District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Murder and Assault Gets Shooter 29 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Guy Johnson, 57, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 29 years in prison for the 2020 murder of Kriston Robinson, 28, in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On March 10, 2025, a jury found Johnson guilty of one count each of second-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson presided over the trial and today’s sentencing. The 29-year sentence includes 10 years for assault with the intent to kill while armed committed against the surviving victim.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:17 a.m., on March 25, 2020, defendant Johnson shot multiple times into a white Kia Forte occupied by 28-year-old Kriston Robinson and the surviving victim. One of the shots struck Robinson in the head killing her nearly instantly. The surviving victim fled from the car and escaped injury.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including former Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Kimak.
It was tried and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Anthony Cocuzza.
Defendant Convicted in Armed Assault Gets 18 Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Brown, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to 18 years in prison for assault with intent to kill (while armed) stemming from the killing of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes in March of 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown also pleaded guilty to the assault with intent to kill charge on December 20, 2024, before Judge Rainey Brandt. Brown’s charge stemmed from his participation in a shooting after Lukes’s homicide. Previously, a jury found three of Brown’s co-defendants, Stephon Nelson, Tyiion Freeman and Koran Jackson—guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges. Freeman received 108 years; Jackson was sentenced to 164 years in prison while Nelson received 108 ½ years of incarceration.
Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with one other defendant (whose case was severed pre-trial and will be tried in August 2025), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson, Freeman, Nelson along with Brown and the severed defendant, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.
On March 1, 2020, Brown along with his co-defendants (Jackson, Freeman and the severed co-defendant) participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of 10 minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. Brown remained in the car while the shooting took place. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree. Brown was one of the shooters.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Jensen, ATF Special Agent in Charge Spotswood and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.
They also commended the efforts of those who provided assistance with the case including Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, former Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, who prosecuted the case.
Massage Therapist Indicted for First Degree Sexual Abuse of a ClientRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andrew Ramirez, 42, of Jefferson, MD, was arraigned in Superior Court yesterday on one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a client and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a client, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The case is currently scheduled for a status hearing on July 11, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 12:15 p.m. on July 2, 2023, the victim arrived at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C. to receive spa services. The victim met the defendant, who was a masseuse at the hotel, in the spa room. During the massage and with a towel covering his back, the defendant asked him to turn around. As the victim turned over, the towel fell off, leaving the victim naked on his back, with a towel covering his head. Ramirez continued the body oil massage. The victim reported feeling what he believed to be the defendant performing oral sex on him. He reported what had happened to members of the hotel team and called 911. The defendant as linked to the alleged sexual assault of the victim through DNA testing and other investigative tools.
This case is being investigated by the MPD. Anyone with information on this matter, or who believes they were assaulted by the defendant, can call the MPD Sex Assault Unit at 202-727-3700.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Who Attempted to Carjack a Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kentrell Flowers, 19, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for the attempted gunpoint carjacking of an unmarked vehicle occupied by a Deputy U.S. Marshal.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Flowers pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2025, before District Court Judge Richard J. Leon to using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Leon ordered Flowers to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 5, 2024, at 1:17 a.m., two deputy U.S. Marshals were working a protective detail on the 2100 block of 11th Street, NW. The deputies were parked in separate unmarked vehicles when a silver minivan pulled up alongside one of them. A man, later identified as Flowers, got out of the van, approached the driver’s side-door, and pointed a pistol directly at the deputy marshal.
The deputy marshal pulled out his own department-issued firearm. The deputy fired four shots through the side window, striking Flowers in the mouth. The second deputy marshal at the scene also fired on Flowers.
Flowers fell to the ground. The deputy marshals provided first aid, while the silver minivan driven by the unknown accomplice fled the scene. A second unknown suspect ran away on foot. Flowers was treated at a local hospital.
Law enforcement recovered Flowers’.40 caliber Smith & Wesson which was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and Emory V. Cole.
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Federal Charges Filed After Deadly Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, has been charged with federal and local murder offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.
Rodriguez is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He is also charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.
“This brutal, anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country or anywhere in civilization,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together.”
“Our community is reeling. Because of one person’s actions, two families are left to grieve for dreams that will never be realized,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Violence of any kind is unacceptable. Senseless acts that take innocent lives are intolerable. We will hold accountable anyone who inflicts harm on our families, our neighbors, the citizens of our nation, or the visitors to our great capital city. We are united in that purpose, and we hold strong against those whose reckless actions claim as victim any part of our community.”
“This Civil Rights Division is aggressively pursuing every avenue to investigate this crime,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon.” Let me be clear: hateful violence against Jewish Americans will be met with the full force of the Justice Department. We are expanding enforcement, increasing our outreach, and holding perpetrators accountable wherever they act.”
“Make no mistake: This attack was targeted, antisemitic violence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. “The FBI will continue to pursue all leads and use all available resources to investigate this heinous murder.”
“We continue to work closely with our federal partners and want to assure our community that the safety of all residents and visitors remains our top priority,” said Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith. “Out of an abundance of caution we are increasing our presence at religious institutions citywide.”
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Rodriguez allegedly opened fire on the victims as they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, which brought together Jewish professionals and members of the diplomatic community. Both victims were employed by the Israeli Embassy. One was an Israeli citizen and an official guest of the U.S. government.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Rodriguez walking past the victims before turning and firing multiple rounds. After the victims fell, he allegedly continued firing at close range, including as one attempted to crawl away. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene.
Rodriguez entered the Museum after he committed the murders. Witnesses and surveillance video reportedly confirmed his involvement. He had flown from Chicago to Washington the day prior with the firearm declared in his checked luggage.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
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.
District Woman Charged with Assault for Spitting on Former Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emily Gabriella Sommer, 32, of the District of Columbia, was arrested today on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in connection with a May 8 incident during which she allegedly spit on former U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. while he was participating in a video-recorded interview.
Sommer is charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a government official.
The complaint was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the complaint, on May 8th, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., then-Interim U.S. Attorney Martin was conducting an on-camera interview in front of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the 600 block of D Street Northwest.
During the interview, the suspect, later identified as Sommer, approached Martin and stated words to the effect of, “Who in the f-- are you?” Martin turned to face Sommer. Sommer then said, “Are you Ed Martin? You are. Ed Martin.” Sommer lunged at Martin and spit on his shoulder. Sommer then walked eastbound on D Street Northwest and yelled, “You are a disgusting man. F--- you, Ed Martin. My name is Emily Gabriella Sommer, and you are served.”
Law enforcement identified the X account with username @EmilyGabriellaS and display name “Lefttits” as likely belonging to Sommer. On the evening of May 8, 2025, that account made several posts related to the incident including the following:
On May 22, 2025, law enforcement located Sommer and placed her under arrest.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Who Wielded a Machine Gun Near Anacostia Elementary School Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jason Jerome Bell, 21, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison for brandishing a fully loaded machine gun at a passing car, on a heavily trafficked street in the middle of the afternoon, in the direction of an elementary school with staff present.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police.
Bell pleaded guilty on January 15, 2025, without a plea agreement to unlawful possession of a machine gun, and to carrying a pistol without a license. In addition to the 21-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Bell to serve three years of supervised release. In light of the severity of Bell’s conduct, the government had asked the Court for an upward variant sentence of 36 months.
According to court documents, about 2:45 pm on Oct. 11, 2024, a U.S. Park Police investigator was conducting surveillance of Bell in Anacostia. Bell had been reported to be flashing firearms. The investigator located Bell in the alley behind a house on 1900 block 16th Street SE. The investigator watched as Bell pulled a firearm from his waistband and aimed it at a silver sedan. The USPP investigator captured Bell’s actions on camera.
USPP officers subsequently arrested Bell and recovered a loaded Glock 30 gen 4 pistol, .45 caliber, outfitted with a switch which converted the semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machine gun. The Glock had 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police with the assistance of the ATF. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren R. Randell.
Bell brandishes a Glock outfitted with a “switch” to fire like a machine-gun in the direction of a U.S. Park Police Officer on Oct. 11. 2024.
The Glock and magazine found in Bell’s possession.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of a Glock Semiautomatic PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrell Anthony West, 30, a previously convicted felon and resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison in connection with being in possession of a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol when police encountered him with a stolen Mercedes.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
West pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2025, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered West to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Feb. 26, 2024, about 7:30 p.m., the officers with the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were travelling down the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE, in unmarked vehicles. An officer noticed a parked silver Mercedes Benz C300 park and watched as West quickly closed the car door and crossed the street at a brisk pace to where a group was congregated.
Officers ran the Mercedes’ plate number and learned it was not registered in the database. They approached the vehicle to discover that its VIN number was covered.
An officer uncovered the VIN. Another asked West if the car's registration was in the glove compartment. West opened the glove compartment and then opened the vehicle’s center console. One of the officers immediately spotted a firearm. Three seconds later, the officer checking the VIN number learned the Mercedes had been reported stolen from a car dealership in Howard County, Maryland.
