District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced yesterday that it reached a civil settlement agreement with the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service (“HCNCS”) and the University of Hawaii (the “University”) whereby the University will pay $499,950 to resolve allegations that HCNCS and the University violated the False Claims Act by making false certifications to AmeriCorps that the agency’s grant and sub-grant funds were used for authorized purposes and in compliance with grant and sub-grant terms.  

“AmeriCorps grant funds are designated to help enrich and strengthen people’s lives, but instead were misappropriated under the University of Hawaii’s watch,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “By requiring the University to pay half a million dollars, this settlement underscores a clear message: institutions that receive federal grant money have a responsibility to ensure proper oversight and to report the use of those funds honestly and accurately.” 

The Office’s investigation of HCNCS and University oversight of AmeriCorps grant and sub-grant funds arose from previous criminal prosecutions by this Office. In October 2021, a former Executive Director of HCNCS, Stacy Higa, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of AmeriCorps grant funds, which he used in part on personal expenses. In addition, Hanalei Aipoalani, Program Director for Olelo Community Media, an AmeriCorps subgrantee, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to embezzling AmeriCorps program funds.  In April 2021, Aipoalani’s wife, Angelita Aipoalani, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle. AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General also found evidence of the improper use of AmeriCorps funds by another HCNCS subgrantee.   

During the period in which AmeriCorps grant and sub-grant funds were being misappropriated, the University submitted semi-annual Federal Financial Reports to AmeriCorps certifying the grant and sub-grant funds were used for authorized purposes and in compliance with grant and sub-grant terms. The United States contends that those certifications were knowingly false as a consequence of the HCNCS and the University conducting inadequate oversight and supervision. 

AmeriCorps is a federally funded network of national service programs that address critical community needs, such as increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, sustaining national parks, preparing for disasters, and more.  

“The egregious crimes committed by Aipoalanis and Higa could have been mitigated by the University with proper oversight of AmeriCorps programs and HCNCS staff,” said Michael Pritchard, Official Performing the Duties of the Inspector General. “This settlement demonstrates that when an organization accepts AmeriCorps grant funding, it has the responsibility to have the people, policies, and procedures in place to ensure that funding is spent appropriately. We appreciate the USAO-DC's partnership in protecting the integrity of national service.” 

The settlement built on the previous work of the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, the FBI Honolulu Field Office, and criminal prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  The resolution of this Office’s False Claims Act investigation resulted from the work of Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy J. Hurley. 

The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

WASHINGTON - Fan Yang, also known as "Jocelyn Yang," 35, and her husband, Jing Tian, 36, of Carmel, Indiana, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to charges arising from an insider trading conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Fan Yang abused her corporate position by tipping confidential, market‑moving information about a multi‑billion‑dollar acquisition, fueling an insider trading scheme that gave herself, her husband Jing Tian, and others an unfair advantage over the investing public,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Insider trading destroys confidence in our markets. We are committed to safeguarding market integrity and ensuring that individuals who exploit their access for personal gain are held fully accountable.” 

Yang and Tian pleaded guilty before Judge James E. Boasberg to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. As part of their plea agreements, both defendants have agreed to forfeit all traceable profits derived from the scheme pursuant to federal forfeiture laws.  The pair face a maximum of five years in prison when they are sentenced on January 15, 2027.   

According to court documents, Yang was employed as a Corporate Development Manager and Strategy Finance Controller at a manufacturer headquartered in Indiana. Beginning in late 2021, Yang obtained material non-public information (MNPI) through her position regarding the company’s confidential negotiations to acquire a Michigan-based automobile component manufacturer for $3.7 billion.  

In breach of her fiduciary duties, Yang used this confidential information for her own financial benefit and illegally tipped the information to her husband, Tian, who was also employed at the same manufacturing company. Yang and Tian, knowing the information was confidential, executed securities trades and tipped third parties.  

The conspiracy resulted in illicit trading across multiple individuals—including individuals in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Washington state, and overseas—who collectively generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits prior to the public announcement of the acquisition on February 22, 2022. In one WeChat message exchanged during the scheme, Yang calculated that their unlawful profits would be enough to buy a Tesla without needing a loan.   

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sridhar Kaza of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  

The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. 

25cr0369 

Andrei Samuilovski, 32, who has citizenship in Estonia, Switzerland, and Russia, pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to illegally export U.S.-origin aviation and aerospace parts to Russia in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Samuilovski pleaded guilty before Judge Carl J. Nichols to a one count information charging him with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. A sentencing date is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2027. Samuilovski faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, beginning in or around early 2022 and continuing through September 2024, Samuilovski and others conspired to supply prohibited Russian end users with aerospace-related components without first obtaining the required licenses from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). BIS regulates the export of U.S.-origin technologies, including aerospace parts and other items controlled for national security, regional stability, and anti-terrorism reasons. A license from BIS was required to export the aerospace commodities to Russia.

Samuilovski was a co-founder of ITC Middle East FZ-LLC (ITC). ITC was officially established in March of 2022, approximately four weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to increased Russian export restrictions and sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union, and other countries.

Between the founding of ITC and September 2024, there were dozens of shipments from various U.S. companies to ITC, as well as other shipments of U.S.-origin goods to ITC. The U.S.-origin items exported or reexported consisted primarily of export-controlled aerospace-related commodities with a cumulative value of nearly $2,000,000. These items were ultimately reexported to Russia.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division made the announcement.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the BIS.  

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia and Deputy Chief Sean Heiden and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

WASHINGTON — Andrei Samuilovski, 32, who has citizenship in Estonia, Switzerland and Russia, pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to illegally export U.S.-origin aviation and aerospace parts to Russia in violation of U.S. sanctions. 

Samuilovski pleaded guilty before Judge Carl J. Nichols to a one count information charging him with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. A sentencing date is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2027. Samuilovski faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. 

According to court documents, beginning in or around early 2022 and continuing through September 2024, Samuilovski and others conspired to supply prohibited Russian end users with aerospace-related components without first obtaining the required licenses from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). BIS regulates the export of U.S.-origin technologies, including aerospace parts and other items controlled for national security, regional stability, and anti-terrorism reasons. A license from BIS was required to export the aerospace commodities to Russia. 

Samuilovski was a co-founder of ITC Middle East FZ-LLC (ITC). ITC was officially established in March of 2022, approximately four weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to increased Russian export restrictions and sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union, and other countries. 

Between the founding of ITC and September 2024, there were dozens of shipments from various U.S. companies to ITC, as well as other shipments of U.S.-origin goods to ITC. The U.S.-origin items exported or reexported consisted primarily of export-controlled aerospace-related commodities with a cumulative value of nearly $2,000,000. These items were ultimately reexported to Russia. 

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division made the announcement. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the BIS.   

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia and Deputy Chief Sean Heiden and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. 

26-cr-188 

WASHINGTON – Today, Brittany Blalock, 35, of Washington, D.C., was ordered to pay $41,666 in restitution to Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC and sentenced to 48 months’ probation in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Blalock pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  

The prosecution of Brittany Blalock originated from federal law enforcement’s investigation into the wholesale fentanyl trafficking ring led by Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators.  Through intelligence sharing and financial tracking between the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, investigators uncovered evidence of Blalock’s financial crime. 

According to court papers, beginning in March 2021, Blalock conspired to apply for and receive forgivable PPP loans from the Small Business Administration. Blalock submitted false PPP loan applications on her own behalf and helped a co-conspirator submit fraudulent applications. 

In March and April 2021, Blalock submitted two PPP loan applications to a small business lender in which she falsely claimed her sole proprietorship earned exactly $100,000 in 2020. Based on the falsified tax form, the lender approved and disbursed two loans of $20,833 each to Blalock. 

Blalock then helped her co-conspirator, Karon Blalock, obtain his own SBA-approved bank account credentials and Social Security number in order to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications on his behalf. Using a falsified tax form claiming the same $100,000 in fraudulent sole proprietorship earnings, Karon Blalock received two additional PPP loan disbursements of $20,833 each, which he then used in furtherance of his fentanyl trafficking in the District of Columbia. Karon Blalock has pleaded guilty for his role in a multinational drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl-laced pills across the United States, and is set to be sentenced by Judge Kollar-Kotelly on October 6, 2026. 

In August 2021, Blalock submitted loan forgiveness applications for both of her PPP loans in which she falsely certified that she had complied with all program requirements. She also helped the co-conspirator submit forgiveness applications for his loans using the same false certifications. The lender approved all four forgiveness applications, and the Small Business Administration reimbursed the lender in full. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solomon S. Eppel and Matthew W. Kinskey. 

This investigation was led by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

26cr19 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Joseph Knight, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison in connection with two separate shootings and his unlawful possession of firearms as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            “Knowing full well he was barred from possessing a firearm, Joseph Knight shot one woman seven times and later shot another woman three times after pistol‑whipping her,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant posed a grave danger to our community, and he is now headed where he belongs: prison.” 

            Knight pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 120-month prison sentence, Judge Contreras ordered Knight to serve 5 years of supervised release.  

            According to court documents, on Sept. 18, 2024, Knight went to the Anacostia Library in Southeast to charge his cellphone, then left the library and met with a woman, identified in court papers as S.F.  

            Knight gave S.F. $5 to buy a synthetic stimulant known as “boot.” A dispute arose between the two. Knight pulled out a pistol and shot S.F. seven times, hitting her in both legs and both hands. He then fled. Officers found S.F. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Marion Barry Ave. SE. Police collected seven spent 9mm shell casings from the ground. 

            On Sept. 25, 2024, Anacostia Library security called police after spotting Knight. An officer approached Knight and asked to speak with him. Knight ran off. As Knight fled police, he tossed a satchel containing a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P pistol under a car. 

            On Nov. 11, 2024, a woman identified in court papers as T.C. called 911 after Knight shot her three times. Officers responded to the scene, about a block and a half from the library, and learned the woman had engaged in an argument with Knight as she changed the locks on her front door. The dispute escalated and Knight pulled out a 9mm firearm and pistol-whipped T.C. in the head. He then shot her in her abdomen, ankle, and upper thigh. 

            On Nov. 15, 2024, Metropolitan Police Officers arrested Knight for the September 18 and November 11 shootings.  During a police search, officers recovered a 9mm Canik METE MCS pistol from the waistband of Knight’s pants. 

            Knight has several prior felony convictions including a 2013 conviction for carrying a pistol outside a home or business and a 2016 conviction on four counts of robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. 

            The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Division.  

            The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English. 

