District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Spanish National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End UsersRead the Press Release
Bence Horvath, 47, a Spanish national living in the United Arab Emirates, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license.
Horvath pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30.
According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over the next several months, Horvath continued his efforts to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.
As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But he was not successful, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment, preventing the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Previously Convicted Firearms Felon from Virginia Sentenced to 27 Months for Possession of Two Pistols in the DistrictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Eduardo Hurtado, 25, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in federal prison for being a felon in unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition while on supervised release following a previous federal firearms conviction.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge William McCool of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hurtado, aka “Migo,” pleaded guilty on October 10, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 27-month prison term, Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Hurtado to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on November 6, 2022, about 2:40 a.m., MPD officers responded to the intersection of 1700 Rhode Island Avenue and Saint Matthews Court NW, to assist United States Secret Service officers with a firearm recovery.
The Secret Service officers spotted a black firearm with an extended magazine in plain view, sticking out of the rear pocket of the front passenger seat in a parked and unoccupied Chevrolet Suburban.
About 30 minutes later, officers made contact with the driver of the Suburban. The driver stated that he was a rideshare operator and that the items were left in the SUV by a passenger he knew only as “Migo.” The driver consented to a search of the Suburban. Officers recovered two firearms from the pocket behind the front passenger seat – a Glock 23, .40 caliber pistol loaded with 22-rounds; and a Glock 19 pistol loaded with 17-rounds. Migo was identified as Joshua Hurtado. An FBI forensics DNA test linked the Glock 23 to Hurtado.
At the time of the offense, Hurtado knew he previously had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for possession of two firearms in his apartment in Woodbridge, Virginia.
That previous conviction stemmed from an incident in November 2020. Alexandria Police Department officers found the victim of a homicide inside a vehicle registered to the Hurtado’s father. The decedent’s cellphone contained conversations indicating that Hurtado was involved in narcotics trafficking. On December 8, 2020, the police executed a warrant at an apartment that Hurtado had apparently rented under a stolen identity, in which he resided alone.
Alexandria police seized a pill bottle containing 42 morphine pills; about 1,500 light blue pills that appeared packaged for distribution but were later determined to contain no controlled substances; and two loaded firearms: a loaded Glock 26, 9-mm pistol with an extended magazine; and a loaded Aero Precision X15 AR-type pistol.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jared English with significant assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.
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Former Finance Director of a District Non-Profit Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Robert Lewis, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in an embezzlement scheme that bilked a District non-profit advocacy organization of nearly $320,000.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.
Lewis pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, to one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release, to pay restitution of $318,000, and to reimburse the victim organization’s attorney fees of $53,335.
Lewis was employed by the victim agency between June 2021 and October 2022. According to the statement of facts, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. Lewis was one of three employees at Victim 1 with access to the non-profit’s bank account. It was part of Lewis’s duties to pay bills on behalf of the organization. Lewis was also provided with a VISA card for an account belonging to Victim 1 and was authorized to use the VISA card to incur expenses on behalf of Victim 1 for goods and services related to its operations.
On 32 occasions, Lewis took advantage of his position by accessing Victim 1’s account and causing funds to be transferred to his personal account and for his own personal benefit. Lewis also used the non-profit’s VISA to book and pay for personal travel for himself, his family, and friends.
Lewis was arrested on September 5, 2024.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Armed Robber Gets Seven Years for 7-Eleven RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevon Holston, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for robberies he committed on two separate dates at 7-Eleven stores in Northwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Holston pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, to one count each of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and robbery. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Holston to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately, 11:27 p.m., on November 27, 2024, Holston entered a 7-Eleven store located in the 1600 block of 7th Street, Northwest, and pointed a gun at a store employee and demanded money. The victim complied and gave the defendant $200 in cash. Holston took the money and fled the store.
On December 28, 2024, at approximately 8:05 p.m., Holston entered a different 7-Eleven store located in the 500 block of K Street, Northwest. The defendant brandished a gun and told the victim, “give me all you got.” The victim did not have the PIN to the cash register and called over another employee to assist with opening it. The second victim opened the register and handed $5 in cash to the defendant. Holston took the money and fled the store.
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 Rashmika Nedungadi, who prosecuted the case.
WMATA Train Operators Arrested in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michelle Shropshire, 54, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Harlisha Jones, 49, of Clinton, Maryland, and Washington, DC, were arrested this morning on health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges filed in U.S. District Court.
The arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Michelle Zamarin of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General.
Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearance today in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the indictment, from June 2021 through January 2024, Shropshire and Jones, both Train Operators employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), conspired to use Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist.
Court documents allege that the defendants used the information of real doctors to create fraudulent medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, including forged doctors’ signatures, that were submitted to AFLAC in support of the insurance claims. Then, shortly after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a percentage of the total claim payment. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.
The indictment further alleges that in addition to Jones, Shropshire assisted numerous other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC. As a result of that scheme, AFLAC paid at least $362,035.14 in phony insurance benefits to Shropshire, Jones, and other WMATA employees.
Those employees included Sharon Washington, 53, of Woodbridge, VA, Selethia Blake, 53, of Waldorf, MD, Brady Turner, 56, of Clinton, MD, Lushawn Foreman, 51, of Upper Marlboro, MD, and Margot Jackson, 52, of Hughesville, MD, among others.
Washington, Blake, Turner, Foreman, and Jackson have each admitted to their involvement in Shropshire’s scheme, including paying kickbacks to Shropshire using a portion of the claim payments they received, and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Each is currently awaiting sentencing.
If convicted, Shropshire and Jones each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the charged offenses, with an additional mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the offense of aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These cases are being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Diane Lucas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Prison Term for Unprovoked Attack on a Man at Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashad King, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in Superior Court to eight and a half years in prison for assaulting a man at the Navy Yard Metro station in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
King pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, just before midnight on July 20, 2024, King approached the victim at the Navy Yard Metro Station and, unprovoked, started to punch him until he fell to the ground. The defendant then stomped on the victim’s head over twenty times. As the victim lay unconscious, King took the victim’s bag and fled the scene. An off-duty FBI Special Agent saw the encounter, followed the defendant, and observed him enter a Metro Bus. The agent flagged down an officer and pointed out the defendant.
King was arrested and has been in custody since. At the time he was arrested, the defendant had the victim’s bag, which contained the victim’s license.
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 the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Albi and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds Virginia Man Guilty of Kidnapping, StrangulationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Adam Ahmed, 38, of Chantilly, Virginia, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of kidnapping and strangulation related to an incident that began in Manassas, Virginia, on May 10, 2024, and ended in northeast Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned on June 12th and included two counts of making threats and one count of misdemeanor assault. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 9, 2024, Ahmed was arrested in Virginia on multiple warrants for protective order violations and assault charges against his ex-girlfriend. The next day, on May 10, 2024, the victim got into Ahmed’s car outside her home in Manassas, Virginia, believing that they would sit in her building parking lot and talk about their relationship. Instead, the defendant took off, driving erratically. Ahmed told the victim that they were both “going to die tonight,” and that if she was going to charge him with abduction, he was going to do it. The defendant drove onto I-66 and took the victim into the District, where he repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her.
After several hours of terrorizing the victim, Ahmed told her that he was going to drive her somewhere no one would find her. When he stopped the car, he climbed over her and strangled her with both hands until she couldn’t breathe. While strangling her, he bit her, putting his whole mouth over hers. He started driving again, eventually stopping at a Shell gas station on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. At one point, Ahmed walked away from the car, and the victim tried to escape. Surveillance footage shows the defendant rushing at the victim, picking her up, and struggling with her to force her back in the car. A passerby on the street saw the defendant hitting the victim and turned into the gas station parking lot, rescuing the victim and calling 911.
During the course of trial two expert witnesses spoke about the unique dangers inherit in strangulation, and violence in intimate partner violence relationships, respectively. Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence, as a major strangulation study in San Diego, found surviving domestic violence “victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section has charged over 110 acts of felony strangulation since the D.C. Council created it as a criminal offense under D.C. Code 22-404.04, which went into effect in July of 2023.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives at the Metropolitan Police Department. They also credited Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trisha Jhunjhnuwala and Amanda Swanson, of the Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence section for successfully prosecuting the case.