From the center console, MPD officers recovered a black Glock 30. .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm loaded and ready to fire with one round of ammunition in the chamber and 13 additional rounds in the magazine. DNA evidence later linked West to the firearm.
Officers also recovered three plastic bags containing a white rock substance with a combined weight of 82.79 grams, and a black digital scale with white residue. Later testing by the DEA determined the substance was N, Ndimethylpentalone, an illegal synthetic controlled-substance otherwise known as 'boot." Officers also recovered 28 suspected suboxone strips from the trunk of the Mercedes.
West has a previous conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. On April 22, 2022, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, which was suspended. On Feb. 9, 2023, he was resentenced to nine months in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed Ali Assefi, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov.
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Washington State Man Who Livestreamed Threats is Convicted of Weapons and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Taylor Taranto, 39, of Pasco, Washington, was convicted by a federal judge yesterday of illegally carrying two firearms without a license, unlawfully possessing ammunition, and false information and hoaxes, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Crimes.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols found Taranto guilty of all charges and will schedule a sentencing hearing after ruling on the defense’s request to release Taranto pending sentencing.
On June 28, 2023, near National Harbor, Maryland, Taranto broadcast a livestream of himself as he sat behind the wheel of his van. He stated that he had been “working on a detonator” and indicated to his audience that he would drive a car bomb into the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His target was a neutron reactor housed at the NIST campus. He then drove over the Wilson Bridge to Alexandria, Virginia, where he parked his van in the middle of the street and ran away from it, demonstrating to his audience how he would create the appearance of an emergency.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force mobilized immediately to find Taranto, alerting regional law enforcement agencies of the potential bomb threat. The following day, the FBI discovered Taranto’s location when he broadcast another livestream that showed him driving around D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood. Law enforcement officers arrested Taranto at Kalorama and discovered that the bomb threat was a hoax. When law enforcement officers searched his vehicle, they found two firearms, multiple magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White.
Shooter Gets Prison Sentence for Firing at a Couple Out Celebrating Their AnniversaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adrian Lee, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 years in prison, for the shooting of two victims in April 2023 on Gresham Place, NW, in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
A jury found Lee guilty, on September 24, 2024, of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction). In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt also ordered five years supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:15 p.m. on April 18, 2023, the victims were driving home after celebrating their anniversary at a DC restaurant when the defendant’s wife sideswiped their car. Lee walked to the accident scene and provided an expired insurance card to the victim. While the victim was on the phone with the insurance company, the defendant became agitated that the process was taking too long and directed his wife to drive away from the scene of the accident. He too left the scene, running off on foot. When the victims followed the defendant to obtain valid insurance or vehicle information from him, the vehicle’s exterior video cameras captured the defendant running from the victims’ car. The victims flagged down a police officer, and, per the officer’s instructions, they returned to the site of the accident to make a police report. The victims then turned down Gresham Place, NW, to get back to the scene of the accident, and encountered Lee, who lived on that street. Lee retrieved a gun from his house and ran towards the victims. He pointed the gun at the female victim and then turned and shot the male victim one time in the torso. Lee and his wife then fled to Florida.
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 acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Rashmika Nedungadi and Sara Matar, who prosecuted the case.
Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Douglas Edelman, 73, a former defense contractor, pleaded guilty today to tax crimes related to a scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on income he earned from his contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The sentence was announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter with IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Edelman pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of tax evasion, and two counts of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a hearing on issues related to sentencing on Nov. 17, 2026. Trial on the remaining counts of the indictment will be in 2026.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Edelman founded and owned 50% of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide jet fuel in the United States’ post-9/11 military efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Working with others, Edelman engaged in a lengthy scheme to hide his Mina/Red Star profits to evade U.S. taxes, including by concealing his income in undisclosed foreign bank accounts, creating false documents and making false statements that one of his co-conspirators — a French citizen residing abroad and without U.S. tax obligations — founded and owned Mina/Red Star.
For example, when the company became profitable in 2005, Edelman began taking distributions which he deposited into Swiss bank accounts, primarily at Credit Suisse, in the name of other companies he owned. In 2008, Credit Suisse informed Edelman that he had to either close his accounts or disclose them to U.S. authorities. Rather than come into compliance with his tax and reporting obligations, Edelman closed his accounts and opened new ones at Bank Julius Baer in Singapore in the name of a nominee entity, the beneficiaries of which were purportedly Edelman’s daughters. He then directed the subject income he earned from Mina/Red Star to those bank accounts.
In 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs began investigating allegations of corruption in connection with Mina/Red Star’s contracts with the Department of Defense. As part of this inquiry, the subcommittee became interested in the identity of Mina/Red Star’s owners. At this time, Edelman had not filed U.S. tax returns to report the millions of dollars he had earned from Mina/Red Star and had not paid U.S. taxes on his income.
Rather than disclose his ownership, Edelman caused his attorneys to tell Congress a false story that a French co-conspirator who had no U.S. tax or reporting obligations founded and co-owed Mina/Red Star with another individual. To corroborate the false story, Edelman and a co-conspirator caused false and backdated paperwork to be created.
To continue the scheme, Edelman conveyed the false story about Mina/Red Star’s ownership to other arms of the U.S. government, including to the Department of Defense during contract negotiations in 2010 and 2011, to the IRS in a 2016 application to the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, and to the Justice Department in a 2018 presentation.
In conjunction with his 2016 application to the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, Edelman filed false tax returns for several prior years that only reported income from gifts or purported consulting payments, continuing to conceal the millions he had earned from his company. On the returns, he also concealed profits he had earned from a separate business to provide internet service to members of the armed forces at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan.
Instead of paying the taxes that he knew he owed, Edelman used the money to fund his lifestyle and additional investments. He invested in a music television franchise in Eastern Europe, a land venture in Tulum, Mexico, and a farm in Kenya, and purchased property around Europe, including a home in Ibiza, Spain, and a townhouse in London.
Edelman faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the 10 counts to which he has pleaded. 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 special agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, along with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation. His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom also provided assistance, as did the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and authorities from Belize, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Israel, and Singapore.
The Government of the Kingdom of Spain arrested and extradited Edelman to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing Edelman’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests.
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Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A former defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax crimes related to his scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on income that he earned from his contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Douglas Edelman founded and owned 50% of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide jet fuel in the United States’ post-9/11 military efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Working with others, Edelman engaged in a lengthy scheme to hide his Mina/Red Star profits to evade U.S. taxes, including by concealing his income in undisclosed foreign bank accounts, creating false documents and making false statements that one of his co-conspirators — a French citizen residing abroad and without U.S. tax obligations — founded and owned Mina/Red Star.
For example, when the company became profitable in 2005, Edelman began taking distributions which he deposited into Swiss bank accounts, primarily at Credit Suisse, in the name of other companies he owned. In 2008, Credit Suisse informed Edelman that he had to either close his accounts or disclose them to U.S. authorities. Rather than come into compliance with his tax and reporting obligations, Edelman closed his accounts and opened new ones at Bank Julius Baer in Singapore in the name of a nominee entity, the beneficiaries of which were purportedly Edelman’s daughters. He then directed the subject income he earned from Mina/Red Star to those bank accounts.
In 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs began investigating allegations of corruption in connection with Mina/Red Star’s contracts with the Department of Defense. As part of this inquiry, the subcommittee became interested in the identity of Mina/Red Star’s owners. At this time, Edelman had not filed U.S. tax returns to report the millions of dollars he had earned from Mina/Red Star and had not paid U.S. taxes on his income.
Rather than disclose his ownership, Edelman caused his attorneys to tell Congress a false story that a French co-conspirator who had no U.S. tax or reporting obligations founded and co-owed Mina/Red Star with another individual. To corroborate the false story, Edelman and a co-conspirator caused false and backdated paperwork to be created.
To continue the scheme, Edelman conveyed the false story about Mina/Red Star’s ownership to other arms of the U.S. government, including to the Department of Defense during contract negotiations in 2010 and 2011, to the IRS in a 2016 application to the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, and to the Justice Department in a 2018 presentation.
In conjunction with his 2016 application to the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, Edelman filed false tax returns for several prior years that only reported income from gifts or purported consulting payments, continuing to conceal the millions he had earned from his company. On the returns, he also concealed profits he had earned from a separate business to provide internet service to members of the armed forces at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan.
Instead of paying the taxes that he knew he owed, Edelman used the money to fund his lifestyle and additional investments. He invested in a music television franchise in Eastern Europe, a land venture in Tulum, Mexico, and a farm in Kenya, and purchased property around Europe, including a home in Ibiza, Spain, and a townhouse in London.
Edelman faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count to which he has pleaded. 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.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.
Special agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, along with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the investigation. Also providing assistance were His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom; the Australian Federal Police; the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and authorities from Belize, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Israel, and Singapore.
The Government of the Kingdom of Spain arrested and extradited Edelman to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing Edelman’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests.
Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Husband Sentenced to 24 Years for Gunning Down Wife in D.C. Parking LotRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wyatt Swan, 48, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for the 2024 murder of Teresa Francisco, 52, in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Swan pleaded guilty on January 24, 2025, to second-degree murder while armed. Honorable Jason Park of the D.C. Superior Court ordered Swan to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on October 1, 2024, Swan shot and killed his wife, Teresa Francisco, in and around their apartment complex in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast. The defendant first shot his wife with a pistol in their shared apartment. When she ran for her life and hid in a nearby work van, Swan pursued her and fired numerous shots into the van, killing her. The defendant then fled the scene, evading police.
Swan was arrested on October 2, 2024, with the assistance of the Prince George's County Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris 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 and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans, who prosecuted the case.
Guilty Verdicts for Maryland Members of a PCP and Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy Centered in D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Watts, 57, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and James Kinard, 47, of Temple Hills, Md., were found guilty by a federal jury today for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and PCP in the DMV. The conspiracy also used firearms to protect their narcotics and the proceeds from their trafficking operation.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The jury found both defendants guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. The jury also found defendant Kinard guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2025. Watts and Kinard each face a minimum-mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Watts has two prior felony drug convictions. Kinard has a prior 1995 conviction for second-degree murder while armed and a prior 2016 conviction assault with intent to commit robbery while armed and related offenses. Kinard was on supervised release during the investigation in this case.
Three co-defendants pleaded guilty before the case went to trial on May 7.
Melvin Grayson, 51, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a detectable amount of cocaine, more than 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and more than one kilogram or more of PCP. Grayson faces a minimum-mandatory sentence of ten years. He has two prior felony drug convictions from 1993.
Tyrone Ragland, 56, aka “Tech,” of the District, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP. Charles Cunningham, 58, of the District, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. According to their plea agreements, Ragland and Cunningham will be required to serve 15 years in prison. Cunningham has four prior felony drug convictions.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department intercepted a package containing six kilos of PCP at a FedEx facility in Maryland. The officers set up a controlled delivery of the package and stopped defendant Kenneth Watts after he picked it up. In Watts’ cell phone, investigators found text messages linking Watts to the package and to co-defendant Melvin Grayson.
Through controlled purchases and wiretaps, evidence showed that Grayson distributed PCP, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The investigation also showed that defendants Ragland, Cunningham, Kinard and others conspired with Grayson to distribute the narcotics. In search warrants conducted at various residences, agents recovered four firearms, more than 2.5 kilos of PCP, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $50,000 in cash.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Cross Border Task Force and the DEA Washington Field Office, with assistance from MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The Cross Border Task Force is a part of the FBI’S Safe Streets Initiative and targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Found Guilty in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Admiral Robert Burke (USN-Ret.), 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was found guilty of bribery today in connection with accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract.
Following a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Stanley Newell of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s (DoD OIG) Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Transnational Field Office.
“When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption – be it bribes or illegal contracts – and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold.”
"Burke tarnished his reputation and position as a four-star admiral by steering a lucrative contract toward a government vendor in exchange for future employment," said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's verdict shows that no one is above the law. The FBI and our federal law enforcement partners remain committed to exposing fraud in the government and bringing corrupt officials to justice for abusing their positions of power."
According to court documents and as the evidence proved at trial, from 2020 to 2022, Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel. The two co-defendants Kim and Messenger were the co-CEOs of a company (Company A) and provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke.
Despite the Navy’s instructions, the co-defendants met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the charged defendants agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. They further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value one of the co-defendants allegedly estimated to be “triple digit millions.”
In December 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. Thereafter, Burke promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince another senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms.
In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.
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Former Contractor of USAID-Funded Program Extradited to the United States, Convicted and Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obtain Grant Money Through FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON— Stephen Paul Edmund Sutton, 53, a United Kingdom citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for his participation in a fraud scheme, perpetrated when he was employed by a contracting firm that implemented a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded (USAID) power distribution program (PDP) in Pakistan, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary.
Sutton pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which is a felony. In his role as a Logistics Operations Manager, Sutton took kickbacks of USAID-funds used to pay for the services rendered. After fighting extradition for more than two years, Sutton was extradited to the United States. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta sentenced Sutton to time-served and ordered that Sutton be turned over to immigration authorities.
He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. He was sentenced to time-served and one day of supervised release.
According to court documents, PDP was a component of U.S. government assistance to the government of Pakistan to support its energy sector. Launched in September 2010, the five-year program was designed to facilitate improvements in Pakistan’s government-owned electric power distribution companies through interventions and projects addressing governance issues, technical and non-technical losses, and low revenue collection. The main goal of the PDP was to improve the commercial performance of the participating distribution companies through technology upgrades and improvements in processes, procedures, and practices, as well as training and capacity building. Under the PDP contract, Sutton’s employer subcontracted through purchase orders with vendors in Pakistan for certain goods and services.
From May through November 2015, Sutton and his co-conspirator, an employee supervised by Sutton, participated in a kickback scheme by creating two companies, obtaining PDP purchase orders for forklift and crane services for the companies, and distributing the profits to themselves. As part of the scheme, his co-conspirator arranged for low-grade local vendors to provide the services for at least half the contract rates, and Sutton ensured that the company paid the invoices despite suspicions raised by an accounts payable officer. U.S. government sentencing documents indicate the agency was defrauded of almost $100,000 and that for his part, Sutton received at least $21,000 in kickbacks.
Sutton’s co-conspirator is also charged by indictment and his case is pending disposition.
This case was investigated by the USAID Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Miller and former Special Assistant United States Attorneys Scot Morris and Nicholas Coates of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Sutton from the UK.
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‘King’ of Violent Haitian Gang Found Guilty on All Charges for Hostage Taking of 16 American Christian MissionariesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joly Germine, 32, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was found guilty today by a federal jury in the District of Columbia for his role in orchestrating the 2021 hostage taking of 16 American citizens, including five children, and holding them hostage for 62 days.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan James of the Miami Field Office.
“This office will fight aggressively to protect Americans who are taken hostage and abused, and to uphold the religious freedoms of our people, including Christians. As the evidence demonstrated, Joly Germine orchestrated a plot that leveraged American Christian missionaries as bargaining chips to try to secure his own release from a Haitian prison,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “When you commit crimes against Americans in other countries, it makes no difference where you are — we are coming for you. Justice may not always be swift but it is certain.”
“This conviction demonstrates the FBI’s determination to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are. Haitian gang leader and convicted kidnapper Joly Germine found out he was not beyond the reach of the FBI,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge James. “Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use all tools available and go to farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who kidnap Americans.”
Following a 10-day trial in U.S. District Court, the jury found Germine guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and 16 counts of hostage taking of a U.S. national for ransom.
The former leader and self-described “king” of the notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, Germine previously pleaded guilty to his role in a gun trafficking conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws and the laundering of the gang’s funds derived from ransoms paid for other U.S. hostage victims. For those crimes, he was sentenced in June 2024 to 35 years in federal prison.
Germine’s gang, 400 Mawozo, operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Germine directed the gang’s operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones and was constantly in touch with other 400 Mawazo leaders, most of whom were his relatives. Germine controlled the gang’s finances, supplied the gang’s weapons, and otherwise directed operations.
On October 16, 2021, 17 Mennonite missionaries from Christian Aid Ministries, an Ohio-based missionary aid organization, were returning from visiting an orphanage when they were stopped by 400 Mawozo’s armed and masked soldiers. Many of the gang’s soldiers were brandishing firearms supplied by Germine. The group included 12 adults and 5 children, including a 6-year-old, 3-year-old, and an 8-month-old. Sixteen of the victims were U.S. citizens and one was a Canadian citizen.
The gang drove the missionaries to a field and robbed them, while consulting by phone with Germine, their leader. The gang took the missionaries to a building in a rural area, held them at gunpoint, and demanded ransom of $1 million each for their return. In postings on social media, the gang threatened to kill all the hostages if the ransom was not paid. Early on in the negotiations, senior gang leadership said that, in lieu of the ransom monies, 400 Mawozo would accept Germine’s release from prison in exchange for the hostages.
On November 20, 2021, two hostages were released after one was suffering from life-threatening health conditions. On December 5, 2021, 400 Mawozo released three of the hostages, two adults who had significant medical issues and the six-year old child, after receiving a $350,000 ransom payment. Though the gang had stated they would release all the hostages for the ransom paid, at Germine’s direction, the gang thereafter refused to release any more hostages. On December 16, 2021, the remaining hostages escaped under cover of darkness while their captors were distracted, walking for five hours through the Haitian bush until they were out of the gang’s territory. They were received by the FBI, which had deployed to Haiti and arranged to immediately transport them from Haiti before the gang could respond to their escape. In total, most of the missionaries were held for 62 days.