                                                       Still photo taken by police body-worn camera on Sept. 25, 2024, in front of the Anacostia Library.  

                                                   The loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P pistol found in Knight’s discarded satchel on Sept. 25, 2024.  

                                                                 The 9mm Canik METE MCS pistol used in the November 11, 2024, shooting.  

25cr21 

WASHINGTON — Perry Young, owner and operator of the website “Forest Floor DC,” was charged in an indictment unsealed today for alleged drug trafficking operations involving illegal narcotics, including DMT, MDMA, marijuana, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, conducted near The Catholic University of America, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            “Today’s indictment underscores my office’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public from illegal drug trafficking operations that threaten the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant built a sophisticated online distribution network that delivered illicit substances directly into our neighborhoods, including proximity to Catholic University. This conduct endangers students, families, and the broader community, and it will be met with decisive action.” 

             Young, of the District of Columbia, is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Dimethyltryptamine, Distribution of Dimethyltryptamine and MDMA Within 1,000 Feet of a Private College, and Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute MDMA. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations seeking the surrender of illicit proceeds. Young made his initial appearance today before District Court Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya. 

            Young operated the website https://www.forestfloordc.com/, where customers could order Schedule I controlled substances, including marijuana, mushrooms, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Once an order was placed online, Young or an associate delivered the drugs in person. 

            During an undercover operation, law enforcement made several controlled drug purchases through the website, receiving in-person deliveries directly from Young and an associate. On one occasion, Young sold 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to an undercover officer. The alleged drug sales occurred within 1,000 feet of The Catholic University of America. 

            Search warrants were executed this morning at Young’s residence and a storage unit. Law enforcement discovered one Glock 43 handgun with a drum-style magazine, a Glock 43 magazine loaded with ammunition, and assorted ammunition and firearm accessories. Law enforcement also seized approximately $250,000 in U.S. currency and $200,000 in jewelry from Young. The warrants resulted in the seizure of approximately 18 pounds of marijuana, 74 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, 30 pounds of tetrahydrocannabinol “THC” and a large amount of packaging material and drug paraphernalia. 

            This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with valuable assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, Metro Transit Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service. 

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

WASHINGTON – Andrew Patrick, 38, of Washington, D.C., was convicted by a Superior Court jury yesterday of armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

The verdict follows a trial that occurred after the D.C. Court of Appeals reversed Patrick’s 2023 conviction for the same armed carjacking and remanded the case for a new trial. The Honorable Judge Judith Pipe scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2027, at 9:30 a.m.   

According to the government’s evidence, on September 22, 2022, the victim took her 2005 blue Chevy Suburban to the Good Hope Road gas station in Washington, DC. The defendant, dressed in a black jacket with white stripes and a hoodie, approached the victim and demanded her car keys while holding her at gunpoint. Patrick pushed her up against her own vehicle, took her keys, and drove away in the victim’s car. Investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department resulted in the arrest of the defendant within hours of the carjacking. He has been in custody since that time. 

In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  

The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Evans and Monisha H. Rao. 

2022 CF3 005665 

WASHINGTON – David Key, 39, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in D.C. Superior Court, on charges stemming from the death of 33-year-old Devon Greenfield in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

Key was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed and one count of second- degree murder while armed. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for November 20, 2026. 

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:04 p.m., on April 1, 2024, surveillance video captured Key and Mr. Greenfield, who knew each other, standing on the sidewalk in the 300 block of 61st Street NE. The defendant got in the victim’s face to yell at him and then slashed Mr. Greenfield in the face. As Mr. Greenfield lay dazed on the ground, Key ordered him to empty his pockets. When the victim did not comply, the defendant repeatedly stabbed the victim in the chest and back – including three stab wounds to the heart. After several minutes, Key walked off, and the victim collapsed dead on the curb of the street.  

Key was stopped two days later on April 3, 2024, wearing the same gray coat, black backpack, and black shoes he was wearing in the homicide video. He also had a knife in his left pocket that was consistent with the type of knife used to inflict the decedent’s injuries. DNA evidence from the crime scene further linked Key to the offense.   

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Clarke and Joshua Hall. 

2024 CF1 006346 

WASHINGTON – Tavon Valentine Lee, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison in connection with his possession of a loaded Glock 23 while participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Lee pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 60-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Lee to serve three years of supervised release.  

            According to court papers, beginning in the summer of 2024, the FBI launched an investigation into a large-scale cocaine conspiracy spanning the District, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York.  The investigation revealed that Lee possessed a firearm as he distributed gram quantities of cocaine, which he obtained from co-defendant Marcus Devonta Williams, in the D.C. area. Williams in turn received multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported from New York by co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree.  

            On March 24, 2025, law enforcement observed co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree meet with co-defendant Marcus Williams in a parking lot in Wilmington, Delaware.  After entering and remaining in Smith-Winfree's vehicle for about two minutes, co-defendant Williams left Smith-Winfree's vehicle and reentered his own Ford Raptor holding a brown paper bag.  The next day, on March 25, 2025, investigators followed co-defendant Williams to a parking lot in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he met briefly with Lee. Investigators witnessed Lee as he got into co-defendant Williams’ Ford Raptor empty-handed and emerge about two minutes later carrying a brown paper bag. Lee threw the bag into a trash can before driving off alone in a Mercedes SUV. 

            Investigators recovered the discarded bag. Inside, they found packaging materials consistent with kilogram-quantity distribution, cocaine residue on cutting instruments, and a parking receipt matching the license plate of the Williams’s Ford Raptor. 

            Montgomery County police officers stopped Lee’s Mercedes a short time later. A search of the vehicle turned up about 257 grams of cocaine, roughly 65 pills suspected to be counterfeit oxycodone, and a loaded Glock 23 handgun with an extended 15-round magazine. 

            Co-defendant Smith-Winfree pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Co-defendant Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 70 months in prison. 

            The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Washington Division Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department. 

            Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael L. Barclay, Daniel Seidel, and Anthony Scarpelli prosecuted this matter. 

25cr163 

WASHINGTON – Jamarea Grant, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison in connection with a kickback scheme in which he and his uncle, Kirk Perry, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director, conspired to bill the federal government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

            “Jamarea Grant conspired with his uncle to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He will now join his uncle behind bars for their attempt to exploit the government for personal gain. Fraud will not be tolerated, especially when those entrusted with government authority use their positions to commit it.” 

            Grant pleaded guilty on Nov. 27, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. In addition to the six-month prison term Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Grant to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319. Federal prosecutors had requested restitution and a prison term of six months.   

            Perry, 62, of Loraine, Ohio, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced on August 7, 2026, to 24 months in prison, and ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319. 

            “This corrupt fraud scheme siphoned nearly $400,000 in taxpayer funds to a no‑show job orchestrated by a federal official and a family member,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Public funds exist to serve the American people, not to enrich those who abuse positions of trust. Protecting the integrity of government programs is essential, and the Department will not tolerate schemes that betray that trust.” 

            “The sentence issued today reflects our continued commitment to thoroughly investigate fraud, waste, and abuse. This individual benefited from his family member in a government position by receiving payment for work he never performed. The USDA OIG is ensuring oversight is in place to uncover these deceptive fraud schemes and we will relentlessly investigate these types of allegations in order to safeguard taxpayer dollars. We are grateful to our partners at the USAO for their support in bringing this investigation to its culmination,” said Jeldrys Lowry, Special Agent in Charge for USDA OIG Sensitive Investigations Office. 

            According to court documents, Perry was a senior director within the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and used his position to secure employment for Grant as an Equal Opportunity Assistant. They billed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Grant received about $399,319 from the government for work that was not performed.  

            In pleading guilty, Perry and Grant admitted that, from August 2015 through November 2022, Perry arranged for Grant to be hired by two companies under contract with the USDA Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Grant reported directly to Perry, who also approved the invoices billing for Grant’s time, and the two of them conspired to bill the government for work that Grant did not perform. 

            Perry additionally had access to Grant’s bank account. As part of the criminal scheme Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant’s account to his own account. 

            This case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General Sensitive Investigations Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Kelly.  

            The Department of Justice in April announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.   

24cr223 

WASHINGTON – Cordell Simms, 32, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in prison for carrying a loaded semiautomatic pistol in a backpack while he was serving a period of supervised release and prohibited from possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Simms pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2025, before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 37-month sentence, Judge Sullivan ordered Simms to serve three years of supervised release.  

According to court documents, on Sept. 10, 2025, about 4:45 p.m. a Metropolitan Police officer responded to a report of a person with a gun in their waistband near 2nd and Farragut Streets NW. The officer canvassed the neighborhood in his marked cruiser and observed a man with a backpack – later identified as Simms. 

Simms spotted the police officer and handed his backpack to a minor child. The child immediately began walking toward the front door of a nearby home. The officer intercepted the child and told her to drop the backpack. Simms began to run and led police on a lengthy foot chase. 

Police caught and detained Simms and inspected the backpack. Inside the bag police recovered a Ruger SR40, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number that was fitted with a laser sight. The Ruger was loaded with one round in the chamber and 11 rounds in the magazine. 

Simms did not have a license to carry a firearm in the District. A criminal history check revealed he had been convicted of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, had been sentenced to 18 months in prison, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm of any sort. At the time of his arrest in this case, Simms also was on supervised release following convictions of simple assault, second degree theft, and two counts of contempt.  

This case was investigated by the MPD with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Eliopoulos of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section. 

Simms spotted the police officer and handed his backpack to a minor child. The officer intercepted the child and told her to drop the backpack.  

Inside Simms’ bag, police recovered a Ruger SR40, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol that was fitted with a laser sight. 

25cr321 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Davon Willis, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison, in D.C. Superior Court for charges related to strangling his pregnant girlfriend in August 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Willis was found guilty of one count attempted strangulation and one count of simple assault on June 23, 2026. The Honorable Carmen McLean ordered Willis to the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release. 

According to the government’s evidence, on August 4, 2025, Willis and his pregnant girlfriend were having a verbal argument, when the defendant put his hands around his pregnant girlfriend’s neck after pushing her on to the bed. The defendant did this in front of his own mother, who ultimately called the police. Unfortunately, this was not a unique incident – the defendant had strangled the victim just a few months prior, which went unreported until a later date.  

Willis was arrested on August 5, 2025, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Fultz, who prosecuted the case. 

2025 FD3 009005 

WASHINGTON – Kwesi Pyne, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, for a series of robberies committed in October 2023 and February 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

Pyne pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of armed robbery, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count each of assault with intent to commit robbery, attempted robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.  Each armed robbery offense carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.  

Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe scheduled sentencing for December 18, 2026.  

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:30 a.m., on October 30, 2023, Pyne approached the victim in the alley behind 940 Randolph Street NW. The victim was on his way to work when the defendant approached him from behind and demanded that he hand over his car keys. When the victim refused, Pyne struck him multiple times, insisting on the keys. A bystander attempted to intervene, until the defendant produced a firearm, pointed it at the victim, and again demanded the car keys from the victim. The victim complied and threw the keys away from himself, Pyne retrieved them and walked towards the victim’s car, and the victim followed. As the victim attempted to gain entry into his own car, on the passenger side, the defendant entered the vehicle and drove away. At the time of this offense, Pyne was 17 years old, and this offense was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office under Title 16 of the D.C. Code. 

On February 7, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Pyne approached another victim, as he was standing in an alleyway in the 3100 Block of Mount Pleasant Street NW, preparing to begin his work as a plumber. The defendant entered the alleyway, looked over the victim’s work tools and then turned to the victim. Pyne produced a firearm and demanded the victim’s wallet, and when the victim refused to hand it over, the defendant struck him in the face with the firearm before asking for it again. The defendant fled the scene without the wallet. The victim sustained a laceration to his face. 

On February 12, 2024, at approximately 5:35 p.m., Pyne and other accomplices rode to 915 Spring Road, NW, outside of Raymond Education Campus, on bicycles. The victim had just arrived at that location and parked her car, a black Honda CRV, on the side of the road. She went inside the school, leaving her car running. One member of the group entered the car without permission and drove it away. Later this same day, at approximately 9:30 p.m., three victims were standing nearby a liquor store on Mount Pleasant Street NW, waiting for a family member, when the stolen black Honda CRV arrived and Pyne got out of the driver’s seat. A second accomplice exited the rear passenger seat. Both Pyne and his accomplice were armed, and they approached the three victims. One of the victims began to run, but Pyne pursued him, dragging him to the ground by the backpack the victim was wearing. Pyne then tore the backpack off the victim while pointing the firearm at his head. At the same time, the accomplice, holding the other two victims at gunpoint, went through their pockets and took, among other things, one victim’s cell phone and wallet. Both Pyne and his accomplice then re-entered the stolen CRV, with the victims’ belongings, and Pyne drove away.  

Pyne was arrested on February 16, 2024, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey Comber. 

2024 CF3 001561 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, together with the Crown Prosecution Service of England & Wales and the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Scam Center Strike Force and its United Kingdom counterparts. The MOU is the first-of-its kind related to international cooperation on disabling scam centers committing cryptocurrency and cyber-enabled investment fraud (CIF) and other schemes, which are ravaging the American people of approximately $10 billion in losses per year.   

            "The United Kingdom is one of our oldest allies and partners. We've stood side by side to bring down global threats in multiple wars, and today we commit to stand together in the war on transnational organized crime, " said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. "Together we will disable the Chinese TOC networks that are operating these scam compounds and depriving our citizens of their hard earned funds, all while using human-trafficked labor to increase their profit. Standing together, we are invincible.” 

            At an event earlier today, hosted at the residence of Sir Christian Turner KCMG, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, U.S. Attorney Pirro was joined by Crown Prosecutor for England and Wales Stephen Parkinson and National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar, who signed the MOU along with Pirro on behalf of their respective agencies. Under the terms of the MOU, each will conduct parallel investigation into common targets, share information targeting of organized crime syndicates, discuss which jurisdictions to bring specific cases of common interest, and generally prioritize cases on this threat to achieve mutual results.  

            Both the UK and US counterparts had already identified significant cases of overlap, and committed to joining forces for an in-person disruption event with private industry partners, hosted by the National Crime Agency in London in early October. The MOU and joint efforts mark a new phase of international partnerships for the Scam Center Strike Force, which seeks to maximize impact by building a coalition of like-minded prosecution and investigative teams.  

  ********************************************** 

About the Scam Center Strike Force 

            The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.   

            According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cyber-enabled fraud schemes were responsible for almost 85% of all losses reported to IC3 in 2025. Within that category, CIF schemes have continued to grow, and the IC3 calculated the reported losses from CIF scams rose, from $4.57 billion in 2023, to $8.65 billion in 2025, an increase of 89%.[1] These figures, largely based on losses reported by victims, likely significantly under-represent the true loss amounts incurred by Americans, since most fraud victims do not report to IC3, if at all. 

            On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.  

            Founded by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the Strike Force has been joined it its work by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations-DC, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.   

            The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.   

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force. 

WASHINGTON – Marshall Day, 40, of Largo, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 108 months in federal prison in connection with his possession of six videos on his cell phone that depicted child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Day, aka “KingDaddy89” and “Mike LeRoy,” pleaded March 12, 2026, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to one count of transportation of child pornography. In addition to the 108-month prison sentence, Judge Cobb ordered Day to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.  

According to court documents, on Oct. 8, 2025, Day logged into a fetish website and attempted to arrange a sexual encounter. One of the people with whom Day exchanged messages asked Day if he was “into taboo” because he had a “girl in his life.” Day replied that he was “very much into taboo” and had “no hard limits.” As the chat continued, the individual explained that he had a nine-year-old daughter and “when we play its more like a game.”  

After further text messages, on October 9, Day exchanged phone numbers with the person and arranged to meet in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood so that he could sexually abuse the purported girl. On October 10, Day arrived at the prearranged meeting spot. A man sitting nearby asked Day if he was “Mike.” When Day indicated that he was, law enforcement from the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation Task Force arrested him. 

While traveling from Maryland to the District, Day had his cell phone in his possession. In the phone’s download folder, Day had stored six videos depicting child sex abuse that he had downloaded during the previous two days and a pair of still images of child pornography he had downloaded earlier that year. Day acknowledged that he had no legal justification for having the files on his phone as he traveled from Maryland into the District that day. 

This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Kelley.  

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.  

25cr343 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Richeline Anisso Fung, 46, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and formerly of Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims while working as a full-time employee for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS-CISA), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

“Richeline Fung stole a quarter‑million dollars from the American taxpayer, and today she stands as a convicted felon who will be required to pay full restitution,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Let this be unmistakable: if you defraud the American people, federal agents will come knocking. Nationwide initiatives across federal agencies are rapidly detecting, rooting out, and prosecuting wrongdoing to protect every taxpayer dollar as part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.” 

The Honorable Sparkle Sooknanan accepted Fung’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Jan. 20, 2027.  

“No profession is immune from prosecution,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Richeline Fung abused her positions as a federal employee and government contractor to steal nearly $250,000 from the U.S. government. Public service is a public trust, not an opportunity to defraud American taxpayers. We will continue to hold accountable anyone who defrauds the United States, regardless of title or agency.” 

According to court documents, Fung was a full-time DHS-CISA employee between September 2016 and October 2025. She lived in Maryland when she started working for DHS-CISA but moved to Florida. Between January 2021 and August 2024, Fung served in multiple federal government contractor positions despite being a full-time U.S. government employee with DHS-CISA. She worked as a contractor for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). She served in these positions as a direct employee or as an independent contractor/consultant through her business RAF Pro-Consulting, LLC, which she incorporated in Florida in 2020.  

In connection with her employment, Fung submitted timesheets certifying the number of hours she worked each pay period. Fung routinely overstated those hours, even claiming to work more than 24 hours in a single day on multiple occasions.  

For example, in February 2022, Fung was employed by DHS-CISA and three different federal contractors performing work for USDA, FHWA, and DOJ. For that month alone, Fung’s combined hours totaled more than 24 hours in a single day on 15 occasions. Shockingly, she claimed to work 33 hours on February 7, 8, 9, and 10, and 32 hours on February 11.  

Fung admitted that she concealed her employment with DHS-CISA and the federal contractors from each other. She also acknowledged that she was able to conceal her employment because she teleworked for all the positions during the relevant period.  

Fung also admitted that her criminal conduct caused the U.S. government to suffer a loss of nearly a quarter million dollars. As part of her plea agreement, she must pay full restitution.  

This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for AmeriCorps, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI Washington Field Office. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.  

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

26cr177 

WASHINGTON – Alvin Ponson, 67, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 50 months in prison in connection with the armed robberies of two fast-food restaurants in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Ponson pleaded guilty on May 29 before Judge Tanya Chutkan to interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). In addition to the prison term, Judge Chutkan ordered Ponson to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested an 87-month prison sentence. 

According to court documents, Ponson was carrying a black handgun when he entered the Chipotle restaurant on the 2300 block of Washington Place NE, just before 7 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2026. Ponson ordered a cashier to “open the register.” The cashier refused to comply. Ponson left without any of the restaurant’s money.   

Minutes later, Ponson walked into the adjacent Jersey Mike’s hoagie shop on the 2300 block of Washington Place NE. Ponson told the Jersey Mike’s cashier that he was picking up an order. The cashier went to look for it. When the cashier returned, Ponson was pointing his handgun at her. The cashier ran to the back of the store. Ponson approached another employee and ordered “Give me all that sh---!” The employee handed over cash from the register and Ponson fled in the direction of the Rhode Island-Brentwood Metro Station.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Washington Metro Transit Police with the valuable assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation- Washington Field Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand.  

Surveillance photo of the Jersey Mike’s armed robbery. 

26cr115  

Note: Please see seizure affidavits below.

March 25, 2025 link

June 25, 2025 link

Oct. 10, 2025 link

July 29, 2026 link

August 18, 2026 link

WASHINGTON — Today the Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing scheme by Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas) –— a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization — to raise funds for terrorist operations and recruit supporters. As part of the Department’s efforts, over $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations destined for Hamas were seized and its fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites were disrupted. Hamas originally controlled the seized infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses on behalf of its military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. 

“These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.”

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.” 

“Hamas relied on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world and move that money outside the formal financial system,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI's Cyber Division. “The FBI seized online infrastructure and $560,000 in cryptocurrency, capturing donations intended for the organization. The FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.” 

“Reducing the capabilities of foreign terrorist organization's ability to receive donations and creating distrust in communications to their donors was the primary focus of this latest operation,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This continued success demonstrates the unwavering commitment and determination of the FBI in fighting terrorism. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to shut off the flow of funds to this group and protect the American people.”

As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform directed supporters to a fundraising website and provided donors with a rotating set of cryptocurrency donation addresses. As described in the three unsealed cryptocurrency seizure warrants, on March 25, 2025, June 25, 2025, and Oct. 10, 2025, investigators used information from multiple human sources to identify, trace, and seize approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended to support Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades.