Arrest Made in D.C. Jail HomicideRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquise Jones, 26, of the District of Columbia, was arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder while armed with a knife, for the jailhouse death of 29-year-old Carlos Shelley on May 12, 2025. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones was presented today before Superior Court Judge Robert Hildum, who ordered Jones held without bond until a July 2, 2025 preliminary hearing before Judge Todd Edelman.
On Monday, May 12, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m., First District officers responded to the Central Detention Facility in the 1900 block of D Street, Southeast, for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male, unconscious and not breathing, suffering from life-threatening stab wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced deceased.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly K. Smith.
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.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 69 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jovan James, 45, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced yesterday to 69 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition on November 25, 2024.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, , Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
James pleaded guilty on March 5, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered James to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Nov. 25, 2024, at about 4:55 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling the 5000 block of H Street SE, when they noticed James smoking marijuana in a public space. Officers placed James under arrest. During a search incident to arrest, officers recovered a loaded black Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number from James’s waistband. The handgun was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition.
James was previously convicted of first degree murder while armed in February 1998 in the District of Columbia and sentenced to a 30-year prison term. James was resentenced in August 2019 to a 22-year prison term and placed on supervised probation for five years under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA).
This case was investigated by the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabena Auyeung.
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Man Arrested for Murder of Woman Whose Body was Found in Trash DumpsterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Dyson, 58, of the District of Columbia, was arrested yesterday on charges of second-degree murder while armed, for the murder of 62-year-old Donnella Bryan on or about April 15, 2025. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Dyson was arraigned today before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum, where he entered a plea of not guilty. Judge Hildum found probable cause for second degree murder and ordered Dyson held without bond until his preliminary hearing on June 18, 2025 before Judge Michael Ryan.
On April 19, 2025, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Fifth District officers responded to the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue, Northeast, for the report of an unconscious person. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim inside a dumpster. The victim was identified as Donella Bryan of the District of Columbia. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced deceased.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Cocuzza.
Charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mother Found Guilty of Felony Murder of Her 16-Month-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Faneisha Scott, 39, of Washington, D.C. was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today of felony murder for the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Scott was found guilty on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children (willful maltreatment) and second-degree cruelty to children. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on March 21, 2017, Scott’s friend, who is the child’s godmother, went over to the defendant’s home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE. While there, the friend’s eight-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm. The defendant then found Rhythm in her playpen, unresponsive, and cold. The defendant went out and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and followed the defendant back to the apartment and observed Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child’s body was cold, her body was stiff, and her eyes were fixed. While on the phone with 911, the mail carrier followed the operator’s instructions when two other individuals entered the residence to administer CPR – one was an experienced former firefighter and knew that the child was dead immediately upon seeing her. First responders were surprised to learn that the defendant claimed to have no contact with the child since 9:00 a.m. that morning. The child was pronounced dead.
On March 22, 2017, the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Rhythm’s remains and ruled on February 5, 2018 that the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The blunt force injuries included: (1) contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities; (2) subdural hemorrhage; (3) cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia; (4) retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage; and (5) 23 bilateral rib fractures (there was evidence of both healing and new rib fractures).
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli.
District Man Indicted for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zachary Silas Brandner, 28, of the District of Columbia, was charged by indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, with allegedly distributing multiple videos of child pornography to an undercover police officer. Last week, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui ordered Brandner held without bond.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro of the District of Columbia, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the affidavit, on April 1, 2025, Brandner interacted with another individual on multiple online messaging platforms. During the course of that conversation, Brandner distributed videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of an infant. Law enforcement agents also obtained evidence indicating that Brandner was interacting with at least one other individual about his interest in child sexual abuse material.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to February 2025 Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Parren Hawkins, 33, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a carjacking that occurred on February 2, 2025. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:47 a.m. on February 2, 2025, police officers responded to the 300 block of 15th Street, NE, where they found the victim. The victim reported that Hawkins approached him while he was in his vehicle, pointed a handgun at him, and ordered him out. The victim complied. Hawkins then demanded money, taking the victim’s wallet and cell phone before entering the victim’s vehicle and fleeing northbound on the 400 block of 15th Street, NE. The victim flagged down a passerby and called 911.
While police were interviewing the victim, Prince George’s County Police observed the stolen vehicle in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Officers pursued the vehicle until Hawkins ultimately crashed into a curb at the intersection of Bonini Road, SE, and Barnaby Road, SE, in Washington, D.C. Hawkins, the sole occupant, fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by police. Officers recovered a handgun from Hawkins’s pocket, along with the victim’s wallet and phone.
Hawkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, before the Honorable Judge Robert Salerno.
The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniqua Butler is prosecuting the case.
Beating at Ogden Market in March 2021 Leads to Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on June 6, 2025, by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a 4-day trial. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2025.
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 and then showed the defendant 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. Mr. Gomez died at the scene from his head and neck injuries.
Although there were no witnesses to the homicide and no witnesses to identify the defendant from the Ogden Market video, MPD and Metro Transit Police tracked the defendant through a series of CCTVs along the 14th Street corridor and through the metro transit system. These efforts ultimately led MPD to a witness that could identify the defendant in a metro rail car video and to other corroborating identification evidence to build the case.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Metro Transit Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly.
Two D.C. Men Plead Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in 2021 KillingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darius Robertson, 32, and Antonio Hensley, 33, both of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to voluntary manslaughter charges in connection with the October 2021 killing of Andre Robertson.
The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman scheduled sentencing hearings for both men for September 19, 2025.
According to court documents, on October 1, 2021, near the intersection of 53rd Street NE and Clay Terrace NE, Darius Robertson struck the victim in the face and head, initiating a physical altercation. The two men fell to the ground and continued fighting until they were separated by bystanders.
While the men were separated, Antonio Hensley approached the victim and struck him in the head and neck area, causing him to fall to the ground and remain motionless. Both defendants then stood over the victim as Darius Robertson continued to strike him repeatedly in the head.
The assault by Robertson and Hensley ultimately caused the victim’s death, according to court documents.
Robertson was arrested on December 17, 2021, and Hensley on February 23, 2022. Both men have remained in custody since their arrests.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and handled by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kimak and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.
Man Sentenced for Series of Armed Robberies Targeting Construction Workers in Trinidad NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Franco Rawlings Jr., 24, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., between May and June 2023. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rawlings pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The prison term was announced today by Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. Following his term of incarceration, Rawlings will serve a period of three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Rawlings conspired with a co-conspirator to identify residential construction sites in the Trinidad neighborhood staffed by Hispanic workers—whom Rawlings and his co-conspirator referred to as “Migos” through text communication—to rob those workers at gunpoint.
On April 18, 2023, a victim working as a welder at a home in the 1400 block of Montello Avenue, NE, was approached in an alleyway by Rawlings, who pointed a gun at him and demanded money. Rawlings took the victim’s wallet, which contained $700 in cash.
On May 30, 2023, two victims were installing a deck at a home in the 1300 block of Montello Avenue, NE, when Rawlings and his co-conspirator entered through a rear gate. The armed men forced the victims into the basement, then to the ground at gunpoint. Once inside, the victims were robbed at gunpoint.
On June 27, 2023, three workers remodeling a home in the 1100 block of Owen Place, NE, were confronted by Rawlings and his co-conspirator. Rawlings pointed a firearm at the victims, ordered them to raise their hands, and, with his co-conspirator, stole U.S. currency before fleeing.
On June 28, 2023, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Rawlings’ residence in the Trinidad neighborhood and recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun, along with clothing matching the clothing depicted in surveillance footage from various robberies. Rawlings was arrested the same day and has remained in custody since.