The evidence at trial showed that Germine had directed the initial kidnapping, had arranged for the locations where hostages were held, and set the $17 million ransom demand, knowing it was too high to be paid and would result in the Haitian government negotiating his release from prison in exchange for the missionaries. The evidence also showed that Germine was involved in or consulted on the decisions to release victims.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the law enforcement response to the kidnapping, extraordinary assistance was provided in a whole of government response by various agencies, including Customs and Border Protection Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Defense, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, the government of the Dominican Republic, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of State and the Embassy in Port-au-Prince, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Tom Saunders and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia, with invaluable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall, Victim Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Victim Witness Coordinators Tonya Jones and Guisela Castillo.
Serial Rapist Sentenced to 35 Years Incarceration for Three Stranger Sexual Attacks in 2018Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Angel Gomez, 42, formerly of the District, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison, for three rapes he committed between July and October 2018 involving three different victims who were strangers to him, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gomez pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, to one count each of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, first degree sexual abuse, attempted first degree sexual abuse and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered Gomez to supervised release, and to register as a sex offender, for the remainder of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, which the defendant admitted to, on July 15, 2018, the 22-year-old victim returned home from a night out at approximately 2:40 a.m., and shortly thereafter heard a knock at her basement door. When she opened the door, Gomez, who had a knife, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and forcibly sexually assaulted the victim. The defendant cut the victim’s left cheek with the knife. Ultimately, the victim escaped to her home, after kicking the defendant, and called 911.
On Sep. 7, 2018, at approximately 11:40 p.m., the defendant, Jose Gomez, followed his second victim, as she walked from the Fort Totten Metro station into the nearby 7-11 at 5210 3rd St., Northeast and then followed her after she left the 7-11. Once in nearby wooded area of the 100 block of Farragut Street, Northeast, the defendant grabbed the victim, pulled her into a wooded area, brandished a knife, and ordered her to take off her pants. With a knife to her throat and one hand around her neck, the defendant forcibly sexually assaulted the victim.
The defendant fled the scene, after the victim had received numerous calls on her cell phone, which she told the defendant was a relative who would come looking for her if she did not answer. The victim later flagged down police.
On Oct. 21, 2018, at approximately 6:30 a.m., the defendant’s third victim was waiting at the corner of 7th and Longfellow Streets, Northwest for an Uber to work. As the victim waited alone, the defendant, approached and asked her if she was ok and what she was doing. Once the victim told him she was waiting for an Uber, Gomez continued to speak to her, and eventually she told him to leave her alone. When the victim began walking back towards her apartment building, the defendant followed her and then grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. The victim could not breath. Gomez dragged the victim into the alley and forced her to the ground where he sexually assaulted her. The defendant then fled on foot.
These violent sexual assaults were solved with a combination of DNA and other evidence. Once identified, Gomez was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on June 7, 2023, and transported by law enforcement to Washington, D.C. The defendant has been incarcerated ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the Sexual Assault Unit and the Cold Case Unit of the Sexual Assault Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti, Sharon Donovan, and Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously-unsolved cases of sexual assault of adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area and nationwide.
Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More than 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damien Jenkins, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Jenkins pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, N-n-dimethylpentalone, also known as “boot,” and phencyclidine, aka PCP. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Jenkins to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jenkins is a member of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, an organization that distributed narcotics – primarily fentanyl and cocaine – in an open-air market and apartment building in the area of the 1900 block of I Street, NE.
Among other things, the crew took over a vacant apartment for use as a base of operations and used it to process, prepare, and package the drugs for redistribution. Sales occurred at the front of the building, in the apartment, and in a parking lot at the rear of the apartment.
Law enforcement identified Jenkins as being involved in the manufacture, packaging, and sale of drugs. Jenkins has admitted that he was accountable for 1.2 to 3.9 kilos of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, boot, and PCP.
Additionally, on March 7, 2024, several crew members engaged in a verbal altercation with an individual. Co-defendant Charles Manson went into the vacant apartment and Jenkins handed Manson a ski mask. Manson, who was in possession of a firearm, put on the mask. Manson
then went outside of 1919 I Street, NE, and opened fire in the direction of the indivIdual.
On May 15, 2024, about 6 a.m., law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jenkins’s residence. Law enforcement recovered an AK pattern firearm, a Ruger .380 caliber handgun, a Sterling Arms .22 caliber handgun, weapon magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and $3,342 in cash.
This case was investigated by the MPD, the DEA Washington Division, and FBI Washington Field Offce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
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Judge Gives 18 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Jackson, 38, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 18 years in prison for the brutal stabbing of 52-year-old Maria Evans in the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of second-degree murder while armed, pursuant to an 11(c) plea that limited his prison term to 17-21 years.
According to the statement of facts, in the morning hours around 6:30 am on Thursday, March 29, 2018, Jackson walked into the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE with the victim. As he walked behind Ms. Evans into the alleyway, the defendant held a long blade knife in his hand. The defendant then stabbed Ms. Evans 23 times – once in her face, once in her neck, nine in her chest, five in her stomach, three in her side, twice in back, once in her shoulder, and once on her hand. The defendant then briskly exited the alleyway and discarded the knife in a trashcan at the mouth of the alleyway.
Later that morning, around 8 am, MPD officers found Ms. Evans lying unconscious and unresponsive in the alleyway, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Ms. Evans was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
On May 4, 2018, the defendant was arrested pursuant to a Superior Court warrant. After the defendant waived his Miranda rights, police showed him surveillance video in which he identified himself entering the alley with Ms. Evans, just moments before he repeatedly stabbed her, and then exited the alley after discarding the knife in a dumpster, although he denied killing Ms. Evans.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith also praised the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged the work of United States Attorney’s Office.
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Guilty Plea Entered in Metropolitan Branch Trail Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jalique Wiseman, of the District, and Leon Kirksey, of Maryland, both 20, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a string of armed and unarmed robberies along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in October and November of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wiseman and Kirksey each pleaded guilty in Superior Court to three counts of armed robbery and three counts of robbery. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro.
According to the government’s evidence, between October 2, 2023 and November 23, 2023, Wiseman and Kirksey robbed multiple people on six separate instances on or near the Metropolitan Branch Trail, using either physical violence or at gunpoint, taking the victims cell phones and other property. Wiseman and Kirksey demanded the victims’ passcodes and used that information to access the victims’ financial accounts to transfer money to accounts that Wiseman and Kirksey controlled. Wiseman committed a number of the robberies while wearing a distinctive red, white, and blue Moncler jacket and distinctive Penny Hardaway shoes.
The plea agreement is the culmination of an investigation into a string of robberies along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in the fall of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt.
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Former Health Aide Worker Sentenced for Stealing from the Family of Dying Hospice PatientRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Beverly Ochoa, 30, of Derwood, Maryland, was sentenced today to a 12-month suspended sentence for first-degree theft in the stealing of $2,600 cash from the elderly wife of a hospice patient, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Ochoa pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree theft. As part of the sentence, Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno ordered one year of supervised probation to include 40 hours of community service and suspended three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 1, MPD officers were called to the victims’ home in Southeast, where an elderly couple resided, and the husband was receiving hospice care. The couple employed two health aide caregivers from different companies to assist with the care of the patient. One of the workers, Ochoa, was in the home with the patient when the patient’s wife came downstairs to pay the other health aide worker. When she asked Ochoa where the other worker was, Ochoa said she had left the residence. The patient’s wife then placed the $2,600 in $100 bills inside a drawer so she could pay the other worker later and left for a medical appointment. When the patient’s wife returned later that day, the cash was missing from the drawer. The couple’s family arrived at the home and reviewed in-home security camera footage. The video captured Ochoa retrieving something from the kitchen and placing it in her purse. The family called law enforcement and when officers arrived, they found $2,600, in $100 bills, inside the defendant’s purse. She was arrested that day.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nickolas Reck and Katherine Ballou, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Year Prison Term for Two Shootings in Starburst PlazaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Renard Levenberry, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 180 months in prison for multiple convictions stemming from two different shootings at Starburst Plaza during the summer of 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mr. Levenberry pleaded guilty February 24th in D.C. Superior Court to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in relation to a June 13, 2024, shooting, and to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in relation to an August 20, 2024, shooting.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 13, 2024, Levenberry was at Starburst Plaza—an often-crowded public plaza located at 1501 Maryland Avenue, NE. Levenberry robbed an individual during an attempted drug transaction. When the victim pursued Levenberry, the Defendant shot the victim in the leg before escaping.
On August 20, 2024, Levenberry was again in Starburst Plaza when an unknown individual entered the area on a moped. Upon seeing that person and without provocation, Levenberry pulled out a black semiautomatic pistol and began firing at the moped driver. The moped driver appeared to fire one shot back at Levenberry. One of the shots Levenberry fired struck a bystander who was waiting at a nearby bus stop.
Both shootings were captured on video and the government’s investigation was supported by DNA and ballistics evidence.
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. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Kraig Ahalt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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Alabama Man Sentenced in Hack of SEC X Account that Spiked the Value of BitcoinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Council Jr., 26 of Athens, Alabama, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that hacked into the X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and published fraudulent posts in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, all to manipulate the value of Bitcoin.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti, SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, from at least January 2024, Council conspired with others to carry out Subscriber Identity Model (SIM) attacks, commonly referred to as “SIM swaps,” in exchange for money.
