District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – A federal jury convicted Naquel Matao Henderson, 27, of Washington, D.C., of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, robbery, and unlawful possession of Oxycodone following a six-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

        This case is part of Make D.C. Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

        United States District Judge Timothy J. Kelly scheduled Henderson’s sentencing for July 3, 2025. Henderson had been detained since his arrest in this case.

        According to the evidence presented at trial, Henderson rode an electric scooter into traffic at approximately 2:16 pm on June 24, 2024, colliding with a car that had the green light.  Following a brief argument, Henderson pushed the woman whose car he hit and violently snatched a cross-body satchel from her person before fleeing.  Both the collision and the robbery were captured on overhead surveillance cameras.  Numerous individuals witnessed the robbery, including an MPD Commander who issued an emergency call for assistance. 

        A responding MPD patrol officer attempted to detain Henderson for the robbery, at which point he turned and ran.  Both the patrol officer and the MPD Commander, who had made the emergency call, chased Henderson into an alley, where they observed that he was carrying a handgun.  The patrol officer tackled Henderson and wrestled the firearm away, and the MPD Commander secured it. Additional officers responded to the scene, and Henderson was eventually taken into custody. The firearm was determined to be a .45 caliber Glock loaded with one round in the chamber and fourteen rounds in the magazine.    

        A search of Henderson’s person after his arrest revealed that he was carrying a total of fifty (50) 10mg Oxycodone pills. The pills were manufactured by two different companies and were stored in two different pill bottles – neither of which listed Henderson as the prescribed user of the Oxycodone. 

        Prior to his arrest in this case, Henderson had been convicted of felony offenses in both the D.C. Superior Court and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and he was therefore prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.  At the time of his arrest, Henderson was also on pretrial release in D.C. Superior Court, where he was charged with numerous violent offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder while armed.

        This case was investigated by MPD officers and detectives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar and James B. Nelson and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko. 

WASHINGTON – Timothy Martin, 55, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found guilty by a federal jury for his role in the April 27, 2023, defacement of an art exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.

            President Trump directed federal authorities in a March 2025 Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful by launching a multi-faceted initiative to address both crime and beautification. This includes the creation of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to coordinate law enforcement efforts, and a program to restore and enhance the city's public spaces.

            “This verdict sends a strong message to the thousands of people who come to D.C. each year to demonstrate and be heard,” said U.S Attorney Martin. “Free speech is a constitutional right. But when you take illegal action, such as causing damage to an art exhibit at the National Gallery, you are crossing a line. We want to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again, and we will not tolerate anyone defacing our city to get attention for their cause.”

            After a four-day trial, the jury, yesterday, found Martin guilty of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025.

            According to evidence introduced in court, Martin and co-defendant Johanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, NY, smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, a sculpture which has drawn visitors for years to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Following the attack, a group called Declare Emergency claimed credit.       

            Martin and Smith agreed, along with other co-conspirators, to enter the National Gallery of Art for the purpose of injuring the exhibit and entered the museum armed with water bottles filled with paint. Martin and Smith handed their phones to other co-conspirators and waited until patrons cleared the area in front of the Little Dancer. The pair proceeded to smear paint on the case and base of the exhibit, at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post, and two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense. Additionally, other members of the conspiracy filmed and photographed the offense.

            Smith and Martin caused over $4,000 in damage, including material and labor costs, and the exhibit was removed from public display for 10 days so that it could be repaired.

            Smith pleaded guilty December 15, 2023, to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and $4,062 in restitution. 

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Tepfer and Jennifer Blackwell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury found Lawrence Murphy, 52, of Washington, D.C., guilty on April 4, 2025, of one count of aggravated assault while armed and related charges, for shooting the victim, an entrepreneur with a groundskeeping business, in March 2020, over a dispute about blowing leaves and debris in his yard, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In addition to the aggravated assault charge, the jury also found Murphy guilty of one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2025.

           According to the evidence presented at trial, at approximately 6:30 p.m., on March 31, 2020, the victim was blowing leaves in the alley of the 1300 block of Queen Street NE, when the defendant, Murphy, became upset, alleging the victim was blowing leaves towards his house. The defendant was standing on his porch and yelled at the victim, threatening to kill him if he did not blow the leaves away.  Murphy then shot the victim, causing injuries to his wrist. The victim observed the shooter run inside a house in the 1300 block of Queen Street NE. Camera footages in the area captured the defendant leaving out of the back yard and running down an alley a minute later. An eyewitness heard a “pop” noise, looked out the window and saw the victim in the alley and the defendant on the porch. The eyewitness informed the officers that a Green GMC, which was parked on the road, is associated with the defendant. Officers stayed on scene to see if anyone returned to the area, and at approximately 8:03 p.m., Murphy returned to the scene and attempted to get into the Green GMC. He was wearing the same clothing and matched the description the victim provided to police, and he was arrested at the scene.

           This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaniqua Butler and Negar Kordestani.

WASHINGTON – Da'jon Malloy, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal gun charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Malloy was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.  On April 1, U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Malloy detained pre-trial.

          According to court documents, on March 5, 2025, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed an individual, later identified as defendant Malloy, walking in the 100 block of M Street, Southwest. Officers engaged Malloy and observed a clearly defined “L” shaped object inside a crossbody satchel he was wearing, consistent with a concealed firearm. Upon questioning, Malloy initially denied having any contraband but later admitted to possessing marijuana and a scale. Malloy then removed from the satchel approximately nine bags of suspected marijuana.

          Court documents say that as officers moved to take him into custody, Malloy began behaving evasively and attempted to obscure the bag from view. Another MPD officer subsequently looked into the open satchel and allegedly observed the magazine of a handgun protruding from inside. It is alleged that officers recovered a firearm containing one round in the chamber and 14 additional rounds in the magazine. A database check confirmed Malloy did not possess a valid firearm license in the District of Columbia.

          A further investigation revealed that Malloy possessed prior felony convictions, including Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in D.C., and Burglary in Maryland, confirming that Malloy was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

          This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti.

          This case is part of Make D.C. Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

View the Malloy indictment: 

WASHINGTON – Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in connection with spray-painting the monument at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024, following a protest rally.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

            Mahdawi received 10 days in federal prison, followed by six months of supervision. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg also ordered Mahdawi to serve 80 hours of community service and to pay $1,500 in restitution. Mahdawi pleaded guilty January 23, 2025, to destruction of government property, a misdemeanor.

            According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.

            Between approximately 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi lowered a United States flag from one of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. The flag was subsequently stolen by another individual. Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., Mahdawi climbed the monument located in the center of Columbus Circle. His actions were captured on video footage filmed by USPP from an observation post looking down at Columbus Circle. The same event was captured in open-source video and photos later posted to various internet platforms. After climbing to a ledge, Mahdawi began to spray paint the monument.

            Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Mahdawi using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the Columbus statue. After completing the phrase, Mahdawi spray-painted an inverted red triangle above the slogan.

            The flags that were pulled down from the flag poles, and the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.

            This case was investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office with invaluable assistance from the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, the FBI Richmond Field Office, and the United States Attorney's Office - Eastern District of Virginia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.

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WASHINGTON – Demonta King, 18, of Chevy Chase, MD, pleaded guilty today for carjacking a taxicab driver at knifepoint in November 2024 and robbing another victim at gunpoint in August 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            King pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The Honorable Jennifer Di Toro scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:50 a.m., on November 18, 2024, in the 5000 block of Fort Totten Drive, NE, King, while armed with a knife, approached the victim, a taxicab driver, who was standing approximately five feet from his taxicab. King announced a robbery and said, “Give me everything,” and ordered the victim to hand over his keys. King then stabbed the victim in the hand causing him to drop the keys. The defendant picked up the keys and took the victim’s taxicab, along with his phone, driver’s license, bank cards and other personal items. Officers later spotted the victim’s vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, in the 500 block of Chillum Road in Hyattsville, MD, when the defendant crashed and exited on foot. Police gave chase and stopped the defendant.