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 commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Wes Faulkner, who prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Viciously Assaulting a Man Inside His HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jaime Robles-Vasquez, 33, of Riverdale, MD was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury for assaulting a man in his home in October 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Robles-Vasquez was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed and related charges, following a five-day trial. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:30 a.m., on October 9, 2019, Robles-Vasquez went to the victim’s home in the 600 block of 4th Place, SW, grabbed a shovel from outside, and proceeded to smash the double pane glass door of the victim’s home. Once inside of the victim’s home, the defendant repeatedly struck the victim on his head and body with the shovel and bit the victim’s thumb. This interaction was all captured on a 911 call the victim made when he first saw the defendant in his backyard in the middle of the night. As a result of being struck on the head with a shovel, the victim sustained multiple injuries, including bleeding in his brain, which required emergency surgery to evacuate the blood. The victim’s wife was also home during this incident, and upon hearing the glass door of her home breaking, she locked herself in the bathroom and called 911.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katerina Qesari and Negar Kordestani.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Machine Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashaw Henry, 30, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in Superior Court for being in possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Henry was found guilty at trial, on January 24, 2025, of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a machine gun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel sentenced Henry to 60 months of incarceration; however, all but 24 months of the time was suspended on the condition that Henry successfully complete two years of supervised probation.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, on March 21, 2024, MPD officers were monitoring the unit block of M Street NE, when an officer observed Henry in possession of approximately one pound of marijuana. When officers arrested Henry, they recovered a Glock 23 handgun from his waistband. The Glock was equipped with a conversion switch that turned the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun. The Glock was loaded with 18 rounds in a 22-round capacity magazine and one round in the chamber.
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 Anne Cotter and William Gandy, who prosecuted the case.
Arrest Made in Indictment Charging Three Individuals with Felony Murder and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Avery Taylor, 20, of Washington, D.C., was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on a bench warrant yesterday that was issued after the grand jury returned an indictment in May 2025, charging him with first degree murder while armed, armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Marshal Anthony Dixon and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Taylor was arraigned today before Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt who ordered Taylor held without bond until a July 1, 2025 detention hearing.
On August 16, 2024, Rayon Davis Jr., 18, and Quintin Reed, 18 were also arrested and charged in connection in the incident. They are also being held without bond. An indictment, returned on May 7, 2025, charges all three men.
According to the court documents, defendants are members of a 7D crew located in the Woodland Terrance neighborhood that calls itself “On the Clock Gang” or “OCG.” On December 20, 2023, inside of a stairwell located at 2921 Knox Place SE, the three defendants shot Dwayne Barbour, 39, while they were robbing him of an authentic Rolex 36mm Datejust Gold/Stainless Steel watch, containing 15 carats in diamonds. Mr. Barbour had legally purchased the watch from a jewelry store for approximately $10,000. Mr. Barbour died eleven days later, on December 31, 2023.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger and John Parron.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prison Sentence for Man Who Robbed a Woman Near Her JobRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donovan Adams, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 90 months in prison today for robbing a woman in an alleyway in Southeast Washington D.C, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Adams pleaded guilty to armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, on April 3, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, the Honorable Jennifer DiToro sentenced the defendant to 7.5 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on the morning of September 27, 2024, the victim drove her car and parked it in an alleyway adjacent to the restaurant where she worked in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. As the victim was exiting her car, she noticed a black sedan drive past her. The victim began walking down the alley toward her workplace. A few moments later, the same black sedan began following the victim down the alley, before pulling up beside the victim. The defendant exited the driver’s seat of the black sedan and pointed a firearm at the victim, demanding her belongings. The defendant took the victim’s purse, cell phone, and car key. The defendant returned to his black sedan and sped off. The victim ran into her workplace and called 911. About five minutes later, the defendant returned to the alleyway and drove off in the victim’s car. When she returned outside about ten minutes after the robbery, she discovered that her car was gone. About an hour later, Officers arrested the defendant, who had fled from police in his black sedan. Officers recovered from the defendant a beige BB gun, the victim’s car key, and three credit cards belonging to the victim.
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 acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.
Plot to Molest a Young Girl Leads to 135 Months in Prison for a Virginia WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eleanor Hunton Hoppe, 46, of Charlottesville, Va., was sentenced to 135 months in prison today for distributing child pornography in a plot to molest an eight-year-old girl.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro of the District of Columbia, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Emily Odom of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hoppe pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on April 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. The terms of Hoppe’s plea agreement call for her to serve 135 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In addition, she will have to register as a sex offender for a minimum period of 25 years.
According to court documents, in late February 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer encountered Hoppe on a social media site where individuals discuss their sexual interest in children and exchange child sexual abuse material. Hoppe distributed images of child pornography to the undercover officer and repeatedly expressed an interest in sexually abusing his purported 8-year-old daughter.
On March 16, 2023, Hoppe arranged to have the undercover officer bring his daughter from D.C. to a motel in Warrenton, Va., where she would meet them to sexually abuse the child. Police arrested Hoppe when she arrived at the hotel.
This case was investigated by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Rachel Forman.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute PCPRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Norman Morris, 44, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty by a federal jury on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP).
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sentencing for Morris, aka “Fibble,” is pending and will be set at a later date.
According to court documents and testimony at trial before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, the DEA and the FBI began conducting a criminal investigation in September 2023 of local PCP and fentanyl distributors, a group that included Morris and co-defendants Lamont M. Langston, Kelvin Sanker, and Jamar Bennett.
Morris conducted apparent drug transactions outside of his residence on the 200 block of 58th Street NE. The transactions were monitored by law enforcement from November 2023 to March 2024. During this same period, Bennett and Langston were observed meeting at Morris’s residence to exchange suspected narcotics and cash.
During the investigation, Bennett sold more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers over the course of nine transactions. The PCP was supplied by Langston and was stored and prepared by Sanker at Sanker’s home. Morris also retrieved 32 ounces of PCP from Sanker at the request of Langston after Langston was arrested with PCP and two firearms. Sixteen ounces of the PCP retrieved by Morris was sold to an undercover officer by Bennett.
Bennett, 45, of the District, pleaded guilty Apr. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to 121 months in prison.
Sanker, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and was sentencing to 65 months in prison.
Langston, 44, of the District, pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. Langston’s sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2025.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the the FBI’s Washington Field Office, DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Division, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Michael Asmutis.
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Department Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against over $7.74M Laundered on Behalf of the North Korean GovernmentRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that North Korean information technology (IT) workers obtained illegal employment and amassed millions in cryptocurrency for the benefit of the North Korean government, all as a means of evading U.S. sanctions placed on North Korea. The funds were initially restrained in connection with an April 2023 indictment against Sim Hyon Sop (Sim), a North Korean Foreign Trade Bank (FTB) representative who was allegedly conspiring with the IT workers. While the North Koreans were attempting to launder those ill-gotten gains, the U.S. government was able to freeze and seize over $7.74 million tied to the scheme.
“This forfeiture action highlights, once again, the North Korean government’s exploitation of the cryptocurrency ecosystem to fund its illicit priorities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department will use every legal tool at its disposal to safeguard the cryptocurrency ecosystem and deny North Korea its ill-gotten gains in violation of U.S. sanctions.”
“For years, North Korea has exploited global remote IT contracting and cryptocurrency ecosystems to evade U.S. sanctions and bankroll its weapons programs,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s multimillion-dollar forfeiture action reflects the Department’s strategic focus on disrupting these illicit revenue schemes. We will continue to use every legal tool available to cut off the financial lifelines that sustain the DPRK and its destabilizing agenda.”
“Crime may pay in other countries but that’s not how it works here,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Any adversary who thinks they can benefit, financially, from executing a criminal scheme – whether directly or through the use of surrogates – had better rethink this ‘get rich quick’ strategy. It doesn’t work for the average citizen, and it certainly does not have a more positive outcome for foreign entities. Sanctions are in place against North Korea for a reason, and we will diligently investigate and prosecute anyone who tries to evade them. We will halt your progress, strike back, and take hold of any proceeds you obtained illegally.”
“The FBI’s investigation has revealed a massive campaign by North Korean IT workers to defraud U.S. businesses by obtaining employment using the stolen identities of American citizens, all so the North Korean government can evade U.S. sanctions and generate revenue for its authoritarian regime,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “Today’s action shows the FBI will do everything in our power to protect Americans from being victimized by the North Korean government, and we ask all U.S. companies that employ remote workers to remain vigilant to this new and sophisticated threat.”