On or about Jan. 9, 2024, Council, and others, executed a SIM swap of the mobile phone account associated with the @SECgov X account, the official account of the SEC. The purpose was to gain unauthorized access to this government account in order to make fraudulent posts.
Council used his portable ID card printer to create a physical ID which he used to impersonate the victim at an AT&T store in Huntsville, Alabama. Council provided false information to the AT&T store employee to explain why he needed a replacement SIM card. Council obtained the SIM card linked to the victim’s phone line and walked to a nearby Apple store where he purchased a new iPhone. He inserted the SIM card to activate the phone, received the @SECGov X password reset codes on this new phone linked to the victim’s SIM card and used his personal cell phone to take a photo of the @SECgov X account reset code to share with his co-conspirators. After passing along the password reset codes, Council returned the iPhone for cash.
A member of the conspiracy used the reset code to gain access to the @SECGov X account and issue a fraudulent post in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, falsely announcing SEC approval of Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 following the post. Shortly after, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach, which caused the value of BTC to decrease by more than $2,000.
“Schemes of this nature threaten the health and integrity of our market system,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “SIM swap schemes threaten the financial security of average citizens, financial institutions, and government agencies. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can’t be caught. You will be caught, prosecuted, and will pay the price for the damage your actions create.”
“Council and his co-conspirators used sophisticated cyber means to compromise the SEC’s X account and posted a false announcement that distorted important financial markets,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Prosecuting those who seek to enrich themselves by threatening the integrity of digital assets through fraud is critical to protecting U.S. interests. The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable individuals who commit cyber fraud and harm investors.”
"Council brazenly used SIM-swapping and identity theft to manipulate the bitcoin market in an attempt to line his and his co-conspirators' pockets," said FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. "Today's sentencing shows that those who use the perceived anonymity of digital fraud to exploit public markets will be unmasked and brought to justice by the FBI."
“Today’s sentencing exemplifies SEC OIG’s commitment to holding bad actors accountable and maintaining the integrity of SEC programs and operations through thorough investigative oversight,” said SEC OIG Special Agent in Charge Amanda James. “We are committed to working with the SEC and other law enforcement partners to help the SEC effectively and efficiently deliver on its critical mission.”
Council admitted to attempting to perform additional SIM swaps in June 2024 in Alabama. In June 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Athens, Alabama, apartment where he resided. Agents recovered a fake identification card and a portable ID card printer. They also recovered a laptop computer.
Pursuant to the search warrant, agents searched the laptop and discovered templates for additional fake IDs along with internet searches for “SECGOV hack,” “telegram sim swap,” “how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI,” “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them,” “what are some signs that the FBI is after you,” “Verizon store list,” “federal identity theft statute,” and “how long does it take to delete telegram account.”
Council, aka “Ronin” and “Agiantschnauzer,” was arrested Oct. 17, 2024, and admitted to receiving about $50,000 to perform SIM swap. He pleaded guilty Feb. 10, 2025, in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered forfeiture of $50,000 and three years of supervised release with the condition that he not use computers to access the dark web or commit further identity fraud.
A SIM card is a chip that stores information identifying and authenticating a cell phone subscriber and connects a physical cell phone to a mobile carrier’s cellular and data network. A SIM swap attack fraudulently induces a mobile carrier to reassign a mobile phone number from a victim’s SIM card to a SIM card and telephone controlled by a criminal actor attempting to access valuable information associated with the victim’s telephone. SIM swapping groups conduct SIM swaps for the purpose of defeating multifactor authentication and/or two-step verification security features for social media and virtual currency accounts.
After convincing a mobile carrier to reassign a phone number to a new SIM card, members of the conspiracy generated password reset security authentication codes for online accounts and those codes were in turn sent to the telephone in the control of the criminal actor. Members of the SIM swap groups shared the security reset codes with one another to unlawfully access a victim’s internet connected accounts and complete the fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, the SEC-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Fraud Section’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, CCIPS Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Lauren Archer. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hundscheid from the Northern District of Alabama. Substantial assistance was provided by Cyber Fellow Paul M. Zebb III.
For more information on SIM swapping, go to: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411
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Two District Men Indicted on Drug, Firearms, Fentanyl Charges Following 2023 High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dremale Vanterpool, 27, and Torrance Brock, 23, both of the District, have been indicted on federal firearms and drug trafficking charges following a 2023 high-speed vehicle pursuit and foot chase in the District, resulting in the recovery of loaded firearms, cocaine, fentanyl, and other evidence of drug distribution.
Vanterpool is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brock is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on June 7, 2023, U.S. Capitol Police officers attempted to stop a gray Nissan Rogue believed to be linked to armed robberies in Delaware and Maryland. When officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit through Northeast and Southeast D.C.
After the vehicle became trapped by traffic in the 3400 block of Ely Place SE, Vanterpool and Brock fled on foot. Officers observed both men clutching their waistbands, suggesting they were concealing weapons.
Vanterpool was apprehended in the driveway of a nearby building after he was seen tossing a baseball-sized bag over a fence. Brock was detained shortly afterward. USCP officers ultimately recovered two loaded firearms—a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm and a Taurus G3C 9mm. They also located a baseball-sized bag containing more than 39 grams of cocaine.
Vanterpool was also found with a digital scale, two cell phones, approximately $605 in cash, and another bag with a powder identified to contain cocaine and fentanyl. Both men have prior felony convictions in North Carolina and are prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with support from the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
View indictment here.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.
Jury Finds District Woman Guilty of Felony-Enhanced Theft of over $700 from Target in Columbia HeightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Meredith Wilson, 52, of the District, was found guilty on May 14, 2025, by a Superior Court jury of second degree, in the first jury trial in more than a decade in the District for a count of felony-enhanced second-degree theft, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The charge carries a one-year mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2025.
According to the evidence, on June 27, Wilson stole more than $700 of jewelry, handbags, and household goods from the Target store in Columbia Heights.
Under the laws of the District of Columbia, a person convicted of theft in the first or second degree who has two or more prior convictions for theft can be prosecuted for felony-enhanced theft. Felony-enhanced theft carries with it a mandatory-minimum term of not less than one year of incarceration upon conviction. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree theft on two prior occasions, including in 2017 and 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Wilson’s two prior convictions for theft met the predicate for the felony-enhanced theft charge under which Wilson was convicted in the instant case.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason B.A. McCullough and Maggie E. Sullivan.
District Man Indicted for Felony Assault on a Senior Citizen at Navy Yard Metro Station Prior to Nationals GameRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Te’Vaughn Brown, 20, of the District, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court for assault with significant bodily injury on a senior citizen, a felony charge, in connection with an unprovoked attack on an elderly man last summer at Navy Yard Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
View indictment here.
The case is currently scheduled for a jury trial to begin on July 14, 2025. Brown is also currently pending trial in a separate case in Superior Court where he is facing misdemeanor charges for simple assault and theft.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:30 p.m., on Aug. 9, the victim exited a train at the station and encountered Brown sitting on the stairs leading from the platform to the mezzanine level. The victim attempted to maneuver around the defendant to ascend the stairs when he suddenly felt Brown grab his leg. The defendant proceeded to repeatedly punch the victim in his head and face before fleeing the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for multiple injuries, including a fractured nasal bone, a broken tooth, a contusion on his scalp, and a laceration in the inside of his mouth that required twenty stitches.
Brown will be arraigned on the felony charge before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Di Toro. If found guilty, the defendant faces a potential enhanced penalty for a crime of violence against a victim who was 65 years of age or older at the time of the offense. The enhancement allows for a punishment of a fine of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum fine otherwise authorized for the offense and a term of imprisonment of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum term otherwise authorized for the offense, or both.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Additional 12 Defendants Charged in RICO Conspiracy for over $263 Million Cryptocurrency Thefts, Money Laundering, Home Break-InsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A four-count superseding indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, charges 12 additional people – Americans and foreign nationals – for allegedly participating in a cyber-enabled racketeering conspiracy throughout the United States and abroad that netted them more than $263 million. Several were arrested this week in California, while two remain abroad and are believed to be living in Dubai.
The superseding indictment and the arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office.
The defendants, listed below, face charges that include RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The superseding indictment adds charges originally brought against Malone Lam on Sept. 19, 2024.
According to the superseding indictment, the enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through March 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms.
Members of the enterprise held different responsibilities. The various roles included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, money launderers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets.
Database hackers hacked websites and servers to obtain cryptocurrency-related databases or purchased databases on the darkweb. Organizers and target identifiers organized and collated information across the databases to determine the most valuable targets. Callers cold-called victims and used social engineering to convince them their accounts were the subject of cyberattacks and the enterprise callers were attempting to help secure their accounts. Money launderers received the stolen crypto currency and turned it into fiat U.S. currency in the form of bulk cash or wire transfers.
According to the indictment, members and associates of the enterprise used the stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 and $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from $100,000 to $3.8 million.
According to the indictment, members of the enterprise laundered stolen cryptocurrency proceeds by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks to mask their true identities.
The indictment alleges that in one instance on Aug. 18, 2024, Malone Lam and contacted a victim in D.C. and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin -- worth over $230 million at the time. In another instance in July 2024, Malone Lam and others are accused of stealing over $14 million in cryptocurrency from an additional victim.
The indictment alleges that members of the enterprise also committed home break-ins. As alleged in the Indictment, Marlon Ferro traveled to New Mexico in July 2024 and broke into a victim’s home to steal their hardware virtual currency wallet while Lam monitored the victim’s location by logging into his iCloud account.
The superseding indictment also alleges that the enterprise engaged in significant money laundering activity. Kunal Mehta, Hamza Doost, Joel Cortez, and Evan Tangeman are alleged to have engaged in unlicensed crypto-to-cash services for the enterprise, obtained luxury rental homes for members of the enterprise using fake identity documents, booked private jet travel with stolen cryptocurrency for the enterprise, concealed ownership of exotic cars by registering them in shell company names, and shipped bulk cash through US mail to members of the enterprise hidden in squishmallow stuffed animals.
Following his arrest in September 2024 and continuing while in pretrial detention, Lam is alleged to have continued working with members of the enterprise to pass and receive directions, collect stolen cryptocurrency, and to have enterprise members buy luxury Hermes Birkin bags and hand deliver them to his girlfriend in Miami, Florida.
This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.
If found guilty, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants
NAME, AGE, & ALLEGED ROLEAKAsHOMETOWNCHARGESMalone Lam, 20, Social Engineering, Organizer“King Greavys,” “$$$,” “7,” “Kg,” “Anne Hathaway”Miami, Florida,
Los Angeles, Calif.,
Singapore
RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsMarlon Ferro, 19, Money Laundering, Residential Burglary“Marlo,” “GothFerrari”Santa Ana, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsHamza Doost, 21, Money Laundering“Scyllia”Hayward, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsConor Flansburg, 21, Database Hacker, Caller, and Organizer“O O,” “Green Room,” “@d0uu0b”Newport Beach, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudKunal Mehta, 45, Money Laundering“Papa,” “The Accountant,” “Shrek,” “Neil”Irvine, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsEthan Yarally, 18, Caller“Rand,” “15%”Richmond Hill, New YorkRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudCody Demirtas, 19, Caller“KO,” “Kody”Stuart, FloridaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudAakash Anand, 22, Caller, Money Laundering“Light,” “Dark”N/A
RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsEvan Tangeman, 21, Money Laundering“E,” “Tate,” “Evan | Exchanger”Newport Beach, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsJoel Cortes, 21, Money Laundering“J”Laguna Niguel, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsFirst Name Unknown-1 , Last Name Unknown-1, Database Hacker“Chen,” “Squiggly”UnknownRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsFirst Name Unknown-2 , Last Name Unknown-2, Database Hacker“Danny” “Meech”UnknownRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsJohn Tucker Desmond, 19, Destroyed Evidence-
Huntington Beach, CaliforniaObstruction of Justice24cr417
Drive-By Shooters Who Sprayed Bullets Near a Southeast Washington D.C. Elementary School Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rasheed Mullins, 27, and Josiah Warfield, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months and 100 months in prison, respectively, for participating in an April 2024 daylight drive-by shooting near an elementary school in Southeast D.C.
The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mullins and Warfield both pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to single counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered them each to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Mullins was at the wheel of a red Kia SUV as it drove near the 2800 block of Bruce Place, SE. Warfield and another male conspirator were passengers in the vehicle. About 11:25 a.m., Mullins began to chase a grey Mercedes. Warfield, armed with a Glock 19, and the other man, wielding a Draco assault rifle, leaned out of the SUVs windows and fired multiple shots at the Mercedes, hitting it three times.
Mullins continued to chase the Mercedes until losing control of the SUV and crashing it near where two PGPD detectives were standing as they were investigating an unrelated case. The three men bailed out of the SUV and ran into a nearby wooded area where the officers arrested them.
This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Jared English.
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Former Owner of District Marijuana Dispensary Pleads Guilty to over $1.2 Million in Federal Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jennifer Brunenkant, 68, the founder and former owner of Herbal Alternatives II, LLC, a marijuana dispensary licensed in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in connection with her years-long failure to pay federal income and employment taxes associated with her business.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Washington D.C. Office.
Brunenkant, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan to attempting to evade or defeat tax. Judge AliKhan will determine any sentence for Brunenkant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Brunenkant is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20, 2025.
In pleading guilty, Brunenkant admitted that, from tax years 2017 to 2021, she failed to pay federal income and employment taxes that were due to the IRS in connection with substantial income she received from, and employees she had with, Herbal Alternatives II. Brunenkant further attempted to evade paying those taxes by falsely attesting on her annual Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax Forms, filed in the District of Columbia, that she had filed her federal income tax returns – when in fact she had not. Brunenkant continued trying to avoid detection when she repeatedly told law enforcement during a July 2023 interview that she had filed her returns.
At Brunenkant’s sentencing hearing the government will seek restitution of more than $1.2 million, money due for Brunenkant’s unpaid federal income and employment taxes.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Kelly.
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DC U.S. Attorney Ed Martin’s Prepared Remarks at a May 13 Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
[WASHINGTON] U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., held a May 13 press conference at the Patrick Henry Building here to discuss his tenure as the District of Columbia’s top federal and local prosecutor, the quality-of-life challenges facing the district under its current Home Rule ordinance and the recent immigration actions taken.
These are his remarks as prepared:
When President Donald J. Trump asked me to be his U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, I immediately accepted because I knew it was a tip of the spear assignment—and I knew if I did the job the way President Trump wanted done, it would get plenty of attention—and so has.
I am proud of what we have done to Make DC Safe Again.
The president has given me a new assignment as the Director of the Weaponization Working Group and the DOJ Pardon Attorney.
I loved my job as D.C.’s U.S. Attorney, but I am really going to love how judge Jeanine Pirro takes up mission with her passion and intelligence and real-world experience as a prosecutor and judge. She really is amazing. I have already been working with her.
My motivation to speak to you today is twofold: First, I wish to highlight our success in fighting illegal immigration. Second, I wish to express my concern that too many bad guys are being let go by our courts – specifically, I note two Fentanyl dealers found in possession of illegal machines guns.
We have recently completely an illegal immigration initiative. I salute the brave men and women of law enforcement who are making D.C. safer by capturing illegal aliens – including 189 in the last week alone.
I want to commend Jonathan Hornok, the head of my criminal section, and our national and local law enforcement partners for the successful execution of operation restore justice here in the district.
However, I want to warn the district residents that the D.C. local leadership has made D.C. a Sanctuary City. This makes D.C. more dangerous not safer. It needs to change and now.
My second point deals with the deteriorating role of our justice system – specifically the courts – in putting bad guys away. Recently, two Fentanyl dealers found in possession of multiple guns were not detained in court. This soft on crime decision making is dangerous. It needs to change.
The president was gracious recently to remind people we reduced crime 25 percent in the president’s first 100 Days—but it was not easy. it took attention and resources— law enforcement and our prosecutors had to focus on getting bad actors off the streets. We need help with this.
Congress gave the District of Columbia Home Rule, but with that comes the responsibility to the city’s residents, businesses and workers—and a responsibility to the rest of the country to cherish our nation’s capital.
When the district’s leadership exploited home rule to make Washington a Sanctuary City—they acted as if Washington is just another city—it is not. When our justice system thinks justice is a revolving door when bad actors like the ones with guns and Fentanyl get back on the streets, we have a problem.
As we approach the president’s America250 celebration, there needs to be a robust discussion about D.C.’s Sanctuary City status and its justice system —and if that means Home Rule goes away, so be it.
With that, I am ready to take your questions.
DC U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Announces the 15th Annual Anti Violence Youth Summit ‘Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful’Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is pleased to announce its upcoming 15th Annual Anti Violence Youth Summit, titled ”Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful “ scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m., and the program will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
The summit will be held at The Catholic University of America in the Pryzbyla Center, where it has been successfully hosted in previous years.
“The Youth Summit empowers everyone, especially our youth, to take part in the President’s initiative to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful,” said U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr.
“Now in its 15th year, the Youth Summit empowers young people with vital information and tools to build safer, stronger communities,” said Supervisory Community Outreach Specialist Baretta Francis. “This summit brings together youth, community organizations, law enforcement and other partner organizations to address issues impacting youth throughout the District and will focus on a variety of subjects, including opioid abuse prevention, gun violence prevention, and mental health awareness.”
“The Catholic University of America values its years-long partnership with the USAO on the Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Youth Summit held each summer on our campus in Northeast, DC,” said Jacques Moore, Office of Events and Conference Services at Catholic University.
189 Arrested in Immigration Crackdown Under the 'Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful' InitiativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr. joined with other federal law enforcement leaders to announce today that as a result of a joint federal law enforcement initiative, authorities arrested 189 individuals following a joint federal immigration-related enforcement operation in the District of Columbia over the past week.