            In a separate incident, according to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:45 a.m., on August 26, 2022, in the 100 Block of Gallatin Street and 1st Place NE, King approached a different victim, brandished a firearm, took the victim’s backpack and cell phone, and then struck the victim in the face with the firearm and fled.  King was 16-years-old when he committed this offense and was prosecuted as an adult under Title 16.

            King was placed under arrest at the scene of the armed carjacking and has been in custody since his arrest.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green.

WASHINGTON – Amard Jefferson, 26, of Ft. Washington, MD, was sentenced today, to 27 years in prison, for the August 2021 murder of 20-year-old Kendall Brown and obstruction of justice for trying to convince his girlfriend to tell authorities that she killed Kendall Brown – not him, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            On December 20, 2024, a jury found Jefferson guilty of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license and obstructing justice. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Jefferson to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on August 7, 2021, in the 3000 block of Nelson Place, Southeast, Ms. Brown and two others went to the apartment of Jefferson’s girlfriend to retrieve personal items that one of them left behind after moving out of the apartment. While there, a verbal argument occurred. Jefferson, who was not initially involved in the verbal argument, escalated the argument by introducing and reaching for his firearm and threatening the women that he was going to “call his men.” Shortly thereafter, and without cause or justification, the defendant shot Ms. Brown. After locking the victim into the apartment, the defendant fled with his girlfriend. As he fled the crime scene, he stashed the murder weapon -- a black 9mm ghost gun – in a drainpipe a few blocks away. Jefferson continued his efforts to prevent legal accountability a few days after his arrest when he attempted, through text messages and phone calls from the D.C. Department of Corrections, to convince his girlfriend to affirmatively and falsely take blame for the murder. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Han, Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman, Meredith McGarrity, Lashone Samuels, and Lisa Minott, Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Security Specialist Robert Cephas, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Shanika McCullough, and Maenylie Watson, Special Agents Matthew Fox-Moles, Eric Pauta, and Sean Ricardi.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kukowski, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Clark and Stephanie Dinan, who prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON –Aron Williams, 33, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today, for stabbing his romantic partner, on February 23, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Williams pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill on January 27, 2025, before the Honorable Jason Park in D.C. Superior Court.

            Today, Judge Park sentenced Williams to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 23, 2024, an argument ensued between Williams and the victim, his romantic partner. During that argument, Williams became enraged and began strangling the victim with both hands around her neck before grabbing a large hunting knife from a chair. He then took the knife and stabbed the victim approximately ten times on both arms, both legs, her mouth, and her wrist. She started bleeding heavily, as the gash to her wrist was to the bone and the gash to her mouth nearly severed her lip from her face. He eventually fled, forcing his romantic partner and her son to call 911. She required emergency surgery to repair the cut to her wrist and stitches to close the wounds on her mouth, arms, and legs.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde from the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.

            UPDATE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified to investigate Rattigan.  

        WASHINGTON – Stephen Rattigan, also known as Julius James, 49, of Washington, D.C., was indicted April 2, 2025, on assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges stemming from the February 14, 2024, shooting of Metropolitan Police Department Officers, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”). 

           Rattigan was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, six counts of assault on a police officer while armed, three counts of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, fifteen counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of endangerment with a firearm, five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, four counts of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, and one count of cruelty to animals. 

           Rattigan is scheduled to be arraigned on April 4, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Michael Ryan.  Rattigan faces a mandatory minimum of five years of incarceration for each count of assault with intent to kill while armed, each count of assault on a police officer while armed, and each count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed. Rattigan faces a mandatory minimum of one year for each firearm in his possession.  

           According to the government’s evidence, at about 7:30 a.m., on February 14, 2024, members of MPD went to 5032 Hanna Place SE in Washington, D.C. to arrest Rattigan, then known as Julius James. MPD officers, in full uniform, repeatedly announced that they were with MPD and that they were at the residence to arrest Rattigan. After several minutes of no response, MPD officers observed Rattigan inside the house, and he began speaking to the officers. Despite attempting to have Rattigan open the door, MPD officers were forced to use tools to force open the front door. While six members of MPD were outside the front door, Rattigan fired several shots through the front door, striking three of the officers. An hours-long standoff then ensued, with Rattigan communicating with MPD negotiators for several hours. At one point during the standoff, Rattigan, upset that he wasn’t getting cigarettes quickly enough, fired three additional rounds through the front door.

            After several hours, Rattigan surrendered to MPD officers, and he was arrested. After Rattigan was arrested, MPD executed a court-authorized search warrant inside the home. Inside, Rattigan had thirty-one dogs, three handguns, two AR-style rifles, two full drum magazines, and additional large-capacity magazines. 

           This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Goldstein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON - Monte Tyree Johnson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal gun charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again” public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., that is surging resources and charging more gun crimes in District Court to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia.

         Johnson was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. 

         U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg detained Johnson on charges articulated in a criminal complaint filed on March 20, 2025, charging unlawful possession of a firearm. As outlined in the criminal complaint, Johnson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Johnson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on December 10, 2021, and was sentenced to 96 months in prison. 

         According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, United States Marshals arrested Johnson for allegedly violating the terms of his supervised release. Johnson was taken into custody without incident at a residence in Northeast Washington, D.C., where authorities also allegedly recovered a firearm, high-capacity magazine, ammunition, and suspected narcotics.

         On March 18, 2025, it is alleged that U.S. Marshals observed Johnson leaving a residence on Cassell Place NE carrying a black crossbody bag. The next day, investigators returned to the residence with knowledge of the active warrant and arrested Johnson in a third-floor bedroom.

         Upon arrest, it is alleged that investigators observed the same black crossbody bag next to the bed Johnson had been occupying. In plain view, a high-capacity ammunition feeding device was protruding from the bag. A subsequent court-authorized search warrant led to the recovery of a loaded handgun, extended magazine, and controlled substances.

       This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators who are a danger to the community.

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

 

WASHINGTON – Shannon Updike, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 15 years in prison for shooting Chidzie Njoku, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Updike pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed on December 19, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In sentencing Updike, the court accepted the 15-year sentence that was part of the plea agreement.    

            According to the government’s evidence, Updike used a homemade purple assault rifle to shoot Chidzie Njoku twice at close range. Updike fled on foot but was stopped by MPD patrol officers after a foot chase.   

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On January 13, 2025, a 44-year-old District resident, D.W., died after being shot by the police. The officers responded to a call for a man armed with a gun, and encountered D.W., who brandished a handgun at them.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, security camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, autopsy results, and reports from MPD.

            According to the evidence, at about 4:39 a.m., on January 13, 2025, members of the Metropolitan Police Department were summoned to a building in the 300 block of Florida Avenue, N.E., in response to a 911 call for a man with a gun. Upon their arrival, the police were advised that an occupant of the building was armed with a handgun and that he had fired a shot at an employee of the building. The employee advised the police that the man was still in the building. The police began to canvass the building. They eventually encountered the man – later identified as D.W. – near an elevator bank on the second floor. D.W. brandished a handgun, pointed it at the police, and then retreated into an elevator. D.W. emerged from the elevator a few minutes later at the lobby level with the gun now in his pocket. When officers attempted to stop D.W. as he tried to leave the building, D.W. retrieved the handgun from his pocket and a struggle ensued. The police ultimately discharged their service weapons and fatally wounded D.W.

           After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers willfully violated D.W.’s rights.

Investigations generally

           The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. 

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON — Matthew Hong, 28, of Middlesex, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements in connection with sick leave compensation that he received from his federal government employer when he was not sick but instead working remotely for a private company during the COVID-19 pandemic.

          The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

          Hong pleaded guilty to one count of false statements and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

          According to court documents, Hong was an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor from April 2020 until July 2023. At BLS, Hong worked on the Current Employment Statistics program within the National Estimates Branch that produced, among other things, the monthly estimates of nonfarm employment numbers. In that role Hong had access to certain Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEI), such as the employment and unemployment numbers, several days prior to their public disclosure. This information was subject to strict security procedures and safeguards due to the PFEI’s sensitivity and ability to affect financial markets if prematurely disclosed. 

          Beginning in June 2022, and while still employed at BLS and working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong began full-time employment at a global financial institution headquartered in New York City, as a senior associate in a group that analyzed and developed macroeconomic scenarios used in the company’s forecasting. As part of his job at the financial institution, Hong developed economic narratives and forecasts that involved multiple macroeconomic variables.             

