He expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, Sandra Lane, Sharon Newman, and Fern Rhedrick; Intelligence Analysts Lawrence Grasso and Sharon Johnson; Criminal Investigators Tommy Miller and Durand Odom; Witness Security Specialists David Foster, La June Thames, and Debra Cannon; Litigation Services Specialists Joshua Ellen, William Henderson and Paul Howell; and Victim Advocates Marcey Rinker and Christina Principe for their support.  Mr. Machen acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorney Erin O. Lyons, who investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O. Lyons and Glenn L. Kirschner, who tried the case.

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WASHINGTON - Brian Woodings, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and numerous other charges for his role in a shooting that targeted victims who were riding in two cars in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury also convicted Woodings of one count of aggravated assault while armed, three counts of assault with significant bodily injury, and related weapons offenses. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on March 9, 2012, the six victims decided to go to the Scene nightclub in Northeast Washington to celebrate some friends’ birthdays. Woodings and some of his friends also decided to go to the nightclub that night. While there, Woodings got into a fistfight with one of the victims, and everyone involved in the fight was ejected.

     Woodings, unsatisfied with the resolution of the fight, decided to recruit a friend with a gun and follow the victims out of the club. He and his accomplice got into a Honda Accord owned by a female friend of his, and followed the victims’ two cars down Bladensburg Road, and then onto Benning Road near the Langston Golf Course. 

     As the three cars crossed the bridge on Benning Road over Interstate 295, at about 3:55 a.m. on March 10, 2012, Woodings drove up next to each car, allowing his accomplice to fire multiple rounds into each vehicle. The victims were in the cars that were fired upon.

     The gunfire struck one victim—the person involved in the fight with Woodings at the club—in the face. Another victim was shot in the neck, and a third was shot in the back.

     After the shooting, Woodings fled the scene. The stunned victims collected themselves and drove home before calling the police and ambulances. Using license plate reader technology, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified the car the defendant was driving at the time of the assault, and they were ultimately able to use that information to identify the defendant. The shooter has yet to be identified and the case remains under investigation.

     In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the MPD, the FBI, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which were involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists Theresa Nelson, Kwasi Fields, and Kendra Johnson, Witness/Victim Advocate James Brennan, Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica M. Sanchez and Erik M. Kenerson, who investigated and tried the case.

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WASHINGTON – Ricardo Mitchell, 33, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed in a slaying that took place in August 2011 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Mitchell entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He also pled guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013. Mitchell faces a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison on the murder charge and up to five additional years for the weapons offense.

     According to the government’s evidence, in the early evening of Aug. 21, 2011, Mitchell was outside a residence in the 3900 block of Clay Place NE when he exchanged words with the victim, Wyatt Earp Robinson. Mr. Robinson, 33, walked away. Mr. Robinson headed toward his vehicle, where his girlfriend and four-year-old child were waiting.

     Mitchell then ran into the residence. He returned outside and ran from the front porch of the house with a gun in his hand and up the sidewalk, toward Minnesota Avenue, and after Mr. Robinson. He caught up with Mr. Robinson when the victim was approximately five feet from his vehicle. At that point, Mitchell confronted Mr. Robinson and shot him several times.

     After shooting Mr. Robinson, who had nothing in his hands but his cellphone, the defendant began to walk away, but turned back toward the victim and fired another shot at him. A total of nine .40-caliber cartridge casings were found on the scene by police, and all were fired from the same firearm.  An autopsy revealed nine gunshot wounds to Mr. Robinson’s body.

     Following the shooting, Mitchell fled into and through the residence on Clay Street NE. He exited through the residence’s back door and fled the scene on a motorcycle.

     After shooting and killing Mr. Robinson, Mitchell fled to a storage facility in Forestville, Md., where he hid the motorcycle that he used to flee the crime scene.  The defendant is captured on surveillance footage from that storage facility wearing the same clothes that he was seen wearing at the time of the murder. Mitchell was arrested on Aug. 24, 2011.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Durand Odom, Victim/Advocate Marcia Rinker and Paralegal Specialists Mia Beamon and Kendra Johnson. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan M. Taylor, Teresa Howie and Stephen J. Gripkey, who prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Tina Jackson-White, the owner and president of Family Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, LLC, pled guilty today to a federal charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which the firm submitted and collected more than $200,000 in fraudulent Medicaid claims.

     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; Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS - OIG) for the region including the District of Columbia, and Charles J. Willoughby, District of Columbia Inspector General.

     Jackson-White, 51, of Bowie, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2013.  Jackson-White faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that she faces a likely range of 24 to 30 months of incarceration and a fine of up to $50,000. As part of her plea agreement, Jackson-White has agreed to pay $212,893 in restitution to the District of Columbia Medicaid program.

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Family Home Medical Equipment and Supplies provided durable medical equipment, or DME, such as adult incontinence supplies and other medical products to Medicaid beneficiaries in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Under Medicaid rules, the company would pay for the cost of the products supplied to beneficiaries and then submit claims for reimbursement.

     Between January 2007 and December 2011, the company billed D.C. Medicaid for a total of $212,893 in fraudulent claims. The claims, knowingly submitted by the defendant, were for incontinence products, such as briefs, diapers and liners, which were not actually provided.

     “Medicaid is designed to provide low-income families and people with disabilities with access to critical health care,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Over five years, this business owner defrauded the Medicaid program by submitting bills for more than $200,000 in supplies that were never delivered.  This prosecution illustrates our commitment to fighting the fraud that undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and diverts resources intended to serve our neighbors in need.”

     “Instead of providing medical supplies to citizens in the District of Columbia and Maryland, Ms. Jackson-White intentionally manipulated our Medicaid system and pocketed the money from claims she submitted,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners at HHS-OIF and DC-OIG, the FBI will continue to pursue all such fraudulent schemes which damage the ability of health care providers, employers and patients to participate in a system free of fraud and dishonesty.”

     “As demands on the D.C. Medicaid program increase even as resources remain scarce, fraud is less tolerable than ever”, said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio. “Criminals such as Jackson-White will be brought to justice through aggressive investigation and prosecution.”

     “This matter again represents how the District can work together with its federal colleagues in law enforcement to protect the interests of its citizenry and the public treasury,” said Inspector General Willoughby.  

     In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio, and Inspector General Willoughby expressed appreciation for the work done by those who investigated the case from the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Medicaid Control Unit of the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. They also commended the work of Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and Diane Hayes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Silverman, of the D.C. Medicaid Control Unit, who are prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old man has pled guilty to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse stemming from an attack he carried out earlier this year against a 13-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim. He pled guilty on April 18, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2013. The plea agreement, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an 11-year prison term.

     According to the government’s evidence, the girl is related to defendant and was at the Northwest Washington home of another relative on Jan. 9, 2013. That day, between 4 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., the defendant lured her away from other adults and sexually assaulted her. He warned her not to tell anyone what happened. The child, however, alerted her mother and the police.

     In announcing the guilty 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 those at the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked on the matter, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – James Powell, 48, of Bridgeville, Del., pled guilty today to federal charges of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

      Powell entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton is to sentence him on July 11, 2013.  Powell faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a maximum of 20 years and a minimum of 10 years of imprisonment for possession of child pornography, as well as fines of up to $250,000 on each count.

      According to the government's evidence, on Sept. 10, 2012, Powell contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had entered a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children.  Over the next few days, the defendant engaged in online e-mail, instant message, and text message conversations with the undercover officer, whom the defendant believed was the father of an under-aged girl. During this period of time, Powell arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child.  During the course of their communications, Powell also sent the undercover officers two images of child pornography. 

      On Sept. 12, 2012, Powell traveled from Delaware to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C.  When he arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.

      This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

      In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the 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 is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON - Michael Anthony Hartley, 21, of Temple Hills, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from an attack on Christmas Eve 2012 against a man near a Metro station in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

      Hartley was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of charges of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed; assault with significant bodily injuries; malicious destruction of property, and wearing a hood or mask concealing his identity while committing these offenses. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 24, 2012, at about 3:30 p.m., the victim was leaving the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and was on his way home. He was putting his iPhone in his pants pockets when he encountered Hartley, a stranger. Both men exchanged a perfunctory greeting of "hey" as they walked past each other.

      Seconds later, the victim noticed that Hartley was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him.  However, Hartley now was wearing a hoodie over his head and a mask covering his mouth.  Hartley demanded the victim’s iPhone. He told the victim that he had a gun, put his hand in his jacket-pocket, and made a gesture as if pointing the weapon. The victim tried to get away, but Hartley caught him. At this point, Hartley shoved the victim while loudly demanding the iPhone.  A bystander happened to walk by and called the police.

      Before police could get to the scene, Hartley punched the victim in the face at least twice with a closed fist, causing significant injuries, including facial lacerations. Hartley also broke the victim’s eyeglasses. During the entire attack, Hartley was wearing a hoodie over his head and a mask covering part of his face to conceal his identity.  The police arrived while Hartley was still on the scene, and the victim pointed him out as the person who tried to rob him.

      In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  He also acknowledged the efforts of those worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia and Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas Royal. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Scott Richard Swirling, 62, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty today to traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, 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).

     Swirling entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  The Honorable John D. Bates is to sentence him on July 11, 2013.  Swirling faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000. 

     According to the government's evidence, on Jan. 7, 2013, Swirling contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Swirling engaged in graphic online email and instant message conversations with the undercover officer. During these conversations, Swirling arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. Swirling traveled from Silver Spring to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., where he was arrested.