In conjunction with these seizures, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office worked with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers the Al Qassam Brigades that controlled its main website, AlQassam.ps. The FBI’s capture of these domains and servers enabled it to intercept cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas. Using related sources and methods, the FBI also obtained information regarding thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas online in an effort to donate or attempt to donate to the terrorist organization using cryptocurrency and other traditional means. Such information will be used in the FBI’s future counterterrorism efforts.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Cyber Division, and New York Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Robert MacDonald of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the October 7th Task Force is providing substantial assistance in the case.

            WASHINGTON —The Department of Justice today announced the disruption of an ongoing scheme by Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas) — a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization — to raise funds for terrorist operations and recruit supporters, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.”  

            As part of the Department’s efforts, more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations destined for Hamas were seized and its fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites were disrupted. Hamas originally controlled the seized infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses on behalf of its military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades.  

            “These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.” 

            “Hamas relied on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world and move that money outside the formal financial system,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI's Cyber Division. “The FBI seized online infrastructure and $560,000 in cryptocurrency, capturing donations intended for the organization. The FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.”  

            “Reducing the capabilities of foreign terrorist organization's ability to receive donations and creating distrust in communications to their donors was the primary focus of this latest operation,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This continued success demonstrates the unwavering commitment and determination of the FBI in fighting terrorism. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to shut off the flow of funds to this group and protect the American people.” 

            As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform directed supporters to a fundraising website and provided donors with a rotating set of cryptocurrency donation addresses. As described in the three unsealed cryptocurrency seizure warrants, on March 25, 2025, June 25, 2025, and Oct. 10, 2025, investigators used information from multiple human sources to identify, trace, and seize approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended to support Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades. 

            In conjunction with these seizures, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office worked with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers the Al Qassam Brigades that controlled its main website, AlQassam.ps. The FBI’s capture of these domains and servers enabled it to intercept cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas. Using related sources and methods, the FBI also obtained information regarding thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas online in an effort to donate or attempt to donate to the terrorist organization using cryptocurrency and other traditional means. Such information will be used in the FBI’s future counterterrorism efforts. 

            The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Cyber Division, and New York Field Office. 

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Robert MacDonald of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the October 7th Task Force is providing substantial assistance in the case. 

WASHINGTON – Hershel Andrew Green, III, 43, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with distributing videos and images of adult males engaged in sexually explicit activity with young male children, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Let me be clear: if you seek out, receive, or distribute child sexual abuse material, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Every image represents a real child who was victimized, and every person who trades in that material perpetuates that abuse. If you prey on children, you should expect federal law enforcement to come knocking.” 

Green, aka “FitddyG,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan to one count of distribution of child pornography, which carries a statutory penalty of five to twenty years in prison. Judge AliKhan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2026. 

According to court documents, the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force identified Green during an investigation into another individual’s distribution of child sexual abuse material.  In July 2025, an FBI undercover agent, exchanged messages with Green and received several videos of child sexual abuse material from him. 

Law enforcement identified Green through digital records, open-source research, and surveillance at his residence in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. 

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

25cr310 

WASHINGTON – Dereon Butler, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to his participation in an armed robbery spree that occurred in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

“This defendant was just 17 years old when he and his co-conspirators drove into a Capitol Hill neighborhood and deliberately targeted innocent residents to rob,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “In all, eight people were held at gunpoint and ten were stripped of their valuables. This kind of violent conduct has no place in our community, and today, he is being held fully accountable.” 

Butler pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, on June 4, 2026, to three counts of armed robbery. At the time of the offenses, Butler was charged as an adult pursuant to Title 16.  Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered Butler to serve the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.  

According to the government’s evidence, early in the morning, on December 2, 2024, Butler and his co-conspirators drove two stolen vehicles, a gray Kia Sorento and a red Lexus sedan, to a Capitol Hill neighborhood with plans to locate and target commuting pedestrians to rob them at gunpoint. In all, ten different unsuspecting pedestrians were approached, throughout numerous locations, and eight had a firearm brandished at them. These victims were robbed of their wallets, purses, cell phones, and other personal belongings. Butler fled the scene before police arrived. 

He was arrested on July 22, 2025, and has been in custody since.  

Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.   

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.  

2025 CF3 008425  

WASHINGTON – An indictment was returned yesterday charging Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with two federal counts related to vandalizing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall on August 13, 2026, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

 “The World War II Memorial stands as a lasting tribute to the courage of 16 million Americans who served during World War II and the ultimate sacrifice of the 405,399 who gave their lives defending our nation and the freedoms we hold dear. Defacing it is an affront to their service and sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will use every tool available under federal law to ensure this conduct is met with justice.” 

On August 27, 2026, a grand jury in U.S. District Court returned an indictment charging Farris with one count of Destruction of Veterans’ Memorial and one count of Destruction of Government Property. A court hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026. 

According to the criminal complaint filed on August 14, U.S. Park Police were called about 2 p.m. on August 13 for a report of a disorderly person. A witness told officers that they had observed a woman spray painting graffiti on portions of the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion of the World War II Memorial at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.  

A United States Park Ranger arrived at the scene and observed foam in the fountain area of the Atlantic pavilion. Multiple people were gathered around the balcony watching a woman shooting video of herself. The woman fled when she became aware of the Ranger’s presence.   

Orange-colored paint had been sprayed onto the wall with the words: “Clean Hands Dirty $.” Additionally, green-colored paint was also sprayed onto the wall just under the orange spray paint, and pink-colored paint was splattered on the ground. In a trash can near the north entrance of the balcony, law enforcement recovered a white sign with painted letters. The paint used on the sign appeared to match the paint that was used to vandalize the northern entrance balcony.   

A witness had taken a photo of the woman defacing the Memorial. One U.S. Park Police officer recognized her as someone police had arrested on August 10 for unlawfully camping on federal property near 18th Street NW and Virginia Ave. NW, just a few blocks away from the World War II Memorial.   

On August 10, as she was being arrested by Park Police, she live streamed the event over her Facebook and Instagram social media accounts on which she identified herself as “Melissa Lovewell.”   

In a review of Farris’s public social media accounts, investigators discovered that she had recorded multiple livestream videos on August 13. In one recorded video, she allegedly admitted to damaging the World War II Memorial.   

Before Farris defaced the World War II Memorial, she had allegedly recorded and posted a video in which she stated, “I am cognitively aware and executively (sic) of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom . . . someone has to make choices that are different and I am accountable for my actions. I am going to make these choices today and I will step foot into the courtroom, and I will wait to be arrested . . . I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make and our government needs to be accountable for their choices too.”   

The Memorial honors the 16 million American service members who served during World War II, the millions more who supported the war effort from the home front, and the 405,399 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war. The Memorial contains two main pavilions, the Atlantic and Pacific pavilions, named for the two main theaters of the war. Over four million tourists pay their respect at the memorial annually. 

Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

26cr205 

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube 

or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc 

WASHINGTON – Gregory Grooms, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison in D.C. Superior Court for charges related to an assault on a 31-year-old District resident on August 7, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“After this defendant and his accomplice spent hours lying in wait for their victim, they ambushed him at gunpoint, repeatedly pistol-whipped him, forced him to strip, and paraded him naked through his apartment building,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “For this calculated and brutal attack, the Government asked for the top of the sentencing guidelines—13 years in prison. The court imposed five. While we respect the court’s decision, five years does not reflect the full severity of what this defendant did to his victim.” 

Grooms was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on March 30, 2026, of one count each of conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel ordered Grooms to serve the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Government recommended a sentence at the top of the sentencing guidelines for a total of 13 years of imprisonment. 

According to the government’s evidence, on the night of August 6–7, 2024, Grooms and an accomplice drove to the parking lot of the victim’s apartment building and waited in Grooms’ car for more than three hours. At 1:12 a.m., just minutes after the victim came outside to have drinks with a woman in front of the building, Grooms and his accomplice got out of Grooms’ car and walked toward the victim. Grooms and his accomplice pointed handguns at the victim and then repeatedly pistol-whipped the victim in the head and face, leaving the victim injured and bloodied. The assault continued for several minutes as the victim, Grooms, and Grooms’ accomplice made their way inside the apartment building lobby and into an elevator. Once in the elevator, Grooms and his accomplice forced the victim to remove his clothes at gunpoint. Grooms and his accomplice then paraded the victim out of the building, naked from the waist down. On August 14, 2024, Grooms was stopped by police while driving his vehicle; during a subsequent search of the vehicle, a handgun was located under the driver’s seat.  

Grooms was arrested on August 14, 2024, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case. 

2024 CF3 008149 

WASHINGTON – Said Nassor, 46, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in connection with a scheme to bill D.C. Medicaid for mental health services that were never provided or were grossly inflated, causing a loss to Medicaid exceeding $250,000, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Nassor pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  

According to court documents, Nassor was employed beginning in August 2022 as a Community Support Worker at a D.C. Medicaid provider authorized to deliver mental health rehabilitative services to youth and adolescent beneficiaries. 

From approximately January 2022 through at least February 2025, Nassor conspired with company employees along with other community support workers, to submit false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to D.C. Medicaid. 

According to court documents, Nassor and other community support workers were directed by company employees to bill the maximum number of units allowed for each consumer regardless of medical necessity or whether the services were performed.  

Community support workers were instructed to bill a full hour for every telehealth encounter no matter how long the call actually lasted, and were trained to shave a few minutes off each claim, for example billing 54 minutes instead of 60, to make the calls appear more realistic. Workers were also directed to bill three hours, and later one hour, for diagnostic assessments regardless of how much time was spent with the consumer. 

From July 27, 2022, through June 23, 2023, Nassor documented over 701 hours of telehealth services across six patients when, according to call records, he only actually spent roughly 172 minutes with them on the telephone.  

On October 21, 2024, Nassor created and billed for three telehealth encounters to an undercover FBI employee who posed as a patient. None of the telehealth encounters took place.  

Investigators determined that Nassor’s participation in the conspiracy resulted in a loss to Medicaid of over $250,000.  

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

26cr86 

WASHINGTON – Brandon Tyriq White, 31, of Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 198-months in federal prison in connection with the violent kidnapping, choking, and sexual assault of his former girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Brandon White’s victim fought to escape her attacker twice, and twice White caught her, bound her, and terrorized her,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Domestic violence will not be tolerated. White is now a convicted felon and will spend more than 16 years in federal prison.” 

White pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2025, to a charge of kidnapping. In addition to the 198-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered White to serve five years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Federal prosecutors had requested a 210-month prison sentence. 

According to court documents, White was in a romantic relationship with a woman with whom he lived in October and November 2023. The woman left White without telling him in late November. Following her departure, she terminated the relationship. She left some of her belongings at White’s home.  

The next month, the woman sought to recover her belongings and arranged to meet White at a restaurant in Prince George’s County. They sat at a table and ordered drinks and food. The woman received a phone call and stepped away. She returned to the table to find the food was gone, the check had been paid, and White had left the restaurant.  

White approached the woman in his car as she walked through the restaurant parking lot. The two argued about her taking the phone call. The dispute intensified and White forced the woman against her will into the back of his car. The woman tried to escape. White bound her with zip-ties. Then he drove her from Maryland to a residence in Southeast D.C.  

When they arrived in the District, the woman tried to escape by running away and crying for help. White caught her on the front steps of the residence and choked her. He released her when she promised not to scream or run. White led the woman to a bedroom on the second floor. He placed a firearm on a bedside table and sexually assaulted her. 

The woman convinced White to drive her back to Maryland. On the way, they stopped at a convenience store. The woman attempted to flee. A surveillance camera captured images of White trying to force her back into his car. She slipped from his grasp and ran. White caught her, beat her, and broke her front tooth. Ultimately the woman escaped. White drove away. The woman later was treated at local hospital. 

Police arrested White on Dec. 23, 2023, in Charles County, Maryland, and recovered a Glock semi-automatic pistol from the hotel where he was staying. The gun was registered to White in the state of Maryland, but White had no valid license or registration to carry the gun within the District.  

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengary. 

24cr39 

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube 

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc 

WASHINGTON – Angelo Harris, 39, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with the armed robbery of a Northeast D.C. tire shop on April 29, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Harris pleaded guilty before Judge Ana C. Reyes to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery). Judge Reyes scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2026. 

According to court documents, Harris, armed with a black handgun, and a co-conspirator, armed with a rifle, arrived at Mac’s Tire Shop on the 400 block of Florida Avenue NE, and brandished their weapons at an employee of the store. Using the threat of the firearms, they forced the employee out of his chair in the garage area of the establishment into the office in order to complete the robbery. The two forcibly took cash and other items from the shop before fleeing the scene. 

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Caelainn Carney. 

Surveillance photo taken the day of the tire store robbery.

25cr185   

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Dartanian Owens, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday for a carjacking and robbery spree between April 6-8, 2025, in Northeast and Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

Owens pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, on April 9, 2026, to one count of carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of robbery and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. On August 24, 2026, Superior Court Judge Andrea Herzfeld sentenced the defendant to 162 months’ incarceration according to the government’s recommendation and declined to sentence the defendant under the Youth Rehabilitation Act. 

According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours on April 6, 2025, Owens, while armed with a firearm, carjacked the first victim, who was delivering food for DoorDash in Northeast D.C. The following day, between 4:00 a.m. and 5:20 a.m., the defendant used the carjacked vehicle to commit three armed robberies in Southeast D.C. Specifically, at 4:05 a.m. Owens approached a victim, who was on his way to work and waiting at a bus stop in front of 2701 Naylor Road SE. The defendant pointed a pink and silver handgun at him, stated “lay it down,” and robbed the victim of his AirPods, cash, and phone. Approximately one hour later at 5:05 a.m., Owens approached another victim, who was walking to the Anacostia Metro Station on his way to work. The defendant robbed this victim at gunpoint, taking a backpack containing construction tools, keys, a phone, a wallet, cash, and an ID. Around fifteen minutes later at 5:20 a.m., Owens and a co-conspirator robbed a third victim, who was waiting for an Uber to take him to his dialysis appointment. The co-conspirator exited the vehicle first and took the victim’s backpack at gunpoint. Owens then exited the driver’s side of the vehicle and demanded more from the victim while pointing a firearm him. The victim, however, had nothing left to surrender.  

In the early hours of April 8, 2025, police in Prince George’s County spotted the carjacked vehicle in a McDonald’s parking lot in Maryland and attempted a felony stop. Owens, who was alone in the vehicle, refused to pull over and fled from police. The defendant led police through Maryland and D.C., at one point driving 44 miles per hour over the speed limit through a residential neighborhood. Police disabled the vehicle using spike strips and Owens jumped from the vehicle while it was still moving. The defendant then fled on foot through a neighborhood, hiding behind houses, on porches, and behind sheds. Once apprehended, the defendant gave a false identity to the police. Along the defendant’s flight path, officers recovered a black and pink Walther PK380 handgun and a key fob belonging to the carjacked vehicle. 

                                                                                   Photo of Walther PK380 firearm recovered by law enforcement. 

Owens was arrested on April 8, 2025, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force, and other officers and Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Folsom. 

2025 CF3 015856 

WASHINGTON – Linda Laird, 62, of Cordova, Maryland, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in connection with a scheme to abuse her position as the co-guardian and co-conservator of an 81-year-old vulnerable adult, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

The federal jury deliberated approximately four hours following a three-day trial before finding Laird guilty of conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud and theft of public money; conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and elderly person; and fraud in the first degree against a senior citizen.  

U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2026. 

According to court documents, in November 2017, Laird, her late father, James Blizzard, and her late mother, Joyce Blizzard were appointed by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as co-guardians and co-conservators of Laird’s grandmother, who was a vulnerable adult. At the time, Laird’s grandmother was 81 years old and suffered from severe cognitive impairments. After Joyce Blizzard passed away in June 2018, Laird and James Blizzard continued as co-guardians and co-conservators. 

While Laird’s grandmother resided in the nursing home, Laird and Blizzard were required to act as fiduciaries and apply her money towards her support, care, and treatment. Instead, Laird and Blizzard used their authority as co-guardians and co-conservators to redirect U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits intended for, and checking account funds belonging to, the vulnerable adult to their personal bank accounts for their own benefit. In total, Laird and Blizzard stole more than $21,000 in Social Security benefits and obtained over $100,000 from the vulnerable adult’s bank accounts for their personal use. Laird spent these funds on jewelry, designer shoes, and expensive football tickets. 

This case was investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Facci and David Deitch of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

24cr174 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – James Callen, 42, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 20.5 years in prison in D.C. Superior Court for stabbing his then-romantic partner multiple times on July 13, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Domestic violence is a relentless cycle of control and intimidation, and breaking that cycle is essential to protecting victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “James Callen’s brutality nearly cost this woman her life, and but for the grace of God, she survived. Callen is now headed to where he belongs: prison.” 

Callen was found guilty of one count each of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and three counts of contempt on June 11, 2026. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Callen to the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.  

According to the government’s evidence, on July 12, 2024, Callen and the victim went to Callen’s brother’s apartment in southeast Washington, D.C., to hang out. While there, Callen asked the victim to move in with him but became angry when the victim said she did not want to live with him. The next morning on July 13, 2024, while Callen and the victim were in the living room, he went to the kitchen and retrieved a knife and returned to the victim. He stabbed the victim multiple times, slicing her neck, which lacerated her jugular vein. When the victim started to bleed out, Callen panicked and called 911. EMTs arrived and immediately rushed the victim to the hospital before law enforcement arrived. When police officers arrived, Callen told them that the victim had arrived at the apartment already bleeding and injured. Despite the violent attack, the victim survived her injuries. 

From September 2024 to February 2025, Callen called the victim numerous times from the D.C. Jail in violation of a court order to stay away from and have no contact with the victim. In those calls, Callen changed his story and attempted to convince the victim that she had accidentally injured herself. The jury learned during trial that Callen had previously assaulted the victim and this was part of a pattern of abuse. Callen broke her leg in August 2023 and gave her two black eyes in January 2024.  

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.   

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Anne Cotter, who prosecuted the case.   

 2024 FD3 006890 

WASHINGTON – United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, announced today that Secession Golf Club, Inc. (“Secession”) agreed to pay $1,047,991 to resolve allegations that the club violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible.   

When Congress enacted the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, it authorized forgivable PPP loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). At the time of the loan covered by this settlement, certain entities organized under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code were not eligible for PPP loans, including section 501(c)(7) organizations. 

In 2020, Secession, a country club located in Beaufort, South Carolina, applied for a PPP loan in the amount of $630,750 and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan even though it was ineligible as a section 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization. After receiving the PPP loan, Secession sought and received forgiveness of the entire loan amount. The United States contended that Secession knowingly falsely represented its eligibility to receive the PPP loan, which caused the SBA to pay lender fees to the bank that processed the loan, and to receive forgiveness of that loan.  

The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under these provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The qui tam complaint was filed by Relator Aidan Forsyth and is captioned United States ex rel. Aidan Forsyth v. Club at Morningside Inc., et al., Civ. A. No. 24-1175 (D.D.C.). Mr. Forsyth will receive a total share of approximately $115,279.01 in connection with the settlement. 

The civil settlement resulted from an investigation by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy J. Hurley with the support of attorney Caitlin J. Kelly of SBA’s Office of the General Counsel.    

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.   

Tips and complaints regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.  

The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

WASHINGTON -- Katie Shameka Williams, 33, and Kenneth Darnell Smith Jr., 32, both of the District of Columbia, were arrested yesterday after being charged in an indictment in connection with running an alleged fentanyl trafficking operation from their apartment in the District’s Congress Heights neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“These charges reflect this office’s aggressive commitment to dismantling violent drug networks, removing dangerous traffickers from our streets, and keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will no longer tolerate lawlessness in our nation’s capital, and this takedown builds on the more than 3,200 drug-related arrests made as part of President Trump’s federal surge to make Washington D.C., safe and beautiful.” 

The indictment charges Williams and Smith with conspiracy to distribute forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base or crack cocaine.  

Both defendants are being held at the D.C. Correctional Facility and have made their first appearance before a magistrate judge.  

According to filed documents, the FBI Washington Field Office Safe Streets Task Force launched an investigation in March 2026 into an alleged narcotics distribution operation based on the 1600 block of Savannah Street SE.  

It is alleged that over several months in 2026, law enforcement documented at least nine instances of crack cocaine and fentanyl being distributed from that location. In total, those instances involved more than 40 grams of fentanyl and distribution amounts of crack cocaine.  

On Aug. 18, 2026, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at the apartment building and arrested Williams and Smith. During the search, three children were present in the apartment.  

Inside the residence, agents recovered substantial quantities of suspected controlled substances, including numerous separately packaged quantities of suspected fentanyl (in pill and powdered form) with an approximate gross weight of 322 grams; a rifle and three loaded handguns; a drum magazine and multiple additional firearm magazines; ammunition; and $1,931 in cash.  

