District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Christopher Forbes, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in  Suitland, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 66 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Forbes pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, to being a felon in unlawul possession of a firearm. In addition to the 66-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Forbes to serve three years of supervised release.

            This prosecution came as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again Initiative, which surged resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            According to court documents, on April 5, 2025, at 5:42 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the 1800 block of A Street SE after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire near the Stadium Armory Metro Station.

            On arrival, officers observed a man, later identified as Forbes, nearby on Independence Ave. SE shouting into his cellphone. Officers approached Forbes and conducted a protective pat-down.

            One of the officers asked Forbes if he had anything on him. Forbes admitted that he had his “dog,” meaning a firearm, on his hip. Officers recovered a Smith & Wesson SD40 .40 caliber pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition. Shell casings found near the scene matched the firearm’s caliber. Forbes was arrested on the scene.

            After tracing the firearm’s serial number, law enforcement determined the gun had been reported stolen in North Carolina.

            A review of law enforcement databases revealed that Forbes had a prior felony robbery conviction in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2024, and an active extraditable warrant for failure to appear related to that case. He also had a non-extraditable warrant out of Florida stemming from a prior conviction for discharging a firearm in public.

            Forbes was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his felony conviction and his prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.

            In his plea agreement, Forbes admitted to firing the pistol at least four times outside the Metro Station.

            This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Nicholis Dorsey, 33, of Washington, D.C. was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of misdemeanor sexual assault with felony enhancement for sexually abusing five female passengers at various metro transit stations, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Dorsey was convicted of six counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse with a felony enhancement and aggravating circumstances. Dorsey had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting three additional women – all eight women were strangers to him. The Honorable Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2025.

            According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between January and March 2025, Dorsey approached five women at various metro stations and assaulted them by touching either their buttocks or inner thigh. After each assault, Dorsey would then antagonize each of his victims by engaging in prolonged staring, sometimes coupled with laughter. After committing the assaults, the defendant would promptly leave the stations. In response, detectives from the Metro Transit Police Department created be on the lookout (“BOLO”) flyers using screenshots from metro surveillance footage that depicted the defendant.

            With the help of quick-acting Special Police Officers and Officers from the Metro Transit Police Department, Dorsey was arrested on March 5, 2025, shortly after the final assault, and has been in custody since. He confirmed his identity during a custodial interview, that same day, after being shown two BOLO fliers from the outstanding investigations.

            The investigation revealed that Dorsey had three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse, rendering him eligible for a felony enhancement under the law.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metro Transit Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughan, who provided support and coordinative efforts for all five victims.

            They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Soter and LaVater Massie-Banks, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a four-day trial on June 6, 2025. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Cruz Garcia to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:28 p.m. on March 23, 2021, 38-year-old Ramon Gomez Yanez, parked his car and made his usual stop at the local food market, Ogden Market, located at 1500 Ogden Street NW. When Mr. Gomez came back outside, the defendant was standing on the sidewalk and urinating much too close to the back of Mr. Gomez’s car. The Ogden Market surveillance video, with no audio available, showed some exchange of words between the two men and then showed Cruz Garcia punch Mr. Gomez down to the ground. While Mr. Gomez was down on the sidewalk, the defendant kicked and punched Mr. Gomez multiple times in the head area, and then just walked away, leaving Mr. Gomez to die on the scene from those injuries.

            Cruz Garcia was arrested on June 7, 2022, and has been in custody since.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly who prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON—Kelvin Powell, 63, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today for the sexual abuse of a 17-year-old minor, who was in the custody of his former employer, the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Powell was found guilty on July 1, 2025, on four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a ward, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a ward, and four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, by a Superior Court jury. The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Powell to serve 20 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Powell is also required to register as a sex offender.

            “The court’s sentencing demonstrates that no one is above the law and that justice will prevail,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The collaborative efforts of my Office, FBI and MPD is a reminder that criminal actions, especially from a child sexual predator, will be met with serious consequences, especially on behalf of our most vulnerable victims.”

            "Powell is a sexual predator who repeatedly abused a 17-year-old," said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. "As his sentencing demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will pursue public servants who use their positions to prey on individuals in their care and custody."

            According to the government’s evidence, Powell was a Youth Development Representative (YDR) at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)’s Youth Services Center (YSC). DYRS is the District of Columbia government agency responsible for the supervision, custody, and care of young people detained while pending charges for a delinquent act. As a YDR, Powell was responsible for the care, custody, and control of the juvenile residents being detained at YSC.

            Between December 2021 through February 2022, Powell used his position and his authority to repeatedly sexually abuse a then-seventeen-year-old minor ward residing at YSC. During that time, Powell repeatedly isolated the minor in areas of YSC that were not covered by video surveillance cameras. In those areas, Powell repeatedly sexually abused the minor by committing sexual acts and sexual contacts to her. In an incident captured by surveillance cameras, Powell sexually abused the minor by groping her clothed buttocks in a hallway at YSC.

            Joining in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Special Agent in Charge Davis commended those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also commended the valuable assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of former Assistant United States Attorneys Risa Berkower and Cara Gardner, who provided critical assistance, Paralegal Specialists Liliana Villamizar and ReShawn Johnson, supported by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liz Aloi and Bryan Han, Victim Specialist Veronica Vaughan, Litigation Tech Specialists Leif Hickling, Will Henderson, and Charlie Bruce, who provided critical assistance. Finally, they thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Visser, Jessica Wash, and Niki Holmes, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Eugene Burns, 31, a previously convicted felon residing in Maryland, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of being in unlawful possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for Nov. 24, 2025.

            According to the evidence presented to the jury, on Feb. 25, 2024, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were on patrol in Southeast when they received a call about a disorderly group of people at an apartment building on the 2700 block of Wade Road Southeast. As officers walked to the building, they observed Burns quickly turn and sprint away. 

            As Burns ran, officers saw him make an overhead throwing motion, appearing to toss a dark-colored object over a fence and into a large vacant lot. Burns continued to run through an alley between Eaton Road Southeast and Sumner Road Southeast. Officers briefly lost sight of Burns in the alley; however, they soon found him hiding on the 1200 block of Sumer Road Southeast.

            Officers returned to where they observed Burns throw an object and recovered a black Glock 27 pistol with 21 rounds in an extended magazine and one in the chamber.

            Burns previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in 2017 in connection with a violent armed robbery spree, that included conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, for which he was sentenced to 84 months in prison. Burns was still on probation for those charges at the time of this offense.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Special Assistant United States Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti. Former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Craft provided valuable assistance as did Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Robinson, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, Litigation Technology Specialist Charles Bruce and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling.

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A Virginia nurse was sentenced today to over 87 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

“The defendant, who occupied a position of trust as a nurse practitioner, used an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to disseminate images depicting the abuse of young children and bragged about the effectiveness of the measures that he used to evade law enforcement detection,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He thought that he could use technology to hide his crimes, but he was wrong. His sentence today should serve as a warning – to those that would harm vulnerable children, we will identify you, prosecute you, and bring you to justice.”

According to court documents, Lucas Fussell, 43, formerly of Onley, Virginia, used the Session messaging application to send and receive numerous videos and images depicting the rape and sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys with another individual. Fussell, who worked as a nurse practitioner, also discussed several of his male patients, including children, in these communications, and boasted about the sophisticated technological measures he took to evade detection by law enforcement. The FBI came into possession of the other individual’s cellphone. In June 2024, Fussell sent an undercover officer nine videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys. Fussell was then arrested in July 2024 and has been detained since. In December 2024, Fussell pleaded guilty to the indicted charges without a plea agreement.

Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU) provided substantial assistance in investigating the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

WASHINGTON – Jariatu Jalloh, 39, a Maryland resident, was arraigned September 8, 2025, on nine counts of first-degree fraud and nine counts of first-degree theft related to fraudulent billing submitted to the District’s Medicaid program,  announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            According to the government’s evidence, Jalloh was employed by a District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS) provider as a community support worker (CSW).  MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services.  A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as managing their medication, increasing social skills, and learning how to apply for housing or a job.

            The indictment alleges that between August 2021 and continuing through July 2023, while employed by the District MHRS provider, Jalloh engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program by submitting encounter notes for community support services she did not provide and overbilling for services she allegedly provided to District Medicaid beneficiaries.  Through this scheme, Jalloh caused the District government and its Medicaid program to pay over $234,500 for CSW services she did not render and overpayment for services she allegedly provided.

            Joining in the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

WASHINGTON – Lucas Allen Fussell, 43, of Onley, Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison in connection with distribution of child pornography videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of young boys, videos that he sent to an undercover law enforcement officer in June 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Fussell pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024, in U.S. District Court, to two counts of distribution of child pornography. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras also ordered Fussell to serve 10 years of supervised release and pay a $20,000 fine.

            According to court documents, Fussell used an encrypted messaging application to send and receive numerous videos and images depicting the rape and sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys with another individual. Fussell, who worked as a nurse practitioner, also discussed several of his male patients, including children, in these communications, and boasted about the sophisticated technological measures he took to evade detection by law enforcement.

            The FBI came into possession of the other individual’s cellphone. In June 2024, Fussell sent an undercover officer nine videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys.

            Fussell was then arrested in July 2024 and has been detained since.

            The FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Onley Police Department, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

            This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Courtney, Caroline Burrell and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has filed a civil forfeiture complaint against over $5 million in bitcoin (BTC). The funds are alleged to be ill-gotten gains from multiple SIM swap attacks targeting victims across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            As alleged in the complaint, these funds are traceable to the theft and unauthorized transfer of cryptocurrency from cryptocurrency wallets owned by five victims. The thefts took place between Oct. 29, 2022, and March 21, 2023.

            Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the Miami Field Office.

            The perpetrators of these thefts utilized a SIM swapping technique that allowed the perpetrators to authenticate their unauthorized access to the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts and transfer the victim funds to perpetrator-controlled accounts.

            A SIM swap attack is a type of account takeover whereby a perpetrator generally targets weaknesses in multi-factor authentication in order to gain access to a victim’s phone number by swapping the victim’s phone number to a SIM card associated with a phone in the perpetrator’s control. With this access, the perpetrators intercept codes destined for the victim’s phone and utilize those codes to “authenticate” that they are the victim. This allows the perpetrators to masquerade as the victim and conduct unauthorized activity transfers from the victim accounts.

            After each of the five thefts occurred, the perpetrators moved the stolen funds through multiple cryptocurrency wallets and ultimately consolidated them into one wallet that funded an account at Stake.com, an online casino. Many of these transactions were circular in that they eventually returned funds to their original source, and consistent with money laundering utilized to “clean” proceeds of criminal activity.

            For example, from on or about March 20, 2023, to on or about March 22, 2023, shortly after a portion of victim funds were consolidated into a single wallet, that wallet and the Stake.com account engaged in at least 32 circular transactions, including repeated deposits and withdrawals of BTC. Circular transactions obfuscate the origin of funds by inflating the volume of inflows and outflows in an account, making the larger balance (or source of funds) appear to engage in legitimate business.

            For more information regarding SIM swapping and how to prevent it, please visit www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411.

            This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and Gaelin Bernstein of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia Kevin Rosenberg, Alexandra Hughes, and Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Rick Blaylock, Jr.

            CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and obtained court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

WASHINGTON – Phillip Bealle, 39 and James “Stacey” Williams, 54, were each found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for their attack of an adult male victim outside a liquor store in Southwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            The verdicts, which took place on September 5, 2025, following a three-day jury trial, were returned in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2025.

            According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on June 25, 2024, following a verbal altercation inside the liquor store, Bealle charged at the victim outside the liquor store when the victim tried to walk away. Bealle then began to beat the victim with a 2x4 wooden plank from a nearby construction site.  Williams, who had also been standing outside the liquor store, joined in, beating the victim with his metal walking cane. Much of the attack was captured by the store’s surveillance footage.  Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) officers located each defendant a short distance away from the scene of the offense on the same date. The victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where injuries to his head were stapled shut.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikéla Cuffy and Katherine Ballou, who prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON – Tyzell Myrick, 29, of Bowie, Maryland, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Myrick is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

            Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, on Aug. 17, 2025, at around midnight, MPD officers were on patrol in the U Street corridor when they noticed Myrick allegedly carrying a firearm in his waistband. The officers recovered a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and an additional 20 rounds in the magazine.

            Myrick is prohibited from possession of a firearm and ammunition due to a prior 2018 conviction for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

            This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the MPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss is prosecuting the case.

            An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – Five members of the Avenue Crew a.k.a. the 1080 Clickas a.k.a. Simple City of Washington, D.C., were sentenced for their roles in the April 2020 murder of 21-year-old Brea Moon and shootings that took place in May 2020 and June 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           DaJuan Jones, 24, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to one count of second-degree murder while armed for his role in the April 2020 murder of Brea Moon and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for his role in the May 2020 shooting in the 5000 block of H Street Southeast. On September 3, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Jones to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

           Charles Hill, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed for his role in the April 2020 murder of Brea Moon and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for his role in the June 2021 shooting in the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest. On September 3, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Hill to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

           Dominique Franks, 24, Melvin Morris, 27, and Nkobia Edwards, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for their roles in the June 2021 shooting on the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest. On August 22, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Franks to 13 years in prison, Morris to 12 years in prison, and Edwards to 11 years in prison, each of which will be followed by five years of supervised release.

           With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, Jones was driving, and Hill was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020.  Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat.  When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle intentionally followed closely behind.  Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and multiple gunshots were fired by the occupants of the white vehicle at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim in the head and killed her.

           With respect to the May 2020 shooting, according to the government’s evidence, Jones rode in a silver car toward the 5000 block of H Street Southeast shortly before 4:00 p.m. on May 2, 2020. After the car stopped nearby, Jones exited the vehicle and fired multiple gunshots in the direction of numerous individuals who were in the front yard of 5023 H Street SE.  Two individuals were hit by Jones’ gunshots, suffering gunshot wounds to their leg and arm, respectively. When Jones was done shooting, he got back into the silver car and the car drove off.

           With respect to the June 2021 shooting, according to the government’s evidence, on June 17, 2021, at approximately 1:35 p.m. Hill, Franks, Edwards, and Morris were inside a stolen silver Dodge Charger that stopped on the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest, immediately adjacent to John Eaton Elementary School, which was undergoing renovation.  After the car came to a stop, the defendants got out of the car, brandished their firearms, and fired multiple gunshots at an individual, who was standing just 50 to100 feet from the defendants. As a result, the individual suffered multiple gunshot wounds.  

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

           In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. 

           Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.

WASHINGTON – Michael Mason, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025, to two charges of second-degree murder for the shooting death of 21-year-old Brea Moon in April 2020 in Southeast Washington and the shooting death of 18-year-old Antwuan Roach in May 2020 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           His guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a range of 27-31 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Jason Park accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 31, 2025. 

           With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, defendant Mason was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020.  Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat.  When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle intentionally followed closely behind.  Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and defendant Mason fired multiple gunshots at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim and killed her.

           With respect to the May 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, defendant Mason learned of Mr. Roach’s location and tracked him to the unit block of Anacostia Road NE shortly before 5:00 p.m.  Mr. Roach was walking alone and was unarmed.  After locating Mr. Roach, the defendant’s vehicle pulled into an alley behind the 3800 block of East Capitol Street Northeast.  As Mr. Roach stepped into the alley, the defendant fired at Mr. Roach killing him.  

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

           In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. 

           Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.

WASHINGTON – Richard J. Pavel III, 34, of the District of Columbia, was arrested and charged last week with distribution and receipt of child pornography in the context of actively discussing the sexual abuse of young boys, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Following his initial court hearing on September 4, Pavel was ordered to be held until his September 9 detention hearing.

           On Sept. 4, 2025, law enforcement executed warrants at Pavel’s residence in Northwest Washington, D.C., seized multiple electronic devices, and arrested Pavel.

           Pavel communicated with another individual regarding his sexual interest in children. During the course of that conversation, he traded multiple images of child pornography.

           The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.       

           This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.  

           The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen.

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WASHINGTON – Andrew Juarez, 28, of Baltimore, was arrested last week and charged with travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a nine-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Juarez was arrested Sept. 5, 2025, at a bar in the District where he had gone to meet who he thought was the mother of the girl. He was taken into custody by members of FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

            Juarez was found to be in possession of two cell phones at the time of his arrest. During an interview with task force agents, Juarez indicated that there was child pornography on one of his phones.

            The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.       

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from the region The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.  

            The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.

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WASHINGTON – Darrell Hinkle, 36, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for the April 2023 shooting of Dajuan Blakney, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Hinkle’s guilty plea on September 4, 2025, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a sentence of between 17 and 21 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Jason Park accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026.

            According to the proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at 12:01 a.m. on April 21, 2023, Hinkle parked his vehicle in front of an apartment complex located at 1511 19th Street SE. Thereafter, the defendant approached the victim, who was seated on the steps leading to the entrance of the complex. When Hinkle was within a few feet of the victim, he shot him with an assault-style rifle, killing him. He then fled the scene in his vehicle.

            Hinkle was arrested in October of 2023 and has been in custody since.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Carson. 