As part of the operation, authorities apprehended 189 illegal aliens during an enhanced targeted immigration enforcement operation focusing on egregious criminal alien offenders operating in and around Washington, D.C., May 6–9.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and this administration’s focus on law and order, these arrests represent a major step forward in making Washington, D.C., safer for legal citizens and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “These arrests make clear that violating our nation’s immigration laws will not be ignored.”
“The District of Columbia is exponentially safer today because of countless hours of investigative work and dedication to duty displayed by ICE Washington, D.C., and our law enforcement partners,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., Field Office Director Russell Hott. “Working with our partner agencies, ICE officers and agents arrested 189 illegal aliens and removed them from the streets of our Nation’s Capital. Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in the city of Washington, D.C. Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. I commend the efforts of everyone involved, as all were truly committed to the success of this operation. ICE Washington, D.C., remains dedicated to our mission of prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing criminal offenders from our Nation’s Capital and surrounding communities.”
Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include the following:
• A 47-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien whose criminal history includes drug possession, illegal reentry, aggravated assault, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and sexual assault. His current criminal charges include unlawful reentry of a previously deported alien, disorderly conduct, lewd acts, possession of a controlled substance, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possessing an open container. Additionally, he has numerous gang-affiliated tattoos on his arms, legs, and chest.
• A 25-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien whose criminal history includes threat to kidnap, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, threats to bodily harm, and simple assault. He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.
• A 30-year-old illegally present Salvadoran alien whose criminal history includes simple assault, driving while intoxicated, brandishing a machete, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.
• A 36-year-old illegally present Mexican alien whose criminal history includes misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor indecent exposure, possession of an open container, simple assault, theft, unlawful entry, and possession of a prohibited weapon (knife). He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.
This law enforcement activity is part of President Donald Trump’s Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Executive Order. The Executive Order directs a coordinated federal effort to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and restore pride in the nation’s capital through targeted enforcement, improved policing, and strategic partnerships. It also calls for the beautification of public spaces, stricter enforcement of quality-of-life laws, and the removal of graffiti and encampments on federal lands to ensure D.C. remains clean, secure, and reflective of America's strength and heritage.
Participating agencies include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Virginia Department of Corrections; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; and U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
All charges are merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Honors Law Enforcement During National Police Week CeremoniesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. joined leaders from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in commemorating National Police Week by attending events honoring the sacrifice and service of law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
“The health and well-being of our law enforcement officers directly impacts the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “Few vocations are as important in our society as policing. All members of our local, state, and federal public safety community deserve our thanks and respect.”
The week honors the law enforcement community with special recognition of those who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. In 1962, Congress created National Police Week and designated May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
On May 13, 2025, U.S. Attorney Martin will attend the Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall in honor of fallen officers. On May 15, he will attend the annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol and later the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
Last week, U.S. Attorney Martin attended a memorial service on May 5, 2025, at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. On May 6, 2025, he attended the annual Blue Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and a service at the U.S. Capitol honoring U.S. Capitol Police officers who died in the line of duty.
This year, National Police Week is observed from Sunday, May 11, to Saturday, May 17, 2025.
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 64 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2024 — a 6.6% increase from 2023.
For comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the newly released 2024 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. To access the FBI's 2024 report, visit www.fbi.gov.
The names of all fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2025.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Rioter Sentenced for Damaging U.S. Government Property During Protest at Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 25, of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to four months of probation, 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $525 in restitution for destruction of federal property. On July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag, which was property of the U.S. government, by setting it on fire in front of Union Station in the District as a crowd surrounded him chanting, “Burn that sh--.”
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Snow pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to destruction of government property (less than $1,000).
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Avenue. and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators gathered in Columbus Circle. They pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles, burned the flags and other objects, sprayed graffiti on multiple statues and structures, and interfered with law enforcement trying to place the vandals under arrest.
The flags, the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23.
Open-source and surveillance video captured images of two individuals lowering an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. The flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. A man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters.
He threw the flag onto the ground, produced a lighter, and attempted to set the flag ablaze. Unsuccessful, he yelled: I need a better lighter! The crowd surrounding the man chanted, Burn that sh--!
Someone handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to torch it.
On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform X posted pictures of the incident. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Snow.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Brendan Horan.
Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard.
Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire.
Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the burning American flag.
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. to Pay $3.6 Million to Resolve Allegations that It Violated the False Claims Act in Connection with Marketing its Fentanyl ProductRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced on May 5, 2025, that Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Depomed, Inc., a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and FBIActing Assistant Director Darren Cox of the Criminal Investigative Division.
Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that between 2013 and 2017, Assertio caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl, known as TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted.
The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that, as a result of Assertio’s marketing, prescribers wrote Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain and that Assertio therefore caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and TRICARE from high-volume thirteen prescribers.
“This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “My office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.”
“The Department is committed to pursuing companies that contributed to the tragic opioid epidemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Roth. “This resolution demonstrates that companies that recklessly marketed powerful opioids, like fentanyl, will be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, which continues to plague our country today.”
“As today's settlement demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating violations of the False Claims Act,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office. “We will continue holding companies accountable for fraudulent marketing that puts patients at risk.”
“Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2017 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Depomed as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc., No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). The relators’ share of these proceeds has not yet been determined.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch - Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The FBI, led by its Washington Field Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution.
Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law.
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia, Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Assertio Therapeutics Inc. Agrees to Pay $3.6M to Resolve Allegations that It Violated the False Claims Act in Connection with Marketing its Fentanyl ProductRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Assertio Therapeutics Inc., formerly known as Depomed Inc., (Assertio), a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain.
Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that, between 2013 and 2017, Assertio, which was known as Depomed at the time, caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted. The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that Assertio’s marketing efforts caused prescribers to write Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain, resulting in the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE from thirteen high-volume prescribers.
“This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic, said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Our office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.”
“At a time when communities across the country are still dealing with the devasting impact of the opioid epidemic, pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” said Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This settlement reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health and holding those accountable who fuel addiction and defraud federal healthcare programs through deceptive marketing of powerful drugs like fentanyl.”
“Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Assertio as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc., No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). Pursuant to the settlement, relators will receive a $657,000 share of the settlement amount.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by its Washington Field Office; the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution.
Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia handled this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Last of Five Defendants Pleads Guilty in Pawn Shop Break-In, Theft of Arsenal of FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – CyJuan Hemsley, 18, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in connection with the December 2023 break-in and burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hemsley, pleaded guilty May 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to one count of possession of stolen firearms.
Others who pleaded guilty in the conspiracy include District residents Tyjuan McNeal, 28, Vincent Alston 23, Niquan Odumn 23, and Juwon Anderson, 22.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled Hemsley’s sentencing hearing for August 6, 2025.
According to court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, the co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 of the firearms.
The co-conspirators later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen firearms. Hemsley was arrested on March 22, 2024, and has been detained since. To date, law enforcement has recovered 17 of the stolen guns.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.
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Former D.C.-Area Attorney Charged with Tax Crimes, Making False Statements to Federal AuthoritiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — An indictment was unsealed today charging attorney Richard Graham Foote O’Donoghue with evading taxes on approximately $1 million of income, as well as filing false tax returns and making false statements to federal authorities. O’Donoghue previously lived in the District of Columbia, but currently lives in the United Kingdom. He was arrested on entering the United States today, based on the criminal charges.
The unsealing of the indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, from 2012 through 2015, O’Donoghue made substantial income first as an independent contractor for several non-U.S. businesses, including a defense contractor based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then as CEO of that contractor. While he was CEO, O’Donoghue allegedly also received significant bonuses and benefits including a car and driver and a rented luxury villa for his family.
The indictment alleges that O’Donoghue did not timely file tax returns for tax years 2012 through 2014. In 2016, however, O’Donoghue hired a return preparer to prepare tax returns for 2012 through tax year 2015. O’Donoghue allegedly provided false information to his return preparer about his employment and income. For example, O’Donoghue allegedly told the return preparer that he was the general manager of the company, not the CEO, and concealed his bonuses and the expenses the company paid on his behalf. These alleged lies allegedly caused the return preparer to prepare and file false tax returns for those years that underreported his income by approximately $1 million. Because O’Donoghue had previously made estimated payments, his false returns allegedly requested refunds from the IRS of more than $247,000 — much of which the IRS paid out.
The indictment further alleges that in February 2023, O’Donoghue made false statements about his income and other matters to law enforcement agents and Department of Justice prosecutors.
If convicted, O’Donoghue faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of subscribing to a false tax return, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements count. O’Donoghue 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 matter is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division.
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.
Former D.C.-Area Attorney Charged with Tax Crimes and Making False Statements to Federal AuthoritiesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging an attorney with evading taxes on approximately $1 million of income, as well as filing false tax returns and making false statements to federal authorities. Richard Graham Foote O’Donoghue previously lived in Washington, D.C., but currently lives in the United Kingdom. He was arrested on entering the United States on May 9, based on the criminal charges.