According to the complaint, the North Korean government uses illegally obtained cryptocurrency as a means of generating revenue for its priorities. This illegally obtained cryptocurrency is allegedly generated, in part, through remote work done by North Korean IT workers deployed around the globe, including in the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation (Russia). Those IT workers have generated revenue for North Korea via their jobs at, among other places, blockchain development companies. To obtain employment, these North Korean IT workers allegedly bypassed security and due diligence checks using fraudulent (or fraudulently obtained) identification documents and other obfuscation strategies. These tactics hid the North Koreans’ true location and identities, causing unwitting employers to hire them and pay them a salary, often in stablecoins, such as USDC and USDT.
To send their illegally obtained cryptocurrency back to North Korea, the IT workers allegedly transferred the cryptocurrency using money laundering techniques. These techniques included: (1) setting up accounts with fictitious identities; (2) moving funds in a series of small amounts; (3) moving funds to other blockchains or converting funds to other forms of virtual currency (i.e., “chain hopping” and “token swapping,” respectively); (4) purchasing non-fungible tokens as a store of value and means of hiding illicit funds; (5) using U.S.-based online accounts to legitimize activity; and (6) commingling their fraud proceeds to hide the origin of the funds. After laundering these funds, the North Korean IT workers allegedly sent them back to the North Korean government, at times via Sim and Kim Sang Man (Kim). Kim is a North Korean national who is the chief executive officer of “Chinyong,” also known as “Jinyong IT Cooperation Company.” Chinyong is subordinate to North Korea’s Ministry of Defense (formerly known as the Ministry of the Peoples’ Armed Forces), which the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added to its list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) on June 1, 2017.
Chinyong employs delegations of North Korean IT workers that operate in, among other countries, Russia and Laos. Kim allegedly acts as an intermediary between the North Korean IT workers and North Korea’s FTB by sending funds from the North Korean IT workers to Sim.
On April 24, 2023, OFAC added Sim to its SDN list. On May 23, 2023, OFAC added Chinyong and Kim to its SDN list.
Today’s forfeiture action follows the Department’s announcement of two federal indictments charging Sim for allegedly conspiring (1) with North Korean IT workers to generate revenue through illegal employment at companies in the United States and abroad; and (2) with over-the-counter cryptocurrency traders to use stolen funds to buy goods for North Korea. The forfeiture action also follows on successful actions to disrupt North Korean revenue generation taken by the Department in May 2024, August 2024, December 2024, and January 2025. Those actions, which are part of the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, targeted U.S. persons facilitating remote IT work and their North Korean co-conspirators.
The FBI Chicago Field Office and FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the cases associated with this complaint.
Senior Counsel Jessica Peck of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Rick Blaylock for the District of Columbia are handling the prosecutions and forfeiture action. Significant assistance was provided by former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Chris Wong.
The FBI, in conjunction with the State and Treasury Departments, issued a May 2022 advisory to alert the international community, private sector, and public about the North Korea IT worker threat. Updated guidance was issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and in May 2024 by the FBI, which include indicators consistent with the North Korea IT worker fraud and the use of U.S.-based laptop farms. In January 2025, the FBI issued additional guidance regarding extortion and theft of sensitive company data by North Korean IT workers, along with recommended mitigations.
Department Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against More Than $7.74 Million Laundered on Behalf of the North Korean GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that North Korean information technology (“IT”) workers obtained illegal employment and amassed millions in cryptocurrency for the benefit of the North Korean government, all as a means of evading U.S. sanctions placed on North Korea. The funds were initially restrained in connection with an April 2023 indictment against Sim Hyon Sop (“SIM”), a North Korean Foreign Trade Bank (FTB) representative, who was conspiring with the IT workers. While the North Koreans were attempting to launder those ill-gotten gains, the U.S. government was able to freeze and seize over $7.74 million tied to the scheme.
Today’s action was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Sue J. Bai Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the Chicago Field Office.
“Crime may pay in other countries but that’s not how it works here,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Any adversary who thinks they can benefit, financially, from executing a criminal scheme – whether directly or through the use of surrogates – had better rethink this ‘get rich quick’ strategy. It doesn’t work for the average citizen, and it certainly does not have a more positive outcome for foreign entities. Sanctions are in place against North Korea for a reason, and we will diligently investigate and prosecute anyone who tries to evade them. We will halt your progress, strike back, and take hold of any proceeds you obtained illegally.”
“This forfeiture action highlights, once again, the North Korean government’s exploitation of the cryptocurrency ecosystem to fund its illicit priorities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department will use every legal tool at its disposal to safeguard the cryptocurrency ecosystem and deny North Korea its ill-gotten gains in violation of U.S. sanctions.”
“For years, North Korea has exploited global remote IT contracting and cryptocurrency ecosystems to evade U.S. sanctions and bankroll its weapons programs,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s multimillion-dollar forfeiture action reflects the Department’s strategic focus on disrupting these illicit revenue schemes. We will continue to use every legal tool available to cut off the financial lifelines that sustain the DPRK and its destabilizing agenda.”
“Attacks from foreign adversaries, to include the alleged theft of cryptocurrency, remains a top national security concern for the FBI and we will continue to defend the homeland by identifying and eliminating any illegal actions by North Korea that are in violation of vital sanctions laws,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge DePodesta. “Despite manipulative laundering techniques, this stands as one of the FBI’s first instances in which funds were successfully seized from North Korean IT workers before they could be used to undermine our nation’s safety. The FBI is committed to working with law enforcement networks around the world and committed prosecutorial partners to ensure that anyone who seeks to steal from or endanger the United States is brought to full justice.”
According to the complaint, the North Korean government uses illegally obtained cryptocurrency as a means of generating revenue for its priorities. This illegally obtained cryptocurrency is generated, in part, through remote work done by North Korean IT workers deployed around the globe, including in the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation (Russia). Those IT workers have generated revenue for North Korea via their jobs at, among other places, blockchain development companies. To effectuate the scheme, these North Korean IT workers bypassed security and due diligence checks using fraudulent (or fraudulently obtained) identification documents and other obfuscation strategies. These tactics hid the North Koreans’ true location and identities, causing unwitting employers to hire these IT workers and often pay them in stablecoins, such as USDC and USDT.
To send their illegally obtained cryptocurrency back to North Korea, the IT workers transferred the cryptocurrency using money laundering techniques. These techniques included: (1) setting up accounts with fictitious identities; (2) moving funds in a series of small amounts; (3) moving funds to other blockchains or converting funds to other forms of virtual currency (i.e., “chain hopping” and “token swapping,” respectively); (4) purchasing non-fungible tokens as a store of value and means of hiding illicit funds; (5) using U.S.-based online accounts to legitimize activity; and (6) commingling their fraud proceeds to hide the origin of the funds. After laundering these funds, the North Korean IT workers sent them back to the North Korean government, at times via SIM and Kim Sang Man (“KIM”). SIM is a North Korean official employed by North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank (FTB). KIM is a North Korean national who is the chief executive officer of “Chinyong,” also known as “Jinyong IT Cooperation Company.” Chinyong is subordinate to North Korea’s Ministry of Defense (formerly known as the Ministry of the Peoples’ Armed Forces), which the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added to its list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) on June 1, 2017.
Chinyong employs delegations of North Korean IT workers that operate in, among other countries, Russia and Laos. KIM acts as an intermediary between the North Korean IT workers and North Korea’s FTB by sending funds from the North Korean IT workers to SIM.
On April 24, 2023, OFAC added SIM to its SDN list. On May 23, 2023, OFAC added Chinyong and KIM to its SDN list.
Today’s forfeiture action follows the Department’s announcement of two federal indictments charging SIM for allegedly conspiring (1) with North Korean IT workers to generate revenue through illegal employment at companies in the United States and abroad; and (2) with over-the-counter cryptocurrency traders to use stolen funds to buy goods for North Korea. The forfeiture action also follows on successful actions to disrupt North Korean revenue generation taken by the Department in May 2024, August 2024, December 2024, and January 2025. Those actions, launched by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, targeted U.S. persons facilitating remote IT work and their North Korean co-conspirators.