          On at least 55 different occasions between June 2022 and July 2023, Hong made entries in BLS’s time and attendance system that falsely represented that he was sick on a given workday and sought sick leave compensation from BLS when, in fact, he was not sick but instead was working for the private financial institution. Based on these false statements, Hong received over $13,300 in sick leave compensation from BLS.

          The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and DOL-OIG. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Maria Vento provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.

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WASHINGTON – Ronnie Rogers, 69, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that imported and redistributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in the District of Columbia.

          The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Rogers pleaded guilty to a three-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 100 grams or more of heroin; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base; and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 21, 2025. Rogers is eligible for a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison to a maximum of life.

          According to the plea agreement, between July 2021 and November 2023, Rogers coordinated with his co-conspirators to traffic fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. This included over 12 kilograms of fentanyl (including carfentanil, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl), over 1967 grams of fentanyl analog (p-Fluorofentanyl, which is also more lethal than fentanyl), over 236 grams of heroin, over 500 grams of cocaine, and less than 28 grams of cocaine base.

          On November 29, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Rogers’ various residences.

          At his apartment on the 1200 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW, law enforcement recovered an array of narcotics that included a large baggie containing 494.8 grams of mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil; another baggie with 704.8 grams of carfentanil, an envelope containing 115.91 grams of fentanyl; another baggie containing 201 grams of fentanyl; and baggies containing 1,785 grams acetaminophen and 18 grams of fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson SD-40 firearm, a Glock 43 pistol, a Rugar LCP pistol, $23,000 in cash, and an assortment of drug packaging materials and scales.

          At Roger’s residence on the 6500 block of Gateway Boulevard, in District Heights, Maryland, law enforcement recovered more narcotics and weapons including two baggies containing 151 grams of fentanyl; plastic bags containing 2.4 grams of xylazine and 1.8 grams of heroin; baggies containing bundles of smaller bags containing 7.7 grams of  fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, 1.4 grams of carfentanil, and 2.8 grams of acetaminophen, 20 small baggies containing 5.1 grams of fentanyl, heroin and xylazine; and bags containing 97.3 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 45.4 grams of cocaine base, and 14.2 grams of fentanyl with xylazine. Officers also recovered a Smith &Wesson .357 revolver, a Springfield XD 9mm firearm, a Canik TP9 pistol, assorted ammunition and magazines and $1,524 in cash.

          At another residence utilized by Rogers located on the 2100 block of Pineview Court, Waldorf, Maryland, law enforcement recovered a FedEx parcel containing 1,013 grams of fentanyl.

         This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

         This case is being investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Washington Field Division, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Interdiction Unit, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police, Montgomery County Department of Police, Virginia State Police, Loudoun County Sherriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Matthew Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Section.

23cr394

WASHINGTON – William Woodson, 26, of Southeast Washington, D.C. was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on three felony counts. Specifically, he is charged with one count of first degree child cruelty and one count of assault with significant bodily injury against a minor for his assault on a two-year-old victim, along with another felony charge from conduct directed at a separate adult the same day. The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant kicked a stranger’s two-year-old child down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station.  The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Woodson is detained while the case remains pending.

            According to the government’s evidence, presented in police affidavits, on July 24, 2023 around 11:20 a.m., the victim’s mother was walking down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station when the defendant came up behind them.  He then (without any prior interaction or provocation) kicked the two-year-old child, causing him to fall down the escalator, hitting his head and face. Woodson exited the station and the victim’s mother followed him while carrying the now-injured child victim. The victim’s mother followed the defendant out of the metro station and called 911, providing law enforcement with information about the defendant.

            Responding MPD officers met the mother who gave them a lookout and, subsequently, officers stopped Woodson a short distance away. Medics arrived on scene and, noting that the two-year-old victim was bleeding from the head, advised the victim’s mother that he required transport to Children’s Hospital immediately. During transport, the victim lost consciousness. The victim remained hospitalized for approximately twelve hours and was diagnosed with a mild concussion before being sent home with his mother.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ballou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – Trevon Timothy Vines, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal gun charge in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. 

          The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Sean T. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Vines was indicted on one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment for a Term Exceeding One Year. 

          According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the vicinity of 1820 7th Street NW after observing a traffic infraction. It is alleged that during the course of the stop, officers observed several open containers of alcohol and requested that all occupants exit the vehicle.

          It is alleged that one of the occupants, defendant Vines, was seated in the front passenger seat and holding a cup consistent with the others observed. As officers attempted to place Vines in handcuffs, they felt what they immediately recognized to be a handgun on his person in a front left jacket pocket. Vines then began physically resisting, grabbing one officer’s vest and attempting to move him while repeatedly reaching for the weapon forcibly.

          Officers eventually recovered the firearm and discovered that it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.

          An investigation revealed that Vines is a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions. At the time of the incident, Vines was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal and D.C. law. He did not have a license to carry or own a firearm in the District of Columbia.

          This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Baltimore Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

          This case is part of Make D.C. Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

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WASHINGTON – David Crocker, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to multiple armed robberies and firearms charges stemming from a series of robberies near Anacostia Park in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor, of the United States Park Police, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Crocker pleaded guilty yesterday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of armed robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Crocker also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a silver and black pistol on November 10, 2023. Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2025, before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld. As part of his sentence, Crocker will be required to register as a gun offender.

            According to the government’s evidence, the defendant robbed two individuals at gunpoint on December 18, 2023, in the vicinity of Anacostia Park. In the first offense, the defendant robbed an individual at gunpoint in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE.  Crocker brandished a black and silver pistol and took the victim’s phone, keys, and wallet before demanding the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards.

            Later the same day, the defendant robbed a different individual on the Anacostia Railroad Bridge.  Crocker brandished the same silver and black pistol and took the victim’s bicycle, cell phone, keys, and wallet.  The defendant again demanded the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards. United States Park Police officers stopped and arrested Crocker moments later. They recovered the proceeds of the robbery and the silver and black pistol from the defendant.

            This case was investigated by the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Robert Andrew Cooper, 68, of Washington D.C., was arrested today and charged in a two-count federal indictment with repeatedly making threatening phone calls, in December 2024, during which he allegedly said he intended to kill a federal official and an officer of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Cooper is charged with two counts of interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure. He will make an initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. today.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.

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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office brought federal firearms charges against 18 defendants in the month of March—twice the monthly average since January 2021—announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr.

          “The United States Attorney’s Office is continuing its work to Make D.C. Safe Again by aggressively prosecuting violent offenders, adopting eligible Superior Court cases into District Court, and coordinating federal and local resources,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. “Our efforts directly support the President’s Executive Order to restore law and order in the District and help make our nation’s capital not only safer, but also worthy of its place as the pride of every American.”

         “We are committed to reducing violence by addressing the flow and supply of illegal firearms within the District, we at ATF will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners as well as the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure those who violate federal firearm laws and terrorize our communities with violence are held accountable and brought to justice for their crimes,” said ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We remain steadfast in our mission of fighting violent crime in D.C.”

         During the month of March, the U.S. Attorney’s Office accepted 23 cases for federal prosecution, 18 of which have already been charged in the U.S. District Court. This is the highest number of case adoptions since before January 2021. As a result of this surge, more dangerous offenders are off the streets. Examples of these cases include:

1. Traffic Stop in Southeast D.C. Leads to Federal Indictment, Firearm Recovery, and Drug Seizure.
2. Three District Men Indicted Following Firearms Arrest During Early Morning Traffic Stop in Logan Circle.
3. Repeat Felon on Probation Is Indicted for Alleged Possession of Ammunition.

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

         The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating these cases.