The following is according to the indictment: from 2012 through 2015, O’Donoghue made substantial income first as an independent contractor for several non-U.S. businesses, including a defense contractor based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then as CEO of that contractor. While he was CEO, O’Donoghue also allegedly received significant bonuses and benefits including a car and driver and a rented luxury villa for his family.
According to the indictment, O’Donoghue did not timely file tax returns for tax years 2012 through 2014. In 2016, however, O’Donoghue hired a return preparer to prepare tax returns for 2012 through tax year 2015. O’Donoghue allegedly provided false information to his return preparer about his employment and income. For example, O’Donoghue allegedly told the return preparer that he was the general manager of the company, not the CEO, and concealed his bonuses and the expenses the company paid on his behalf. These lies allegedly caused the return preparer to prepare and file false tax returns for those years that underreported his income by approximately $1 million. Because O’Donoghue had previously made estimated payments, his false returns allegedly requested refunds from the IRS of more than $247,000 — much of which the IRS paid out.
The indictment further alleges that in February 2023, O’Donoghue made false statements about his income and other matters to law enforcement agents and Department of Justice prosecutors.
If convicted, O’Donoghue faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of subscribing to a false tax return, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements count. O’Donoghue 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.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
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.
Sex Trafficker Who Supplied His Prostitutes with Heroin Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. – Johnny Lee Gibson, 58, whose last known residence was in Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months in federal prison for sex-trafficking women who he kept under his control by supplying them with narcotics.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gibson, aka “Preach,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. In addition to the 90-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Gibson to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Gibson recruited drug-addicted women to work as prostitutes for his commercial sex enterprise that operated in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. The enterprise ran from 1994 until Gibson’s arrest at a motel in Brooklawn, New Jersey, on July 25, 2024.
Gibson placed online advertisements offering the women’s sexual services. Some ads ran on websites that targeted the DMV. In 2019, he ran ads in the District touting one woman that stated “100% Real and always discreet, always on time, fresh, and looking my very best. I always aim to please…”
When he was arrested in July 2024, Gibson gave a recorded statement in which he admitted to sex trafficking five women, acting as a pimp, procuring drugs for them, and controling the women by providing access to drugs.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Ditzler Shinskie and Rachel Forman.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Traveling to the District of Columbia for Sex with ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96-months in federal prison in connection with traveling to sexually abuse a six-year-old girl in the District of Columbia.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Scott pleaded guilty October 16, 2024, to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Scott to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024 Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. The man actually was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations with the undercover officer about sexually abusing the purported child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in the District where he was arrested.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Paul V. Courtney.
24cr287
District Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Unlawful Possession of Six FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Anthony Shorter Jr., 36, a resident of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to two felony charges related to armed drug distribution. The plea, which comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative, was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Shorter pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan to distribution of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Judge Sooknanan set the sentencing hearing for August 28, 2025.
As part of his plea, Shorter admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute 2.75 pounds of marijuana, two jars of THC wax, and 29.8 grams of suspected dimethylpentylone, a synthetic designer drug also referred to as “boot.” The drugs were recovered by MPD officers on Jan. 28, 2025, inside Shorter’s 2022 Infiniti SUV.
Shorter further admitted to possessing a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an Aero Precision 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 36 rounds, a Del Ton 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 15 rounds, and a “double drum” 100-round capacity magazine containing 94 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. All were recovered from inside the same SUV.
Shorter also admitted to possessing with intent to distribute 30 grams of synthetic cannabinoids, 28 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 18 grams of suspected “boot” in his apartment which was searched by MPD officers after his arrest. In addition, he admitted to possessing a Ruger 5.7x28mm handgun loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition, an FNH 5.7x28mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 20 rounds, two disassembled AR-15 style rifles chambered for 5.56mm ammunition, three rifle magazines loaded with a total of 57 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and a handgun magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Shorter is a previously convicted felon and has two prior convictions for assaulting police officers.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
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Bay State Resident Charged in Alleged Attempt to Assassinate a Cabinet Member Nominee at the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ryan Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was charged in a two-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the Grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. The charges are related to English’s Jan. 27, 2025, alleged attempt to take a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the building for the purposes of attacking a presidential cabinet nominee.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police. English, who is in custody, had an initial court appearance this afternoon.
English, aka “Reily,” is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon or incendiary device on the grounds of the Capitol and unlawful possession of an incendiary device.
According to the charging documents, on January 27, 2025, about 3:12 p.m., English approached a U.S. Capitol Police Officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building and stated “I’d like to turn myself in.” English further admitted to possessing a knife and two “Molotov cocktails.”
Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, as well as two improvised incendiary devices from the inside pockets of English’s jacket. The devices were constructed of 50 milliliter bottles of vodka with a grey cloth affixed to its top. Police recovered a green lighter from another pocket.
During the search, English allegedly confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a presidential nominee who was testifying before the U.S. Senate. Police recovered a note to a family member in a pocket that said, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.”
English admitted to traveling to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing a government official or burning down a think-tank based in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virginia Man Charged with Traveling to the District to Have Sex with a Six-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Brockerman is charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2025, an undercover officer (UC) with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force was monitoring an online chat group where individuals were known to trade images and videos of children.
During the conversation with the undercover officer, Brockerman indicated that he has an interest in the sexual abuse of children. The undercover officer told Brockerman that he had a child that he had access to. Brockerman indicated to the undercover officer that he was willing to travel to D.C. to sexually abuse the child.
On April 29, 2025, police placed Brockerman under arrest after he traveled from his home in Virginia and met the UC at a pre-arranged location in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. It was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Charges Three Child Sex Offenders as Part of Nationwide Operation Restore Justice CrackdownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us.”
“There is no greater responsibility than protecting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. “The arrests made here in the District and across the country reflect our unwavering commitment to pursuing those who seek to exploit and harm the most vulnerable among us. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring these offenders to justice and to support the brave victims and families affected by these horrific crimes.”
In the District of Columbia, three individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:
- Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender and former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer living in the District, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and charged with sex trafficking children by force;
- Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl;
- Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on May 2, 2025, and federally charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials online.
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shooting of 5-Year Old Child and an Adult in 2024 Gets District Man 156 Month Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alante Partlow, 30, of the District, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 13 years in prison for shooting a 5-year-old child and an adult in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Partlow pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2024, to two counts of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Robert Okun ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Partlow agreed, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on April 23, 2024, the adult victim and a 5-year-old child were walking out of an apartment building in the Fort Totten neighborhood, after the adult had argued with Partlow. Partlow followed the victims outside and then fired multiple shots at the adult victim. The adult tried to shield the child and sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The child also sustained injuries.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin 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. Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case.
This law enforcement activity is part of President Donald J. Trump’s Make DC Safe and Beautiful Executive Order. The Executive Order directs a coordinated federal effort to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and restore pride in the nation’s capital through targeted enforcement, improved policing, and strategic partnerships.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with Sex Trafficking Children by ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender living in the District of Columbia, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and related counts. The alleged offenses occurred between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barnhill, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts and financially profited from those commercial sex acts.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Previously Convicted Violent Offender Sentenced to 18 1/2-Year Prison Term for November 2023 Shooting in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerry Tyree, 46, of the District, was sentenced May 6, 2025, to 18 1/2 years* in prison for shooting the victim once in the genitals on Nov. 29, 2023 in the 5900 block of Foote Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Tyree was found guilty in September 2024 by a D.C. Superior Court jury of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and attempted possession of liquid PCP. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur also ordered eight years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant met the victim at the intersection of Eastern Avenue, NE and Foote Street, NE shortly before 2:00 p.m., on Nov. 29, 2023. The two engaged in a consensual sexual encounter in a nearby building shortly thereafter. Tyree then accused the victim of robbing him, and when the victim denied doing so, the defendant pulled out a small silver handgun and shot the victim directly in the genitals. Tyree then fled the scene. Police were called by a neighbor and the victim was transported to the hospital, where the victim underwent multiple surgeries.
A month later, on Dec. 30, 2023, the defendant was arrested in possession of that same small silver handgun less than a mile from the shooting and in possession of several vials, including one that was partially filled with suspected PCP. Tyree was identified as the shooter from Nov. 29, 2023, based on an identification procedure, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence connecting him to the scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
*Based on the defendant’s prior convictions, including for voluntary manslaughter, the defendant was subject to a sentencing enhancement under D.C. law, which increased his mandatory minimum sentence to 10 years of incarceration and his statutory maximum sentence to 30 years of incarceration.
Pennsylvania Woman Charged in D.C. with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on May 2, 2025, and federally charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Spies is charged with distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, an undercover officer working with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online group
where people meet to discuss and trade original images and videos of underage children. While in the group, an individual later identified as Spies messaged the undercover officer indicating that she was interested in images that portrayed the sexual abuse of young children.
Spies subsequently distributed multiple images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of infants and toddlers.
This case is being investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Allentown Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.