     This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the 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 is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Zachery K. Shaw, 52, the former chief financial officer of a non-profit dedicated to youths and young adults, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a seven-year scheme involving the theft of more than $1 million of organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

     Shaw, of Glenn Dale, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft of federal program funds. The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Shaw faces a likely range of 37 months to 46 months in prison and a fine of up to $75,000. As part of the plea agreement, Shaw has agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against him in the amount of $1,113,245.

     According to a statement of offense signed by the government and the defendant, Shaw worked from 1993 through 2009 for Youth Services America (YSA), a non-profit with a mission to “improve communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles.” The organization received federal funds for various purposes, including services for children and youth. Shaw began work as a part-time bookkeeper. In 1996, he was promoted to Director of Finance. He became Chief Financial Officer in or around 2006.

     From in or approximately 2002 until the summer of 2009, when he left YSA, Shaw transferred about $1,113,245 of the non-profit’s funds to pay personal bills and make purchases for his benefit and the benefit of friends. The money was transferred through dozens of fraudulent wire transfers and forged checks to Shaw’s personal bank account, bank accounts of organizations he controlled, and credit card companies from which Shaw had obtained credit cards.

     Among other things, Shaw caused YSA to transfer $289,829 to a fictitious company that he created, called “A Few Good Brothers,” or “AFGB.” AFGB did not have any employees, and was used to hold parties and promote events at night clubs. Additionally, and without YSA approval, Shaw used $26,561 of the non-profit’s money to pay for season tickets from 2002 until 2007 for the Washington Wizards professional basketball games.

     “Zachery Shaw abused his position of trust to steal more than $1 million from programs for our youth,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “He committed fraud dozens of times over seven years in an effort to enrich himself at the expense of our kids.  His prosecution demonstrates our commitment to protecting charities and their donors from con men.” 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Inspector in Charge Barksdale commended the work of the Special Agents who investigated the case from the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Friedman, Mary Chris Dobbie, and Jonathan P. Hooks; Paralegal Specialist Diane Hayes, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Smith, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – Terrell Patton, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed stemming from a slaying that took place in October 2009 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Patton entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of up to 11 years of incarceration. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 29, 2009, at about 10:30 p.m., Patton, also, known as, “Fatman,” was observed with the victim, Deuante Ray, 20, in the area of the 1200 block of 49th Place NE.  Another individual observed Patton in possession of a nine-millimeter handgun. A third person noted that the defendant was angry with Mr. Ray because he believed that Mr. Ray had taken his pack of Ecstasy pills valued at roughly $80.

     At approximately midnight, Patton called Mr. Ray’s friend and asked to talk to Mr. Ray. He told Mr. Ray to meet him on 49th Street. Mr. Ray was last seen riding a bicycle and entering a rear alley off the 1100 block of 48th Street NE with Patton.

     By Patton’s own admissions, he permitted Mr. Ray to use his cellphone to call Mr. Ray’s girlfriend.  Mr. Ray made one call to his girlfriend at 12:20 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2009, and a second call at 12:30 a.m., which ended at 12:35 a.m. Phone records and other witnesses confirm that Mr. Ray had used Patton’s telephone. 

     ShotSpotter technology recorded gunfire at 12:35:15 a.m. in the rear alley. A witness heard shots and observed a thin person and a heavier individual in the alley. This witness called 911 at 12:36 a.m.  This witness also saw the heavier individual, believed to be Patton, take a bike. The witness was unable to make any identification.

     The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived at approximately 12:40 a.m. and found Mr. Ray’s body. He had been shot at close range in the head and also in the chest with a nine-millimeter weapon. He was found with his pants down, and his pockets turned out.  Mr. Ray was known to typically carry a wallet, and none was found. His bike also was missing.

     Patton was arrested in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 2011 and has been incarcerated since.

     In announcing the 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 Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Fern Rhedrick and Phaylyn Hunt; Investigators Stephen Cohen, Durand Odom and Tommy Miller; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Goodhand of the Appellate Section. Finally, he commended the work of Cynthia G. Wright, of the Homicide Section, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Tyrone Edmondson, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a series of recent break-ins of Northwest Washington homes, including one on Christmas, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Edmondson pled guilty on April 11, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of attempted second-degree burglary. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2013. Edmondson faces a statutory maximum of five years of incarceration on each of the three charges.

     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 plea, 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 Assistant Todd McClelland, Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Sean Carter, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison on charges of second-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill stemming from a shooting in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Carter pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Carter will be placed on eight years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 23, 2012, at approximately 10:15 p.m., Carter saw Bidley Warren, 22, walking with a teenager on Rhode Island Avenue NE.  Carter recognized both of them and went to his nearby home, where he retrieved a gun. Then he hurried toward them in the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue. 

     When Mr. Warren and the teenager saw Carter approaching with the gun, they ran away from him. Carter chased after them and began shooting. Mr. Warren tripped and fell, and the teenager stopped to check on him. Carter, meanwhile, shot again at the teenager, nearly striking him in the head. Due to the assault with gunfire, the teenager was forced to leave Mr. Warren behind and he ran away.  Carter then stood over Mr. Warren and shot Mr. Warren in the head.  Mr. Warren died soon afterward from the gunshot wound to his head.

     After the murder, Carter fled to Atlanta.  He was apprehended there by the U.S. Marshals Service on Oct. 2, 2012.  The next day, Carter admitted to two detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that he chased and shot at Mr. Warren and the teenager, and that he then shot Mr. Warren in the head while Mr. Warren was on the ground.  Carter claimed that he had been involved in fights with the teenager and Mr. Warren on previous occasions.  According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Warren and the teenager had no interaction with Carter the night of the murder.  Neither of the victims saw Carter approach them with the gun until it was too late.  He ran after them from behind and chased them down the street with gunfire.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives of MPD’s Criminal Investigations Division and the officers of MPD’s Fifth District. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Atlanta Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Tanya Via and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton of the Homicide Section, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Steven Williams, 46, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed in the June 2012 slaying of the owner of a Northeast Washington delicatessen, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

      Williams pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison. Under the plea agreement, the government will ask for no more than 28 years of incarceration, and the defendant will seek no less than 20 years in prison.

      According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Hae Soon Lim, 64, was found by police on June 14, 2012, at about 6:15 a.m., on the floor of her delicatessen, Grace’s Deli, in the 700 block of H Street NE. Her vehicle was found parked directly outside. An autopsy determined that Ms. Lim died from a single gunshot wound that entered through the back of her neck.

      The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has a crime surveillance camera located a block away from the delicatessen at 8th and H Streets NE. A review of the video from the camera showed that a vehicle consistent with the appearance of the vehicle belonging to Ms. Lim pulled up and parked in front of the deli at about 5:25 a.m. on June 14, 2012. The video also shows a single person, believed to be the victim, leaving the vehicle and walking toward the restaurant.

      The video then shows, moments later, a single person crossing H Street rapidly on foot, moving toward the front entrance of the restaurant, where that person then proceeds to interact in close proximity with the person believed to be Ms. Lim.

      An empty, brown handgun holster was found on the floor directly next to Ms. Lim’s body. DNA from that holster revealed a match to the defendant. Williams’s DNA was also recovered from an empty cash register located inside the restaurant, behind the counter and out of reach from the customer area.

      Williams was charged with the murder in November 2012 and remains in custody.

      In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier praised the work of those who investigated the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the work performed by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Liebman and Justin Dillon, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON - Ezra Griffith, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of a federal weapons charge, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     The jury found Griffith guilty on April 10, 2012 of a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime that is punishable by more than a year in prison. Griffith was convicted in 2010 of an attempted robbery charge.

     The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2013.  Griffith faces up to 10 years in prison. The Court ordered that he be held without bond pending sentencing.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 7, 2013, at approximately 7:10 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Homicide Branch executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE.  Officers approached the front door and knocked and announced, “Police, search warrant.”  After a few moments, another occupant opened the door. Officers observed Griffith standing at the rear of a bed in his underwear.

     Moments later, an officer who was one stationed outside, and who has known Griffith for more than eight years, notified the other officers that he had observed the defendant throw a handgun out of the apartment’s bedroom window and onto the ground below.  The firearm was a 9mm Glock, with an extended 30-round magazine loaded into the well of the weapon. 

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the actions of the MPD officers. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Candice Sisco.  Finally, he praised the work 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 – Nova Datacom, LLC, a Northern Virginia company, and its former president, Min Jung Cho, pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from their roles in a bribery and kickback scheme involving corrupt public officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Army as well as various government contractors.

     Nova Datacom admitted to paying more than $15 million in bribes to three public officials in return for contracts awarded through the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Army. In addition, Nova Datacom admitted paying more than $790,000 in kickbacks to executives of two companies that channeled government sub-contracts to the firm.

     The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA); Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).

     The developments are the latest in an ongoing investigation of the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases. Overall, participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through inflated and fictitious invoices.

     Nova Datacom, LLC and Min Jung Cho, 44, of Springfield, Va., each pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to defraud the United States. In addition, Nova Datacom pled guilty to three counts of bribery.

     The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan scheduled a status hearing for June 27, 2013. No sentencing date was set. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Nova Datacom faces a fine of $39.6 million to $79.2 million. Cho faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and financial penalties.

     Two executives from other businesses pled guilty to charges in recent weeks. All told, 15 individuals and Nova Datacom have pled guilty so far in the investigation.

     They include three defendants who worked closely with Nova Datacom throughout the course of the scheme: Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, former program managers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), an Alaska Native-owned small business.

     Three other defendants who worked for Nova Datacom are among those who earlier pled guilty to charges. They include Alex N. Cho, also known as Young N. Cho, the brother of Min Jung Cho and the company’s  former chief technology officer; Nick Park, a former employee who later opened his own business, Unisource Enterprise Inc. (UEI), and Theodoros Hallas, the company’s former Executive Vice President of Operations.