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

WASHINGTON – Ray Stover, 43, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Friday, March 28, 2025, to 120 months in prison for stabbing a Safe Passage Ambassador near the campus of Ron Brown High School in Washington, DC, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Stover pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill in February 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Following the completion of his term of imprisonment, Stover was ordered to complete a three-year term of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 5, 2024, the victim was working for D.C. Safe Passage, helping students travel safely to and from school, at his post near 45th Street and Meade Street, NE. Around 12:30 p.m., Stover approached the victim while yelling profanities. Although the victim did not know Stover, Stover brandished a knife and swung it at the victim’s leg causing the victim to collapse to the ground. Stover then proceeded to stab the victim six additional times in his chest, back, and leg. Neighbors who found the victim called 911, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment for multiple stab wounds.

            Ring camera footage from a nearby residence captured the attack, which was ultimately used to develop Stover’s identity as the attacker.  Stover was apprehended on July 23, 2024, and has been in custody ever since. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Claire Hoover and   Katerina  Shelly, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Ikea Gartrell, 35, of Washington D.C., has been indicted on federal gun charges in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Gartrell was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, following her March 1st arrest in Southeast D.C.

          According to court documents, on March 1, 2025, at approximately 4:49 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department personnel conducted a traffic stop in the 900 block of Barnaby Street SE, Washington, D.C. Officers then made contact with the driver, later identified as Ikea Gartrell, who was allegedly found to be operating without a valid license.

          During the stop, it is alleged that an open container of alcohol was observed, prompting officers to ask all occupants to exit the vehicle. A subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a loaded, unregistered firearm on Gartrell’s person. Gartrell was placed under arrest for Carrying a Pistol Without a License (CPWL) and no permit.

          Records indicated Gartrell had a prior felony conviction.

          The investigation is ongoing.

          The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand.

          This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

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WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison, for stabbing a fellow inmate, in D.C. Jail on January 24, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Brock pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe ordered Brock to serve his three-year prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.

            The defendant admitted that on January 22, 2025, inside the D.C. Jail located at 1901 D Street, SE, the victim, an inmate at the jail, was walking with a correctional officer.  Brock, also incarcerated there, approached him from behind and started stabbing the victim in the shoulder and back, with what appeared to be a makeshift knife. The correctional officer deployed OC spray at Brock, who then ran up the stairs, and shook off the attempted apprehension of another corrections officer, who was trying to detain him. Brock attempted to give the knife to other inmates, but when they refused to take it, he dropped it on the ground. He was apprehended a short time later.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Ison and Randy Fultz, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Deonte Patterson, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and other charges for the August 2021 shooting of 32-year-old Ali Jamil Al-Mahdi on 9th Street NW, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Patterson also was found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and obstructing justice. The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2025. Patterson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:24 a.m., on August 23, 2021, members of the Third District Metropolitan Police Department were in the area of 9th and T Street, N.W., when they heard the sounds of multiple gunshots. Officers canvassed the area and located Mr. Ali Al-Mahdi in front of 1822 9th Street, N.W., unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and transported Mr. Al-Mahdi to Howard University Hospital where all lifesaving efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead at 3:39 a.m. Surveillance video and witness testimony placed Patterson in the area of the shooting. Mr. Al-Mahdi was shot as he was trying to get to his car. Minutes after the shooting, there was a car crash at 9th Street and Massachusetts Ave N.W., where a car flipped over multiple times. Patterson and a gun flew out from the vehicle during the crash. DNA tied the gun that flew out of the car to the defendant. That gun was consistent with having fired the 40 caliber casings at the shooting crime scene. Other casings at the shooting scene came from an unknown firearm suspected to be return gunfire that hit the defendant’s fleeing vehicle. The defendant’s firearm was in a fanny pack in the backseat of his car. The decedent had previously shot the defendant in 2019, pled guilty, and served time.

            An arrest warrant for Patterson was issued in January 2022 and he was on the run for a year until he was arrested on January 5, 2023. Since being held, the defendant communicated with his girlfriend in several jail calls instructing her not to say anything.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Tamara Rubb.

WASHINGTON – Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to three years in prison for obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the murder of Makiyah Wilson, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Robert Okun ordered three years of probation. 

           Ramsuer was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on September 3, 2024, for her role in connection with the July 16, 2018 murder. The evidence at trial showed that on July 16, 2018, five members of the Wellington Park crew, Mark Price, Antonio Murchison, Isaiah Murchison, Gregory Taylor, and Qujuan Thomas, who have all been convicted, drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. The driver of the vehicle, Mark Price, briefly stopped to allow the other defendants to exit the vehicle. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately. Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Two other members of the Wellington Park crew – Quentin Michals and Darrise Jeffers – were also convicted of their role in assisting in planning the shooting and securing the firearms that were used and crew member Marquell Cobbs was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the incident.

            Ramsuer, who witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, continuously refused to testify truthfully when asked the identity of the shooters. The evidence at trial showed that Ramseur lived in or hung out in the Wellington Park neighborhood most of her life and knew almost all of the defendants, one of whom she identified as her cousin. She was observed on video surveillance interacting with the defendants as they loaded into the vehicles to drive to Clay Terrace to commit the shooting. Ramsuer was also observed on video closely engaging with one of the defendants who orchestrated the attack, but who remained behind. Despite the obvious familiarity, Ramseur steadfastly refused to identify the individuals with whom she was interacting in the video, resulting in the charge of obstruction of justice.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Natalie Hynum.

            The trial team was assisted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chrisellen Kolb and Nicholas Coleman, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Information Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Information Technology Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman. Critical assistance also was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rich Barker, John Timmer, and Melissa Jackson who played key roles in the investigation.

WASHINGTON – Dana McDaniel, 44, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to bribery for accepting at least $10,000 in exchange for agreeing to use her position as Deputy Director at the District’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) to benefit another.

            The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.

            U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras set a sentencing date for August 6, 2025.

            According to court documents, from January 2020 to April 2023, McDaniel served as the Deputy Director of ONSE. In that role, McDaniel managed agency programming and community-based services focused on providing resources and interventions for at-risk individuals in at-risk communities impacted by violence in the District, including the Violence Intervention (VI) Initiative, a collaborative community engagement strategy designed to support D.C. residents in reducing gun-related violence in their communities.

            Court documents show that, prior to September 2022 and continuing through at least August 2024, McDaniel accepted at least $10,000 in cash from a Maryland resident to direct contracts and grants to two different District of Columbia-based businesses associated with the Maryland resident. Those companies included a company that represented itself as a community-based initiative to serve high-risk youths and adults and operated throughout the District, and a company that provided VI services as part of ONSE’s VI initiative in Ward 5.

            McDaniel faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, with substantial assistance from Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca G. Ross, John Crabb, and Joshua Rothstein.

WASHINGTON – Byron Ajanel, 24, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on March 26, 2025 on felony charges for strangulation, assault with significant bodily injury, and threats stemming from his attack on his former girlfriend, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. 

           Ajanel is scheduled to be arraigned on May 13, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Judith Pipe. 

           According to the government’s evidence, on January 1, 2025, the defendant got into an argument with the victim that escalated into a physical assault that included the defendant pushing down the victim, strangling her with both hands around her neck, punching her in the face, and threatening her.

           The defendant’s charges include strangulation, which the D.C. Council’s Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 made a felony offense.  Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence.  A major strangulation study in San Diego, which is frequently cited, found: “Many victims suffer internal injuries, including permanent brain damage.  Signs and symptoms do exist and can be documented even without visible injury… Most abusers do not strangle to kill.  They strangle to show they can kill.  Victims often suffer major long-term emotional and physical impacts. Surviving victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.”  The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner.”

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman.

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

WASHINGTON – Wesley Hilliard, 32, and Sequan Collier, 27, and Naseer Green, 19, all of Washington D.C., were indicted today on federal gun charges in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Hilliard and Collier are both charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Green is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a machine gun. The charges follow their March 16th arrests in the Logan Circle Neighborhood.

            According to court documents, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on March 16, 2025, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a running vehicle parked illegally near a fire hydrant on 7th Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

            Court documents allege that the vehicle was occupied by three individuals: driver Sequan Collier, front-seat passenger Naseer Green, and rear-seat passenger Wesley Hilliard. Officers allegedly observed open containers of alcohol in the vehicle and detected the presence of firearms. All three individuals were then detained by police.

            It is alleged that a handgun was recovered from the seat where Hilliard had been sitting. Hilliard, also a convicted felon, is currently on supervised release for a federal narcotics offense.