The FBI Chicago Field Office and FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit (VAU) are investigating the cases associated with this complaint.
Senior Counsel Jessica Peck of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Rick Blaylock are handling the prosecutions and forfeiture action. Significant assistance was provided by former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Chris Wong.
The FBI, in conjunction with the State and Treasury Departments, issued a May 2022 advisory to alert the international community, private sector, and public about the North Korea IT worker threat. Updated guidance was issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and in May 2024 by the FBI, which include indicators consistent with the North Korea IT worker fraud and the use of U.S.-based laptop farms. In January 2025, the FBI issued additional guidance regarding extortion and theft of sensitive company data by North Korean IT workers, along with recommended mitigations.
Convicted Killer Sentenced for Possession of Loaded Gun and Cocaine While Still on ProbationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jayvon Gattison, 24, a previously convicted killer and resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 40 months in prison for being in possession of a loaded gun and a bag full of marijuana and cocaine when he was arrested by police for smoking a joint while still on probation.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gattison pleaded guilty Jan. 15, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Gattison to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Gattison shot and killed man who tried to rob him during a drug transaction. On October 9, 2024, just three months after he was released from prison in that case and while he was still on probation, Gattison was arrested with the loaded firearm and bag full of drugs.
About 7 p.m on Oct. 9, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit were patrolling on the 3000 block of Channing Street NE, when they observed a group of five individuals smoking next to a silver Lexus. As the investigators approached the group, which included Gattison, the officers recognized the smell of burning marijuana. All the individuals were detained.
An officer took the marijuana cigarette from Gattison’s hand, removed a bag from Gattison’s shoulder, and arrested Gattison for public consumption of marijuana. The joint field-tested positive for THC. Another officer looked into the open top of Gattison’s bag with a flashlight and saw a large bag of suspected marijuana and a loaded black Glock 17 9mm pistol.
Also in the bag was a clear plastic bag containing 12 grams of a white rock substance which field tested positive for cocaine base, a black digital scale, and $320.80 in cash.
Gattison has a prior criminal felony conviction. On December 5, 2019, he was sentenced to a 10-year term, four years suspended, followed by three years of probation for voluntary manslaughter in Prince Georges County, Maryland.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan McFadden and was previously prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Mirabelli.
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An an image captured on a body-worn camera, an MPD officer reaches to take a marijuana cigarette from the hand of Jayvon Gattison on Oct. 9, 2024. Gattison subsequently was found to be in possession of a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol, additional cannabis, and crack cocaine.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Traffic Stop in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trevon Timothy Vines, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm following his arrest on March 15, 2025, in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, on March 15, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the vicinity of 1820 7th Street NW after observing a traffic infraction. It is alleged that during the course of the stop, officers observed several open containers of alcohol and requested that all occupants exit the vehicle.
Court documents say that Vines was seated in the front passenger seat and holding a cup consistent with the others observed. As officers attempted to place Vines in handcuffs, they felt what they immediately recognized to be a handgun on his person in a front left jacket pocket. Officers eventually recovered the firearm and discovered that it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.
An investigation revealed that Vines is a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions. At the time of the incident, Vines was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal and D.C. law. He did not have a license to carry or own a firearm in the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Baltimore Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
This case is part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful, an executive order 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.
Armed Robber Sentenced for Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Crocker, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for a series of robberies near Anacostia Park in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Crocker pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, in Superior Court to two counts of armed robbery, stemming from two robberies that took place on December 18, 2023. Crocker also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a silver and black pistol on November 10, 2023. Following his term of incarceration, Crocker was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Crocker will be required to register as a gun offender.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant robbed two individuals at gunpoint on December 18, 2023, in the vicinity of Anacostia Park. In the first offense, the defendant robbed an individual at gunpoint in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE. Crocker brandished a black and silver pistol and took the victim’s phone, keys, and wallet before demanding the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards.
Later the same day, the defendant robbed a different individual on the Anacostia Railroad Bridge. Crocker brandished the same silver and black pistol and took the victim’s bicycle, cell phone, keys, and wallet. The defendant again demanded the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards. United States Park Police officers stopped and arrested Crocker moments later. They recovered the proceeds of the robbery and the silver and black pistol from the defendant.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt, who prosecuted the case.
Wawa Assault in January 2022 Leads to Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Edwards, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday for assaulting and pointing a gun at two individuals in a Wawa convenience store in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Edwards was found guilty by a jury on January 2, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and other related offenses. The Honorable Errol Arthur sentenced the defendant on June 2, 2025, to the prison term. Following his term of imprisonment, the defendant will serve a period of three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours on January 22, 2022, Edwards got into an argument with another man near the Wawa. That man ran into the store to escape Edwards, but Edwards followed him and again confronted him. A Special Police Officer (SPO) working at Wawa escorted Edwards out of the store. Minutes later, Edwards went back to the store and again chased the man around the store, and then pulled out a loaded handgun and pointed it at both that man and the Wawa’s cashier who was standing in front of him. Edwards eventually left the store, and threatened the SPO, who was on the phone with 911.
Edwards was arrested on a warrant on August 17, 2022, and has been in custody since.
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 acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun and Benjamin Helfand, who prosecuted the case.
U.S. Citizen Who Trained and Fought for ISIS Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Lirim Sylejmani, 49, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 10 years in prison in connection with undergoing military training with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and then engaging in at least one battle with U.S.-led coalition forces.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division Sue Bai, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division.
Sylejmani, aka Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024, to receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Sylejmani to serve a lifetime of supervised release.
“This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again. We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens.”
"Sylejmani turned his back on the U.S. when he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State," said the FBI's Rae. "He trained with other ISIS recruits and even fought in a battle on the group's behalf. Together with our Defense Department and international partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who choose foreign terrorist organizations over the land of the free."
According to court documents, from November 2015 through February 2019, Sylejmani received military training from ISIS in Syria. Sylejmani was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2019 and spoke to a number of media outlets about his time with ISIS.
In November 2015, Sylejmani, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Kosovo, traveled to Syria with his family to join ISIS. After entering Syria, Sylejmani completed his ISIS intake process. He adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi and trained to be a soldier with other ISIS recruits. Sylejmani’ s military training included instruction on how to assemble and fire an AK-47 rifle, as well as how to use a PK Machine gun, M-16 rifle and grenades.
Upon completion of the 21-day military training, ISIS assigned Sylejmani to a battalion in Mosul, Iraq, and issued him an AK-47, four AK-47 magazines, a belt to hold the magazines and two grenades. Sylejmani pledged “bayat” (allegiance) to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, and to the ISIS organization, in front of an Iraqi ISIS member. In May 2016, the defendant reported for ribat (guard) duty on the front line of the Manbij offensive. The defendant brought his gun belt, AK-47 and magazines to his ribat assignment. During a battle with Coalition Forces he was hit with shrapnel in his legs. After receiving these injuries, he eventually was reassigned to a new battalion in the fall of 2017. Sylejmani also received payments from ISIS for his services. Between November 2017 and February 2019, Sylejmani moved his family southeast to Baghouz, Syria, as the territorial Caliphate of ISIS collapsed.
On February 27, 2019, Sylejmani and his family were captured by Coalition Forces. Sylejmani was jailed by the SDF in Syria at the Dashisha prison. He was transferred to United States law enforcement personnel on September 15, 2020, to face criminal charges in the District of Columbia.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S Attorney Brenda J. Johnson, Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Kimberly Paschall of the National Security Section, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Two Cousins Sentenced to Prison for the 2021 Mayfair Mansions MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Glover, 33, and Ronnie Wallace, 52, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced for the January 2021 shooting and murder of Tyrone Wright, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Jason Park sentenced Glover to 21 years in prison and Wallace to 45 years in prison, with five years of supervised release. The sentencings occurred on May 2, 2025.
A jury found both men guilty on February 10, 2025. Wallace was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for Wright’s murder, plus one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for shooting a second victim, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Glover was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 19, 2021, in a parking lot in front of 3804 Hayes Street NE within the Mayfair Mansions Apartment complex Wallace shot the decedent, Tyrone Wright on belief that Mr. Wright was one of the persons responsible for the murder of his brother, Marcus. In the process, a bystander was shot a single time in the leg. Within moments of Wallace’s initial shots, his cousin and co-defendant Deangelo Glover ran out of an adjacent building and shot Mr. Wright repeatedly, killing him.
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 commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Covert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado, who prosecuted the case.
Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and a Former U.S. PresidentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Szabo, aka “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats and false information regarding explosives. Sentencing is scheduled for October 23.
“This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”
“This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”
“This plea agreement is a testament to the extraordinary investigative work, tenacity, and global reach of the U.S. Secret Service and our partners,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “This perpetrator hid behind a computer screen on the other side of the world believing he could commit these crimes with impunity. It was a gross miscalculation to underestimate our determination in pursuing and bringing to justice those who would commit these crimes, wherever they may be.”
“This individual’s actions put innocent people, including government officials, at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The U.S. Secret Service and our domestic and international partners worked tirelessly to ensure that this individual was identified and brought to justice.”
“Swatting is not just a prank, it is a serious violation of the law,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen of the Washington Field Office. “Today's guilty plea makes clear those engaged in these actions will face justice.”
"Swatting is a serious crime that wastes public resources, threatens individuals and communities, and jeopardizes law enforcement personnel," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "This guilty plea is the result of significant efforts by the FBI and our law enforcement partners at home and abroad. Together, we will continue to ensure that there is no anonymity for offenders who use law enforcement to target public figures, institutions, and individuals."
According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.
As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.
Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January of 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media. During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests.
Assistance was provided by National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office, the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York, as well as the Romanian authorities whose assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
24cr386
Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and Former U.S. PresidentRead the Press Release
Thomasz Szabo, also known as Plank, Jonah, and Cypher, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.
“This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”
“Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.”
“This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”
According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.
As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.
Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media.
During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of threats involving explosives, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office; the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities’ assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
PCP Dealer Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Dawson, 47, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in federal prison for repeatedly distributing large quantities of liquid PCP and fentanyl to confidential informants and undercover officers in broad daylight on a busy city street in the Anacostia neighborhood.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Dawson pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2025, to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of distribution of 100 grams or more of a liquid mixture containing PCP.
According to court documents, on seven occasions between June 2024 and November 2024, Dawson distributed mixtures containing liquid PCP or fentanyl to confidential informants or an undercover officer near the intersection of 16th Street SE and Marion Barry Avenue SE.
On June 27, 2024, Dawson sold 102 grams of liquid PCP in exchange for $800, and $100 worth of powdered fentanyl, to a confidential informant. Dawson made similar and larger sales to confidential informants and undercover officers on six other dates through November 2024, including the sale of 97 fentanyl pills. The transactions were recorded by law enforcement.
On Dec.13, 2024, law enforcement arrested Dawson at his residence in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and executed a federal search warrant at the location. Inside Dawson’s bedroom, agents found additional liquid PCP and PCP paraphernalia, and a loaded large-capacity firearm magazine. Dawson is prohibited under federal law from owning ammunition.
This case was jointly investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren R. Randell.
24cr559
District Man Indicted on First-Degree Murder for 2024 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Morris Stokes, 70, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on the charge of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), stemming from the August 6, 2024, slaying of Maurice Rowe, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stokes was indicted by the grand jury on the sole charge of first-degree murder on May 14, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 4:00 a.m., on August 6, 2024, Stokes approached Mr. Rowe while armed with a metal pole and knocked him to the ground. The defendant continued to hit Mr. Rowe multiple times in the head and body. Mr. Rowe was rushed to the hospital, where medical staff concluded that he sustained six large lacerations to his head, fractures in both legs, a facial fracture and a brain bleed. Mr. Rowe passed away as a result of his injuries on October 14, 2024. The Office the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Mr. Rowe’s death was a homicide, caused by complications from blunt force injuries. The murder weapon and the clothing worn by the defendant during the assault were recovered from the defendant’s apartment by MPD Officers during a search warrant.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Devonne Keith Brown, 56, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned today on a federal child pornography charge, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
According to the FBI, Brown was employed at a school in Northeast Washington, D.C. and may have also been involved with a local youth track club.
Brown is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. He made an appearance today in U.S. District Court and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 4, 2025.
According to court documents, Brown is alleged to have solicited the production of child sexual abuse material from a minor in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
brown_complaint_signed.pdfStolen Identity, Bank Fraud, and Armed Drug Distribution Net Defendant 60 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Lorenzo Lewis, 28, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison after being found guilty of defrauding banks by doctoring and depositing stolen checks, distributing marijuana, and illegally possessing a firearm.
At the time of his arrest, Lewis was using a stolen identity to rent an apartment in the Kalorama neighborhood, paying for it with funds from a stolen checking account, and using the apartment to distribute marijuana and operate his fraud scheme, all while armed with a semi-automatic assault pistol modeled after an AK47.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia.
Lewis was found guilty by a federal jury on Feb. 28, 2025, of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on October 3, 2023, Deputy United States Marshals and FBI agents executed an arrest warrant for Lewis at an apartment building on the 2400 block of 17th Street NW. Law enforcement breached the front door of the apartment with a battering ram and took Lewis into custody. During a security sweep the officers observed evidence of fraud in plain view.
The Marshals obtained a search warrant and recovered a Maryland driver’s license, three Visa debit cards, and numerous bank checks issued to persons other than Lewis. They also recovered stolen U.S. Postal Service uniforms in Lewis’ bedroom. In addition, the Marshals recovered two laptop computers, three different types of printers, check paper, check writing software, 24 ounces of marijuana, small mylar bags, a digital scale, two loaded 9mm handgun magazines, and a Century Arms Micro Draco 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic assault pistol loaded 25 rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Marshals also obtained a search warrant for Lewis’ electronic devices and Instagram account. The United States’ trial evidence included photos and videos of Lewis holding firearms, including a Micro Draco assault pistol, pictures of stolen checks, pictures of marijuana advertised for sale, and numerous conversations related to marijuana distribution and bank fraud. According to the court documents, more than 10 individuals were victims of Lewis’s stolen check scheme, which involved the theft of checks worth more than $275,000.
Lewis has trials pending in D.C. Superior Court, the District Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland for similar conduct.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, and Arlington County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
24cr144
Shooter Gets 21 Year Prison Term for 2022 Murder of Woman Crossing Street in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Johnwann Elliott, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on May, 30, 2025, to a total of 21 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Nikia Young, 37, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On December 16, 2024, Elliott pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 21-year prison sentence, the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the D.C. Superior Court ordered Elliott to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:59 a.m., on March 15, 2022, Elliott exited a Metro bus at Minnesota Avenue and White Place Southeast and walked southwest toward the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 23rd Street Southeast. At the same time, Nikia Young and an individual with initials T.G. were walking northeast on Minnesota Avenue toward the same intersection. As Ms. Young and T.G. crossed 23rd Street, Elliott walked up to them in the crosswalk and, in broad daylight, used a 380-caliber handgun to shoot Ms. Young from a close distance. Elliott fired seven times and struck Ms. Young five times—once in her face, three times in the chest, and once in the right hip. Elliott then fled the scene on foot, running and catching the same Metro bus that he had exited approximately two minutes earlier.
At the time Elliott committed these offenses, he was on release pending trial in D.C. Superior Court for the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for a robbery conviction in the same court. Elliott was arrested on May 19, 2022, inside of a hotel in Northeast Washington, D.C. and has been in custody since.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst investigated and indicted the case.
Murder in Broad Daylight Outside a Northeast Gas Station Leads to Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damon McQuarters, 45, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder for the 2024 shooting murder of Michael Simpson, on the sidewalk in front of the Citgo gas station at 3820 Minnesota Ave. NE, Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in Superior Court. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing on August 22, 2025. At sentencing, he faces between 21 and 25 years of incarceration, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at approximately 5:35 p.m., on August 24, 2024, McQuarters approached Mr. Simpson, who was sitting in a tree box in front of the Citgo gas station socializing with friends. McQuarters retrieved a handgun from his pocket and shot Mr. Simpson a single time in the head. The defendant placed the handgun back into his pocket and walked away. Mr. Simpson was transported from the scene of the shooting to an area hospital where he died the following day.
McQuarters has been in custody since his arrest on September 26, 2024.
This case was investigated by Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado.
Four Defendants Plead Guilty to Two Murders and a Third Non-Fatal, Drive-By Shooting in Southeast, Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrico Johnson, 21, Ronald Henderson, 19, Daveon Robinson, 18, and Demarco Robinson, 22, each pleaded guilty today in connection with three different day-time shootings that occurred in Southeast Washington, D.C. between April 2022 and January 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for September 12, 2025. Each of the four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder or armed crime of violence, after admitting to their membership in a Henson Ridge based crew referred to by many names, including “Get Back Gang” and “the Z.” This crew is part of a broader group driving violence in Washington, D.C. over the past several years, known as “Fox 5 Gang.”
Additionally, Derrico Johnson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for the killing of Clayton Marshal and assault with a dangerous weapon for the shooting of a second person, in connection with a drive-by shooting at Shipley Market at approximately 12:20 p.m. on April 12, 2022. Neither Clayton Marshall nor the second victim appear to have been the intended target.
Derrico Johnson and Ronald Henderson also both pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed for the May 26, 2022, killing of 16-year-old Justin Johnson, also known as “23 Rackz.” This shooting occurred at approximately 11:20 a.m. on May 26, 2022, in the Savannah Circle located in the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace SE.
Finally, Ronald Henderson and Daveon Robinson both pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a third, non-fatal, drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store, which injured two bystanders and occurred at approximately 4:48 p.m. on January 2, 2023.
These pleas, which are contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, call for an agreed-upon sentence between 19.5 and 23 years for Derrico Johnson; an agreed-upon sentence between 18 and 23 years for Ronald Henderson; and an agreed-upon sentence between six and 10 years for Daveon Robinson, while Demarco Robinson will be sentenced to a concurrent sentence in relation to a federal firearms case he was previously sentenced for in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Case Number 23-cr-250.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Sellinger.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 110 Months for Smuggling Fentanyl from California to the DMVRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON— Lamin Sesay, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 110 months in federal prison for participating in a wide-spread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills purchased in Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sesay was one of 24 co-defendants arrested during 2023 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
On Feb. 7, 2025, Sesay pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Sesay to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Sesay entered into the conspiracy after he was introduced to a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker, co-defendant Hector David Valdez, who was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Sesay was introduced to Valdez by an unindicted co-conspirator, Mathias Tsegaye, a D.C.-based fentanyl trafficker who died in January 2023 from the combined toxic effects of codeine, fentanyl, and oxycodone. At the time of Tsegaye’s death, a shipping box containing several thousand fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills was discovered in his residence.
Sesay’s role was to have fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills shipped by Valdez to the District of Columbia. Sesay then conspired with one or more D.C.-area-based co-conspirators to redistribute the pills. Sesay also communicated with Valdez about Tsegaye flying to Los Angles to obtain pills for Tsegaye and Sesay to resell in D.C.
The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death resulting case, law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
27
Santa Fe Springs, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
21
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.Charles Jeffrey Taylor21
Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Raymond Nava, Jr.21
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Ulises Aldaz28
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Max Alexander Carias Torres27
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering.Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”35
Washington, D.C.Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; Conspiracy to commit wire fraud.Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
22
Washington, D.C.Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Marcus Orlando Brown29
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”27
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden35
Washington, D.C.Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
23
Temple Hills, MarylandSentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
21
Alexandria, VirginiaSentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
30
Alexandria, VirginiaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering.Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
29
Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”39
Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
34
Glen Allen, VirginiaConspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
28
Alexandria, VirginiaSentenced May 30, 2025, to 110 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Paul Alejandro Felix26
Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
27
Cudahy,
California
Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”27
San Diego,
California
Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Raul Pacheco Ramirez31
Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Giovani Alejandro Briones31
Victorville, CaliforniaSentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez26
Rosarito, MexicoConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
23cr73
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Deadly Drive-by Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Martinez Raynor, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16 years in prison today for his part in a 2018 drive-by shooting of a man in front of a convenience store in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Raynor pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on October 4, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan sentenced the defendant to 16 years in prison.
According to court documents, on October 20, 2018, Raynor and two other men drove into the parking lot of Holiday Market and Liquor Store located at 3509 Wheeler Road SE at 1:56 p.m. Once there, they opened fire on a group of men standing in front of the store. In the hail of gunfire, the victim, Malik McCloud, was struck in the back by a bullet, and he fell to the ground paralyzed. The defendant then fled on foot while the other two shooters drove off. Shortly after the initial shooting, the shooters returned to the area and opened fire on the group of men again, this time fatally striking Mr. McCloud in the chest as he laid helplessly on the ground.
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 acknowledged the work of those who provided valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including, Paralegal Specialists LaShone Samuels and Lisa Speight, and Victim Assistant Jennifer Allen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Horton and Joshua Hall, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Firearm While on Court-Ordered SupervisionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – LaPrince Stephens, 46, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in federal prison for being in illegal possession of a firearm while on court-ordered supervision.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Stephens was found guilty by a federal jury on Jan. 29, 2025, of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Stephens to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2019, MPD officers responded to reports that two men were tampering with a dark BMW in front of an apartment complex on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace SE. Officers arrived and encountered two men walking away from the vehicle. One of the windows of the BMW was smashed and the ignition had been punched. After conducting an initial investigation and releasing Stephens officers later found a loaded black Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol at the scene. DNA testing linked Stephens to the firearm.
On August 24, 2023, officers apprehended Stephens on a valid arrest warrant outside of the same apartment complex where the prior offense took place. In Stephens’ waistband, police recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson SD40 VE handgun.
Stephens has multiple prior convictions for drug offenses, robbery, threats, assaults, and firearms.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Cameron Tepfer.
23cr265
Spree of Bank Robberies in Maryland and D.C. Sends Previously Convicted Felon Back to Federal Prison for 63 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathon Brown-Murphy, 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for committing a spree of bank robberies— both attempted and successful—on May 23 and May 25, 2022, in Maryland and Washington, DC.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Brown-Murphy pleaded guilty on July 12, 2023, to an Information charging him with three counts of bank robbery. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Brown-Murphy to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Brown-Murphy robbed or attempted to rob six banks over two days in Maryland and Washington, DC. Brown-Murphy covered his face in each robbery and wore different clothing to avoid detection. After one attempt to rob a bank failed, he quickly traveled to his next target—hitting five banks on a single day in the span of about two hours.
On the morning of May 23, 2022, after unsuccessful attempts to rob two other banks, Brown-Murphy entered a Truist bank in Temple Hills, Maryland at 11:08 a.m. He approached a teller and passed her a note, stating “Give me the money or I will kill you.” The teller did not give him any money and Brown-Murphy left.
About 12:04 p.m. on May 23, 2022—shortly after another failed attempt elsewhere—Brown-Murphy entered a branch of Capital One bank on Alabama Avenue, SE. Brown-Murphy walked up to a teller and passed her a note, which stated “Give Me The Money Don’t Get Killed !!” The teller told police that she then saw Brown-Murphy nod and lift up his shirt as though he had a gun. Fearing for her life, the teller gave him cash from her register.
Two days later, on May 25, 2022, at 11:04 a.m., Brown-Murphy entered a Wells Fargo bank in District Heights, Maryland. He passed a teller a note, which stated “GIVE ME THE MONEY!!! DON’T GET KILLED!!!.” A fellow bank employee saw the note and pressed an alarm. Brown-Murphy fled without receiving anything.
As he left the Wells Fargo, a witness saw Brown-Murphy get into a black Cadillac and alerted the Prince George’s County Police officers then arriving on scene. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Brown-Murphy led them on a chase to nearby Suitland, Maryland. Brown-Murphy bailed out from his vehicle. When police arrested him after a foot pursuit, Brown-Murphy was wearing the black hat and glasses he had worn during the robberies, and police found in his car other clothing that he had worn as well.
Brown-Murphy was arrested on federal charges on August 29, 2022, and has been held in custody since. He has two previous convictions for bank robbery and robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey.
22cr227
Leader of Drug Trafficking Crew Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cila Melgar Rodriguez, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland. Rodriguez is in the U.S. illegally and is subject to mandatory deportation after he completes his sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant in Charge Steven J. Jensen, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Homeland Security Investigations Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rodriguez, aka “Paipa,” pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and crack cocaine before U.S. District Court Judge John Bates. He also acknowledged that he acted as leader of the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bates ordered Rodriguez to serve five years of supervised release and imposed a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $100,000.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2023, one of Rodriguez’s co-conspirators agreed to sell five kilograms of cocaine to a confidential source for $120,000. On August 18, 2023, the charged co-conspirators drove to a Costco parking lot to complete the transaction. DEA agents arrested the charged co-conspirators. Rodriguez, who was not present at the time of the arrest, had provided the cocaine and organized the deal. Agents recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver from the co-defendant’s car. Agents also recovered a black and white canvas bag which contained more than 3.6 kilos of cocaine.
Earlier that day, the charged co-conspirators had visited Rodriguez outside a Northwest apartment building where Rodriguez provided them with the cocaine that was eventually recovered by law enforcement during the buy-bust.
This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section. The VCNT Section’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking, and pursue their principals locally, nationally and internationally. VCNT places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George P. Eliopoulos of the VCNT Section, with valuable assistance from Special Assistant U.S Attorneys Javier Urbina, Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel.
23cr302
Woman Indicted for Metro Bus Robbery and StabbingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tywanna Johnson, 29, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today by a grand jury on charges stemming from a stabbing aboard a Metro Bus in January 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department. A Superior Court grand jury indicted Johnson on robbery while armed, assault with intent to rob while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon – knife, assault with a significant bodily injury while armed, and felony threats.
This case is set for a status hearing on July 14, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Robert Salerno.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 22, 2025, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Johnson was aboard Metro Bus #3303 in the vicinity of 15th Street NE and Duncan Street NE, when she snatched the phone out of another passenger’s hands. The passenger was able to get his phone back, but then Johnson pulled a knife out of her jacket. Johnson then demanded the passenger’s phone, threatening to kill the passenger if they did not comply. While the passenger ran to the front of the bus to escape Johnson, she lunged forward and stabbed the passenger in the lower back. Johnson was arrested on scene.
This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmine Dohemann.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S.-U.K. Dual Citizen Indicted for Embezzling More Than $700,000 from D.C. CompanyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey D’Souza, 68, who holds dual US and UK citizenship, is charged by indictment with seven counts of wire fraud and a two-year scheme to embezzle more than $700,000 from his employer.
The charges, unsealed today, were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office. D’Souza was arrested in New Jersey at Newark International Airport on May 25, 2025.
According to the indictment, between January of 2021 and December of 2022, D’Souza was employed by the victim company which did business in the District of Columbia. During this period, D’Souza executed a scheme to defraud his company by, among other things, digitally submitting fraudulent invoices. The invoices purported to be from vendors in exchange for goods and services provided to the company. In actuality, the fraudulent invoices included routing and account information for companies owned and operated by D’Souza which did not provide any goods or services to the victim company. Additionally, D’Souza used his access to the victim’s international payroll system to direct funds into his personal accounts and the accounts of companies owned by him. In total, the victim company suffered more than $700,000 in losses.
If convicted, D’Souza faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25cr151
Knife-Wielding Passenger Charged in Random Stabbing on Metro BusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ankintola Olowofoyeku, 43, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted for threatening to kill two strangers and stabbing one of them on a metro bus in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department.
View copy of indictment here.
A Superior Court grand jury indicted Olowofoyeku on May 21, 2025, on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and two counts of felony threats.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2024, Olowofoyeku was aboard a 70 route bus, in the vicinity of Georgia Avenue NW and Jefferson Street NW, when he began screaming at two strangers and demanding that they exit the bus. Olowofoyeku threatened to kill the two victims while holding a knife behind his back and forcing the victims to retreat into a corner of the bus. Olowofoyeku struck one of the victims and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Olowofoyeku stabbed one of the victims in his leg, arm, and hand. Eventually, Olowofoyeku was forced off the bus, where he continued to brandish the knife and threaten to kill. Subsequently, Olowofoyeku fled the area and was arrested on February 7, 2025.
Trial is scheduled for June 16, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Dal Lago.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Torching His Car on U.S. Capitol Grounds as Former President Carter Laid in StateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adrian J. Hinton, 36, of Lorton, Virginia, was sentenced today to one year of supervised release, plus 125 hours of community service, for setting his car ablaze with “napalm” on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Hinton pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta to a charge of destruction of government property.
According to court documents, on January 8, 2025, Hinton drove his vehicle from Virginia into Washington, D.C., arriving shortly before 5 p.m. on U.S. Capitol Grounds. Hinton parked on First Street NW between Pennsylvania Avenue and Maryland Avenue near the memorial to Ulysses S Grant.
Several minutes later, he removed a bottle containing an unknown liquid from his car. He spread the liquid on the top of the vehicle and ignited it. Bystanders reported the burning car to the U.S. Capitol Police. Along with USCP officers, agents responded from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives.
Bomb technicians rendered the scene safe. Officers found no explosives or accelerants in the vehicle but found matches, a bottle, and a knife adjacent to the vehicle. After waiving his Miranda rights and agreeing to speak with law enforcement, Hinton told agents he had developed a plan to set his vehicle on fire near the U.S. Capitol to draw attention to his displeasure with the recent election results. Hinton said he had researched how to make homemade napalm with a mixture of household fluids.
On January 8, 2025, President Carter was laying in state at the Capitol Rotunda and numerous elected officials were visiting the Capitol Rotunda.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
United States Seizes More than $868,247 in Alleged Proceeds of a Cryptocurrency Confidence SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States has seized over $868,247 worth of cryptocurrency from perpetrators of a cryptocurrency confidence scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro; Deputy Chief Claudia Quiroz of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; and Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office.
Cryptocurrency confidence investment schemes begin by criminals contacting potential victims through seemingly misdirected text messages, dating applications, or professional meetup or investment groups. Next, using various means of manipulation, the criminal gains the victim’s affection and trust. The perpetrator then recommends cryptocurrency investment by touting their own, or an associate’s, success in the field.
Means of carrying out the scheme vary, but a common tactic is to direct a victim to a fake investment platform hosted on a website. These websites, and the investment platforms hosted there, are created by criminals to mimic legitimate platforms. The subject 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 victim will receive instructions on how to transfer their cryptocurrency assets to the 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.
The FBI Honolulu Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit are providing 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 Gaelin Bernstein and Stefanie Schwartz 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.
United States Recovers Approximately $2.5 Million of Cryptocurrency Involved in Fraudulent Confidence SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States District Court Judge Amir H. Ali has ordered forfeiture of approximately $2.5 million worth of virtual currency involved in cryptocurrency confidence schemes to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Chief John Lynch of the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the San Diego Field Office.
“Whether they are in our district’s streets or hiding behind a computer screen abroad, the United States will continue to hold fraudsters and grifters responsible, seize money they scam from hardworking Americans, and use our authority to compensate victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.
“Cryptocurrency confidence schemes defraud and manipulate vulnerable victims into losing devastating amounts of money,” said Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “We hope today’s announcement brings a measure of justice to the victims and serves as a reminder, the FBI will hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where they are located.”
Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and fraud scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
In this case and others, the United States of America utilizes asset forfeiture to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in or acquired through illegal activities; to promote and enhance cooperation among federal and foreign law enforcement agencies; and most importantly, to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/afp.
This matter was investigated by the FBI San Diego Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided valuable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock Jr., Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, and Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia—along with Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. Supervisory Paralegal Gina Torres provided valuable assistance.