     As part of the plea agreements, Nova Datacom and Min Jung Cho have agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against them in the amount of $6.8 million.

     “Today’s guilty pleas hold a corporation and its former president criminally accountable for their roles in funneling millions of dollars into a sprawling bribery scheme involving corrupt public officials and compromised government contractors,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “They also reveal that this brazen fraud extended to the Department of the Army, where a corrupt public official exchanged contracts for cash, gambling in Las Vegas, and a $70,000 Lexus. Fifteen individuals have now pled guilty in this ongoing investigation, and today’s guilty plea by Nova Datacom demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable the corporations that benefit from crimes committed by their officers and employees.”

     “Today’s pleas are yet two more admissions of guilt in the largest fraud scheme in the history of federal contracting cases,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to combat bribery and fraud, and we will ensure those who engage in such illegal activity are brought to appropriate justice.”

     “The use of bribes and kickbacks to secure government contracts will not be tolerated in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program,” said SBA Inspector General Gustafson. “The SBA OIG appreciates the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the support of our interagency partners in bringing forth these plea agreements.”

     “At a time when Government and taxpayer resources are being stretched to their limits and our Service members continue to make sacrifices to protect our national security, it is detestable that Nova Datacom would blatantly conspire to defraud the Government and, eventually, the American warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig of DCIS. “The illegal manipulation of contracts to facilitate bribes and kickbacks that circumvent the military contracting process costs the taxpayer and warfighter alike.  This investigation sends a clear message to those who may follow in the defendants’ footsteps—the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our law enforcement partners will take aggressive action to identify and investigate those that endeavor to take advantage of the Department of Defense and the men and women of the Uniformed Services.”

     Nova Datacom provided information assurance and security services to commercial companies and federal departments and agencies. The bribery charges involve Nova Datacom’s dealings with an unnamed former official with the Department of the Army and with Khan and Alexander of the Army Corps of Engineers. Evidence shows that the schemes began in 2007, as Nova Datacom moved heavily into government contracting.

     According to the government’s evidence, Alex Cho founded Nova Datacom in 2004 and was its sole owner until 2007. That year, he transferred complete ownership of the company to his sister to enable the firm to apply to the Small Business Administration for status as a woman-owned, minority small business. This would give the company an advantage in securing government contracts. At the time of the transfer, Alex Cho did not intend that his sister would control Nova Datacom or control its day-to-day operations. Later in 2007, based on false representations the SBA certified Nova Datacom.

     From 2007 through 2010, Nova Datacom sought government business by submitting false past performance references and evaluations that fraudulently burnished its qualifications. The company also engaged in bribery to win government contracts.  

     Scheme Involving the Army Corps of Engineers

     According to the government’s evidence, one scheme involved bribery payments and promises to Khan and Alexander. Starting in 2007, Alex Cho, Min Cho, Park, and other representatives of Nova Datacom paid Khan and Alexander in exchange for their steering contracts and subcontracts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the company. Some subcontracts were awarded through Babb’s firm, EyakTek, and Babb also received kickbacks.

     At Khan’s direction, Nova Datacom submitted fraudulently inflated quotes to the Army Corps of Engineers and EyakTek for the work performed. The fraudulently inflated amounts were referred to by Khan as “overhead,” and they generated the illicit proceeds of the scheme.

     From in or about the spring of 2007 through Oct. 4, 2011, when Khan, Alexander and Babb were arrested, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded contracts and sub-contracts to Nova Datacom that included in excess of $20 million in “overhead.” Nova Datacom used portions of this “overhead” to make payments benefiting Khan, Alexander, Babb and others.

     For example, Nova Datacom and its representatives gave, offered and promised things of value directly and indirectly to Khan in excess of $14 million. The company and its representatives offered, promised and provided things of value directly and indirectly to Alexander of approximately $1 million.

     Finally, Nova Datacom and its representatives offered, promised and provided kickbacks directly and indirectly for the benefit of Babb in excess of $400,000.

     Law enforcement stepped in as plans were in development to steer a long-term contract worth up to $780 million to Nova Datacom as the primary contractor.

Schemes Involving the Department of the Army

     According to the government’s evidence, Alex Cho and Park paid a person identified as “Public Official C” a total of $50,000 in cash in 2007 in return for the award of subcontracts to Nova Datacom. In addition, they provided the official with first-class airline upgrades, entertainment, casino chips and lodging in Las Vegas. The official recommended the company receive a subcontract valued at nearly $330,000.

     Also, in 2010, Alex Cho agreed to pay kickbacks to another businessman in return for subcontracts awarded to Nova Datacom through the Army. Oh Sung Kwon, also known as Thomas Kwon, was the co-founder and chief financial officer of Avenciatech, Inc. He helped Nova Datcom win a subcontract worth more than $1.4 million. Nova Datacom paid approximately $390,000 in profits derived from this contract for the benefit of Kwon.

Other Guilty Pleas

     John Han Lee, 42, a co-founder of Unisource Enterprise Inc. (UEI), pled guilty on March 29, 2013 to one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

     Lee, 42, of Ashburn, Va., admitted taking part in schemes between 2008 and 2011 with “Public Official C” at UEI and two other firms that he later joined, “Company E,” and Avenciatech, Inc. With assistance from “Public Official C,” who had a secret ownership in UEI and Avenciatech, the companies got sub-contracts; in turn, they provided “Public Official C” with benefits including golf outings, hotel stays, a trip to the Bahamas, cash payments, a Lexus automobile worth about $69,000, meals and entertainment.

     In addition, Lee admitted joining in a mortgage fraud scheme in northern Virginia between 2004 and 2008 that cost lenders more than $1.2 million.

     King Everett Johnson, a former employee of UEI and the founder of Integrated Business and Technology Solutions, LLC (IBATS), pled guilty on March 29, 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Johnson, 42, of Jersey City, N.J., admitted participating in the conspiracy in 2009 with others, including “Public Official C,” who at the time was an assistant project manager for the U.S. Army based in Seoul, South Korea. In collusion with “Public Official C,” Johnson submitted fraudulent invoices from IBATS, totaling $124,163, to the Department of the Army through Company E. He received the proceeds, transferred $40,000 for the benefit of Kwon, and kept the rest for himself.

     The others who earlier pled guilty to charges include Kerry Khan’s son, Lee A. Khan; Kerry Khan’s brother, Nazim Khan; Larry G. Corbett, owner of Core Technology LLC and Enterprise Technical Solutions, Inc.; Robert L. McKinney, the president of Alpha Technology Group, Inc., a provider of program management services; James Edward Miller, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., the owner of Big Surf Construction Management LLC; and Kwon, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Avenciatech, Inc.

     In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Inspector General Gustafson, Special Agent in Charge Craig, and Director Robey thanked those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the Office of the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration; the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency; the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Army Criminal Investigation Command. They also expressed thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the forfeiture matter.

     They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson, Bryan Seeley, and James Smith of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.

     Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by Stephanie Brooker, former Chief of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Lenisse Edloe, Shanna Hays, Taryn McLaughlin, Christopher Samson, and Nicole Wattelet, and Legal Assistants Krishawn Graham and Jessica McCormick.

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WASHINGTON – Daniel Girard Coles, Jr., 46, of Laurel, Md., was sentenced today to eight months in prison on a federal charge of failure to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

     Coles has one prior conviction in Maryland for a sex offense involving a minor victim, which requires him to register as a sex offender.  Prior to his sex offense conviction, Coles was an officer for the Metropolitan Police Department.  According to the government’s evidence, Coles was registering as a sex offender in the District of Columbia, but, between August 2010 and December 2012, he lived in Laurel, Md., and did not register that information with the District of Columbia and, for the majority of that time, did not register that information with the State of Maryland.

     Coles pled guilty in January 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.  He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Coles will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     As part of an overall strategy to combat child exploitation, the U.S. Marshals Service launched a nationwide operation in 2010 to target sex offenders who knowingly fail to comply with their sex offender registration requirements.  The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006.  The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the U.S. Marshals Service, to assist the states in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and U.S. Marshal Hughes praised the members of the D.C. Superior Court Sex Offender Investigations Section of the U.S. Marshals Service, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Raymond Roseboro, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for first-degree premeditated murder while armed and related weapons charges in the slaying of a 16-year-old boy, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Roseboro was found guilty by a jury in February 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Two previous trials, in March and September of 2012, had resulted in hung juries. During the trial this year, the government presented additional evidence. 

     In sentencing Roseboro, the Honorable Russell F. Canan described the murder as a “senseless and cowardly killing” in which the defendant essentially “lured” the victim, Prince Okorie, to his death. The judge also ordered that, upon completion of his prison term, Roseboro will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government's evidence presented at trial, the homicide occurred just before 4:25 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2010, near the intersection of Delafield Place and 8th Street NW, near the Sherman Circle area.  Mr. Okorie was a student at Roosevelt Senior High School, along with the defendant and other witnesses.

     Sometime after school let out at 3:15 p.m., Mr. Okorie and other teenagers were standing on a nearby neighborhood porch when Roseboro and Roseboro’s girlfriend walked by, heading towards the direction of the defendant’s nearby home.  Mr. Okorie and some of his friends then left that porch and headed toward another home near the intersection of 7th and Emerson Streets NW, which was a frequent hangout among teenagers.

     Soon thereafter, Roseboro appeared and asked Mr. Okorie to walk to the store with him.  Two of Mr. Okorie’s friends joined them.  As the group of four began walking to a nearby store, one of them had a quick conversation with a parent before rejoining the group along their walk.  That parent recognized the defendant’s face as being among the young men who were walking with Mr. Okorie, and later selected Roseboro from a photo array.