            It is further alleged that a loaded firearm was recovered from Collier’s waistband. A records check confirmed Collier is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms.

            Green was also allegedly found with a loaded firearm, modified with a device that converts it to fully automatic fire. The firearm was reported stolen from the state of Georgia. Green does not possess a valid license to carry a firearm in the District.

            All recovered firearms were allegedly loaded with rounds chambered. Due to the absence of firearms manufacturing in the District, the weapons are presumed to have traveled in interstate commerce.

            The investigation is ongoing.

            The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Dreher.

            This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

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

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 (based on current value) in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from Hamas fundraising addresses, purportedly controlled by Hamas, that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.

           The action was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Sue J. Bai head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque Field Office. 

           As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters, worldwide, with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars were raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.

           “Hamas is responsible for the deaths of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to stop their campaign of terror and murder,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “These seizures are but one illustration of the determination of this office and the Department of Justice to shut off the flow of funds to this group, and to locate every cent intended to support their activities, no matter what form it takes.” 

           “At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.   

           “Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to these funds, we have weakened their ability to function,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bujanda, of the Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”

           Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900, and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.

           This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Albuquerque Field Office in coordination with the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) and Cyber Division (CyD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from fundraising addresses purportedly controlled by Hamas that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.

“At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.   

“These seizures show that this office will search high and low for every cent of money going to fund Hamas, wherever it is found, and in whatever form of currency,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Hamas is responsible for the death of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will stop at nothing to stop their campaign of terror and murder.”

“Hamas raised and laundered more than a million dollars to support its terrorist operation, but through our investigation, the FBI traced and seized these funds,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI Counterterrorism Division. “Disrupting funding mechanisms and seizing cryptocurrency from Hamas is one of the FBI’s many tools that we use in the fight against terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to dismantle this terrorist group and protect the American people from their violent and horrific acts.”

“Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to funds, we weaken their ability to function,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”

As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters worldwide with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars was raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.

Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900 and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

            WASHINGTON –Derek Gaines, 37, of Severn, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 65 months in federal prison for selling thousands of fentanyl pills and cocaine to a confidential informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Gaines pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024, to unlawful distribution of 40 or more grams of fentanyl. In addition to the 65-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Gaines to serve four years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on April 4, 2024, an ATF confidential informant (CI) contacted Gaines. Gaines asked the CI if they wanted “the two” (two ounces of cocaine) and the blues (fentanyl pills), or just the blues. The CI stated that they wanted both. At 4:11 p.m., the CI texted Gaines to meet them on the 1600 block Maryland Avenue NE. Prior to the controlled purchase, law enforcement agents provided $5,000 to the CI. At the arranged meeting place, at 5:09 p.m., a dark-colored Chevrolet pulled alongside the CI’s vehicle. Gaines exited the Chevrolet and entered the front passenger seat of the CI’s vehicle and exchanged the cocaine and five baggies of fentanyl pills to the CI for $4,000. A DEA analysis showed that the suspected cocaine was in fact determined to be 55.78 grams of the drug. The five plastic baggies contained 502 blue M/30 fentanyl pills that weighed 59.2 grams, including packaging.

            On June 4, 2024, the CI texted Gaines and asked for another transaction at the same location. On June 6, 2024, ATF agents provided $7,500 to the CI. At 5:34 p.m., a gray Volkswagen Passat pulled up alongside the CI’s vehicle. Gaines exchanged the suspected cocaine and fentanyl pills for $6,500. Following the controlled purchase, the CI met with ATF agents and turned over the suspected narcotics. A DEA analysis of the suspected cocaine determined that the substance was in fact cocaine with a net weight of 56.44 grams. An analysis of the blue pills determined them to be fentanyl with a net weight of 106.69 grams.

            On July 23, 2024, Gaines sold 2,000 blue M/30 fentanyl pills to the CI for $8,000 at the same Maryland Ave. location.

            Law enforcement arrested Gaines on August 29, 2024, in Severn, Maryland.

            This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Division, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.     

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WASHINGTON – A civil forfeiture complaint was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

           The forfeiture was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. of the Minneapolis Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso of the New York Office.

           The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme between 2022 and 2024 to facilitate the shipment, storage, and sale of Iranian petroleum product for the benefit of the IRGC and IRGC-QF. The facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the Iranian oil as Malaysian, including by manipulating the tanker’s automatic identification system (AIS) to conceal that it onboarded the oil from a port in Iran. The facilitators presented falsified documents to the Croatian storage facility and port authority, claiming that the oil was Malaysian. The facilitators paid for storage fees associated with the oil’s storage at the Croatian facility in U.S. dollars, transactions that were conducted through U.S. financial institutions that would have refused the transactions had they known they were associated with Iranian oil. The petroleum product was sold in 2024, and the United States seized $47 million in proceeds from that sale.

           The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product constitutes the property of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which has perpetuated a federal crime of terrorism by providing material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.

           “We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran, in furtherance of President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “With the continued seizures of Iranian oil and U.S. dollar profits, we are sending a clear message to Iran that bypassing the sanctions put in place by the U.S. Government is not as easy as playing a shell game with tankers filled with oil. We remain committed to thwarting Iran’s devious attempts, and to deprive its terrorists of the funding they desire.”

           “The FBI will not allow hostile regimes to evade U.S. sanctions or exploit our financial systems to fund designated terrorist organizations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Winston. “The FBI, alongside our partners, will relentlessly enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and safeguard U.S. national security by disrupting illicit networks that seek to profit from sanctioned oil sales.”

           “Through the work of HSI’s Counterproliferation Investigations group, alongside the FBI, the U.S. government has seized $47 million worth of funds allegedly meant for terrorist groups intent on causing catastrophic harm," said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. "The expertise of HSI personnel, coupled with federal law enforcement’s whole-of-government approach, ensures the wellbeing of the United States and our innocent foreign counterparts, alike. We are relentlessly utilizing every tool at our disposal in pursuit of any and all security threats.”

           Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

           FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations New York are investigating the case.

           Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, and Brian Hudak for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Adam Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case. They received assistance from former Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

           A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation.  The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

A civil forfeiture complaint was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme between 2022 and 2024 to facilitate the shipment, storage, and sale of Iranian petroleum product for the benefit of the IRGC and IRGC-QF. The facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the Iranian oil as Malaysian, including by manipulating the tanker’s automatic identification system (AIS) to conceal that it onboarded the oil from a port in Iran. The facilitators presented falsified documents to the Croatian storage and port facility, claiming that the oil was Malaysian. The facilitators paid for storage fees associated with the oil’s storage in Croatia in U.S. dollars, transactions that were conducted through U.S. financial institutions that would have refused the transactions had they known they were associated with Iranian oil. The petroleum product was sold in 2024, and the United States seized $47 million in proceeds from that sale.

The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product constitutes the property of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which has perpetuated a federal crime of terrorism by providing material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.

Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations New York are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, and Brian Hudak for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Adam Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case. They received assistance from former Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

WASHINGTON – Maurice Felder, 53, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges stemming from a stabbing on November 10, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Felder was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges 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 possession of a prohibited weapon.

          Felder is to be arraigned on March 28, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Judith Pipe.

           According to the government’s evidence, on November 10, 2024, at about 1:00 a.m., the victim and his friends were walking near the intersection of 7th Street, N.W., and T Street, N.W. The victim and his friends were visiting Washington, D.C., for a weekend from Pennsylvania. The defendant followed the victim and his group down the sidewalk and began verbally arguing with the group. The victim got in between the defendant and other members of his friend group, telling the defendant to leave. The defendant asked the victim, “do you want to die,” pulled out a knife, and stabbed the victim in his chest. The victim sustained a stab wound 2 centimeters from his heart and required urgent medical care. The defendant was apprehended shortly thereafter, approximately one block from the location of incident. At the time of arrest, defendant matched the provided lookout description for the stabbing suspect. A knife was recovered from defendant’s pants pocket. Felder has been in custody since his arrest. 