            WASHINGTON – Jailen Lucas, 17, and Kelvin Thomas, Jr., 17, both of Washington, D.C., were arrested today by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals on charges of first-degree murder while armed, for the death of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, an intern with the U.S. House of Representatives, on June 30, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            “Eric Tarpinian, a senior at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst was interning in our nation’s capital, pursuing his passion for public service when he was fatally gunned       down. . .an innocent bystander caught in a violent act not meant for him,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “He was shot four times and he leaves behind a grieving mother Tamara, father Robert, a brother Jeremy and sister Angela. This is why from day one I advocated for criminal jurisdiction over younger individuals with family court records. Eric’s murder could have been prevented if we had captured these two, who have a documented history of family court violence.”

            The three armed suspects immediately exited an abruptly stopped stolen vehicle and began firing north on 7th Street NW at two young men who jumped from a bicycle.  Investigators suspect that they were firing at these young men believing that they were from an opposition neighborhood. Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts, was shot and killed. He was not an intended target, according to investigators.

            The arrest team located one suspect, a 17-year-old whose name is being withheld due to his status as a juvenile, in Northwest, and surrounded the residence.  The suspect refused to exit the residence and a SOG tactical K-9 was announced. He was taken into custody without incident.

            The second arrested suspect, also 17, was taken into custody in the 2600 block of 24th Street NE.

            Joining the announcement was U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Phillip Bates.

            The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in June 2004 and was among the first regional fugitive task forces to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. CARFTF has partnership agreements with over 100 federal, state, and local agencies and has eight fully operational offices.

            CARFTF has apprehended over 102,700 fugitives since its inception and has made an extraordinary impact on the apprehension of the region’s most dangerous and violent fugitives, always striving to make their communities safer.

            The Special Operations Group is a specially trained, rapidly deployable law enforcement element of the U.S. Marshals Service, capable of conducting complex and sensitive operations throughout the globe intended to further the rule of law. SOG leverages these enhanced capabilities in support of the Marshals Service mission and the Department of Justice to protect, defend, and enforce the federal judicial system.  

            A criminal charge is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Dominic Armstrong, 21, of the District of Columbia., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison in connection with his role in a spree of armed carjackings and robberies across the metropolitan region, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Armstrong, aka “D1” and “Domo,” pleaded guilty April 10, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to carjacking, to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act Robbery).

            In addition to the 120-month prison sentence, Judge Contrerars ordered Armstrong to serve 5 years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on March 17, 2023, about 11:35 p.m. Armstrong and two other individuals, including his co-defendant, carjacked a blue Honda Civic at gunpoint on the 3800 block of Minnesota Ave. NE.

            On March 28, 2023, about 12:50 p.m. Armstrong and his co-defendant Javon Roach participated in a gunpoint robbery of three construction workers who were unloading equipment on the 300 block of K Street SW.

            Armstrong’s participation in the spree of crimes only ceased when he and his co-defendants were brought into custody in Fairfax County, Virginia, on March 30, 2023, after he fled from police on foot while his co-defendants fled in a carjacked vehicle.

            A year following his arrest and conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia, Armstrong committed an additional robbery in D.C. on May 14, 2024, when he robbed an Uber driver at gunpoint.

            On August 1, 2024, Armstrong was charged federally in the March 17, 2023, carjacking  and for brandishing a firearm during that carjacking. Arrested on Sept. 12, 2024, he has remained in custody since.

            Armstrong’s co-defendant Javon Roach, 20, was sentenced June 27 to 228 months in prison for his role in the spree of violent armed carjackings and armed robberies. Co-defendant Andre Rushing, 23, was sentenced August 19 to 108 months.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.

WASHINGTON – Chauncy Myers, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced for stabbing two people, one of whom was a D.C. Department of Corrections officer at the D.C. Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Myers pleaded guilty on March 14, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon.  On September 2, 2025, Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced Myers to seven years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  The government requested a thirteen-year prison term. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 13, 2024, the victim was socializing with friends in Triangle Park in Southeast Washington, D.C., when Myers approached the victim with a knife and then stabbed the victim in the abdomen, causing severe organ damage.  Following the stabbing, Myers fled the scene. 

            Myers was later arrested and detained at the D.C. Jail. On December 23, 2024, while in custody, and after a D.C. Department of Corrections officer attempted to enter Myers’ jail cell, he stabbed the officer with a shank causing a puncture wound to the officer’s forearm.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Green and Jasmine Dohemann, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Demonta King, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for carjacking a taxicab driver at knifepoint in November 2024 and robbing another victim at gunpoint in August 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            King pleaded guilty on April 4, 2025, to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro ordered King to serve fifteen years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and denied King’s request to be sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.  The government sought a twenty-two-year term of incarceration. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on November 18, 2024, in the 5000 block of Fort Totten Drive, NE, King, while armed with a knife, approached the victim, a taxicab driver, who was standing approximately five feet from his taxicab. King announced a robbery and said, “Give me everything,” and ordered the victim to hand over his keys. King then stabbed the victim in the hand causing him to drop the keys. The defendant retrieved the keys and took the victim’s taxicab, phone, driver’s license, bank cards and other personal items. Officers later spotted the victim’s vehicle, which the defendant was driving at a high rate of speed, in the 500 block of Chillum Road in Hyattsville, MD, when he crashed and fled on foot. Police gave chase and stopped the defendant.

            In a separate incident, on August 26, 2022, in the 100 Block of Gallatin Street and 1st Place NE, King approached a different victim, brandished a firearm, took the victim’s backpack and cell phone, and then struck the victim in the face with the firearm and fled. King was 16-years-old when he committed this offense and was prosecuted as an adult under Title 16.

            Joining in the announcement was and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Greene, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Ovideo Flores-Lemus was convicted of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            The verdict, which took place today, was returned by the jury after a multi-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2025.

            According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between 2020 and 2021 the defendant, who was the victim’s supervisor at the commercial custodial company they both worked for, cornered the victim in the bathroom during her cleaning shift and forcibly raped her on three separate occasions. The jury convicted Flores-Lemus for two of those encounters.

            Flores-Lemus faces a maximum statutory sentence of thirty years for each first-degree sexual abuse count. The defendant would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life when released.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaVater Massie-Banks and Sarah Folse.

WASHINGTON – Antoine Turner, 32, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for the November 29, 2020, murder of Demeitri Anderson, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           Turner’s guilty plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 20–26-year prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2025.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on November 29, 2020, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the defendant, Antoine Turner, drove a rented red Nissan Versa to the 4500 block of B Street SE, Washington, D.C. where he parked the car. The defendant then walked around the block from B Street SE, to 46th Street SE, then took a left on East Capitol Street SE, and entered the rear alley behind the BENCO shopping plaza. He then walked to the front of the Ken’s Beauty Supply located in the BENCO shopping plaza at 4528 Benning Rd SE, Washington, D.C. where at approximately 12:38 p.m. the defendant approached the victim, Demeitri Anderson, from behind and shot him repeatedly in the back of the head and body. An officer was parked in a marked cruiser across the street when he heard and saw the shooting and began driving towards the defendant who ran towards the vehicle he had parked on B Street SE. As the officer approached Turner, the officer observed him with an orange hood over his head and with a gun in his hand as he ran directly in front of the officer’s car. The defendant threw the handgun to the street then got into the red Nissan and fled the scene.

            Turner has been in custody since his arrest on December 3, 2020.

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           This case is being investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado.

WASHINGTON – Randall Cornell Mack, 42, of Washington, D.C., was arrested September 2, 2025 and arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, robbery while armed, first-degree murder while armed (felony murder), possession of a firearm during crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), stemming from the May 2, 2025, killing of Steven Stewart, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           Mack, along with his co-defendant Phillip Palmer were indicted on August 6, 2025.  Co-defendant Palmer was previously arrested on this indictment on August 21, 2025. 

Mack appeared September 3, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman where he pleaded not guilty. A detention hearing is set for September 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. for both Mack and Palmer.

           According to the government’s evidence, on May 2, 2025, at approximately 12:44 p.m., Mack and Palmer are alleged to have entered 61-year-old Steven Stewart’s apartment inside 633 21st Street NE, robbed him and then shot him multiple times at close range. Mr. Stewart was a vulnerable victim who had to use a wheelchair and/or walker for trips beyond his apartment.

            Mack has a previous murder conviction from 2010, where his probation was revoked in 2011, and he was sentenced to 12-36 years.  Mack was paroled for the murder in 2019, and his parole was revoked in 2024, but he was later released on parole again allowing him the opportunity to kill Mr. Stewart. Mack was to be supervised on parole through 2037.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Dinan.

           An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Fouodzing Mbord, 49, of Maryland, was sentenced today in Superior Court for the physical abuse of a vulnerable adult in his care in November 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Mbord pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, to one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult – injure or threat to injure. The government asked that the defendant be ordered to serve 180 days in jail. However, Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence in full and placed the defendant on probation for one year.

            According to the government’s evidence, Mbord was a home health aide who was caring for the victim, a vulnerable adult, who needed 24-hour care due to his inability to care for himself. On November 19, 2023, Metropolitan Police Officers were called to the victim’s apartment in the 100 block of I Street, SE, for a report of the abuse of a vulnerable adult who was bedridden after suffering a stroke. When officers arrived at the residence they met with the victim’s sister. She explained that she installed security cameras in the victim’s home after being concerned about her brother’s welfare.

            The security camera footage showed that on November 12, 2023, the defendant struck the victim on his backside while cleaning him. After seeing the footage, the victim’s sister asked the defendant why he struck her brother. He said that the victim passed gas in his face while he was cleaning him. He also threatened to do it again if the victim continued the behavior. Then, on November 16, 2023, the victim’s sister, while viewing the security camera, observed the defendant raised his hand up high and strike the victim, who was completely naked at the time.

            Mbord was arrested on November 20, 2023.

            Joining in the announcement was Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (D.C.-OIG).

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the DC OIG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuela Charles, who prosecuted the case, while on detail from the DC-OIG.

WASHINGTON – More than 300,000 kilograms of chemicals used to produce methamphetamine and intended for clandistine labs controlled by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico were seized this week by agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Port of Houston, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

           “This is the largest seizure of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine in U.S. history,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “China was sending over 700,000 pounds on the high seas to the Sinaloa Cartel before my office seized them. Because President Trump and Secretary Rubio declared the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization, we can now strike faster and hit harder.”

            “This marks the first time a seizure warrant was issued for material support for terrorism,” said Acting Director Todd M Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “After seizing these two shipments, Homeland Security Investigations International worked closely with foreign law enforcement partners to consolidate the shipments in Panama and bring them here to the Port of Houston. I can’t thank all of our partners enough."

            “These many barrels of precursor chemicals are directly linked to one of the most dangerous and deadly terrorist networks, the Sinaloa Cartel. It’s one of the most violent and brutal terrorist organizations in the world. They are responsible for countless deaths, devastation, and destruction of communities in the U.S. and abroad,” said Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock of Customs and Border Protection, Houston. “This represents one of the largest interdictions of its kind in history and highlights the critical role of collaboration and intel sharing in combating threats posed by drug trafficking organization and terrorist groups.”

            The chemicals, which originated in and were sent from China, could have been used to produce nearly 190,000 kilos of methamphetamine – worth about $569 million  if they had reached their intended destination.  Instead, agents seized six shipping containers of benzyl alcohol, a solvent used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, weighing 164,880 kilos and six shipping containers of N-methyl formamide, another liquid organic solvent, weighing 151,560 kilos.

            To put in perspective the impact of this seizure, in Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) seized a total 78,925 kilos of methamphetamine along the entire southwest border. In order to transport the chemicals from port to a secure HSI storage facility, it took twenty-four, 18-wheeler trucks to transport the sheer volume of precursor chemicals.

            In 2023, more than 34,800 Americans died of overdoses from psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia obtained the seizure warrant that provided the legal authority to seize the chemicals. Because the Administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on January 20, 2025, the designation provided federal prosecutors in the District the authority to execute the seizure under the terrorism forfeiture provision.

            Joining in today’s announcement were Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Homeland Security Investigations, Houston; Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock of Customs and Border Protection, Houston; Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston; and FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the Houston Field Office.

            The matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia as part of its Cartel Elimination effort, a collaboartion between the office’s National Security section’s Threat Finance Unit (TFU) and Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) section.

            The effort is also a part of the Attorney General’s February 5, 2025 directive, calling for the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations by harnessing the resources of the Department of Justice and empowering federal prosecutors throughout the country to work urgently with the Department of Homeland Security and other parts of the government toward the goal of eliminating these threats to U.S. sovereignty.

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WASHINGTON – Hachikosela Muchimba, 45, a former letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and resident of the District of Columbia, was stripped of his U.S. citizenship and sentenced to 66 months in federal prison today in connection with mail theft and bank fraud scheme that illegally netted him $1.6 million, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           A federal jury found Muchimba guilty on March 14, 2025, of conspiracy to commit theft of mail and bank fraud; theft of mail; bank fraud; engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization.

           In addition to the 66-year prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Muchimbato to pay $651,068.35 in restitution to victims and to forfeit his ill-gotten gains of $1,273,403.36. Muchimba also will be subject to deportation.

           Muchimba, originally of the Republic of Zambia, was naturalized as an American citizen on May 26, 2022. The mail theft and bank fraud scheme ran from December 2020 until March 2023. On his application for citizenship he falsely claimed to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that he had not previously committed any criminal activity, all the while he was actively conducting his theft of mail and scheme to defraud. Because it was unlawfully procured, the Court revoked Muchimba’s citizenship.

           Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, of the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.

           According to court documents, between December 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba was a letter carrier based in Friendship Heights, when he executed a scheme to steal U.S. Treasury checks and private party checks from the U.S. mail. The stolen checks were intended for District postal customers living on over 30 different mail routes. Muchimba deposited the checks, sometimes while wearing his U.S. Postal uniform, into bank accounts under his control. Bank surveillance footage captured images of him making deposits and withdrawals of the funds.

           The total amount of the U.S. Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba’s various bank accounts was over $1.6 million. Muchimba used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and $100,000 spent at gentlemen’s clubs.

           Muchimba was arrested on Sept. 20, 2023, at Dulles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Zambia. At the time of his arrest, Muchimba had $2,000 in cash in his luggage.

           The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys John Borchert and Diane Lucas of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint today against $868,247 in Tether (USDT). As detailed in the complaint, the funds are alleged to be ill-gotten gains from several cryptocurrency-related confidence scams that targeted victims in the District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois, and Florida, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           Co-conspirators stole funds from at least four victims between September 2022 and February 2025 and laundered the funds through a convoluted web of cryptocurrency wallets to evade detection and avoid accountability. 

           Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office.

           In late 2022, the FBI Honolulu Division Cyber Squad opened the investigation after a victim in Hawaii reported being defrauded out of $1.3 million by the LME Crypto Group, a scam group impersonating the London Metal Exchange while operating a complex cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme by cultivating long-term relationships with victims online and eventually enticing them to make investments in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms.

           At least one victim of the LME Crypto Group was defrauded in the District of Columbia. In December 2023, that victim reported a $30,000 loss to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).[1] The victim’s complaint explained that they “thought it was an investment to earn big profits in a short amount of time.” The victim went on to state that they bought cryptocurrency through an online platform and invested it in “an app called LME.”

           Cryptocurrency investment fraud typically begins by criminals contacting potential victims through seemingly misdirected text messages, dating applications, or professional meetup or investment groups. In the four cases highlighted in the complaint, the victims were each approached through seemingly misdirected text messages.

           Next, using various means of manipulation, the perpetrators gain the victim’s affection or trust. The perpetrator then recommends cryptocurrency investment by touting their own, or an associate’s, success in the field.

           A common tactic is to direct a victim to a fake investment platform hosted on a website that mimics a legitimate platform. The perpetrator assists the victim with opening a cryptocurrency account, often on an exchange based in the U.S., and then walks the victim through transferring money from a bank account to that cryptocurrency account. Next, the perpetrator provides instructions to the victim regarding how to transfer their cryptocurrency assets to what is in actuality a fake investment platform. On its surface, the fraudulent platforms often show lucrative returns, encouraging further investment; underneath, all deposited funds are routed to a cryptocurrency wallet address controlled completely by the perpetrators.

           The perpetrators frequently allow victims to withdraw some of their “profits” early in the scheme to engender trust and help convince victims of the legitimacy of the platform. As the scheme continues, victims are unable to withdraw their funds and are provided various excuses as to why. Ultimately, victims are locked out of their accounts and lose all their funds.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and investment scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov. In 2024 alone, approximately $5.8 billion in losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud was reported to the IC3.

            The FBI Honolulu Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia Acting Deputy Chief Kevin Rosenberg and Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Rick Blaylock Jr., along with Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz, Ethan Cantor, and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and Daniel Zytnick with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice.

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[1] The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the United States’ central hub for reporting cybercrime. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating cybercrime.

WASHINGTON – Travis Thomas, 17, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to shooting multiple rounds in an elementary school playground and armed carjacking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  Thomas was charged as an adult under Title 16.

            Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed and two counts of armed carjacking. The Honorable Judge Neal Kravitz, of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 20, 2025, Thomas got into an online argument with another individual, whom he believed to be affiliated with a rival crew. Thomas proceeded to travel to the 300 block of 53rd Street SE, where he exited a vehicle and fired over 15 rounds into the playground of C.W. Harris Elementary School. One victim suffered a gunshot wound to the forehead and was taken to a local hospital, where surgeons had to remove a bullet. The victim suffered a skull fracture.

            The government’s investigation also revealed Thomas as a suspect from two separate armed carjackings, the first of which occurred on October 30, 2024, in the parking garage of the Safeway grocery store, located at 415 14th Street SE, and the second of which occurred on November 17, 2024, in the 1300 block of Massachusetts Avenue SE. 

            Thomas was arrested on April 25, 2025, and remains in custody.

            Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green, who is prosecuting the case.

            WASHINGTON – Mustafa Wright, 32, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           Wright is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

           Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police.

            This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            According to court documents, on August 17, 2025, members of the United States Park Police were on patrol near Poplar Point and Anacostia Drive SE, when they noticed Mustafa Wright driving a vehicle with expired tags. Officers impounded the vehicle after Wright was unable to provide valid registration or insurance. Upon a routine search of the vehicle, officers discovered a Glock 17 9 mm pistol, loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in the chamber and 22 additional rounds in the 31-round capacity magazine.

            Wright is prohibited from possession of a firearm and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2014 burglary conviction and a 2019 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

            The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the United States Park Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss is prosecuting the case.

            An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – Erick Alvarenga, 19, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his participation in two separate carjackings committed in December 2024 and January 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Alvarenga pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court, to one count of carjacking (unarmed) and one count of possession of a firearm during crime of violence for the December 28, 2024, offense, and to one count of carjacking (unarmed) and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the January 3, 2025, offense. His co-defendant, Malik Kearney, 20, who also pleaded guilty on June 23rd, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025.

            The Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Alvarenga to serve 60 months in prison on each count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and 84 months in prison for each count of unarmed carjacking. Both charges in the December 28th offense will run concurrent to one another but consecutive to the charges for the January 3rd offense.

            According to the government’s evidence, at around 4:45 a.m., on December 28, 2024, Alvarenga and Kearney approached the first victim while he was parked in a Jeep SUV in the 6100 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast, one of whom was armed with a black handgun. The defendants ordered the victim out of the car and to hand them his car keys. The defendants then drove away from the scene. 

            Days later January 3, 2025, the second offense, occurred around 3:00 p.m., in the 4200 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, Northeast. The second victim was at a gas station and had finished putting gas in his Dodge sedan. Alvarenga used the Jeep which had been stolen on December 28, 2024, to block in the victim’s car, while Kearney approached the victim with a handgun. After ordering the victim out of his car, Kearney got behind the wheel of the Dodge, and both vehicles then fled in the same direction.

            Alvarenga and Kearney were arrested later that evening and have been in custody since. At the time of their arrest, officers recovered two firearms from the location where the defendants were detained -- one had the serial number removed and the other was a PMF ghost gun.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Agent Nelson Rhone, Jr..

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Amanda Hoover, who prosecuted the case. 

WASHINGTON – Jennifer May, 43, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to her role in a scheme that defrauded $1,500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Government, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            May pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, May must return the $1,500,000 to the United States.

            According to court documents, May was founder and owner of Next Level Partners LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting campaigns with complying with campaign finance regulations and managing their accounts payable functions.

            In October 2021, May applied for a second modification to an original EIDL application, requesting an additional $1,500,000 in EIDL funds for Next Level Partners.

            The EIDL was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the U.S. Small Business Administration offered small business owners low-interest, long-term loans. The funds were intended to be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt.

            May falsely certified on loan applications that she would use all loan proceeds only for business-related purposes. Instead, she misappropriated the funds to speculate on cryptocurrency and to pay for  unrelated business ventures and other personal expenditures.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS-CI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

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WASHINGTON – Lamar Redfield, 34, a previously convicted felon from the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison in connection with an October 2024 incident during which he was on probation when he crashed a stolen car into a parked vehicle, discarded a loaded Glock 17 pistol as he fled from police, and then punched an officer in the face as police attempted to arrest him, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Redfield pleaded guilty May 12, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 65-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Redfield to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on Oct. 21, 2024, members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Sixth District Crime Suppression Team were on patrol when they spotted a stolen black Hyundai Sonata on the 3100 block of Minnesota Ave. SE. The Hyundai, occupied by two men, entered the 3500 block of A Street, SE, and then began to reverse backwards down the street.

The passenger bailed from the car and ran away from the police. The driver, identified as Redfield, continued in reverse and crashed into a parked vehicle. Redfield abandoned the car and ran with police in pursuit. As Redfield ran, he repeatedly reached into his jacket pocket with his right arm. Redfield removed a black firearm from his jacket and placed it on the ground. After discarding the firearm, Redfield continued to run. Officers caught Redfield, who hit one of the officers in the face with a closed fist. After the assault, Redfield was stopped and detained without further incident.

In a search incident to his arrest, officers found Redfield was in possession of half an ounce of suspected methamphetamine and one ounce of suspected synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2” or “Spice.”

Redfield has previous felony convictions in Arlington County, Virginia, on narcotics and firearms offenses. He was serving a five-year sentence (suspended) when he was arrested on Oct. 21, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

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            WASHINGTON – Abouzar Rahmati, 43, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 12 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of the Iranian government in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Rahmati, a former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2025, to acting as an agent of the Iranian government without prior notification to the Attorney General and to conspiracy to do so, before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan. In addition to the 12-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Rahmati to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining in the announcement were Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel Wierzbicki of the Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.

            According to court documents, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati worked with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives to act on their behalf in the United States, including by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran, communicating with Iranian intelligence officers and government officials using a cover story to hide his conduct, obtaining employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive non-public information about the U.S. aviation sector, and obtaining open-source and non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry and providing it to Iranian intelligence officers.

            “By secretly doing the bidding of the Iranian government, Mr. Rahmati violated the trust placed in him as a U.S. citizen and as a federal contractor with access to sensitive information,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Ensuring that sensitive U.S. information does not fall into the hands of hostile foreign intelligence services remains one of our highest priorities.”

            “Rahmati exploited his trusted position to obtain sensitive information about the U.S. aviation sector and share it with the Iranian government, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Wierzbicki. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, especially those emanating from the nefarious activities of Iranian intelligence officers who seek to harm our nation.”

            In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university.

            Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics.

            Upon returning to the United States in early 2018, Rahmati obtained various private and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar energy industry and provided them to an official from the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology in response to tasking from Iranian government officials.

            In response to tasking from Iranian officials, and in furtherance of his role as an agent of the Government of Iran, Rahmati exploited his employment as an FAA contractor by downloading at least 172 GB of the company’s files. Rahmati stored those files on removable media, which he took to Iran, where he provided sensitive documents to the Government of Iran in April 2022.

            At the April 2022 meeting in Iran, Iranian intelligence officers told Rahmati and his brother that they were seeking information, including new ideas and technology not available in Iran. They further explained that if Rahmati brought such information to Iran, the Government of Iran could provide Rahmati with financial incentives, including free or low-interest loans and grants.

            Later in April 2022, also in response to tasking from Iranian government officials, Rahmati sent additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers to his brother, who lived in Iran, so that he would provide those files to Iranian intelligence.

            The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case, with significant assistance from the FAA’s Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations.

            Prosecuting the case were Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia provided significant assistance.

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WASHINGTON – The FBI this morning executed approximately 20 residential search warrants across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Los Angeles, following a year-long investigation into an alleged D.C.-based drug trafficking organization that sold PCP and fentanyl in and around the 2900 block of Knox Place SE, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Law enforcement seized 18 firearms including one AR-Style rifle, a shotgun, and one Draco-style pistol. Agents also seized a pill press commonly used to manufacture fentanyl pills, at least two kilograms of suspected narcotics, and over $50,000 in cash.

            Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia indicted eight individuals ­– two from California, one from Baltimore, and five from metropolitan Washington D.C. – and charged them in the conspiracy.

            This morning, the FBI in partnership with the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department took seven of the indicted defendants into custody. They are Leonard Edwards, 52, of Washington D.C.;  Eric “Marbury” Prather, 43, of Washington D.C.; Thomas Wilton Hancock, Jr., aka “Fresh,” 43, of Baltimore, MD;  Sarda Smith, 36, of Oxen Hill, MD;  Michael Thomas, 49, of Los Angeles, CA; Reginald Lassiter, 39, of Washington, D.C.; and Darryl Riley, 39, Washington, D.C.

           Joining in the announcement were FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Phil Bates, DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            One additional defendant remains at large and is considered a fugitive. The indictment against that defendant remains sealed.

            The  Knox Place neighborhood has experienced at least five homicides in the past year, among other violent crimes. The alleged D.C.-based traffickers who operated around Knox Place sourced their narcotics through a Baltimore-based co-conspirator, who in turn was importing narcotics from California. One of the shipments from California included 17-gallons of PCP that was intercepted earlier this year by law enforcement outside of Topeka, Kansas.

            Six of the eight defendants face 10-year mandatory minimum sentences based on the drug quantities for which they were charged. Two of them face 15-year mandatory minimum sentences.

            Federal agents arrested five additional individuals who face an array of charges that include conspiracy to distribute narcotics, felon in possession of firearms, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and illegal re-entry into the country.  

            This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the DEA and the MPD. It is being prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi, Matthew W. Kinskey, and John Parron of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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             WASHINGTON –Hershel Andrew Green, III,  42, of the District of Columbia, was arrested Aug. 24 at San Francisco International Airport and charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court with possessing and distributing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

             Hershel is expected to make his first court appearance in U.S. District Court today in San Francisco.

             As part of the investigation, Green was identified after law enforcement agents discovered electronic communications between Green and another individual related to the sexual abuse of children. Green distributed and received images and videos that included the sexual abuse of prepubescent children.

             This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.       

             This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.  

             The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar.

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WASHINGTON – Walter Jenkins, 36, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to second-degree murder while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon for the November 2021 shooting of two men, killing one and wounding another, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Jenkins pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, to one count of second-degree murder while armed and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon is contingent upon the Court’s approval. Jenkins faces a sentence range of between 18 and 33 ½ years under the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2025.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at approximately 4:47 p.m., on November 14, 2021, MPD Seventh District officers responded to the 2000 Block of Alabama Avenue SE, for the report of the sounds of gunshots. Upon conducting a canvass of the area, officers located two victims near a vehicle on Bruce Place. They found Mr. David Williams, who was breathing but barely conscious, suffering from multiple gunshots to the body. DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and transported Mr. Williams to George Washington University Hospital where all lifesaving efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead more than an hour later. The second victim was conscious and breathing, suffering from gunshot wounds to the lower legs. He was transported to Med-Star where he was admitted in stable condition.

            Jenkins was arrested on February 4, 2022, and has been in custody since. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Horton and Miles Janssen.

WASHINGTON – Korriek Akinola, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to murder for his role in a 2023 drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of Joshua White, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Akinola pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed on August 18, 2025. Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2025, before the Honorable Neal Kravitz.

            On June 6, 2023, the defendant and another individual were in a white Infiniti SUV near the Shell gas station located at 4700 South Capitol Street SE. While there, they spotted the victim, Joshua White, riding around in the parking lot on a Veo bike. Akinola and the other individual drove to a separate location and switched vehicles to a stolen black Honda Accord. The defendant left his cell phone in the white Infiniti SUV and switched out the hard tag on black Honda Accord for a temporary tag, in an effort to conceal his movement. Akinola and the other individual then drove back to the Shell gas station, where Mr. White was still located. The defendant drove into the parking lot of the Shell gas station and accelerated rapidly toward the victim. Akinola and the other individual shot at Mr. White, who was hit by gunfire multiple times. The defendant then sped away, leaving Mr. White to die in the parking lot.

            Akinola evaded arrest from the police on multiple dates, but he was ultimately arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on July 24, 2023.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hall and Natalie Hynum.

WASHINGTON – Melvin Johnson, 27, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to a total of 66 months in federal prison in connection with trafficking crack cocaine and illegally possessing a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol and a “Ghost Gun” semi-automatic pistol equipped with a laser pointer, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Johnson pleaded guilty on April 8, 2025, to unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and to being a felon in possession of two firearms and ammunition. In addition to the 66-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on Aug.17, 2021, at 4:15 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the 3500 block of 14th Street NW, to investigate a report of drug trafficking. The officers encountered Melvin Johnson nearby on a scooter and asked him if he had anything illegal on him. Johnson said he only had personal items.

            One of the officers noticed that Johnson’s bag appeared to have an extended magazine protruding from it and was weighted down by an additional heavy object. After cuffing Johnson, officers recovered a Glock 29 semi-automatic pistol from the bag. The pistol was loaded with one round in the chamber and equipped with an extended magazine containing 27 rounds of 9mm ammunition. In addition, the bag contained an additional Glock magazine loaded with 16 rounds.

            During a search, officers recovered $1,203 in cash and 26 grams of a white rock substance from inside the Johnson’s spandex pants. Officers field tested a portion of the substance which returned a positive result for cocaine base.

            Previously, on Feb. 28, 2020, at about 4:15 p.m., MPD officers recovered a loaded “ghost gun” from Johnson on the 1500 block of Meridian Place NW. The firearm was equipped with a laser pointer. At the time of his arrest on the drug trafficking charge and possession of the Glock, Johnson was on pre-trial release on the charge for carrying a loaded pistol without a license.

            This case was investigated by the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

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WASHINGTON – Andre Rushing, 23, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for his role in a March 2023 spree of armed carjackings and robberies in the metropolitan area that victimized at least six people, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Rushing, aka “Dre,” pleaded guilty March 17, 2025, to carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. As part of his guilty plea, Rushing admitted to perpetrating four separate carjackings and robberies. The spree only stopped when Rushing and his co-defendants were arrested in Fairfax County on March 30, 2023, as they attempted to flee police in a carjacked vehicle.

            U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Rushing to serve 5 years of supervised release following completion of his 108-month prison sentence.

            Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

Still shots taken from surveillance video of the Rushing (left) and Roach (right) in the March 6, 2023, carjacking.

            According to court documents, on March 6, 2023, at 9:20 p.m., Rushing and co-defendant Javon Roach carjacked a male victim on the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue. Rushing pointed a handgun and demanded the victim’s keys and phone as Roach stood to the side with a loaded long-style gun. 

Image of Rushing taken from the Instagram Live Post on March 7, 2023.

            On March 7, 2023, Rushing was arrested for gun possession on the 300 block of Anacostia Road SE a few feet away from a “ghost gun” with a 31-round capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition. About 15 minutes before the arrest, Rushing broadcast a video from Roach’s Instagram account in which he appeared to be holding a handgun with an extended magazine.

            On March 16, 2023, about 3:05 p.m. Rushing and Roach a robbed a food deliveryman at gunpoint on the 3900 block of Benning Road NE. taking the man’s phones, cash, and the food he was delivering. The defendants then fled in a black Toyota RAV-4 that had been carjacked the day before.

            On March 17, 2023, about 9:34 a.m. Rushing and Roach robbed three construction workers on the 300 block of Anacostia Road, SE.

            On March 26, 2023, about 7:48 p.m., Rushing and Roach carjacked a Chevrolet Impala at gunpoint at a gas station on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

            On March 30, 2023, at about 2:15 p.m., Fairfax County police located a carjacked Audi Q5, that had been stolen the day prior in Capitol Heights, Maryland, at Tyson’s Mall and set up surveillance of the vehicle. Rushing and Roach fled in the carjacked Audi onto the 8000 block of Leesburg Pike and became stuck in traffic. Roach, who was driving, crashed into several cars in an attempt to escape. He ultimately struck a Fairfax County police vehicle. Officers surrounded the Audi. Roach fled on foot, while Rushing was arrested inside of the vehicle. A loaded handgun was recovered from the glovebox in front of Rushing. FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service took Rushing into custody before handing him over to the Fairfax County Police Department Police.

            Roach, 20, was sentenced June 27 to 228 months in federal prison for his role in the carjackings and robberies.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.

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WASHINGTON – Jermaine Knight, 36, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to a total of forty-three months in prison, for assaulting and strangling an inmate in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Knight pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) and one count of felony strangulation. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Knight to serve 20 months of incarceration for the unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) and 23 months of in prison for the felony strangulation, with prison time to be served consecutively and followed by three years of supervised release. 

            The defendant admitted that on October 9, 2024, he was walking his dog while in possession of a ghost gun when he accidently shot himself in the thigh when his dog lunged on the leash. Officers responded to the scene and though Knight initially lied and said he was shot by an unidentified assailant, Officers conducted a thorough investigation and determined that Knight shot himself. 

            Knight also admitted that on December 18, 2024, while he was pending trial for the firearm offense, he assaulted and strangled a fellow inmate in the D.C. Superior Court holding cell while both men were waiting for their court hearings. Knight sucker punched the other inmate, hit him in the head and face approximately 15 times, and eventually strangled the inmate for five seconds. Knight then mopped up the inmate’s blood with sandwich bread. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Marshal Robert A. Dixon of the Marshals Service.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, Chief Smith, and U.S. Marshal Dixon commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kadian D. Carter, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Nyjell Outler, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total of 24-and-a-half years in prison for the shooting death of 21-year-old Demetris Johnson and the shooting of Daloni Williams in March of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            A Superior Court jury found Outler guilty in March 2025 for voluntary manslaughter while armed in the fatal shooting of Mr. Johnson and for aggravated assault while armed in the shooting of Mr. Williams. The Honorable Jason Park sentenced the defendant August 15, 2025.

            According to evidence presented at trial, at approximately 7:43 p.m., on March 20, 2021, Outler arrived at a gender-reveal party, on Madison St., Northeast.  He was carrying an AK-style rifle (known as a “Draco”) in a backpack. He was at the party for a little more than a half hour before the shooting. After interacting with different guests throughout the evening, he stepped away from the driveway of the home where he had been hanging out, pulled the Draco out of his backpack, held it at his right side, and returned to the driveway where three young men, including Demetris Johnson and Daloni Williams, were. There were still dozens of other guests inside the house and inside the fenced-in area just off the driveway. When Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward the defendant with his arm extended, as if to say, “put that away” the defendant raised the Draco and shot Daloni Williams twice, from point-blank range. Outler then pivoted and pulled the trigger two more times as Demetris Johnson and the other young man on the driveway were trying to run away. One of the shots hit Demetris Johnson in the back. The defendant fled the scene.

            Daloni Williams spent nine days in the hospital after emergency surgery to save his leg and had to undergo months of physical therapy. Demetris Johnson died in the backyard of the house hosting the gender reveal party.

            At today’s sentencing hearing, the government requested that Judge Park sentence the defendant to a total of 35 years of incarceration. In support of its request, the government highlighted not only the egregious circumstances of the killing, but also informed Judge Park of multiple armed assaults and a misdemeanor sex offense the defendant is reported to have perpetrated since being brought back to Washington, D.C. from Florida.

            At the time of the shooting, Outler was on a GPS monitor after he had been arrested and released for possessing another Draco in February 2021. About two hours after fleeing from the area, he cut off his GPS. He was on the run for 11 months, even making it into the U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 most wanted. Finally, in February 2022, Outler was arrested in Florida following an anonymous tip.

            Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mabry Johnson and Sharon Newman, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and Shanika McCullough, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark, Kristian Hinson, and Yasmin Emrani, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Nathalie Rose Jones,  50, of Lafayette, Indiana, was arrested in the District of Columbia on Saturday, August 16, and charged in connection with making a series of threats on social media in which she threatened to kill President Trump, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Jones was charged in a complaint in U.S. District Court with threatening to take the life of, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, and transmitting in interstate commerce communications containing threats to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another.

            “Threatening the life of the President is one of the most serious crimes and one that will be met with swift and unwavering prosecution. Make no mistake—justice will be served,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated law enforcement partners, especially the Secret Service Special Agents from New York and Washington, D.C., for their tireless commitment to protecting our leaders and our nation.”

            “Protecting the President of the United States is our highest priority, and every potential threat is addressed with the utmost seriousness,” said Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the U.S. Secret Service, Washington Field Office. “Special Agents from New York and Washington, DC, working in close coordination with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, acted swiftly and decisively to neutralize this alleged threat before it could escalate. We are deeply grateful to the dedicated professionals who worked tirelessly to advance this investigation and safeguard our nation’s leadership.”

            According to court documents, from August 2 to August 9, members of the U.S. Secret Service observed that Instagram user account “nath.jones” had posted threatening comments about the President of the United States. The Instagram user called for President Trump’s removal, labeled President Trump as a terrorist, referred to President Trump’s administration as a dictatorship, and stated that President Trump had caused extreme and unnecessary loss of life in relation to the coronavirus.

            On Facebook between August 6 and August 15,  “Nath.Jones” allegedly continued to post threatening comments about President Trump. In an August 6 post directed at the FBI, Nath.Jones wrote that “I am willing to sacrificially kill this POTUS by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea with Liz Cheney and all The Affirmation present.”

            On August 14, in a post directed to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Nath Jones allegedly wrote “please arrange the arrest and removal ceremony of POTUS Trump as a terrorist on the American People from 10-2pm at the White House on Saturday, August 16th, 2025.”

            On August 15, the U.S. Secret Service conducted a voluntary interview with Jones, during which she stated the President was a “terrorist” and a “nazi,” that if she had the opportunity, she would take the President’s life and would kill him at “the compound” if she had to, that she had a “bladed object,” which she said was the weapon she would use to “carry out her mission of killing” the president, and that she wanted to “avenge all the lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic,” which she atrributed to President Trump’s administration and its position on vaccinations.

            On August 16, Jones joined a protest demonstration that started at Dupont Circle, and circumnavigated the White House complex. Following the march, the U.S. Secret Service interviewed Jones for a second time, during which she admitted that she had made threats towards President Trump during her interview the previous day. She denied having any present desire to harm the President of the United States. Law enforcement arrested her and she confirmed that she was the owner of the Facebook user account “Nath Jones” and that she had posted the threatening statements.

            This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter.

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WASHINGTON – Derek Turrentine, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for the September 2024 shooting of James Thomas Price, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Turrentine’s guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a sentence of 17 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2025. 

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the morning of September 15, 2024, the defendant followed Mr. Price into an alley behind 400 50th Street NE.  Mr. Price stopped and turned around to face Turrentine, and Turrentine produced a firearm and pointed it at the victim as he continued to walk toward him.  As the defendant got close to the victim, they began to fight, and the defendant then fired multiple gunshots at the victim, who died as a result.

            Turrentine was arrested in March of 2025 and has been in custody since. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.

WASHINGTON – Jajuan Gripper, 22, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the December 20, 2022, murder of 34-year-old Rynell Bradford in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            The jury deliberated for one day before finding Gripper guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence and first-degree premeditated murder while armed. Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:40 p.m., on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Gripper and two co-conspirators, each armed with a handgun, followed Bradford out of an apartment building in the Kenilworth neighborhood of Northeast D.C., where Bradford lived with his fiancé and then four-month-old daughter. After a brief exchange of words, Gripper and his co-conspirators opened fire on Bradford as he ran away from them down a public street in the residential neighborhood. Gripper and his co-conspirators fired a total of at least 19 shots, striking Bradford once in the back of the head, killing him.   

            Gripper was arrested in March 2023 and has been detained since his arrest.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Branch. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Anthony Cocuzza, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Damion Barnett, 22, of the District of Columbia, was charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court with being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and unlawful discarding of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Barnett allegedly had been in possession of a loaded Glock 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol shortly before he was arrested July 14 by Metropolitan Police officers following a foot chase in Northeast Washington, D.C.

This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

According to the charging documents, officers with the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were on patrol July 14 about 6 p.m. when they saw a group of men standing on the 1100 block of 16th Street NE. One of the individuals, later identified as Barnett, was smoking a white cigarette that officers believed contained marijuana.

On seeing the officers approach, Barnett passed the cigarette to another member of the group and ran in the opposite direction down 16th Street. Barnett dashed into an alley as officers gave chase.

During the foot pursuit, an officer observed Barnett reach into his waistband with his right hand and discard a firearm into the air. Officers soon apprehended Barnett, placed him under arrest, and traced his flight path. The officers recovered a black Glock 19, 9mm pistol loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. An NCIC check revealed the firearm had been reported stolen on Nov. 3, 2024, to the Prince George’s County Police Department.

Barnett previously was convicted on a 2021 felony charge in D.C. Superior Court, and as a result, prohibited from possessing any firearm.

This investigation is being conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Sussler of the Federal Major Crimes Section.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – Vance McIlwain, 32, and Kenneth Johnson, 32, both of Washington, D.C., were indicted Wednesday and arraigned today for the November 2024, firing of over 15 rounds of ammunition in a residential neighborhood and shooting of a man in southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            McIlwain and Johnson were indicted on August 13, 2025, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault while armed, endangerment with a firearm, and conspiracy. Johnson was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. 

           Both men were arraigned on today, August 15, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Judge Jason Park. They each face a maximum of thirty years in prison if convicted of the charges. 

           According to the government’s evidence, on November 8, 2024, at about 3:50 p.m., McIlwain and Johnson were captured on CCTV conspiring to shoot the victim. Inside of an apartment building hallway, Johnson was captured on video passing a cross-body bag to McIlwain, which is believed to have contained a firearm. They both made their way to the apartment building’s entryway landing. McIlwain stepped out of the building and removed the firearm from the bag, but then returned to the entryway and handed the gun to Johnson. Johnson re-racked the firearm and gave it back to McIlwain. McIlwain walked down the alley, turned the corner, and began firing over 15 rounds of ammunition at the victim, who was sitting on a front porch. A stray bullet went into a neighbor’s house and another was found on the front porch. 

            Following the attack, McIlwain ran back to the apartment building and handed the gun to Johnson. McIlwain then continued to run from the scene. Johnson entered one of the apartment units. Johnson was found inside the apartment unit and was arrested. McIlwain was arrested about an hour and a half later in the area. Investigators recovered 15 spent shell casings from the scene. Both have been in custody since their respective arrests. 

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rudolf.

           An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Duarte Santos, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on August 15, 2025, in Superior Court, to ­­­­­13 years in prison, for assault and related firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Santos pleaded guilty on April 24, 2025, to aggravated assault while armed, possession of firearm during violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license outside of home/business. The Honorable Judge Brandt Rainey, of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, sentenced Santos to 13 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

           According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:30 p.m., on July 5, 2024, Santos open fired a handgun toward three victims in a bar and restaurant at 3521 14th St NW. Specifically, officers viewed the establishment’s surveillance video and observed the defendant sitting inside the establishment at the bar. He then proceeded up the stairs and appeared to have a verbal exchange with two individuals. A fight between one individual and Santos broke out. During the fight, Santos took a firearm from his waistband and discharged a single round, at which point a bar employee threatened to call the police.

            Santos left the bar but then returned a few minutes later and started shooting at the two men that he had been in a verbal dispute with earlier and the bar employee who told him to leave. One victim realized he was shot shortly after the shots were fired and was taken to a hospital. 

            Santos was arrested on July 5, 2024 and has been in custody since.

            Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Pericak Ginsburg and Anthony Cocuzza, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Stephon Martin, 25, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday for, stemming from his April 15, 2025, attack on his former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            On August 14, 2025, after a jury trial in Superior Court, Martin was convicted of one count each of robbery while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and felony destruction of property. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2025.

            On October 18, 2024, Martin was employed as a cashier at the victim’s tobacco store in Northwest Washington, D.C. Faced with budgetary constraints, the store’s owner had to lay Martin off, and Martin reacted with extreme violence. Martin mercilessly beat the victim for several minutes before taking the cash out of the victim’s pocket and leaving the store. While the victim was still in shock, Martin returned to the store about 30 minutes later and entered using his employee key which he did not originally surrender. After entering the store the second time, Martin mercilessly beat the victim again. This time, Martin picked up a wooden board and smashed it over the victim’s head several times and forced the victim to surrender additional money from the cash register. Martin then picked up a shelving unit containing several thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise and left the store with it.

            Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dal Lago, who prosecuted the case and Augustin Horner who investigated the case.

WASHINGTON — Today the Justice Department announced criminal charges against five high-ranking members of the United Cartels. Those charged are Juan Jose Farias Alvarez (“El Abuelo); Alfonso Fernandez Magallon (“Poncho”); Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez (“Wicho / R5”); Edgar Orozco Cabadas (“El Kamoni”); and Nicolas Sierra Santana (“El Gordo”).

“Today’s charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Working closely with our partners throughout President Trump’s Administration, we will continue our historic effort to destroy foreign terror organizations and prosecute terrorists wherever they may hide.”

“Today’s sanctions action draws further attention to the diverse, insidious ways the cartels engage in violent activities and exploit otherwise legitimate commerce,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes.”

“Today’s announcement marks a significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to totally eliminate the United Cartels and bring its leaders to justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This investigation began in a small town in Middle America and led to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Michoacán, Mexico. It involved extraordinary policework by our partners, some of whom came under fire in a brazen shootout – underscoring the dangers law enforcement faces every day. This case demonstrates our relentless pursuit of cartel leaders who flood our communities with illegal drugs and terrorize citizens on both sides of the border with violence.”

“Today, the Department of State is continuing to fulfill one of President Trump’s first promises when he took office — to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are announcing reward offers totaling up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Mexican narcotics traffickers associated with Cárteles Unidos, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”

“Today’s charges reflect the far-reaching impact of transnational criminal networks and the decisive action U.S. law enforcement is taking to dismantle them,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Derek W. Gordon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. “The United Cartels are responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics and profiting through violence, extortion, and corruption. ICE HSI, in close coordination with domestic and international partners, led a years-long investigation that traced the cartel’s footprint from clandestine labs in Michoacán to major U.S. distribution hubs. This case underscores our commitment to holding cartel leaders accountable, wherever they operate and safeguarding public safety on both sides of the border.”

“The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The indictments announced today exemplify the great work that can be achieved when federal, state, and local forces partner together to confront our greatest law enforcement challenges. What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness. We are particularly grateful for our close partnerships with HSI Knoxville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, without which these results would have been impossible.”

According to court documents, the United Cartels is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán, Mexico. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacán-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States. Profits from U.S. drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders.

The United Cartels is among the most prolific methamphetamine producers capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. Its distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City (Mo.), Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. 

Court filings allege that Farias Alvarez serves as the top leader of the United Cartels, directing the importation of cocaine from Colombia via air and maritime routes, personally overseeing large shipments to the United States, and imposing a tax on methamphetamine and fentanyl producers operating in his territory.

Los Reyes Cartel, allegedly led by Fernandez Magallon, is a Michoacán-based cartel that currently operates under the United Cartels umbrella. As alleged, Los Viagras Cartel, led by Sierra Santana, is another Michoacán-based cartel that until recently operated under the United Cartels umbrella. Orozco Cabadas and Barragan Chavez allegedly each lead armed factions of the United Cartels that enforce cartel control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries.

The five defendants allegedly participated in decades-long conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, to be unlawfully imported into the United States. In addition, Farias Alvarez, Fernandez Magallon and Barragan Chavez are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crimes charged in their indictments. If convicted, all five defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison.

The five defendants are still fugitives. The U. S. Department of State announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Farias Alvarez’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Fernandez Magallon’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Sierra Santana’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragan Chavez’s arrest and/or conviction; and a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Orozco Cabadas’s arrest and/or conviction. Also today, the U. S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced economic sanctions against these five defendants, and the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos) and Los Viagras as entities.

HSI Knoxville investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by HSI Mexico City, HSI Denver, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Atlanta, HSI Laredo, HSI Outer Banks, HSI Houston, HSI San Diego, HSI Kansas City, DEA Bogota, HSI Bogota, HSI Las Vegas, HSI The Hague, FBI Kansas City, FBI St. Louis, FBI Sacramento, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and DEA Los Angeles. U. S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia also provided significant assistance in the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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WASHINGTON – Kamanye Williams, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 198 months in federal prison for his role as the gunman in seven inside-job robberies of a Walgreens drug store in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Williams pleaded guilty on March 11 to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery)  and pleaded guilty to two counts of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.

            In addition to the 198-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $7,245.75 in restitution.

            Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Williams, Gianni Robinson, and Walgreen’s store managers Michael Robinson and London Teeter committed the inside-job robberies during a nearly eight-month period.on July 18, 2023, Aug. 2, 2023, Sept. 2, 2023, Nov. 10, 2023, Dec. 4, 2023, Jan. 9, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2024.

            In total, the co-conspirators stole at least $28,983.00 from the Chinatown Walgreens at 7th and H Streets, NW. The robberies stopped Feb. 11, 2024, when Williams was shot in the chest by a Special Police Officer.

            Each robbery followed the same modus operandi. A masked gunman entered the store in the evening as cash was transported, or had already been transported, to the Manager’s Office. The gunman either forced an employee to enter the code to the Manager’s Office or accessed the office themselves by entering the code. The gunman robbed whichever employees were present in the Manager’s Office and fled the store through the rear exit.

            Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance footage and later scrutinized by law enforcement.

            Text messages show the co-conspirators worked to make the robberies look authentic. Gianni Robinson and Williams discussed that Teeter no longer play the role of “victim” unless Williams pretended to assault her. Williams brazenly claimed that he wanted to “go in violently now, I’m tired of this not hitting what we supposed to hit.” Gianni Robinson indicated that his “unc” (Michael Robinson) was prepared to be the victim and be “smack[ed] out” during the robbery.

            Prior to some of the robberies, Michael Robinson provided Williams with insider knowledge, telling him the number of armed security guards that would be present at a given time, which employees had the code to the Manager’s Office, when cash would enter the Manager’s Office, and the best times to perform a robbery.

            On Feb. 11, 2024, at approximately 6:28 p.m., an armed Special Police Officer (SPO) was escorting Michael Robinson to the Manager’s Office while carrying cash from the day. As Michael Robinson was unlocking the Manager’s Office,  Williams came up and held a gun against the SPO and threatened to kill him. Michael Robinson, Williams, and the SPO entered the Manager’s Office and Williams took the SPO’s handgun. After putting the cash in his bag, Williams attempted to leave the Manager’s Office but a second armed SPO arrived and fired once at Williams, striking him in the chest. Williams was then taken to the hospital.

            Williams previously was convicted in 2021 in D.C. Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a license following a car-to-car shootout in Northeast that left two men injured and one of them paralyzed. In that case, Williams was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act to one year of supervised probation.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov.

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