     The group continued walking along. There were no signs of animosity or tension, and Roseboro revealed only a calm exterior.  Suddenly, just as the group had turned onto Delafield Place, shots rang out.  One of Mr. Okorie’s friends in the group heard the shots and saw the victim falling; this friend ran off, his ears ringing. A second of Mr. Okorie’s friends, whose ears were also ringing and who had been distracted at seeing an adult across the street doing something with trash, heard a gunshot and looked to see Mr. Okorie lying on the ground.  When that second friend looked up, he saw the defendant standing near Mr. Okorie with a gun in his hand and a mean “mug” on his face.  The second friend then ran away, north on 8th Street, and heard additional shots as he ran from the scene.

     Meanwhile, the adult across the street looked over at some point after the first shot and saw the victim lying on the ground and the shooter standing over him, firing at the victim with a gun in his hand.  The adult was not able to recognize or identify the shooter, but did notice that the gunman had a hairstyle that consisted of short twists or dreads, and that the shooter ran into an alley that pointed in a southeasterly direction.  The adult was also certain that the gunman had been walking among the group that was with the victim before the shooting. 

     Additional evidence revealed that Roseboro was the only one in the group with the hairstyle described by the adult.  In addition, the direction of the alley that the shooter was seen running into pointed towards Roseboro’s home, which was a short walk from the murder scene.  Autopsy evidence revealed that the shooting was at close range, consistent with witness accounts.  Firearms evidence was also consistent with the witness accounts of there being one shooter, as the three .45 caliber casings that were recovered from the scene were fired from the same gun.

     The government also presented evidence at trial that Roseboro was seen not long after the murder at his home, where he attended a meeting with a job counselor who arrived at the residence no earlier than 5:13 p.m..  The defendant’s demeanor at that meeting was as calm and relaxed as witnesses had reported his demeanor just seconds before the shooting.

     As at previous trials, in the most recent trial Roseboro took the witness stand and contended that he had walked home after school with his girlfriend and remained with her at his home during the entire time period until the job counselor arrived.  The defense also relied on the testimony of two of Roseboro’s relatives, the defendant’s mother and his cousin, to argue that the defendant had arrived home and stayed at home with his girlfriend during this entire time period.

     In addition, the defendant himself denied even knowing the faces of Mr. Okorie’s friends who were with the victim at the time of his murder, claiming that was the case even after hearing their names during jury selection and then seeing them when they took the stand at the first trial.  Roseboro also denied ever having hung out near the porch where Mr. Okorie and his friends were before the shooter walked up and asked Mr. Okorie to come along with him to the store.  Roseboro did acknowledge that the murder scene was a five- or ten-minute walk from his home.

     At the most recent trial, the government presented rebuttal witnesses.  The first, who had been called by the defense and had testified similarly at the last trial, testified that the defendant, Mr. Okorie, and Mr. Okorie’s friends did indeed know one another and were all friends, and had all hung out together on previous occasions.  The witness also testified that Roseboro had been hanging out with the others near 7th and Emerson Streets on prior occasions before Mr. Okorie’s murder.

     The second was Roseboro’s girlfriend at the time of the murder, who was then 16 years old.  Her testimony conflicted with that of the defendant and his relatives.  The girlfriend’s account – and the defendant’s cellphone records -- refuted his contention that he was snuggling with her on the living room couch, and being watched by his mother, at the time of the murder.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including homicide detectives, mobile crime officers, and firearms examiners, as well as the work of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia.  Mr. Machen also thanked the records custodian office for Sprint.  U.S. Attorney Machen additionally commended the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell, Starla Stolk, Diana-Maria Laventure, Brendan Tracz, and Phaylyn Hunt; Marcey Rinker and Shawn Slade of the Victim Witness Assistant Unit; and Joseph Calvarese and Anisha Bhatia of the Litigation Services Unit.  He additionally thanked librarians Lisa Kosow and Abbie Blankman, and Victim/Witness Service Coordinator La June Thames.

     Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case each of the three times.

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WASHINGTON – Keith Dietterle, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

      Dietterle, a former intelligence analyst at the FBI, entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson is to sentence him on June 27, 2013.  Dietterle faces a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of $250,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely sentencing range of 97 to 121 months in prison.

      According to the government's evidence, on Nov. 7, 2013, Dietterle contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl on a social network site.  That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next several days, Dietterle engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer.

      During this period of time, Dietterle sent the undercover officer three images of child pornography which depicted, among other things, adult men engaged in sexual acts with children.  In addition, Dietterle sent the undercover officer various links to videos depicting graphic child pornography.  Dietterle was arrested on Nov. 23, 2012 and has been in custody ever since.

      This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

      In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.  They also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julieanne Himelstein and Ari Redbord, who are prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – William M. Bowman, 34, formerly of Bowie, Md., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

      Bowman and two others - Gezo G. Edwards, 39, and Henry B. Williams, 32 - were found guilty of the drug conspiracy charge in November 2012 following a five-week trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. In addition, Bowman was found guilty of possession of a firearm during the commission of narcotics offenses. The three defendants were among 14 people indicted in 2011, following one of the largest recent seizures of cocaine in the area.

      The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Bowman this afternoon. Williams, of Glenn Dale, Md., was sentenced in February 2013 to a 51-month prison term. No sentencing date has been set for Edwards, of Silver Spring, Md. The government will be seeking a sentence of life imprisonment for Edwards at the time of his sentencing.

      Last year, following the guilty verdict, the matter entered a second phase before the jury which determined that Edwards must forfeit assets that were the proceeds of or facilitated his drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the jury determined that over $366,000 in seized cash and a Rolex watch were among proceeds of the drug conspiracy or facilitated the drug dealing. Separately, Bowman did not contest the seizure of over $200,000 in additional money and a $9,400 diamond engagement ring that were recovered from his house at the time of his arrest.

      In sentencing Bowman to 45 years, Judge Kollar-Kotelly stated that the Court had no choice but to impose this mandatory-minimum sentence. However, she noted that the sentence was appropriate in light of the fact that Bowman was an upper-level manager in a significant drug trafficking organization that infused multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine into the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the fact that the defendant possessed two .40 caliber pistols, an assault rifle, and body armor, and in light of the defendant’s significant criminal history.  The court further ordered that Bowman pay $500 in special court assessments and that the 45-year sentence was to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. 

      “William Bowman was responsible for importing millions of dollars of cocaine from California for distribution on the streets of Washington, D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His conviction cut off a major source of supply of crack cocaine.  This sentence reflects the strength of our commitment to preventing drug traffickers from flooding our neighborhoods with narcotics that fuel violence and addiction.”

      “Today, justice was served as Mr. Bowman was sentenced for his participation in a large and dangerous drug trafficking organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave.  “He will now pay the price for his activities, and our communities will be a safer place thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement and prosecutors.”

      “This sentencing is a victory for our communities, as this large seizure of drugs would have had a devastating impact on neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. and Maryland,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division, along with our FBI partners, and the US Attorney’s Office have demonstrated once again that we will disrupt the trafficking of drugs, pursue criminals, and bring them to justice.”  

      The indictments in the case, returned in April 2011, followed a 15-month investigation by the FBI and MPD into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of cocaine in the metropolitan area.  The investigation determined that from January 2009 through April 2011, the defendants and others maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine to dealers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

      The investigation revealed that Bowman and Edwards obtained large quantities of cocaine from sources in the Los Angeles area, which they transported back to the Washington, D.C. area for redistribution to wholesale traffickers, including Williams.

      In April 2011, investigators learned that members of the defendants’ organization had arranged for a large shipment of cocaine to the area, and that they were storing it in a storage facility in Hyattsville, Md. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement searched the locker and recovered 29.5 kilograms of cocaine, nearly 2 kilograms of crack cocaine, several firearms, including an assault rifle, and packaging material, which included wrappings with cocaine residue that indicated that at least 60 additional kilograms of cocaine had passed through the storage facility and onto the streets of the Metropolitan Washington area.  The cocaine had an estimated wholesale value of $1 million and an estimated street value of more than $3 million.

      All told, 11 people have pled guilty to charges in the investigation. Bowman, Edwards and Williams were the only defendants to stand trial.

      The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

      In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier commended the work of the FBI and MPD members of the task force who investigated the case. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, and the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County police departments, which provided assistance. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeanette Litz, Jeremy Stoller, Regan Gibson, and Starla Stolk, and Litigation Support Specialist Ron Royal.

      Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Steven B. Wasserman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Zia M. Faruqui, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who are prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Robert Walker and Rodney White, both 24 and from Washington, D.C., were found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other offenses stemming from a shooting at an apartment complex in 2008 in which a woman was killed and a man was wounded, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

      Walker and White, who also is known as Rodney Whiting, were found guilty of 11 counts each following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury convicted them of four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and weapons offenses. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2013.

      The shooting took place on May 5, 2008 in the Benning Park Apartment complex in the 4800 block of G Street SE. The gunfire killed Jasmine McCray, 23.

      At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on May 5, 2008, at approximately 3 a.m., Ms. McCray was with her boyfriend and several other men, including Levern Butler, in the “Down Bottom” portion of the Benning Park Apartment complex parking lot.  They and others had just come back from the Le Pearl nightclub in Capitol Heights, Md., where an altercation occurred between Butler and another man, Kenneth Hinton. Hinton was at the nightclub with Walker and White and others from the “Up Top” portion of Benning Park. 

      Both Butler and Hinton were kicked out of Le Pearl and were seen afterwards by others as being very upset about the fight.  Walker and White, along with Hinton, went back to the “Up Top” portion of Benning Park and armed themselves with guns. Then they went to the “Down Bottom” part of Benning Park, and began to fire upon the group including Ms. McCray.

      As the shooting commenced, Ms. McCray was hit in the head and went down.  She died a short time later, having also suffered from being run over by a car that was driven by one of the other men, who accidentally ran her over while trying to flee from the parking lot. Ms. McCray was part of a group including four other people, including a man who was shot in the hand.

      Hinton died in a traffic accident about a week after the shooting. Walker and White were arrested in 2009.

      In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the officers, detectives and mobile crime scene personnel who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Phaylyn Hunt, Antoinette Sakamsa, and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Intelligence/Security Specialist Lawrence Grasso; Victim/Witness Specialists Wanda Queen and M. LaVerne Forrest, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Specialist Michael Hailey. 

      Finally, he commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Glynn and Eric Gallun, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gorman and Veronica Sanchez, who investigated and prosecuted the case at trial.            

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WASHINGTON - Brian Gaither, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 32-year prison term on a charge of first-degree murder in the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

      Gaither pled guilty in November 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to the charge of first-degree murder, days before he was to go on trial.  He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Gaither will be placed on five years of supervised release.

      According to a statement of facts signed by the defendant and submitted to the Court, Gaither was one of the leaders of a group of six young men and women who took part in the murder of Ms. Frazier.

      On Aug. 1, 2010, Gaither and others decided that they would invite Ms. Frazier to an apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE to “teach her a lesson” because they suspected – with little evidence – that she had stolen $900 from one of them. During a discussion, they developed a plan to lure Ms. Frazier to a small bedroom, where they would beat her.

      The next day, the group gathered at the residence to carry out the plan. Ms. Frazier, as planned, was invited to the residence and, upon her arrival, she was led to the bedroom.  The group proceeded to strike Ms. Frazier.  The females started to beat Ms. Frazier and she cried for them to stop.  Gaither then joined in the attack, punching, kicking, and stomping on Ms. Frazier, and beating her until she was unconscious.  The group decided to bind Ms. Frazier with tape around her wrists and ankles and then put her in a closet.  At that time, Ms. Frazier was still alive. As she began to moan from the closet, Gaither returned to the bedroom and choked her. Later that day, someone checked on Ms. Frazier and reported to the group that the victim was dead.

      Upon learning that Ms. Frazier had died, Gaither took part in a discussion about what to do with her body. The next day, he and others carried the body to a bathtub, where he and others attempted to dismember it.  The defendant then placed Ms. Frazier’s body into a large plastic crate, which he threw into a dumpster in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE.

      Ms. Frazier’s body was never recovered and is believed to be in one of two landfills in rural Virginia.

      Gaither is among a number of people arrested in this case and has been in custody since January 2011. A co-defendant, Johnnie Sweet, 19, is scheduled to stand trial on April 22, 2013.

      In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives from the Major Case/Cold Case Squad and the Seventh District. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields, Phaylyn Hunt, and Angela Lawrence. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Melinda Williams, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Two men were found guilty by a jury today of conspiracy to commit murder and other charges stemming from a violent rivalry that unfolded in 2010 between two street crews in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     William Spriggs, 31, and Raymond Davis, 30, were found guilty following a two-month trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Spriggs also was convicted of charges of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and other gun-related offenses. Davis also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and weapons offenses. The Honorable John Ramsey Johnson scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013.

     A third defendant, Deante Harding, 25, was found guilty today of conspiracy to assault. Harding was sentenced to time served. All three defendants are from Washington, D.C.

     The case centered on a series of shootings that occurred in 2010 in the Benning Terrace neighborhood of Southeast Washington. The rivalry involved individuals from the Avenue, an area in Benning Terrace west of 46th Street SE, and individuals from the Circle, a cul-de-sac in the 600 Block of 46th Place SE. Both crews dealt narcotics, possessed firearms, and sought to evade law enforcement. Spriggs, Davis and Harding were part of the Avenue group.

     According to the government’s evidence, during the spring of 2010, individuals from the Avenue traded retaliatory shootings with individuals in the Circle.  Davis, for example, on one occasion shot at an individual coming from the Circle. Also, on May 14, 2010, three Avenue members, including Spriggs and Davis, ran into the Circle and fired multiple gunshots, hitting a Circle crew member.

   Then, on May 30, 2010, Circle members armed themselves and went to the Avenue and shot at individuals. Several minutes later, several Avenue crew members ran up into the Circle, firing their weapons, where they encountered multiple Circle crew members who fired at them. During the shooting, a bystander from the Circle, Antwan Buckner, 32, was shot and killed.

     In its verdict, the jury convicted Spriggs of first-degree murder while armed in the killing of Mr. Buckner, and acquitted Davis of that charge. Harding also was acquitted of some offenses. Harding was arrested in March 2011 and until November 2012 was serving time for a probation violation.

     In separate proceedings, other individuals from the Circle were tried and convicted or pled to crimes related to the murder of Mr. Buckner and an additional murder. 

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick, Sharon Newman, and Meridith McGarrity; Litigation Technology Specialists Thomas Royal and Kimberly Smith; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and  the entire staff of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, aka “BadB,” was sentenced today to 88 months in prison for trafficking in millions of stolen credit and debit cards and for his role in the theft of more than $9 million from an Atlanta-based credit card processor.

     The sentence was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director for Investigations David J. O’Connor and Special Agent in Charge Mark F. Giuliano of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.

     Horohorin, 30, a citizen of Russia, Israel and Ukraine, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District of Columbia.  In addition to his prison term, Horohorin was ordered to pay $125,739 in restitution and sentenced to two years of supervised release.

     Horohorin was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia in November 2009 on charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.  In a separate investigation, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned a superseding indictment against Horohorin in August 2010, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud. 

     In August 2010, French law enforcement authorities, working with the U.S. Secret Service, identified Horohorin in Nice, France, and arrested him as he was attempting to board a flight to return to Moscow.  Horohorin was extradited to the United States on June 6, 2012.  After Horohorin’s arrival in the United States, the two cases pending against him were consolidated in Washington, D.C.      

     On Oct. 25, 2012, Horohorin pleaded guilty to two counts of access device fraud as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

     According to Horohorin’s plea agreement, he used online criminal forums to sell stolen credit and debit card information, known as “dumps,” to online purchasers around the world.  Horohorin, using the online name “BadB,” advertised the availability of stolen credit and debit card information through these online forums and directed purchasers to create accounts at “dumps.name,” a fully-automated dumps vending website operated by Horohorin and hosted outside the United States.  At the time of his arrest, Horohorin possessed more than 2.5 million stolen credit and debit card numbers.

     Horohorin admitted that he was one of the lead cashers in an elaborate scheme in which counterfeit payroll debit cards were used to withdraw more than $9 million from ATMs around the world.  Hackers broke into the computers of a credit card processor located in the Atlanta area, stole debit card account numbers and raised the balances and withdrawal limits on those accounts while distributing the account numbers and PIN codes to cashers, like Horohorin. Horohorin, and those he recruited, used one of the stolen account numbers to withdraw more than $125,000 from ATMs in and around Moscow.

     The District of Columbia case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Ethan Arenson, Carol Sipperly and Corbin Weiss of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Weiss also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.  Key assistance was provided by the French Police Nationale Aux Frontiers and the Netherlands Police Agency National Crime Squad High Tech Crime Unit.  The FBI Atlanta field office provided information helpful to the investigation.

     The Northern District of Georgia case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Oldham and Lawrence R. Sommerfeld of the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Sipperly of CCIPS.  The Atlanta case was investigated by the FBI.  Assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement partners.  The U.S. Secret Service provided information helpful to the investigation.

     The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled Horohorin’s extradition from France.

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On Charges in Two Stabbings, Including One That Killed a Man
-Attacks Took Place in Northeast Washington-

     WASHINGTON – Quindetta Cosby, 49, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for carrying out two stabbing attacks last year in Northeast Washington, including one that killed a man, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Cosby pled guilty in November 2012 to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and one count of felony assault with significant bodily injury. She was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. Upon completion of her prison term, Cosby will be placed on eight years of supervised release.

     In the fatal attack, according to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 13, 2012, Cosby got into an argument at about 6:20 p.m. with the victim, Paul Morris, in the 2200 block of Fourth Street NE. Cosby’s friend also got involved in the argument, which escalated into a physical fight. Mr. Morris, 49, and Cosby’s friend threw punches at each other. Cosby joined the fight, which her friend was losing, and hit Mr. Morris. Mr. Morris struck Cosby, knocking her down.

     Cosby then pulled out a knife and stabbed Mr. Morris in the left side of his upper torso.  Mr. Morris fled into the 300 block of Bryant Street, NE, while dripping blood from the stab wound. Cosby chased Mr. Morris while screaming threats to kill him. When Mr. Morris retreated to a porch on the street, Cosby kept following him, threatened again to kill him, and stabbed him on the porch.  Mr. Morris died shortly thereafter. 

     The other attack took place on July 16, 2012. In that incident, Cosby got into an argument with a woman in an apartment in the 600 block of Edgewood Street NE. The argument spilled into the hallway, where she pushed the victim to the floor. Cosby attacked the victim with a knife, resulting in a significant cut to the victim’s arm.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives and officers of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Fifth District of the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget Fitzpatrick, Victim Witness Advocate Tamara Ince and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton, who prosecuted the case.

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On Charges in Armed Robbery and Shooting
-One of the Victims Shot Multiple Times, Yet Survived-

      WASHINGTON –Darius Joshua, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison on charges stemming from a 2011 shooting in the Congress Park community of Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

      Joshua pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Joshua will be placed on three years of supervised release.

      According to the government’s evidence, on June 21, 2011, at about 11 p.m., Joshua ambushed a man and a woman with a loaded handgun as the victims walked through a shortcut next to what used to be McGogney Elementary School in the 3400 block of Wheeler Road SE. He ordered the woman to the ground and put the gun to her head before robbing her and telling her to leave the scene. Joshua ordered the man to stay behind and then he shot him multiple times. The victim was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery and survived the attack.

      In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District who investigated the case, as well as the members of the community whose cooperation led to the defendant’s prosecution.  He also thanked those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Jim Brennan, Tanya Via, Laverne Forrest, Debra Cannon, and Michael Hailey of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Richard Cheatham, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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For His Role in Northwest Washington Robbery
-Alert Citizen Helped Police Find the Defendant-

      WASHINGTON – Walter Little, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 months of incarceration for his role in a robbery last fall in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

      Little pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of robbery. The Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, Jr. sentenced him to five years in prison, but suspended all but 15 months of the time on the condition that Little successfully complete four years of probation. Little also must pay $900 in restitution to the victim.

      According to the government’s evidence, Little attacked a man at about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2012, in the 4800 block of Ninth Street NW. He brandished a pistol and hit the victim with the weapon, causing the man to lose consciousness. Then he, along with two other males, robbed the man of his wallet containing between approximately $900 and $1000.

      Six days after the robbery, a witness who had seen Little commit the crime saw him again at Ninth and Decatur Streets NW, and alerted the police.  Once officers were on scene, the witness positively identified Little as the person who had the gun and committed the robbery.

      After his arrest, Little admitted to taking part in the robbery, and taking $200 of the $900 stolen, but he maintained that he was not the person with the gun. No other arrests have been made in the case.

      In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.

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In 2012 Attack at Deanwood Metro Station
-Defendant Pointed a Gun in Victim’s Face Before Taking His Wallet-

     WASHINGTON – Zachary Pollard, 18, of Washington D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of robbery in an attack last year at the Deanwood Metro station in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Pollard was found guilty on April 4, 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2013. 

     According to the government’s evidence, Pollard and an unidentified accomplice approached the victim at about 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 18, 2012 near the Metro station, in the 4700 block of Polk Street NE. Pollard, standing in front of the victim, pulled out a gun and pointed it in the man’s face while the accomplice threw the victim to the ground.  Pollard then rifled through the victim’s pockets and took the victim’s wallet, which contained credit cards and $11.  The victim reported the crime to the station manager, who called Metro Transit Police. 

     Less than 10 minutes later and about a half mile from the Deanwood station, a Metro Transit Police officer spotted Pollard, who matched the description given for a police lookout.  The officer stopped Pollard, who was eating a fast-food apple pie.  Minutes later, as other officers arrived on the scene and without having been told what had been taken in the robbery or the reason why he had been stopped, Pollard spontaneously stated, “Man, I didn’t rob nobody for no $11.”  Officers recovered $9 in cash from the defendant. 

     At the time of the crime, Pollard was free on personal recognizance while awaiting trial for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and other charges. He was arrested in that case on Oct. 14, 2012. Pollard has pled not guilty in that matter and is awaiting trial later this month.

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detective, officers, and mobile crime scene officers from the Metro Transit Police Department who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Theresa Nelson, and Victim Advocate Kristina Rose. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas, who prosecuted the case.

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For Federal Drug Trafficking Offenses; Cocaine and Other Drugs Seized in Search of His Apartment; Drugs Had a Street Value of About $100,000

      WASHINGTON – Eddie P. Burroughs, 24, was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison on three federal drug charges stemming from a search by law enforcement that led to the seizure of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana from his Southeast Washington apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

      Burroughs was found guilty in December 2012 by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of possession with intent to distribute large amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Upon completion of his prison term, Burroughs will be placed on three years of supervised release.

      According to the government’s evidence at trial, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) executed a search warrant on Dec. 6, 2011 at the defendant’s apartment in the 3400 block of 13th Street SE and found two kilograms of crack cocaine, over 100 grams of powder cocaine, nine pounds of marijuana, almost $10,000 in U.S. currency, and equipment used in the production of crack cocaine.  The narcotics had a street value of approximately $100,000 and were already packaged for wholesale redistribution.

      In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the MPD detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to the forensic chemist and fingerprint examiner who worked on the case.  Finally, he thanked those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca; Intelligence Analyst John Marsh; Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Caputy, who assisted with the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo and George Eliopoulos, who investigated and tried the case.

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From Indonesian Airline and Committing Tax and Mortgage Fraud
-Defendant Indicted on Seven Counts, Including Bank Fraud-

      WASHINGTON  - Jon C. Cooper, 64, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges that he embezzled $1 million from an airline company headquartered in Indonesia, filed a false tax return concealing the embezzled income, and committed mortgage fraud. 

      The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

      Cooper initially was indicted in September 2012 by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on charges of conspiracy, first-degree fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He has pled not guilty to those charges. Today a grand jury returned a superseding indictment with those charges as well as additional allegations, including new counts of bank fraud, making a false statement on a loan application, and aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. The superseding indictment also reincorporates a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds obtained through the wire fraud and money laundering scheme.

      Among other things, today’s indictment accuses Cooper of using various false pretenses, such as forged letters, to induce the Indonesian airline to make a $1 million security deposit to lease aircraft.  As alleged in the indictment, Cooper moved the security deposit into his personal account and spent the funds on various personal expenses, such as credit card and loan debt.  The indictment also charges that Cooper failed to report the embezzled funds on his tax return.

      If convicted, Cooper faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and financial penalties for bank fraud, as well as additional time and penalties for other counts.

      Cooper is to be arraigned on the charges on April 11, 2013.

      According to the superseding indictment, in or about December 2006, Cooper and a co-conspirator offered to lease two aircraft to an Indonesian airline company, although Cooper’s company owned no such aircraft.  Instead, Cooper induced the Indonesian airline to agree to the deal - and pay a $1 million security deposit - by using a forged letter from an attorney whom Cooper claimed would hold the deposit.  Similarly, Cooper allegedly used a forged letter purporting to represent that Cooper’s company had an agreement to buy the aircraft it would lease to the Indonesian airline.  As the superseding indictment charges, based on those and other false representations, the Indonesian airline made the $1 million security deposit. But the very day the security deposit was received, Cooper moved it to his personal account.  Cooper then spent it on personal expenses, such as his credit card debt and personal loans.

      Also, as alleged in today’s indictment, Cooper filed a false tax return for 2006, in which he failed to report as income the funds he had embezzled.

      In addition, as alleged in the superseding indictment, Cooper used part of the stolen money to pay a home mortgage loan he obtained by fraud, and which Cooper’s income otherwise could not support.  Specifically, the indictment charges, in or about May 2006, Cooper falsely over-represented his income to obtain a $780,000 cash-out mortgage loan.  As the indictment alleges, by later that year (just before the embezzlement), Cooper was receiving notices of default on this and other debt.

      An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

      The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Field Office of IRS-CI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

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WASHINGTON – Jeannette N. Awasum, the former owner of a health care provider, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from falsifying records in connection with a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services audit.

      The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent In Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS - OIG) for the region including the District of Columbia.

      Awasum, 49, of Germantown, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of falsification of records in connection with a federal investigation. She is to be sentenced July 9, 2013 by the Honorable Richard J. Leon. The charge carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

      According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, in early June 2010, Awasum, the Chief Executive Officer and owner of Tri State Home Health and Equipment Service, was informed that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requested the physician-signed plans of care for 130 of its patients.  These plans of care are what authorize providers like Tri State to provide home healthcare services to Medicare and D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries.

      Awasum knew that Tri State lacked plans of care for 62 of these 130 patients.  Tri State received approximately $1,879,853 from Medicare and D.C. Medicaid for treating these 62 patients during the period for which plans of care were missing.  Awasum directed her employees to fraudulently create plans of care for the services that these 62 patients received, making it appear as if the documents had been created prior to the services being provided.  In total, the employees created 81 plans of care for these 62 patients.   

      Awasum instructed one of her employees to take the 81 fabricated forms to a doctor whom Awasum knew never examined these patients.  Despite the fact that this doctor never examined these patients, he signed the plans of care in June 2010, making it appear as if he authorized these 62 patients receiving home healthcare services prior to the time that Tri State provided these services.  The employee, at Awasum’s directions, placed the fraudulent 81 plans of care in Tri State’s file so that the forms would be present when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services audited the services provided to these 62 patients.

      In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Donna Galindo, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON – John Morris, 64, of Washington, D.C., entered a plea of nolo contendere today to a charge of bank robbery while armed, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

     Morris entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under a nolo contendere plea, a defendant is convicted of the offense, accepts responsibility, and agrees that the government could prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the defendant in such a plea does not admit to the facts of the case. The Honorable Richard W. Roberts scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2013. Morris faces a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison.

     According to the government’s evidence, just before noon on March 22, 2012, Morris walked into a TD Bank in the 1200 block of First Street NE. He was wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses and a cap. He demanded money from two bank tellers, claiming that he had a bomb. The tellers turned over about $3,700. Morris left a bag behind, which he claimed had the bomb, and warned that he could remotely control its detonation.

     Two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were in the area at the time of the robbery, and they quickly spotted Morris across the street from the bank. A third MPD officer arrived on the scene, and Morris told him, “Yeah, I did it. It’s rough out here.” Morris, who at the time of his arrest was dressed in a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, sunglasses and a cap, also could be seen clearly on video surveillance photographs of the robbery.