           This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This case is being prosecuted by AUSA Valerie Tsesarenko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, and Anthony Antwon McNair, Jr., 36, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 657 months (54.75 years) months and 378 months (31.5 years) in prison respectively for their roles in a series of armed robberies of Brink’s armored cars in Washington, D.C., that resulted in the loss of more than $1.2 million. 

           The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Brock and McNair were found guilty by a federal jury on September 9, 2024, of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The jury also found co-defendant Erin Sheffey guilty the same day of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Sheffey was sentenced January 15, 2025, to 18 years in prison.

           In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Brock and McNair to each serve three years of supervised release and pay $1.2 million in restitution.

          The three Brink’s truck robberies occurred on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brink’s armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million. 

            According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on busy District streets while doing so. 

           Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at about 9 a.m., and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public. Testimony in the case revealed that the conspirators used assault rifles to carry out their robberies. 

          Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and arrival times of the Brink’s drivers, to ensure the robbery team was in place. As the Brink’s driver exited his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a business, the robbers ambushed him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he had complied to their demands and had turned over his courier bag.

          Members of the crew used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases. For example, within two days of the robberies, Brock purchased vehicles in cash totaling over $36,000. 

           Leading up to trial, all three men attempted to intimidate witnesses in the case. These attempts, among other things, were cited as bases for their decades-long sentences.

          This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.

An AR-15 used by the defendants during the armed robberies

Brock (right) and McNair (left) robbing a Brinks armored car employee with a firearm on December 8, 2021. Brock and McNair assaulted the driver by beating him with their pistols even after he turned over the delivery bag.

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WASHINGTON – Desmond Fletcher, 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, has been found guilty by a jury of one count of felony strangulation and two counts of misdemeanor assault for charges that took place in southeast Washington, D.C., on September 4, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The verdict was returned on March 24, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Pipe scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of September 4, 2023, Fletcher came to the home of the victim, a woman he had been seeing romantically. Once inside, the defendant confronted the victim, following her from room to room, as he strangled and assaulter her, causing her to black-out and urinate. The victim’s minor daughter was also home at the time of the assault. The victim ultimately ran to a next-door neighbor and asked her to call 911.

            Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence. A major strangulation study in San Diego, which is frequently cited, found: “Many victims suffer internal injuries, including permanent brain damage. Signs and symptoms do exist and can be documented even without visible injury… Most abusers do not strangle to kill. They strangle to show they can kill.  Victims often suffer major long-term emotional and physical impacts. Surviving victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner.”

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Trisha Jhunjhnuwala and Sarah Roessler, from the Domestic Violence Felony Unit of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the Superior Court Division, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Corey Whittico, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison in connection with live-streaming himself on social media brandishing a pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device as he was a passenger in a car traveling from Maryland into the District. The livestreamed video, which Metropolitan Police officers viewed as it was broadcast, also showed more than a kilogram of marijuana that Whittico had stashed in the back seat of the car.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Whittico pleaded guilty on December 17, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 84-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Whittico to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on December 19, 2023, about 3:23 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers viewed, in real time, a live video broadcast on Instagram of a user account that officers knew belonged to Whittico. Whittico was in the front-passenger seat of a moving vehicle and had his camera pointed out the front windshield. One of the officers noted that the car appeared to be driving from Maryland into Washington D.C.

            Whittico turned the camera on himself to show that he was brandishing a black Glock handgun that had been outfitted with an aftermarket machine gun conversion device known as a “switch.” A “switch” is a device that converts a semi-automatic firearm to a fully automatic firearm. In the next minute, Wittico reached into the backseat of the vehicle and displayed black and clear plastic bags containing a green leafy substance consistent with the appearance of marijuana.

            The officers drove their marked MPD cruiser to the Clay Terrace neighborhood in Northeast Washington, an area that Whittico was known to frequent, while they continued to monitor Whittico’s livestream. In the Clay Terrace neighborhood, the officers spotted Whittico sitting in the passenger seat of a white Honda Accord. The officers conducted a traffic stop on the 5800 block of East Capitol Street, SE. As the driver of the Honda pulled over, the officers watched as the Honda’s occupants reached into the back passenger’s compartment and appeared to conceal an item under one of the seats.

            In the backseat of the car, officers found three separate packages of marijuana weighing a total of 51 ounces (over three pounds). (District law allows possession of two ounces for personal use.) Underneath the front passenger’s seat, officers recovered a Glock 27, .40 caliber semiautomatic, loaded with 17 rounds, that had been modified with a machine gun conversion device. Officers also recovered at Glock 45, 9 mm semiautomatic that was equipped with a laser and loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition.

            Whittico is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. In April 2023, he was convicted of robbery in Prince George’s County and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with eight years and six months suspended.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.

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WASHINGTON – Jose Anthony Contreras, 31, of Fullerton, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for his role in a nationwide narcotics distribution conspiracy that brought tens of thousands of doses of illegal fentanyl from California into the Washington, D.C. area.

           The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Washington Division, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division. 

           Contreras pleaded guilty on December 6, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 120-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Contreras to serve five years of supervised release.

           According to court documents, Contreras was part of a large-scale fentanyl distribution conspiracy that obtained tens of thousands of fentanyl pills in California and then distributed those pills throughout the United States, including the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

           On June 18, 2024, law enforcement arrested Contreras at his residence and executed a search warrant. During the search, law enforcement recovered 600 to 700 fentanyl pills and $5,700 in cash hidden inside the canvas of a painting. Contreras has been detained since his arrest.

           This case was investigated by the DEA and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Isabelle Sun, Anthony Scarpelli, and Daniel Seidel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON - Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor, M.D., 65, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was found guilty today by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in connection with illegally distributing prescriptions for narcotics in exchange for cash from his Northwest Washington D.C. medical clinic.

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.

            The jury found Okafor guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (outside the practice of medicine), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 22 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances (oxycodone and promethazine with codeine). U.S. District Judge John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 20, 2025. 

           According to court documents and evidence at trial, between May 2021 and April of 2023, Okafor was the sole practitioner and owner of Okafor Medical Associates, an internal medicine clinic in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The USAO and FBI began investigating Okafor for illegal distribution of controlled substances after it received information from law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding prescriptions from Okafor being connected to local drug trafficking networks.

            Between February 18, 2022, and November 30, 2022, the FBI sent confidential sources and undercover agents into Okafor’s medical practice for walk-in appointments. Each individual was prescribed opioids by Okafor after minimal examination. Further investigation revealed that Okafor was operating a nationwide drug distribution scheme, whereby he would prescribe opioids to numerous individuals using false identities, whom Okafor knew to be diverting the medication.

            Okafor’s conduct spanned at least 45 states and resulted in hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine liquid prescribed nationwide. Okafor was convicted of distribution of opioids to undercover sources, numerous uncharged co-conspirators, and to a civilian patient J.V. Okafor was also convicted of conspiracy and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Evidence at trial further established that, after Okafor was notified by the D.C. Board of Health that J.V.’s family member filed a complaint against him, he created backdated medical records for J.V. in an attempt to justify his prescribing.

            The investigation also resulted in the immediate suspension of Okafor’s DEA registration number in September 2023 as he was deemed to be a threat to public health and safety.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledge the Apex, North Carolina Police Department, the Warsaw, New York, Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and the Noble County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation and trial.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado and paralegals Rebecca Walton, Dillon Clark, and Matthew McClarnon of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. The team also extends its deep appreciation to Michael Goodrich, Lead Travel Analyst of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. 

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WASHINGTON – Ricky McNeil, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for a July 2023 attempted robbery in which he kidnapped the victim at knifepoint and sexually assaulted her, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            On December 11, 2024, a Superior Court Jury found McNeil guilty of kidnapping while armed, first-degree sexual abuse with aggravated circumstances, robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon (knife), possession of a prohibited weapon (knife), and assault with significant bodily injury. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe ordered five years of supervised release and ordered McNeil to register as a sex offender for life upon release from prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 26, 2023, as the victim was walking past the defendant, a stranger to her, on Benning Rd, NE, he asked her for a cigarette. She told him she was going to the store and would buy him one. McNeil then snatched her purse off her arm and ran toward the door of his nearby apartment. When he was entering, the victim tried to grab her purse back from McNeil, at which point he grabbed her wrist, pulled her inside and barricaded the sole door to the apartment. When the victim ran to a nearby window and yelled for help, McNeil grabbed her, threw her down and began punching her. He then took the victim into another room, ordered her to disrobe and perform oral sex on him, threatening to give her a “smiley face” with a knife he was holding if she refused. When he had forced the act upon her, she immediately bit him. At that point, McNeil punched her in the mouth, splitting open her lip, and continued beating her. When McNeil got distracted by a phone, the victim jumped out the second-story window to escape. She ran, partially clad, to a nearby McDonald’s where a good Samaritan let her borrow a cell phone to call 911. Police responded to the scene but McNeil had already fled.