Photo of evidence seized from the Savannah Street SE apartment.  

Photo of the bag of seized suspected fentanyl pills. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington D.C. comprises agents and officers from numerous federal agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia 

The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

26cr195 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Mark Thomas Moore, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison in connection with a string of armed robberies that targeted service workers at businesses and a U.S. Post Office in the District, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Mark Moore targeted hardworking employees who were simply doing their jobs. He threatened them at gunpoint, leaving many with lasting trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence ensures that Moore will be held accountable for his actions and will not be able to harm anyone in our community for a long time.”  

Moore was convicted Nov. 6, 2025, following a bench trial before Judge Amit P. Mehta, of two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), of one count of armed robbery while armed, of one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and of one count of armed postal robbery.  

In addition to the 180-month prison sentence, Judge Mehta ordered Moore to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 180 months. 

According to court papers, in the fall of 2022, Moore armed himself with a BB gun to rob service workers at business in the District and Arlington, Virginia.  

On Oct. 26, 2022, Moore entered a McDonald’s restaurant on the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, where he lurked for about 15 minutes before following a female employee into a restroom. There, he held the worker at gunpoint. The employee had recently immigrated into the U.S. and spoke no English. She attempted to use a translation app on her phone to communicate with Moore. Moore took her phone and forced her through the restaurant to the cash register where he ordered another employee to fill a bag with money before fleeing.  

On Nov. 9, 2022, Moore entered a 7-Eleven on the 1500 block of Independence Ave. SE. He pointed his BB gun at an employee and demanded cash. When the employee attempted to conceal some of the money, Moore threatened him with the gun.  

On Nov. 28, 2022, Moore was armed when he entered the U.S. Postal Service facility on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE. As employees fled in fear, Moore stood over one who had fallen while trying to escape. He pointed the weapon at her threatened her as she pleaded for her life. He then forced a third employee to the register at gunpoint before fleeing the post office on a distinctive green bicycle.  

On Nov. 28, 2022, Moore also robbed a CVS in Arlington, Virginia. During the robbery, Moore took a bank note containing a GPS tracker. He fled on the same distinctive green bicycle. Law enforcement later located Moore and recovered a BB gun consistent with the weapon seen in the surveillance footage from the three District robberies. Investigators also recovered clothes recovered from his girlfriend’s apartment, along with DNA and fingerprints, that further linked him to the offenses.  

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Arlington County Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney and Jared English.  

BB gun seized from Moore at the time of his arrest.  

Surveillance photos show Moore holding his gun during the robberies of the four establishments. 

23cr256 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Ryan Michael English, 26, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 73 months in prison in connection with an attempt to assassinate then-cabinet member nominee Scott Bessent with Molotov cocktails fashioned from bottles of vodka, and for carrying a folding knife onto the Grounds of the Capitol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

            “My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials that strike at the heart of our democratic process and are antithetical to the values we all depend on,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant is now a convicted felon and is headed where he belongs: prison.” 

            English, aka “Raleigh Jane English,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras to one count of unlawful receipt, possession, and/or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive, or incendiary device on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. In addition to the 73-month prison term, Judge Contreras ordered English to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 121 months. 

            According to court documents, at about 3:12 p.m., on Jan. 27, 2025, 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 his jacket pockets. Each device was constructed of a 50-milliliter bottle of Absolut vodka with a grey strip of cloth affixed to its top. The cloth had been soaked with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Police recovered a green lighter from another pocket.   

            During the search, English confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a cabinet member nominee whose confirmation vote was scheduled that day before the U.S. Senate. Police recovered a note to a roommate in English’s 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.   

In a search of English’s car, which English had parked on the 900 block of Independence Ave., SE, police recovered a 750-milliliter bottle of 100 proof vodka and a grey sweatshirt with fabric cut from the sleeves. 

            Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was Chief Michael G. Sullivan of the U.S. Capitol Police.   

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.  

25cr134  

Contact 

[email protected] 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Vanessa Bonaparte, 34, of Washington D.C., was found guilty yesterday in D.C. Superior Court on charges related to the fatal stabbing of Dwayne Boyd on June 22, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Bonaparte was found guilty of one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2026. 

According to the government’s evidence, on June 22, 2024, officers were called to 3517 East Capitol Street SE, after reports of an argument in the building. Officers observed the defendant and an additional individual leaving the scene, after which they found the victim unresponsive in the rear bedroom. 

The government’s evidence established that the defendant stabbed the victim after forcing her way into the apartment where the decedent was living. When the victim followed the defendant to the kitchen to get her to leave the apartment, she stabbed him twice in the chest with two knives, killing him.

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Clarke and Gregory Evans.

 2024 CF1 006167

WASHINGTON – On August 18, 2026, a judge of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia signed arrest warrants for current and former MPD members Peter Sheldon, Frantz Fulcher, Thomas Krmenec, Bernadette Richardson, Dorrie Smith Cleere, and Johnnie Dyer.  The warrants issued will lead to arrests on charges for fraudulently claiming overtime and for hours not worked during the calendar year 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Every day, we rely on law enforcement to uphold the public’s trust. These MPD members betrayed that trust by scheming to collect unearned, undeserved income, costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “They will be held accountable, and my office remains focused on rooting out fraud and protecting the American taxpayer.”

Upon their arrests, Sheldon, Krmenec, Richardson, Cleere, Dyer, and Fulcher will be charged with first-degree fraud, first-degree theft, forgery, and uttering. 

According to the evidence, during the calendar year 2024, multiple MPD employees in the Fifth District submitted false claims for overtime hours or regular tour duty hours they did not work. The evidence shows these employees manipulated official records, forged supervisory approvals, and/or claimed compensation while engaged in secondary employment. 

Specifically, the false submissions and total amounts are:

The investigation relied upon numerous independent data sources, including Body-Worn Camera footage, radio and GPS records, cell site location data, cellular toll records, license plate reader data, annual leave records, travel records, email records, network data, access logs, personnel files, and overtime documentation submitted through MPD’s Timesheet Manager Application (TMA) system. Collectively, these records demonstrated repeated and deliberate falsification of overtime submissions, and in some instances regular time submissions. 

The investigation identified several recurring methods used to unlawfully obtain overtime compensation. These methods included:

• Claiming overtime while physically outside of the District of Columbia, including during domestic and international travel.
• Claiming overtime while on annual leave.
• Forging supervisory signatures on overtime authorization forms.
• Using administrative positions to facilitate fraudulent overtime processing and approvals.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Morris on detail from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON -- Taurian Anderson, 21, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed carjackings in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Anderson pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and to two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for Jan. 29, 2027.  

According to court documents, Anderson and his co-conspirators began their spree of carjackings on Aug. 9, 2024. At about 12:11 a.m., Anderson brandished a handgun, approached a DoorDash delivery driver on the 4200 block of East Capitol Street NE, and ordered the driver out of his Hyundai Elantra.  

About 3 hours later, at 3:30 a.m. on August 9, 2024, Anderson and a co-conspirator approached a Toyota Corolla on the 4200 block of Dupont Terrace SE. The duo ordered the driver out of the car at gunpoint and said to leave all belongings behind. The co-conspirator got behind the wheel of the Toyota and drove off in the car.  

On Sept. 7, 2024, about 1:26 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirator traveled in a stolen vehicle from the District to Silver Spring. A driver was parking their vehicle, a Honda Civic, on the 8000 block of Eastern Avenue. Anderson and his co-conspirator blocked the Civic, preventing it from moving. When the driver exited the Civic, one of the conspirators pointed a firearm and ordered the driver to “get on the ground.” As the victim was lying on the ground, the duo grabbed his iPhone, wallet, and the keys to his vehicle and house. The victim, a professional musician, pleaded with them to let him get his saxophone out of the car. The duo refused. As the victim attempted to grab his instrument, one of the conspirators began to drive away in the car and dragged the victim approximately five feet down the road before he let go of the saxophone. The carjacking duo fled the area and returned to the District. 

An hour later on Sept. 7, 2024, about 2:40 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirator were in the 6700 block of New Hampshire Ave., in Hyattsville, Maryland. A driver had just parked a Toyota Prius on the block when the duo approached in the Honda Civic they had just carjacked. One of the conspirators pointed a firearm at the Prius driver while the other punched the driver twice. The Prius driver surrendered their iPhone, two laptops, credit cards, house keys, and the keys to the car. Following the carjacking, the co-conspirators took the carjacked Prius back to the District. Anderson then exchanged text messages with an unidentified individual in an attempt to sell the Prius and two other vehicles. 

On Oct. 4, 2024, at about 12:15 a.m., Anderson and co-conspirators traveled to the 3000 block of South Jefferson Street, Falls Church, Virginia. One of the co-conspirators walked up to the driver’s side of a parked and occupied Dodge Charger and tried to open the locked door. The conspirator then tapped on the glass of the driver’s door with a firearm, at which point the driver put the Charger in drive, stepped on the gas, and fled.  

Fifteen minutes later on Oct. 4, 2024, about 12:35 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirators traveled to 5000 block Columbia Pike, Falls Church, Virginia. Four people were standing outside of a Credit Union. Anderson and his co-conspirators approached them. Anderson and one of his co-conspirators, both of whom were armed, held the four at gunpoint and ordered the group to get on the ground and empty their pockets. The bandits took the group’s phones and the keys to one of the group’s Toyota Prius and drove the stolen car to the District.  

On October 4, 2024, less than an hour later at 1:20 a.m., Anderson and a co-conspirator approached a driver at the BP gas station on the 5000 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. Anderson pointed a gun at the driver’s face and demanded the keys to his Infiniti.  

Anderson got behind the wheel of the Infiniti and started to drive away from the gas station. The co-conspirator entered the driver’s seat of a nearby Mercedes-Benz and drove away in the same direction. 

Later that day, about 4:03 p.m., a Metropolitan Police Department helicopter located the carjacked Infiniti moving recklessly through traffic. At Independence Avenue SE and East Capitol Street SE, the Infiniti collided with another vehicle but fled the scene. In the area near RFK stadium the vehicle became stuck in heavy traffic. Anderson and his co-conspirator abandoned the car. U.S. Capitol Police apprehended the co-conspirator in a nearby recreational field. Anderson, still armed, ran under the Whitney Young Memorial Bridge and then into the Anacostia River, placing his handgun on his head. Members of MPD’s Emergency Response Team and MPD negotiators responded to the scene. Around 6:42 p.m., Anderson dropped the weapon into the river, surrendered to officers on the scene, and was placed under arrest.  

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Taskforce. The U.S. Capitol Police, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, and Fairfax County Police Department provided valuable assistance.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand is prosecuting the matter.    

24cr486 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Javier Montgomery, 18, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, for charges related to the murder of 17-year-old, Jermaine Durbin, in October 2025, and for sexual assault charges from May 2025 through September 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

“Javier Montgomery carried out a pattern of violence that terrorized multiple victims over several months and ultimately took the life of 17‑year‑old Jermaine Durbin,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “His actions were predatory, deliberate, and devastating for every person he targeted. Today’s conviction ensures that Montgomery will be held fully accountable for the harm he inflicted” 

In one case (2025 CF1 016197), Montgomery pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed pursuant to a plea agreement calling for a sentence in the range of 12 to 18 years in prison for this offense. In another case (2025 CF1 016196), Montgomery pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse while armed pursuant to a plea agreement calling for a consecutive sentencing range of 12 to 15 years in prison for that offense. He also pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual abuse and robbery sentenced concurrently to each other and consecutively to the other counts with sentencing ranges of 1 to 3 years in prison and 1.5 to 5 years in prison respectively; and one count of attempted third-degree sexual abuse with a consecutive sentencing range of 0.5 to 2 years in prison. The combined sentencing range under the plea agreement is a sentence in the range of 26 to 40 years in prison.   

Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2027. 

According to the government’s evidence, with respect to case number 2025 CF1 016196, the defendant admitted to slapping one victim on the buttocks and demanding further sexual contact at gunpoint on May 23, 2025; to groping another victim’s chest and crotch at gunpoint on September 6, 2025; and to forcing another victim to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint on September 28, 2025. 

According to the government’s evidence, with respect to case number 2025 CF1 016197, on October 3, 2025, at approximately 7:20 pm, Montgomery approached the victim, Jermaine Durbin, near the entrance to the Rhode Island Avenue metro station and robbed him of his backpack at gunpoint.  Mr. Durbin followed the defendant in an effort to get his backpack back, and the defendant ultimately shot Mr. Durbin, causing his death. MPD Fifth District officers responded to 600 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, to investigate the report of a shooting. Upon arriving, the officers located Mr. Durbin – unconscious, unresponsive, and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire & EMS personnel responded to the scene, and after finding no signs consistent with life, Mr. Durbin was pronounced deceased at 7:36 pm.  

On November 28, 2025, Montgomery was arrested on a warrant and has remained in custody since that date. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and Katherine Ballou. 

2025 CF1 016196; 2025 CF1 016197 

WASHINGTON – Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was charged by criminal complaint this morning in connection with vandalizing the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Defacing the World War II Memorial is a disgusting act and an insult to the Americans who fought and died for our country,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This memorial stands in honor of the 16 million veterans who served, the millions who supported the war effort, and the more than 400,000 heroes who never came home. Vandalizing a monument dedicated to their sacrifice is a shameful attack on the legacy of our nation. We will not tolerate this kind of criminal activism, and we will ensure that anyone who desecrates a veterans’ memorial is held fully accountable.” 

Farris, aka “Melissa Lovewell,” is charged with Willfully Injuring or Committing a Depredation against Property of the United States and with Destruction of a Veterans’ Memorial.  

According to the criminal complaint, U.S. Park Police were called about 2 p.m. on August 13 for a report of a disorderly person. A witness told officers that they had observed a woman spray painting graffiti on portions of the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion of the World War II Memorial at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 

A United States Park Ranger arrived at the scene and observed foam in the fountain area of the Atlantic pavilion. Multiple people were gathered around the balcony watching a woman shooting video of herself. The woman fled when she became aware of the Ranger’s presence.  

Orange-colored paint had been sprayed onto the wall with the words: “Clean Hands Dirty $.” Additionally, green-colored paint was also sprayed onto the wall just under the orange spray paint, and pink-colored paint was splattered on the ground. In a trash can near the north entrance of the balcony, law enforcement recovered a white sign with painted letters. The paint used on the sign appeared to match the paint that was used to vandalize the northern entrance balcony.  

A witness had taken a photo of the woman defacing the Memorial. One U.S. Park Police officer recognized her as someone police had arrested on August 10 for unlawfully camping on federal property near 18th Street NW and Virginia Ave. NW, just a few blocks away from the World War II Memorial.  

On August 10, as she was arrested by Park Police, she had live streamed the event over her Facebook and Instagram social media accounts on which she identified herself as “Melissa Lovewell.”  

In a review of Farris’s public social media accounts, investigators discovered that she had recorded multiple livestream videos on August 13. In one recorded video, she allegedly admitted to damaging the World War II Memorial.  

Before Farris defaced the World War II Memorial, she had allegedly recorded and posted a video in which she stated, “I am cognitively aware and executively (sic) of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom . . . someone has to make choices that are different and I am accountable for my actions. I am going to make these choices today and I will step foot into the courtroom, and I will wait to be arrested . . . I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make and our government needs to be accountable for their choices too.”  

The Memorial honors the 16 million American service members who served during World War II, the millions more who supported the war effort from the home front, and the more than 400,000 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war. The Memorial contains two main pavilions, the Atlantic and Pacific pavilions, named for the two main theaters of the war. Over four million tourists pay their respect at the memorial annually. 

A witness took this photograph of a woman defacing the World War II Memorial on August 13, 2026.  

The vandalized World War II Memorial on August 13, 2026.  

Foam in the fountain of the World War II Memorial.  

Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

 26mj140 

WASHINGTON – D’Aundrey Scott, 32, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, for several arsons, which killed one victim, Darryl Finney, caused injuries to another victim, Charles Newton, and damaged the homes of two others in May 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

“D’Aundrey Scott’s actions were shocking, deliberate, and devastating,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He set multiple fires across Northeast Washington, killing Darryl Finney, injuring Charles Newton, and endangering the lives and homes of others in the community. This was a calculated spree of violence that inflicted immeasurable harm. Today’s conviction ensures that Scott will be held fully accountable for the destruction he caused, and our communities are safer as a result.” 

Scott pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of second-degree murder, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of arson and one count of felony destruction. This was an 11c plea to a range of 15 to 35 years of imprisonment. 

Superior Court Judge Todd Edelmen scheduled sentencing for October 23, 2026.  

According to the government’s evidence, on May 13, 2020, Scott went on an arson spree. On May 13, 2020, at approximately 12:23 a.m. The defendant approached the first victim, Charles Newton, who was lying on the sidewalk in the 1300 block of H Street Northeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant ignited a small, flammable object and threw that burning object onto Mr. Newton. Mr. Newton was able to kick it off before his clothing ignited. At approximately 1:04 a.m., Scott approached the second victim, Darryl Finney, who was sleeping on the sidewalk in the 900 block of H Street Northeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant ignited a small, flammable object and tossed it onto Mr. Finney. The defendant then splashed an ignitable liquid onto Mr. Finney. The defendant’s actions caused Mr. Finney and his personal effects to catch fire. Mr. Finney, who was engulfed in flames, managed to get up and walk toward H Street, where the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Fire and EMS responded to assist. Mr. Finney suffered burns to multiple parts of his body, and despite treatment at MedStar Washington Hospital Center he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on May 15, 2020. An autopsy was conducted by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which concluded Mr. Finney’s cause of death to be complications from thermal injury and his manner of death to be homicide.  

After the defendant set the two men on fire, at approximately 1:25 a.m., the defendant poured an ignitable liquid onto the porch, steps, and walkway of the house at 1403 Morse Street Northeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant then ignited the liquid, scorching the porch and steps and causing discoloration to the concrete. Finally, at approximately 1:28 a.m., Scott ignited a fire on the porch of the house at 1431 Morse Street Northeast, Washington, D.C., damaging the exterior of the house and porch furniture belonging to the homeowner. 

Scott was arrested on May 19, 2020, and has been in custody since. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Merikas and was initially investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Ariel Dean. 

2020 CF1 004775 

WASHINGTON – Dasean Matthews, 27, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today for repeatedly beating 2-year-old Mars Jones, causing his death in October 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder. Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2027, before Superior Court Judge Jason Park.  

“The senseless crime of an innocent two-year-old child being beaten to death has no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This conviction reflects our unrelenting commitment to securing justice for victims of violent crime, and we will continue to pursue those who commit especially heinous acts such as this.” 

According to the government’s evidence, on October 13, 2022, two-year-old Mars, Matthews, and co-defendant Monet Jones (Mars’ mother and defendant Matthews’s romantic partner) drove to a Dunkin Donuts just before noon. While in the Dunkin Donuts, video evidence shows Matthews striking the young child with a closed fist in the upper body causing Mars to fall and slam against a metal railing. Later that day, while in a parking garage, video evidence shows Matthews grabbing Mars by the neck of his clothing, swing him by the clothing, and minutes later, strike Mars in the upper body or face, causing the young child to again fall to the floor. Later the same day, while alone in a vehicle with Mars, video evidence shows defendant Matthews repeatedly strike the young child so forcefully that the vehicle shakes from the impact of the blows. Immediately thereafter, Matthews delivers an unconscious and bloody baby Mars to co-defendant Jones and then flees the scene. An autopsy determined that Mars died from complications of inflicted head trauma. 

Matthews was arrested on November 4, 2022, and remains in custody. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This case was investigated by the Special Victims Unit of the Homicide Section at the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Shauna Payyappilly. 

2022 CF1 006566 

WASHINGTON – Robert Lowe, 42, of Montgomery Village, MD, was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for murdering 43-year-old Kenneth Goins in April 2024 at a Northwest D.C. bar, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            “Robert Lowe chose to turn a barroom confrontation into a deadly encounter, attacking Mr. Goins from behind and ultimately taking his life,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This senseless violence tears families apart and endangers everyone around it. Today’s 21‑year sentence reflects the gravity of his actions and the commitment of our office to hold armed offenders fully accountable.” 

            Lowe was found guilty on May 5, 2026, on one count each of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior felony conviction). The Honorable Todd Edelman sentenced Lowe to the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.  

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of April 27, 2024, Lowe went to the Desperados Burger and Bar, in the 1300 block of U Street, NW. The victim, Kenneth Goins, was at the bar enjoying himself. At some point, the defendant came up behind Mr. Goins and struck him in the back of the head. Then the two men began to fight. In the ensuing fight, the defendant shot Mr. Goins, striking him once in the abdomen. The defendant then fled the bar, got on his motorcycle, and drove away. Unfortunately, after efforts from responding officers and EMS, Mr. Goins succumbed to his injuries. 

            Lowe was arrested on May 22, 2024, and has been in custody since. 

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll acknowledged the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Tamara Rubb, who prosecuted the case. 

2024 CF1 004974 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cameron Curry, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for carrying out an extensive cyber extortion scheme against a D.C.-based international technology company, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

In March 2026, a federal jury convicted Curry of six counts of transmitting or willfully causing interstate communications with the intent to extort a victim company. In addition to the 24-month prison sentence, Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Curry to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a money judgment of $7,540.92. 

According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Curry was contracted to work as a data analyst for approximately six months with the victim company. In that capacity, Curry had access to the victim company’s data files and other personnel and corporate information. Trial evidence established that Curry misused his position to access the victim company’s personnel and other sensitive corporate records, which he then used to carry out the cyber extortion scheme. Curry hatched his extortion scheme after he learned that his contract was not going to be renewed and that he would no longer be employed by the company. 

According to evidence presented at trial, from Dec. 11, 2023, to Jan. 24, 2024, Curry, identifying himself online as “Loot,” sent over 60 email messages to company employees and executives, threatening to disclose sensitive information unless he was paid $2.5 million dollars in cryptocurrency. Trial evidence further established that the email messages contained threats to disclose sensitive corporate information and employee data, including employees’ personally identifiable information (PII), as well as threats to harm the reputation of the victim company by reporting a breach of its information and publishing the information publicly if the victim company failed to pay him via cryptocurrency.  

On Jan. 24, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence, seizing various electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Curry was committing the extortion scheme under the “Loot” alias.  

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with significant assistance from and the FBI Charlotte Field Office. 

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.  

USAO-DC 24cr252 
USAO-WNC 25cr148 

Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

WASHINGTON – Tyrell West, 31, of Maryland, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury yesterday of charges stemming from an incident where he strangled and punched his former romantic partner on November 26, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Tyrell West repeatedly victimized his former partner, including punching and strangling her in front of their child,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Today’s guilty verdict ensures that a violent offender is being held accountable. My office will continue to pursue justice for survivors and work with our partners to keep our communities safe.” 

West was found guilty of one count each of strangulation, threats to do bodily harm, simple assault, and obstructing justice, as well as three counts of contempt on August 11, 2026. Sentencing will take place on October 30, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe.  

According to the government’s evidence, West and the victim began a romantic relationship in 2021 and share one child. In October 2025, the defendant was released from prison following a sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction). On November 24, 2025, the victim texted West that she wanted to end their romantic relationship. The following evening, the defendant came over to her residence to pick up his belongings. In the early morning hours of November 26, West made a sexual advance to the victim, which she rejected. The defendant became enraged, threatening the victim that he would “break her f*cking face.” He proceeded to strangle her by placing two hands around her neck and squeezing until she lost consciousness. The victim regained consciousness when West punched her in the face, with her child calling out next to her, “Mommy, get up.” The victim grabbed her child and fled to a neighbor’s apartment, where she called 911.  

Between April and June 2026, West called the victim over 30 times in violation of a court order to stay away from and have no contact with the victim. In one of those calls, he tried to convince the victim not to comply with the trial subpoena. This was not the first time the defendant had assaulted the victim—he assaulted her on multiple occasions in 2022.  

West was arrested in December 2025 and remains in custody after his conviction. 

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Michael Weinberg. 

2025 FD3 017538 

WASHINGTON – Rocky Lee Brown, 53, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with his unlawful possession of a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Brown pleaded guilty before Judge Richard J. Leon to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2026.  

According to court papers, Brown was wanted on an active warrant out of Maryland for escape from a Bureau of Prisons facility when he was arrested Dec. 29, 2025, by the United States Marshals Service on the 5200 block of Hayes Street, NE. An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department responded and recovered a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol from Brown’s jacket pocket. The firearm contained nine rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber.  

Brown previously was convicted in D.C. Superior Court on a charge of second-degree murder and on May 5, 2006, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. As a convicted felon, Brown was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  

This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss. 

Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.  

26cr7  

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro marked the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s Federal Law Enforcement Surge in the District of Columbia. The surge implemented a significant increase in federal law enforcement resources, bolstering our teams with additional agents, advanced tools, and a no‑nonsense mandate that renewed the focus on cracking down on violent offenders, dismantling criminal networks, and restoring safety to District neighborhoods. 

“We’ve seen firsthand how sustained, coordinated law enforcement efforts can make an impact and the impact is real when cases are prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our prosecution efforts are up 67 percent since I became U.S. Attorney. Over the past year, we have worked relentlessly to reduce violence, hold offenders accountable, and restore a sense of safety in neighborhoods across the District. Nearly 2,000 illegal firearms were taken off the streets, and arrests included murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers, and other violent criminals. These results reflect the dedication of every agency involved and our shared commitment to protecting the people of Washington, D.C.” 

Over the past year, President Trump’s Federal Law Enforcement Surge has resulted in sharp declines in violent crime and property crime across Washington, D.C., based on year‑over‑year comparisons. Homicides have dropped by 45 percent, carjackings by 64 percent, and robberies by 33 percent. The District has also seen a 53 percent reduction in motor vehicle thefts. 

Since August 11, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 16,724 cases in D.C. Superior Court, a 67 percent increase from the previous year. During that same period, the U.S. Attorney’s no paper rate is approximately 5 percent—representing a 76 percent decrease from the 5,250 arrests no‑papered the prior year. By comparison, the U.S. Attorney under the previous administration recorded a no‑paper rate of 67 percent, underscoring the magnitude of the Office’s current charging improvements. Today, there are approximately 24,000 criminal cases pending in D.C. Superior Court.  

Case resolutions have also strengthened. In the past 12 months, prosecutors secured 5,767 guilty pleas, 213 guilty verdicts at trial, and successfully resolved an additional 969 cases through diversion. 

These gains were driven by close coordination among federal agencies, local law enforcement, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Under the Executive Order, the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force was created to tackle priority public safety challenges, including violent crime, carjackings, property offenses, and vandalism. The initiative supports President Trump’s directive to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, impose tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms offenders. 

As part of these efforts, law enforcement agencies have seized nearly 2,000 illegal firearms from the streets of Washington, D.C., reflecting the impact of sustained, coordinated policing across jurisdictions. 

Together, these measures underscore a year of focused work to support safety, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life throughout the District. 

WASHINGTON – John Aaron Gass, 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a former high school history teacher, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor victim, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Gass pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2026.  

According to court papers, Gass worked as a history teacher at the District of Columbia International School, a charter school in Northwest, until November 2025. 

Gass exchanged sexually explicit images with the minor victim, court papers state. 

Gass was arrested at his home in Maryland in December 2025. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Rachel Bohlen. 

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. 

25cr396 

WASHINGTON – Today an indictment was returned charging Antonio Simpson, 31, a District of Columbia resident, with twelve counts including production of child pornography and first-degree child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

According to court documents, beginning in April 2025, Simpson sexually abused two minor children who were eight and nine years old at the time. The abuse continued for more than a year. Simpson also video recorded multiple acts of sexual abuse with his victims, including placing his penis in their mouths and touching their genitals. Simpson was arrested in this matter on July 21, 2026, and remains detained.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Bohlen.           

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. 

Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

 26cr191

WASHINGTON – Tavante Robinson, 26, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today by a D.C. Superior Court judge on a thirty-count indictment, for charges related to the kidnapping and assault of the mother of his children and other violent acts committed against her friend and other family members, between March 2025 and July 2026. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Tavante Robinson allegedly punched his own 4-year-old child, resulting in a black eye. He later kidnapped the child’s mother and their children and set her friend’s apartment door on fire,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Even with a protective order issued against him, the violence continued. This behavior has no place in our community, and my office will continue to prosecute anyone who does harm and instills fear in our community.” 

Robinson was indicted for first-degree cruelty to children, kidnapping, robbery, arson, stalking, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, possession and use of a Molotov cocktail, obstructing justice, and various additional counts related to threats, assaultive conduct, and contempt of court orders.  

D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt set a hearing for September 8, 2026.  The Court determined that the defendant should be held pending trial.  

According to court documents, on March 14, 2025, the victim returned to her residence and observed that her 4-year-old son had a black eye. A witness reported that while the mother was out of the home, the defendant became upset with the 4-year-old and punched him in the face. In the months following, the victim received a Civil Protection Order against the defendant from a D.C. Superior Court judge, which the defendant repeatedly violated. On April 16, 2026, the victim reported that the defendant kidnapped her and her children from her friend’s apartment complex and held them captive for multiple hours. The victim and her children ultimately became free of the defendant when he fled the area once police arrived. Just a few days later, on April 20, 2026, the D.C. Fire Department was dispatched to that same apartment complex where the victim and her children were taken from by the defendant. The D.C. Fire Investigation Unit located a fire at the door of the apartment belonging to the victim’s friend and observed further damage to the apartment’s exterior window as well as burned patches beneath that window.  

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C. Fire Investigation Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Hinerfeld.  

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

2026 CF3 12263 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division for their work litigating Miot v. Trump on behalf of the U.S. Government, which permitted the termination of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.   

“The well‑founded and persuasive arguments developed by attorneys in my office were affirmed by the highest court in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This decisive ruling, along with the Solicitor General’s persuasive advocacy echoing our reasoning and the subsequent acknowledgment that the stay is no longer in effect, underscores the caliber of attorneys in this office, who work every day to keep Americans safe while representing the United States.” 

In Miot v. Trump, Haitian nationals brought a civil action challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to end TPS designation for Haiti. Attorneys from the Civil Division briefed and argued the case on an expedited schedule, maintaining that federal law prohibits judicial review of DHS’s determinations to terminate TPS and that the government had provided legitimate, race-neutral rationales for its decision.  

During the course of litigation, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes rejected the Government’s arguments and temporarily stayed the termination decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the stay on March 6, 2026. 

Despite the stays being upheld, the case was fast-tracked to the Supreme Court and in a 6–3 decision issued June 25, 2026, the Court reversed the lower court's decision. Writing for the majority, Justice Alito adopted the Government’s statutory interpretation and reasoning, concluding that DHS’s TPS determinations fall outside the scope of judicial review and that the administrative record supported race-neutral justifications for the policy change. The Government’s decision to terminate TPS for Haiti was allowed to take effect. On August 5, Judge Reyes entered an order acknowledging the stay was no longer in effect.