     The stolen money was recovered after the robbery. Morris’s bomb threat led to an emergency response that included the evacuation of the bank. The bag left inside the bank contained an alarm clock.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier thanked those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI’s Washington Field Office, including the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Stephanie Brooker, former Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz. Finally, they expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who is prosecuting the matter.

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WASHINGTON - John W. Diehl, 57, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in August 2011 in which the truck he was driving struck a bicyclist in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Diehl pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of leaving the scene after a collision and destruction of property. The plea includes a deferred sentencing agreement that calls for Diehl to perform 25 hours of community service, undergo counseling for anger management, complete a drivers’ safety course, and complete alcohol and drug treatment if necessary over the next year.  If he complies with all of the conditions of the agreement, the government will not oppose a defense motion to withdraw the guilty plea and will move to dismiss the case. The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2014. 

     If the defendant does not comply with the conditions, the government can oppose his withdrawal of the plea and ask the Court to immediately proceed with sentencing.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 31, 2011, at about 9:05 a.m., the victim was riding his bicycle and  traveling west in the 3000 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. Diehl pulled up in his truck next to the victim, drove alongside him as he was riding, and cursed at him for being in the middle lane.

     Diehl then changed lanes and drove his truck into the bicyclist’s lane, striking him with his truck and knocking him to the ground. After knocking the victim off of his bicycle, Diehl drove away without stopping. As a result of the collision, the victim suffered injury to his shoulder, road rash and multiple scrapes and bruises, as well as damage to his bicycle.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District, who were involved in the arrest and investigation of this case.  U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed his appreciation to Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Richard Cheatham, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Eugene Freeman, 30, of Temple Hills, Md., has been sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges stemming from an attack in which he repeatedly stabbed a man who was dating his ex-girlfriend, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Freeman was found guilty by a jury in December 2012, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of charges of aggravated assault while armed, mayhem while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury. He was sentenced March 29, 2013 by the Honorable Florence Pan.

     According to the government’s evidence, Freeman and his former girlfriend broke up in April 2012 and have two children. Shortly after the break-up, the ex-girlfriend began dating the victim, and Freeman began to threaten them. On May 20, 2012 at approximately 8:30 p.m., Freeman went to his ex-girlfriend’s house in the 4500 block of South Capitol Street to pick up the two children.  As Freeman walked away from the building with his children, the victim came around the corner.  Freeman turned around, saw the victim and went after him with a knife.

     As the confrontation continued, outside and inside the building - witnessed by the children - Freeman stabbed the victim twice in the back. He then cornered the victim underneath the stairwell of the building and repeatedly stabbed him.  All told, Freeman stabbed the victim six times, including once in the eye. The victim lost his left eye as a result of the assault.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocates Maria Shumar and Shawn Slade; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Kristy Penny, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou, who prosecuted the matter.

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WASHINGTON - Torron Frieson, also known as Torron Frierson, 35, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a robbery earlier this year of a liquor store and market in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Frieson pled guilty on March 25, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery and two related firearms offenses. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2013. He faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison for robbery and up to 25 additional years for the weapons charges.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 7, 2013, at about 8:35 p.m., Frieson entered the M & S Liquor Store and Market in the 200 block of Upshur Street NW. He pulled a mask over his face, grabbed a bag of chips, and walked to the counter across from the glass-empaneled cashier booth.  As the cashier prepared to provide change for the chip purchase, Frieson walked around the counter and into the cashier’s booth, produced a long black handgun which appeared to be operable, pointed it at the cashier, and grabbed money from the register. 

     The cashier attempted to move the gun away from him and a physical struggle ensued.  During the struggle, the cashier was struck and items in the store were broken. Frieson’s gun and car keys fell to the floor, and parts of the mask came off his face.  The cashier threw the gun down an aisle and ran out the store.  Frieson then retrieved the gun, and fled the scene.

     Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) determined that the defendant had been in the store to purchase beer minutes before he returned for the robbery.  Officers also determined that the set of keys left behind by the defendant belonged to a Dodge Durango parked in an alley by the store.  Officers found a .45-caliber cartridge stamped 45 Colt Hornady inside the store near the cashier counter.  The Dodge Durango was registered to Frieson.

     Pursuant to a search warrant, the Dodge Durango was searched and the beer that Frieson had purchased minutes before the robbery was inside the car.  Frieson also was identified in a photo array.  Frieson was arrested on Feb. 15, 2013 at a residence in Northeast Washington. Inside of one of the bedrooms at the residence was a black Ruger .45 caliber revolver with six cartridges stamped 45 Colt Hornady.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Christopher Young, 18, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of armed robbery stemming from an attack earlier this year in which he stole a dog from a woman at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Young pled guilty on March 22, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 5, 2013, at about 10:35 a.m., Young approached a woman who was walking her Yorkshire Terrier in the area of Fifth and Kennedy Streets NE. Young displayed a handgun and said, “Give me your dog.  Yorkies cost a lot of money.” He then grabbed the victim’s dog and ran toward Chillum Place NE. 

     The victim, who yelled for help, noticed that Young dropped his phone on Kennedy Street directly next to where the dog’s leash had dropped.  While Young continued running, the dog escaped and ran to its home.  Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) determined that the dropped phone belonged to Young, and learned that he had a GPS device on his ankle.  Police obtained Young’s GPS records, which placed him directly in the area of 5th and Kennedy at the time of the robbery as well as in the flight path described by witnesses.  

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – LaFrances Dudley O’Neal, 49, of Clinton, Md., has been found guilty by a jury for her part in a mortgage fraud scheme that cost lenders more than $900,000.

     The verdict was announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Joseph W. Clarke, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and William P. White, Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.

     O’Neal was found guilty by the jury on March 27, 2013 of four felony charges, including conspiracy and bank fraud, after a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence at trial, O’Neal and others identified District of Columbia area homes and straw buyers to obtain mortgages through false loan applications, forged documents, and fraudulent settlements.  Co-conspirators acted as a mortgage broker, title and escrow agent, and other professionals to assist O’Neal with tricking the mortgage lenders and banks into lending $2.6 million in mortgage loans on the belief that the straw buyers had the means and the willingness to pay the mortgages.

     Every one of the mortgages fell into default, and the lenders were forced to foreclosure with an aggregate loss to the lenders in excess of over $900,000. 

     According to the government’s evidence, the title and escrow companies paid O’Neal from the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds, at times using fraudulent “invoices” which falsely stated that renovation work had recently been completed and that money was due at settlement.  As a result of these false invoices and inaccurate settlement statements, title and escrow agents turned over more than $400,000 of fraudulent loan proceeds to O’Neal.

     In spite of promising the straw buyers that she would pay the mortgage and in spite of receiving rental income from the D.C. Housing Authority and their client tenants, O’Neal failed to pay the mortgages on all of these properties and the lenders foreclosed on the houses with the result being the tenants were evicted. 

     Two other defendants earlier pled guilty to charges related to the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. Donald M. Ramsey, 45, a mortgage broker from Alexandria, Va., and Tania Firmani, 46, a title and escrow agent from Chesapeake Beach, Md., each pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud.

     “Mortgage fraud is a significant law enforcement priority for our office that has serious repercussions to our economy beyond the losses suffered by the financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “LaFrances Dudley O’Neal’s scheme not only cost lenders more than $900,000 but also led to foreclosures and evictions. This prosecution shows our resolve to bring to justice those who would seek to commit mortgage fraud for personal gain.”

     “Ms. O’Neal took advantage of mortgage lenders and banks by falsely leading them to believe that they were supporting homeownership in the District of Columbia; instead, she bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “There is no safe harbor for criminals in this business, and the FBI will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to eradicate fraud within the real estate and mortgage industries.”

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen, Inspector in Charge Barksdale, Special Agent in Charge Clarke, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Commissioner White praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Financial Analyst Crystal Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Corrine Laxman, Diane Hayes, Lenisse Edloe, Shanna Hays, Nicole Wattelet; former Paralegal Specialist Sarah Reis; Litigation Services Specialist Kimberly Smith; Law Interns Nicole Audet and Jason Navia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.  Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Jeremiah Moorman, 30, a former corrections officer, has been found guilty by a jury of bribery and first-degree theft charges for accepting money under the promise of bringing contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office announced today.

      Moorman was found guilty on March 27, 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2013.

      According to the government’s evidence, Moorman was employed as a corrections officer for the District of Columbia Jail. Prior to Oct. 12, 2011, he met with individuals inside the jail to discuss the possibility of smuggling contraband to an inmate inside the facility. On Oct. 12, 2011, Moorman contacted a person by telephone outside the jail who he believed was an associate of an inmate; in fact, however, that person was an undercover FBI agent.

      During the phone conversation, Moorman agreed to smuggle an RSA token to an inmate in exchange for $1,000. An RSA token is an authentication mechanism that allows a computer user to access secure computer databases, often bank accounts. On Oct. 14, 2011, Moorman met the undercover agent in Northwest Washington. The agent handed the RSA token and $1,000 to Moorman during the meeting.

      Moorman is among three corrections employees convicted of bribery charges in recent months. Daishawn Goodson, 26, a former employee of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), pled guilty in December 2012 to a federal bribery charge and was sentenced March 22, 2013 to eight months of home detention. April Johnston, 42, a former corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, pled guilty earlier this month to a federal bribery charge. Both were arrested following undercover investigations by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Goodson and Johnston each accepted money to smuggle items into correctional facilities.

      “Corrections officers play a critical role in maintaining order in our prison system.   Instead of preventing contraband from entering the prison population, Jeremiah Moorman betrayed his oath of office by agreeing to smuggle contraband into prison in exchange for cash.” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His guilty verdict after trial marks the third conviction in the last three months of a corrections officer for bribery related charges and demonstrates this office’s commitment to rooting out corruption wherever it is found.”

      “The smuggling of contraband into our jails endangers the integrity and safety of our corrections system,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “The FBI will continue to work to protect the system by thoroughly investigating all cases of bribery and corruption.”

      In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Marlo Garcia, also known as “Lupita,” 24, was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in a shooting on Christmas Day 2009 that killed one man and wounded two others, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Garcia, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of the charges following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury convicted him of three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related weapons offenses. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 25, 2009, Garcia was invited by his friend, Miguel Romero, to attend a Christmas party at about 4 a.m. at a rooming house in the 5400 block of Fourth Street NW. Garcia brought a .25-caliber handgun to the location, and while there, he went out in an alley to shoot it.  When told to stop, he became agitated.

     Garcia then went inside the residence and began dancing and groping his friend’s girlfriend. Mr. Romero’s cousin approached Garcia to calm him, and Garcia shot him in the head. He then shot the girlfriend in the head and shot Mr. Romero in the back, neck and head. Garcia then fired yet another shot but missed a fourth person at the apartment. Mr. Romero, 21, died immediately. The other two shooting victims still have bullets lodged in their brains.

     After shooting the victims, Garcia fled the apartment. He was arrested two days later.

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime scene officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rakoczy, Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Melissa Milam, Iris Vega, Marcy Rinker, Laverne Forrest, Michael Hailey, Katina Adams and David Foster, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Pamela Taylor, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 48 months on the felony 2nd degree child sexual abuse count and a consecutive 180 days on the misdemeanor threats count stemming from a sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on a Metrobus in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr. announced.

      Taylor pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count each of second-degree child sexual abuse and threats, in an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. She was sentenced by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr.  Other conditions include supervised release for 3 years, she must register as a sex offender for 10 years and while in prison, receive substance and mental health counseling.

     According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Dec. 10, 2011, Taylor first encountered the victim on a Metro train at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. Taylor approached the girl on the train and mentioned members of the victim’s family, leading the girl to believe that Taylor knew the family. At one point, Taylor tricked the girl into providing her cellphone number. At the Anacostia Metro station, Taylor followed the victim onto a Metrobus. During the bus ride, Taylor sat next to the girl and touched the girl inappropriately. The girl had to force her way past Taylor to get off the bus.  The following day, Taylor called the teenager, threatening to assault her if she stepped outside of her home.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metro Transit Police Department, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel and Victim Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case. 

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WASHINGTON – Daishawn Goodson, a former corrections officer, was sentenced today to eight months home detention for accepting money to bring contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

     Goodson, 26, pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell.  She also received two years of probation.  In addition, Goodson has agreed to a $1,000 forfeiture judgment.

     According to the government’s evidence, Goodson was employed by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) as a corrections officer at the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility. CCA, a private company, has a contract to provide services to the D.C. Jail. In January 2012, Goodson made a telephone call to a person who she believed was an associate of an inmate. In fact, that person was an undercover agent with the FBI. During the call, Goodson agreed to smuggle a computer thumb drive to an inmate at the corrections facility in return for cash.

     Goodson met the undercover agent on Jan. 10, 2012 near the Eastern Market. Goodson agreed to bring the thumb drive and $100 to the inmate in return for $400. The undercover agent handed Goodson the thumb drive and $500. On Jan. 18, 2012, Goodson and the undercover agent had another meeting near Eastern Market and discussed the fact that the first attempt to smuggle the thumb drive and currency into the facility went well. Goodson agreed to smuggle another computer thumb drive and $100 into the facility in return for $400. Once again, the undercover agent gave Goodson a thumb drive and money. Goodson left the meeting and was subsequently arrested.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Janell Shaw, also known as Janelle Kara Shaw, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for assaulting a Deputy United States Marshal, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

     Shaw pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras.  She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following her incarceration.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 16, 2012, a judge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia received testimony that Shaw had tested positive for controlled substances while Shaw was on release in a pending misdemeanor assault case. After hearing the violation report, the judge ordered that Shaw be taken into custody by the courtroom’s deputy marshal. The deputy marshal instructed Shaw to place her hands behind her back.  Shaw refused to move from the defendant’s table and then pushed the deputy marshal.

     The deputy marshal then brought Shaw into the area between the courtroom and the cell block area, but Shaw continued to resist cuffing.  As they proceeded to the cellblock area, Shaw pulled away and struck the deputy marshal with a closed fist multiple times about the head and face. Other deputy marshals arrived and helped to secure the defendant.  As a result of this incident, there was significant damage caused to the cellblock area and the deputy sustained injuries requiring treatment for abrasions to her face, head and for a neck sprain.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and U.S. Marshal Hughes commended the actions of all the Deputy U.S. Marshals who work to keep all of the judges, court personnel, attorneys, and visitors safe while attending court proceedings.  They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Marshall D. Banks and James Garvin, who helped lead the Langston in the 21st Century Foundation, a non-profit organization that operated youth programs in the District of Columbia, were sentenced today to three years of supervised probation, 80 hours of community service, and ordered to pay full restitution for failing to report and concealing the misappropriation of $392,000 in government grants.

     The sentences, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

     Banks and Garvin pled guilty in January 2012 to one count each of misprision of a felony (theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds). They were among five people to plead guilty to charges in an ongoing investigation into activities involving former District of Columbia Council Member Harry L. Thomas, Jr. Thomas pled guilty last year to charges stemming from a scheme in which he used more than $350,000 in taxpayers’ money that was earmarked for the arts, youth recreation, and summer programs for his own personal benefit.

     Thomas resigned as a condition of his plea agreement and is now serving a 38-month prison sentence. The Honorable John D. Bates sentenced Banks and Garvin this morning.

     The others who have pled guilty include Millicent D. West, the former director and chief executive officer of another non-profit organization that promotes youth opportunities, and Danita C. Doleman, the president of Youth Technology Institute. West and Doleman pled guilty to charges in connection with grant money that was used to pay for an inaugural ball. They are awaiting sentencing.

     Banks, 72, and Garvin, 56, had leadership positions with the Langston in the 21st Century Foundation (Langston 21), a non-profit. Banks, of Washington, D.C., was the founder, and Garvin, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was a board member. Garvin also is the general manager of the Langston Golf Course in Northeast Washington, a site of some of the non-profit’s activities.

     Langston 21 operated youth activities designed to foster educational advancement, including programs at Langston Golf Course, which is located in Ward 5 of the District of Columbia. Garvin worked with Banks, who also was director of the organization.

     According to the government’s evidence, Thomas, who represented Ward 5, informed Garvin in 2007 that he wanted to obtain grant funds to conduct activities in the ward. Thomas informed Garvin that Thomas needed a non-profit to act as the recipient of the money. Thomas also stated that a portion of the funds could be dedicated to youth programs at Langston Golf Course.

     At Thomas’s request, Garvin asked Banks whether Langston 21 would serve as the non-profit needed by Thomas to receive the grant funds and forward money to Thomas. Banks agreed. Langston 21 then executed a grant agreement for $392,000 with a non-profit public-private partnership that got funding from the District government.

     Thomas told Garvin that Team Thomas, an organization he controlled, would be a suitable organization to carry out the grant, which was for youth programs. However, neither Thomas nor Team Thomas was mentioned in the agreement with the public-private partnership.

     In January, May, October and December of 2008, the public-private partnership issued quarterly grant payments to Langston 21 to fund youth sports activities. At or about the time of each check, Thomas directed Banks or Garvin to have Langston 21 issue checks to either Team Thomas or another organization, HLT Development, also controlled by Thomas.

     Langston 21 received $392,000 in grant funds from the public-private partnership. From that grant money, Banks and Garvin issued checks to Team Thomas and HLT totaling $306,000.

     In January 2008, a member of Thomas’s staff, acting on the Council member’s behalf, e-mailed budget paperwork for the grant to Garvin and an employee of the public-private partnership, as part of the process for the approval of funds to Langston 21. The budget paperwork contained false representations. Based on his review of this paperwork, and from other interactions with Thomas, Garvin determined in or about January 2008 that the grant agreement proposed by Thomas was not legitimate, and that Thomas intended to misappropriate for his personal benefit at least some of the money that would be passed through Langston 21.

     At the time of the other payments, in May, October and December of 2008, Garvin did not believe that youth sporting events had been conducted to justify the distribution of the grant funds. Yet he, along with Banks, participated in the grant process and thereby concealed Thomas’s misappropriation of funds.

     In addition, Banks knew that no D.C. youth were brought to the Langston golf course by Thomas to participate in grant-related activities. Sometime before October 2008, Banks determined that Thomas was not using the grant funds for their designated purposes. Yet he continued to deposit grant funds into Langton 21's bank account and then write checks to Team Thomas and HLT with the term “youth sports” or “learning center” on the memo lines.

     Like Banks, Garvin did not report the improprieties to authorities.  By continuing to obtain and receive grant payments, redistribute funds to Team Thomas and HLT, and otherwise participate in the scheme, Garvin and Banks helped to conceal Thomas’s actions.

     In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly commended the work of those who investigated the case for the FBI and IRS-CI.  They also expressed appreciation to former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney G. Saleski and Bridget M. Fitzpatrick, who earlier worked on the case, as well as Criminal Investigators Matthew Kutz, Mark Crawford and Melissa Matthews; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Diane Hayes, Shanna Hays, Lenisse Edloe and Monica Johnson, and Legal Assistant Krishawn Graham, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

     Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan W. Haray, James E. Smith, Ellen Chubin Epstein and Matthew Graves of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Peter Mason of the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, who prosecuted the case.

 

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