            When a search warrant was executed the following morning, the victim’s clothing and shoes were recovered from inside McNeil’s apartment, as well as her blood and his.

            In October 2023, McNeil was arrested on a warrant in Tampa, FL, and extradited back to DC, where he has been held without bond. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including SODV paralegals Garcia Clark and Veronica Hale, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, IT supervisor Leif Hickling, and Victim Advocate Maria Sanchez-Garcia. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly K. Smith and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor and of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A federal indictment was filed today charging Charles Washington, Jr., 33, of Washington, D.C., with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Washington was on probation at the time of his arrest.

            According to court documents, uniformed members of the MPD’s Seventh District Special Missions Unit responded at 4:05 p.m. on March 12 to the 2800 block of Alabama Ave. SE. Multiple individuals, including Washington, were gathered near a grey car. Washington was seen leaning on the vehicle. As MPD officers arrived, Washington took off running while holding his waistband. At one point, he stopped, hunched over a sewer drain, and appeared to toss an object down the drain. The officers observed Washington was no longer holding his waistband. Shortly after discarding the item, the defendant tripped and officers apprehended him. Officers went to the sewer drain, lifted the manhole cover, and recovered a black “ghost gun,” a privately made firearm with a Polymer 80 frame, with an attached Glock 23 slide and barrel, loaded with 12 rounds and one in the chamber.

            Washington was previously convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and also previously convicted of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 25.

            This case is being investigated by the MPD and the ATF. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District.

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

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WASHINGTON – Cortney Merritts, 46, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged today by federal indictment with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing fraudulent applications with the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021 that allowed him to collect more than $20,000 in government funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

           The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of the Inspector General-Eastern Region, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.

           According to the indictment, on July 7, 2020, Merritts received an $8,500 EIDL loan from the SBA for a moving business he operated that he called Vetted Couriers. In the application he submitted for Vetted Couriers, Merritts certified that his business had six employees and had generated $32,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020.

           On July 8, 2020, Merritts submitted another application to the SBA for an EIDL loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called “Cortney Merritts.”  In this EIDL application, Merritts fraudulently claimed to have a business that employed 10 people and generated $53,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020.  In addition to an EIDL loan, Merritts also requested an EIDL advance of up to $10,000 based on his false claim that he had 10 employees. The SBA rejected Merritts’ attempt to obtain additional EIDL funds after determining that his July 2020 application was nearly identical to the prior one he submitted.

           The indictment further alleges that on April 22, 2021, Merritts applied for a PPP loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called “Cortney Merritts.”  Merritts fraudulently claimed in this application that he had created this business in 2020 and that it had generated $128,000 in gross income that year. Based on Merritts’ representations about his gross income, Merritts received a $20,832 PPP loan. Merritts used the proceeds for his personal benefit and enjoyment.  In July 2022, Merritts submitted a loan forgiveness application in which he falsely claimed that this business had 10 employees at the time of the PPP loan, and that he spent the $20,832 on payroll costs. Based on Merritts’ alleged fraudulent representations, the SBA forgave the PPP loan in the amount of $20,832 and the $254.03 in interest.

           This case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General and the FBI Washington Field Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay.

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

WASHINGTON – Isaiah Chase, 27, of Silver Spring, MD, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in a gunpoint robbery at Busboys and Poets, a café and bookstore, in the 400 block of K Street, NW.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Chase pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024, to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, who in addition to the 84-month sentence, ordered Chase to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, Chase was one of multiple conspirators who worked with an employee at Busboys and Poets to rob the business on February 6, 2022. The employee instructed Chase to come to the establishment at around 9:30 p.m. and to enter when a specific person was visible at the front of the establishment.

            Chase and two of the other conspirators, wearing dark clothing, masks, and hoodies, entered the establishment as the staff was cleaning up for the night. Inside, each of the three individuals brandished firearms and pointed them at employees. The conspirators demanded money but received none. Instead they took keys to the business and fled in a vehicle.

            On November 4, 2022, law enforcement arrested Chase at his apartment in Silver Spring, MD. During a search of his residence, agents recovered a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a magazine and 24 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber machine gun capable of being fired fully automatically with a magazine containing 49 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber AM-15 rifle with a magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition; a .40 caliber magazine containing 9 rounds of ammunition; and 2 bags of marijuana intended for distribution.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD's Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and Matthew Kinskey.

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WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 21, of Towson, Maryland, was sentenced today in federal court to six months of probation for spray painting graffiti on several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., following a protest on July 24, 2024.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

            Giordano pleaded guilty to destruction of government property before U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, who in addition to probation, ordered Giordano to pay $500 in restitution to the National Park Service.

            According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate near Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.

            Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin with multiple photos and coordinated with the FBI in seeking information on five individuals who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. On August 1, 2024, USPP received two tips identifying Giordano.

            The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.

            This case was investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.

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WASHINGTON – A Superior Court Jury found Nyjell Outler, 22, of Washington, D.C., guilty, yesterday, of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the March 2021 shooting death of 21-year-old Demetris Johnson on Madison Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In addition to the manslaughter charge, the jury found Outler guilty of aggravated assault while armed for the shooting of Daloni Williams. Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2025.

            According to the evidence presented at trial, on March 20, 2021, Outler arrived at a gender-reveal party with an AK-style rifle (known as a “Draco”) in a backpack. He was at the party for a little more than a half hour before the shooting. After interacting with different guests throughout the evening, at approximately 7:43 p.m., he stepped away from the driveway of the home where he had been hanging out, pulled the Draco out of his backpack, held it at his right side, and returned to the driveway where Demetris Johnson, Daloni Williams, and another young man were standing. With dozens of other guests inside the house and in the fenced-in area just off the driveway, Outler approached with the gun. When Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward the defendant with his arm extended, as if to say, “put that away” the defendant raised the Draco and shot Daloni Williams twice, from point-blank range. The defendant then pivoted and pulled the trigger two more times as Demetris Johnson and the other young man on the driveway were trying to run away. One of the shots hit Demetris Johnson in the back. Outler then ran from the area. Demetris Johnson died in the backyard of the house hosting the gender reveal party. Daloni Williams spent nine days in the hospital after emergency surgery to save his leg and had to undergo months of physical therapy.

            At the time of the shooting, the defendant was wearing a GPS monitor due to an arrest for possessing another Draco in February 2021. About 2 hours after fleeing from 1 Madison St., he cut off his GPS. He was on the run for 11 months and was placed on the U.S. Marshal Service’s Top 15 most wanted list. Finally, in February 2022, the defendant was arrested in Florida following an anonymous tip.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and its task force officers for their diligent work in capturing the defendant. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mabry Johnson and Sharon Newman, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams Washington and Shanika McCullough, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.

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

WASHINGTON – Antonio Johnson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 204 months in prison for shooting Marcellus Jackson in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed in December 2024, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.  

            According to the charges, on June 20, 2024, Johnson and Mr. Jackson were outside of an apartment building at 4400 Hunt Place, Northeast, having a verbal argument, when Johnson pointed a loaded firearm at Mr. Jackson, told him to stop playing with him, and then shot him. The defendant then fled the scene.

            He was arrested on June 20, 2024, and has been in custody since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera and Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint, filed in the District of Columbia and unsealed today, charges Johnson Andre, aka “Izo,” a Haitian national and leader of the 5 Segond gang, for his alleged role in the March 2023 armed hostage taking, in Haiti, of a U.S. citizen who was held for ransom by Andre’s gang.

           The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Miami Field Office.

           According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Andre and the 5 Segond gang operate in Village de Dieu, Haiti, which is a town on the outskirts of the capital city Port-au-Prince. The gang actively participates in kidnappings for ransom and robberies, and uses the revenue generated from its criminal activity to pay salaries to its members and pay for weapons and ammunition from the United States and elsewhere.

           As leader of the 5 Segond gang, Andre issued a general order to his gang members to identify potential victims and kidnap them for ransom. On March 18, 2023, armed gang members forced the victim into a vehicle at gunpoint. The victim was taken to Village de Dieu where he was held in captivity for nine days during which he was beaten and burned with hot plastic. At one point, Andre visited the victim in captivity and engaged in ransom negotiations with the victim’s family. The victim was eventually released from captivity on March 27, 2023, following a ransom payment and other items of value that were provided to the gang.

           Andre remains at large and is believed to reside in Village de Dieu, Haiti. On December 8, 2023, Andre was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for his role in serious human rights abuse relating to his role as a leader of a criminal gang in Haiti pursuant to Executive Order 13818.

           If convicted, Andre faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

           This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Haiti and with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michael Watts for the District of Columbia.

           Charges in a criminal 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 – An indictment was unsealed today charging five former principals of aerospace start-up company Theia Group, Inc.—Erlend Olson, John Gallagher, Stephen Buscher, Joseph Fargnoli, and Jamil Swati—with a multi-year scheme to defraud investors and lenders out of $250 million, and further charging Olson with evading more than $3.9 million in personal federal income taxes. Theia Group, Inc. (Theia) had its headquarters in Washington D.C.

            Law enforcement made arrests yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico (Olson), Memphis, Tennessee (Buscher), and today in Broomall, Pennsylvania (Gallagher), Rochester, New York (Fargnoli), and Bridgeport, Connecticut (Swati). 

            The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Office.

            According to the indictment, Theia planned to launch 112 satellites starting in 2022 at a cost of $10 billion to $15 billion. Theia’s principals originally planned to raise the requisite funds from various nation-states by promising perpetual data and analytics for an upfront cost of $2 billion. However, from Theia’s founding in 2015 through its placement into receivership in 2021, Theia was unsuccessful in obtaining any funding except for approximately $250 million in loans and investments that Theia’s principals induced by fraud. Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati’s fraud scheme allegedly included materially false statements about revenue from non-existent government contracts, provision of multiple false financial statements, including a fake $6 billion escrow account statement, and false representations about Theia’s technical capabilities.

            The indictment further alleges that, between 2018 and 2020, Theia’s founder, Erlend Olson, concealed from the IRS millions of dollars in compensation he received from Theia. In addition to not filing tax returns or paying any taxes for 2018 through 2020, Olson allegedly directed his compensation from Theia to a nominee entity called Meridian Vector Corporation (MVC). Olson then used MVC funds to pay personal expenses such as personal debts, a private jet membership, $64,500 annual rent payments for his home, a new Land Rover, and a pair of condominiums in Las Vegas. Olson also allegedly evaded payment of taxes that he owed the IRS for tax years 2009 through 2011 by directing that his pay and bonuses not be reported to the IRS.        

            Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Olson also is charged with five counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and four counts of tax evasion. Gallagher is also charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. Buscher also is charged with three counts of wire fraud. Fargnoli is also charged with two counts of wire fraud. Swati is also charged with one count of wire fraud.

            If convicted, Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati face up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy count, as well as up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud or mail fraud count. Each also face a period of supervised release, restitution, monetary penalties, and forfeiture. Olson faces up to five years in prison for each tax evasion count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            FDIC Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold of the District of Columbia, Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis, and Trial Attorney Alexis Hughes of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

            An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

An indictment was unsealed today charging five former principals of Theia Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based aerospace start-up company, with conspiracy and fraud.

According to the indictment, Erlend Olson, John Gallagher, Stephen Buscher, Joseph Fargnoli, and Jamil Swati held various executive positions at the company, including chief executive officer, executive vice president, chief financial officer, chief technology officer, and head of strategic investment, respectively. They allegedly perpetrated a multi-year scheme to defraud investors and lenders out of $250 million, and Olson evaded more than $3.9 million in personal federal income taxes.

According to the indictment, Theia planned to launch 112 satellites starting in 2022 at a cost of $10 billion to $15 billion. Theia’s principals allegedly originally planned to raise the requisite funds from various nation-states by promising perpetual data and analytics for an upfront payment of $2 billion. However, from Theia’s founding in 2015 through its placement into receivership in 2021, Theia was allegedly unsuccessful in obtaining any funding except for approximately $250 million in loans and investments received from institutional and individual investors and lenders. To secure the funding, Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati’s fraud scheme allegedly included making materially false statements about revenue from non-existent government contracts, providing multiple false financial statements, including a fake $6 billion escrow account statement, and making false representations about Theia’s technical capabilities.

The indictment further alleges that the IRS assessed over a million dollars in taxes, penalties, and interest against Olson for tax years 2009 through 2011, which Olson acknowledged in 2018. Instead of paying the outstanding debt to the IRS, which he acknowledged he owed, Olson allegedly directed his compensation from Theia to a nominee entity. Olson then allegedly used the nominee entity to pay personal expenses such as a private jet membership, $64,500 annual rent payments for his home, a new Land Rover, personal debts, and a pair of condominiums in Las Vegas. Olson now allegedly owes $1.6 million to the IRS related to those years. In addition, Olson allegedly also used the nominee entity to conceal his income from the IRS for 2018 through 2020.

Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for the overall scheme, and additionally charged with multiple wire or mail fraud counts arising from their various misrepresentations to investors. Olson is also charged with four counts of attempted tax evasion.

If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy and for each wire fraud or mail fraud count. Olson would face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count. Each would also face a period of supervised release, restitution, monetary penalties, and forfeiture. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the FDIC Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Alexis Hughes of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Ross and Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

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

WASHINGTON – Ronald Butler, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged today in D.C. Superior Court in relation to a March 11, 2025, assault on a group of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers in Southeast D.C. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Ronald Butler is charged with felony assault on a police officer. Butler turned himself into police custody this morning. Butler is the fifth defendant to be charged in relation to this matter. Previously charged are:

• Donte Butler, Sr., 47, of Washington, D.C., was charged with felony assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
• Donte Butler, Jr., 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
• Frederick Simms, 39, of Washington, D.C., was charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
• Jermaine Irving, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged with resisting arrest and consumption of marijuana in public.

            According to court documents, on March 11, at approximately 3:59 p.m., the MPD Seventh District’s Special Missions Unit made contact with a defendant allegedly consuming marijuana in public space in the 2600 block of Birney Place, Southeast. During that encounter, it is alleged that some of the defendants then assaulted the MPD officers.

            These charges are announced as part of Make D.C. Safe Again, a comprehensive public safety initiative designed to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia.

            The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Albi is prosecuting this case.

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

WASHINGTON - An indictment was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Washington D.C. charging Kelon Von Dukes, 20, with being a convicted felon in illegal possession a firearm and ammunition.

        The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

        According to court documents, on March 1, 2025, at 5:25 p.m., members of the MPD’s Seventh District Special Missions Unit were on patrol in the Seventh District. They were in full uniform in a fully marked cruiser near 4700 South Capitol Street SE. As officers drove on the 400 Block of Southern Avenue SE, they observed a man standing near a gas station smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette. When the man noticed the officers, he allegedly fled and tossed the cigarette and a black bag.

        Officers pursued and apprehended the man on the 400 block of Southern Avenue. During a pat-down, an officer noted a solid, L-shaped object in the man’s left front pocket. It is alleged that the object was a loaded semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen.

        The man later was identified as Kelon Von Dukes, who has two prior felony convictions for carrying a pistol without a license and was on supervised probation at the time of his March 1 arrest.

        On March 11, Dukes was ordered to be detained pending trial by Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey.

        This case is being investigated by the MPD and the ATF. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters.

        The case is being prosecuted as part of Make D.C. Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin to address gun violence in the District of Columbia.

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

View Dukes Indictment here: