District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucas Allen Fussell, 42, of Onley, Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges arising out of his distribution of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer in June 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, 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).
Fussell pleaded guilty on December 18 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of distribution of child pornography. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 6, 2025.
According to court papers, between December 20, 2023, and February 7, 2024, Fussell, using an anonymous account on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application, exchanged videos and images containing child pornography with another individual whose phone was later seized and searched by the FBI pursuant to a search warrant. In the course those conversations, Fussell shared details that revealed his identity. Those details included his home address, a description of his vehicle, and numerous sexualized comments about examining the genitals of patients—some as young as 11 years old—that he saw in the course of his work as a nurse practitioner.
In June 2024, an undercover agent with the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force used the seized phone to respond to a message from Fussell on the end-to-end encrypted messaging app. On June 22, 2024, and again on June 30, 2024, Fussell sent the undercover agent numerous images and videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of prepubescent boys.
On July 16, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Fussell’s residence in Onley, Virginia, and seized numerous encrypted electronic devices. Fussell was arrested and has remained in custody ever since.
Fussell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison. He also faces mandatory restitution. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
The FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Onley Police Department, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.
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Convicted Felon to Serve 59 Months in Prison Following Federal Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jereal J. Booker, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced this week to an aggregate term of 59 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded firearm in March 2023. At the time of the offense, Booker was on probation for a 2023 felon-in-possession conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and a 2021 attempted carjacking conviction in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; 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).
Booker pleaded guilty on July 1, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. On December 17, 2024, the Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced Booker to a term of 51 months in prison. Upon his release from the prison term, Booker will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 21, 2023, an MPD officer observed Booker walking outside a convenience store in a manner that suggested he was carrying a firearm in the front of his pants. An employee of the store then told the officer that he had seen Booker adjusting a firearm in the front of his pants, and he showed the officer surveillance footage that corroborated his account. When the officer attempted to stop Booker in the 4600 block of Livingston Road Southeast, Booker broke into headlong flight. While fleeing the police, Booker discarded the firearm in some bushes before allowing himself to be apprehended. Nearby construction workers who had witnessed the chase alerted the officers to look in the bushes. They did so and recovered a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun loaded with one chambered round and ten rounds in its magazine. DNA testing later linked the firearm to Booker.
Booker was arrested on March 21, 2023, and has been detained ever since.
Federal law prohibited Booker from possessing a firearm because he previously had been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and a 2021 conviction for attempted carjacking in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Booker was on probation for both convictions at the time of this offense.
In the Superior Court case, Booker was originally sentenced under the District’s Youth Rehabilitation Act to a term of 20 months’ imprisonment suspended as to all but 12 months, and probation. Today, following Booker’s conviction in federal court, the Honorable Errol R. Arthur revoked Booker’s probation and sentenced him to a term of 20 months imprisonment, with credit for the 12 months he previously served, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Arthur ordered that the revocation sentence is without the benefit of the Youth Rehabilitation Act and must be served consecutively to any other sentence.
The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, with essential contributions from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole G. H. Conte.
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AAR CORP to Pay over $55M to Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – AAR CORP. (AAR), a publicly-traded aviation services company headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois, will pay over $55 million to resolve investigations by the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising from AAR’s participation in corrupt schemes to pay bribes to government officials in Nepal and South Africa.
AAR entered into an 18-month non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department. According to the company’s admissions in connection with the resolution, between 2015 and 2020, AAR conspired to pay bribes to government officials to obtain and retain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa. AAR obtained profits of nearly $24 million as a result of the scheme.
“Companies competing on a fair and level playing field is a core value that we expect any U.S. company or anyone doing business in the United States to embrace,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Bribery schemes, whether based inside or outside the United States, harm consumers and companies that are trying to lawfully run their businesses. That is why this office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to diligently pursue any individual or company that seeks to profit through corrupt or illegal means.”
“AAR bribed high-level government officials to obtain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa and reaped nearly $24 million in illicit profits as a result,” said Chief Counselor Brent Wible of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department continues to hold companies and individuals accountable for engaging in international corruption. Today’s resolution also demonstrates how companies that proactively report misconduct, extensively cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate will receive credit under the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, including in the form of the agreement, the amount of cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term.”
“AAR, through its bribery of government officials in Nepal and South Africa, violated U.S. law enacted to ensure that U.S. businesses do not engage in foreign corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office. “Today’s outcome reflects HSI’s steadfast commitment to enforcing accountability within global commerce. HSI New York will continue to pursue all necessary measures to ensure that those who engage in corrupt practices, regardless of their location or position, are held fully accountable under the law.”
In Nepal, AAR corruptly obtained business with Nepal Airlines Corporation, the state-owned airline of Nepal, related to the sale of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft by offering and paying bribes to Nepali officials through various intermediary companies. In South Africa, AAR corruptly obtained the award of an aircraft component support contract with South African Airways Technical, a wholly owned subsidiary of South African Airways, the state-owned airline of South Africa, by corruptly offering and paying bribes to South African officials through a third-party agent.
As part of the NPA, AAR agreed to pay a penalty of approximately $26,363,029 penalty and $18,568,713 in administrative forfeiture. In addition, AAR will pay $29,236,624 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of the resolution of the SEC’s parallel investigation. The Justice Department has agreed to credit the forfeiture to be paid to the department against disgorgement AAR has agreed to pay to the SEC.
Pursuant to the NPA, AAR has agreed, among other things, to continue to cooperate with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in any ongoing or future criminal investigations arising during the term of the NPA. In addition, AAR agreed to continue to enhance its compliance program and report to the Department regarding remediation and the implementation of compliance measures during the eighteen-month term of the NPA.
The Department reached this resolution with AAR based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. AAR self-reported to the Department conduct that forms, in part, the basis for the resolution; however, the self-report was not a “voluntary self-disclosure” as defined in the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). Prior to the self-report, several English-language articles had been published in media outlets in Nepal and South Africa that described potential irregularities in the relevant contracts in both countries, including that an AAR subsidiary had been summoned by a Nepalese agency investigating irregularities and corruption in connection with the procurement of aircraft. In addition, twelve days before AAR’s self-report, an independent source reported the allegations regarding the Nepal conduct to the Department. AAR received credit under the CEP for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation, which included (i) self-reporting the conduct that forms, at least in part, the basis for the resolution before AAR was aware the conduct had come to the attention of the Department; (ii) promptly providing information obtained through its internal investigation, which allowed the government to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (iii) proactively preserving, imaging, and conducting extensive forensic analysis of key electronic evidence, which included imaging mobile devices, recovering deleted documents, forensically recreating attachments from log files, and decrypting recovered chat messages; (iv) making regular and detailed presentations to the Department; (v) promptly collecting, analyzing, and organizing voluminous information, including complex financial information; (vi) meeting the Department’s requests promptly; (vii) voluntarily making employees, including foreign-based employees, available for interviews; (viii) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations to the Department, including documents located outside the United States; and (ix) producing documents to the Department from foreign countries in ways that did not implicate foreign data privacy laws.
AAR also engaged in extensive and timely remedial measures including, among other things (i) conducting an enterprise-wide review of all existing high-risk third-party representatives and reducing its use of international sales agents; (ii) enhancing protocols regarding onboarding and vetting of third-party engagements, including heightened diligence and senior-level approvals; (iii) taking employment actions, including promptly separating one employee involved in the relevant conduct and disciplining other employees with oversight responsibilities; (iv) strengthening its anti-corruption compliance program by investing in compliance resources and expanding its compliance function with experienced and qualified personnel, including appointing a Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and hiring a compliance monitoring manager; (v) implementing a compliance risk assessment program which has enabled AAR to proactively identify new areas of risk; (vi) enhancing public bidding policies and monitoring implementation of those enhancements; (vii) beginning to roll out a messaging application retention tool; (viii) implementing compliance auditing and periodic anti-corruption site reviews; and (ix) engaging in continuous testing, monitoring, and improvement of its compliance program.
In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 45% reduction off the applicable Guidelines sentence. The Department gave significant weight in evaluating the appropriate disposition of this matter—including the form of the resolution, the reduction in the penalty amount based on cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term—to the Company’s self-report of the misconduct before the Company was aware the conduct had already come to the Department’s attention.
The Department previously charged two individuals in related matters. Deepak Sharma, a former AAR subsidiary executive, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on August 1, 2024, to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the Nepal scheme. Julian Aires, a third-party agent of AAR, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on July 15, 2024, to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the South Africa scheme.
HSI New York is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madhu Chugh for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case along with Acting Assistant Chief Katherine Raut and Trial Attorney Paul Ream of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the matter.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
AAR CORP to Pay over $55M to Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act InvestigationRead the Press Release
Note: A copy of the non-prosecution agreement and attachments can be found here.
AAR CORP. (AAR), a publicly traded aviation services company headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois, will pay over $55 million to resolve investigations by the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising from AAR’s participation in corrupt schemes to pay bribes to government officials in Nepal and South Africa. A former AAR subsidiary executive previously pleaded guilty for his role in the Nepal scheme, and a third-party agent of AAR previously pleaded guilty for his role in the South Africa scheme.
AAR entered into an 18-month non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Justice Department. According to the company’s admissions in connection with the resolution, between 2015 and 2020, AAR conspired to pay bribes to government officials to obtain and retain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa. AAR obtained profits of nearly $24 million as a result of the scheme.
“AAR bribed high-level government officials to obtain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa and reaped nearly $24 million in illicit profits as a result,” said Chief Counselor Brent Wible of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department continues to hold companies and individuals accountable for engaging in international corruption. Today’s resolution also demonstrates how companies that proactively report misconduct, extensively cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate will receive credit under the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, including in the form of the agreement, the amount of cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term.”
“Companies competing on a fair and level playing field is a core value that we expect any U.S. company or anyone doing business in the United States to embrace,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Bribery schemes, whether based inside or outside the United States, harm consumers and companies that are trying to lawfully run their businesses. That is why this office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to diligently pursue any individual or company that seeks to profit through corrupt or illegal means.”
“AAR, through its bribery of government officials in Nepal and South Africa, violated U.S. law enacted to ensure that U.S. businesses do not engage in foreign corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office. “Today’s outcome reflects HSI’s steadfast commitment to enforcing accountability within global commerce. HSI New York will continue to pursue all necessary measures to ensure that those who engage in corrupt practices, regardless of their location or position, are held fully accountable under the law.”
In Nepal, AAR corruptly obtained business with Nepal Airlines Corporation, the state-owned airline of Nepal, related to the sale of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft by offering and paying bribes to Nepali officials through various intermediary companies. In South Africa, AAR corruptly obtained the award of an aircraft component support contract with South African Airways Technical, a wholly owned subsidiary of South African Airways, the state-owned airline of South Africa, by corruptly offering and paying bribes to South African officials through a third-party agent.
As part of the NPA, AAR agreed to pay a $26,363,029 penalty and $18,568,713 in administrative forfeiture. In addition, AAR will pay $29,236,624 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of the resolution of the SEC’s parallel investigation. The Justice Department has agreed to credit the forfeiture to be paid to the department against disgorgement AAR has agreed to pay to the SEC.
Pursuant to the NPA, AAR has agreed, among other things, to continue to cooperate with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in any ongoing or future criminal investigations arising during the term of the NPA. In addition, AAR agreed to continue to enhance its compliance program and report to the Justice Department regarding remediation and the implementation of compliance measures during the eighteen-month term of the NPA.
The Justice Department reached this resolution with AAR based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. AAR self-reported to the department conduct that forms, in part, the basis for the resolution; however, the self-report was not a “voluntary self-disclosure” as defined in the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). Prior to the self-report, several English-language articles had been published in media outlets in Nepal and South Africa that described potential irregularities in the relevant contracts in both countries, including that an AAR subsidiary had been summoned by a Nepalese agency investigating irregularities and corruption in connection with the procurement of aircraft. In addition, 12 days before AAR’s self-report, an independent source reported the allegations regarding the Nepal conduct to the department. AAR received credit under the CEP for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included (i) self-reporting the conduct that forms, at least in part, the basis for the resolution before AAR was aware the conduct had come to the attention of the department; (ii) promptly providing information obtained through its internal investigation, which allowed the government to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (iii) proactively preserving, imaging, and conducting extensive forensic analysis of key electronic evidence, which included imaging mobile devices, recovering deleted documents, forensically recreating attachments from log files, and decrypting recovered chat messages; (iv) making regular and detailed presentations to the department; (v) promptly collecting, analyzing, and organizing voluminous information, including complex financial information; (vi) meeting the department’s requests promptly; (vii) voluntarily making employees, including foreign-based employees, available for interviews; (viii) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations to the department, including documents located outside the United States; and (ix) producing documents to the department from foreign countries in ways that did not implicate foreign data privacy laws.
AAR also engaged in extensive and timely remedial measures including, among other things (i) conducting an enterprise-wide review of all existing high-risk third-party representatives and reducing its use of international sales agents; (ii) enhancing protocols regarding onboarding and vetting of third-party engagements, including heightened diligence and senior-level approvals; (iii) taking employment actions, including promptly separating one employee involved in the relevant conduct and disciplining other employees with oversight responsibilities; (iv) strengthening its anti-corruption compliance program by investing in compliance resources and expanding its compliance function with experienced and qualified personnel, including appointing a Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and hiring a compliance monitoring manager; (v) implementing a compliance risk assessment program that has enabled AAR to proactively identify new areas of risk; (vi) enhancing public bidding policies and monitoring implementation of those enhancements; (vii) beginning to roll out a messaging application retention tool; (viii) implementing compliance auditing and periodic anti-corruption site reviews; and (ix) engaging in continuous testing, monitoring, and improvement of its compliance program.
In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 45% reduction off the applicable guidelines sentence. The Justice Department gave significant weight in evaluating the appropriate disposition of this matter — including the form of the resolution, the reduction in the penalty amount based on cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term — to the company’s self-report of the misconduct before the company was aware the conduct had already come to the department’s attention.
The Justice Department previously charged two individuals in related matters. Deepak Sharma, a former AAR subsidiary executive, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on Aug. 1 to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the Nepal scheme. Julian Aires, a third-party agent of AAR, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on July 15 to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the South Africa scheme.
HSI New York is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
Acting Assistant Chief Katherine Raut and Trial Attorney Paul Ream of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Madhu Chugh for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
Robber Pleads Guilty to Stealing 87-Year-Old’s Wallet at a McDonald’s in NW DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Herndon, 39, of Suitland, MD pleaded guilty yesterday to robbery of an 87-year-old in Northwest D.C., on May 5, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Honorable Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for February 18, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on May 5, 2024, the 87-year-old victim was purchasing gift cards from the McDonald’s restaurant located at 4100 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Video footage from the restaurant shows the defendant approach the victim from behind, as he was exiting the restroom, and reach into the victim’s jacket pocket, and take his wallet. Multiple witnesses observed Herndon flee on foot. Herndon was subsequently arrested later on the same day by law enforcement wearing the same clothing he wore at the time of the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Negar Kordestani and Trisha Jhunjhnuwala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corey Whittico, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded Glock firearm equipped with a machine gun conversion device in December 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; 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).
Whittico pleaded guilty on December 17, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 24, 2025.
According to court papers, on December 19, 2023, MPD officers familiar with Whittico observed him broadcasting live video over Instagram. The video showed Whittico in the front passenger seat of a moving vehicle in Northeast Washington, D.C. During the live broadcast, Whittico brandished a black Glock handgun that was equipped with an aftermarket machine gun conversion device, which has the effect of converting the firearm to fully automatic and is colloquially known as a “switch.”
As part of the same live broadcast, Whittico reached into the backseat of the vehicle and displayed black and clear plastic bags containing a green leafy substance consistent in appearance with marijuana. Officers located the vehicle in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast Washington and conducted a traffic stop. Following a search of the vehicle, officers recovered over three pounds of suspected marijuana and two Glock firearms: a Glock 27 equipped with a machinegun conversion device and loaded with 17 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, and a Glock 45 loaded with 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers had observed Whittico brandishing one of those firearms—the Glock 27—on the Instagram live broadcast just minutes earlier.
Federal law prohibits Whittico from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. For example, in 2023, Whittico was convicted of robbery in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland. Whittico was on probation for that offense at the time he possessed the firearm charged in this case.
The case was initially charged in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In January 2024, a federal grand jury empaneled by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Whittico with the December 2023 offense.
Whittico has remained in custody since his December 19, 2023, arrest.
Whittico faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by MPD’s Sixth District Crime Suppression Team and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Kyle R. Mirabelli, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cloherty and Omeed Assefi.
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Jury Conviction and Prison for Tossing Loaded Firearm in D.C. BackyardRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Walters, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On October 29, 2024, Walters was found guilty of one count each of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of ammunition. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Jason Park ordered Walters to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:40 a.m. on February 7, 2022, Walters was in the 2200 block of Savannah Street Southeast. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department attempted to stop Walters who was leaving a grocery store armed with a handgun loaded with 17 rounds. Walters fled on foot through residential backyards in the 3400 block of 23rd Street Southeast. Walters jumped a backyard fence and tossed the gun. Officers were then able to stop Walters and safely recover the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katelyn Benton and Nickolas Reck. eys Katelyn Benton and Nickolas Reck.
International Cocaine Trafficker from Colombia Sentenced in D.C. to 70 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gilberto Javier Apraez-Munoz, 55, of Puerto Milan Caquetá, Colombia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to 70 months in prison for using his relatively complex drug trafficking network, which included drug facilities in the Colombian jungle, to prepare and distribute large amounts of cocaine into the United States, specifically Washington, D.C.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Apraez-Munoz, aka “Veneno,” was extradited from Colombia on March 15, 2024, and pleaded guilty on September 17, 2024, to unlawful distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Apraez-Munoz to serve 60 months of supervised release. He will also face deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, in 2019 the FBI began a long-term investigation coordinated alongside Colombian law enforcement into narcotics trafficking intended for distribution into the United States. In August 2019, a confidential source (CS) and an undercover officer (UC) met with Apraez-Munoz in a café in Palmira, Colombia, to discuss a potential cocaine deal. During the meeting, Apraez-Munoz said he had been selling cocaine since 1996 and that most of his cocaine had been destined for Europe, but that he also sold cocaine sent to the United States. He added that he was familiar with drug routes, pricing, and the need for quality control related to his product. Apraez-Munoz noted his experience in producing significant amounts of high-quality cocaine because he operated his own cocaine production facility. He was aware that the cocaine would ultimately reach the District of Columbia.
Apraez-Munoz told the CS and UC that the price would be $4,800,00 Colombian Pesos (COP) or approximately $1,300 per kilogram. The UC gave Apraez-Munoz a downpayment of $20,000,000 COP for a 10-kilo purchase. Before completing the transaction, Apraez-Munoz drove the UC to his manufacturing facility in the Colombian jungle to show him the operation, which included mixing and production labs. Ten days later, Apraez-Munoz brought 10 bricks of cocaine to a hotel room in Colombia. He reassured the UC of that the cocaine was high quality because of its intended destination of Washington, D.C. The UC gave Apraez-Munoz an addition $28,000,000 COP in exchange for the cocaine. The cocaine was later transported to a DEA laboratory in the U.S. for testing where it was confirmed that the substance was approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto J. Alvarado and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty with the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Darknet Drug Trafficker from Pennsylvania Pleads Guilty in D.C. to Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl OnlineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 26, of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today for his role in drug conspiracy that sold a wide variety of counterfeit narcotics, including large amounts of fentanyl, on the online site Tor2Door, a Darknet marketplace.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia; U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge KaiWah Chan of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Blair pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Sentencing is pending. Blair is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison—10 years for conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to the plea agreement, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service.
According to court documents, from August 1, 2022, through February 24, 2023, Blair and a co-defendant operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and his co-defendant advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics.
Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted these controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces for sale and accepted Bitcoin or Monero cryptocurrencies. During the conspiracy, Blair and his co-conspirator shipped counterfeit Oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia on at least six occasions. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax pills to the District.
On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the search, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press machine, and industrial mixing equipment.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania.
24cr560
Two Juveniles Plead Guilty for November 2023 CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Littles, 17, and Jessup Meeks, 18, both of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from a November 2023 carjacking in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both defendants pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Judge Errol Arthur scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 21, 2025. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration.
At the time of the offense, Littles was 16 years old and Meeks was 17 years old. Both were charged as adults. According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendants agreed, on November 19, 2023, the victim was working as an Uber driver and travelled to the 3000 block of Massachusetts Avenue Southeast to pick up a passenger. Meeks got in the front passenger seat of the victim’s car, while Littles and an unidentified third person approached the driver’s side. Littles pointed a black AR-style rife with a drum magazine at the victim’s head before punching the victim in the face. The defendants then pulled the victim out of his car and down to the ground and told him to “leave everything and get out.” The defendants then fled the scene in the victim’s car. Meeks and Littles were arrested approximately thirty minutes later, after the victim’s car was found crashed in the 3000 block of Nelson Place Southeast. Officers observed Littles and Meeks walking up the street from the crashed vehicle and detained them after a short foot pursuit. During the stop, officers recovered the firearm from Littles’ person.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Lauren “Luca” Winer.
Previously Convicted Man Pleads Guilty to 2022 Murder of Woman in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Johnwann Elliott, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to charges of second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for the 2022 murder of Nikia Young, 37, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed upon 21-year prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the D.C. Superior Court scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:59 a.m., on March 15, 2022, the defendant exited a Metro bus at Minnesota Avenue and White Place Southeast and walked southwest toward the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 23rd Street Southeast. At the same time, Nikia Young and another individual were walking northeast on Minnesota Avenue toward the same intersection. As Ms. Young and the other person crossed 23rd Street, the defendant walked up to them in the crosswalk and, in broad daylight, used a 380-caliber handgun to shoot Ms. Young from a close distance. The defendant fired seven times and struck Ms. Young five times—once in her face, three times in the chest, and once in the right hip. The defendant then fled the scene on foot, running and catching the same Metro bus that he had exited approximately two minutes earlier.
The defendant was arrested on May 19, 2022, inside of a hotel in Northeast Washington, D.C. and has been in custody ever since. At the time the defendant committed these offenses, he was on release pending trial in D.C. Superior Court for the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for a robbery conviction in the same court.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst investigated and indicted the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.
Cold Case Murder Investigation from 2005 Leads to Arrest and Indictment of Maryland ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Wells, 53, of Hyattsville, Maryland was arraigned by Superior Court of the District of Columbia Judge Michael O’Keefe on one count of first degree while armed, premeditated murder, one count of second degree murder while armed, one count of arson, one count of tampering with physical evidence and related weapons offenses. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment and related court documents, Wells shot Makia Mosby with a firearm and set her body on fire in an incident that occurred on November 24, 2005, causing injuries from which Makia Mosby would not survive. Following the indictment, Wells was arrested on December 12, 2024.
If convicted, Wells faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervised release.
In announcing the indictment and arraignment, U.S. Attorney Graves, commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinet Bryant, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Kennedy Street Drug Gang Members Sentenced for Drug Trafficking While Armed with GunsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Angel Enrique Suncar, 31, and Tristan Miles Ware, 25, both of Washington D.C. and members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), were sentenced today for their roles in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Suncar, a twice-convicted felon who sold marijuana and cocaine base and also possessed firearms to facilitate the crew’s drug trafficking activities, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Suncar, aka “Coqui,” pleaded guilty on June 12, 2024, to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Suncar to serve five years of supervised release. Ware, aka “Greedy,” pleaded guilty July 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and to possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Judge Howell sentenced Ware to 120 months in prison and also ordered him to serve five years of supervised release.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
Suncar was a regular presence in the open-air drug market that KDY controlled. Law enforcement collected evidence of his trafficking at or near his residence on the 1200 block of Kennedy Street NW. Suncar’s role as a trafficker for the KDY crew was further borne out by law enforcement’s recovery of narcotics, cash, and two firearms at his residence on June 27, 2023. On that date, law enforcement searched his residence as part of a coordinated arrest operation conducted at locations in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. At Suncar’s residence, law enforcement discovered the hallmarks of a drug trafficker who manufactures his own supply: multiple baggies of crack cocaine, multiple Pyrex dishes containing powered residue, digital scales, two firearms, additional ammunition, and approximately $1,410 in cash.
Ware was apprehended on June 26, 2023, at a residence on the 1300 block of 5th Street NW, along with two co-defendants. At the residence, law enforcement recovered 3.5 kilos of marijuana, approximately $2,710 in cash, and six firearms. One of the firearms was a Glock 23 handgun which was swabbed for DNA and matched that of Ware’s. Months prior to the arrest, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement encountered Ware at a home on the 1700 block of D Street, NE, with several KDY members suspected of smuggling marijuana from California to the DMV via commercial flights. Agents recovered ten firearms, assorted ammunition, 21 kilos of marijuana packed in suitcases, and 40 grams of fentanyl-laced pills at the home.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES/SENTENCES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga27Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2025.Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”22Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2025.Keion Michael Brown21Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2025.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”21Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”23Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo”20Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2025.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”23Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of MarijuanaCameron Xavier Reid26Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel”28Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2025.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”27Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”31Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”29Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”22Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”27Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”29Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Adebayo Adediji Green30Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
23cr0202
Assault of Two Senior Citizens Gets DC Man 26 Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Travon Eliy, also known as Travon Jackson, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced for assault with intent to kill a senior citizen in a gun-free zone and other charges stemming from a robbery and daytime shooting that took place behind an elementary school in Southeast Washington. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On December 9, 2024, the Honorable Milton C. Lee sentenced Eliy to 26 years in prison for his role in the attacks on both elderly victims. These charges carry an enhancement for crimes against senior citizens, which resulted in the above-guidelines sentence. Eliy was found guilty on April 18, 2019, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury also found him guilty of a total of 18 charges, including armed robbery of a senior citizen in a gun-free zone, and related assault and firearms offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of April 1, 2016, the victim, a 67-year-old woman, was walking home when she was followed by Eliy into an apartment building in the 600 block of Savannah Street S.E. Once inside, Eliy put a gun to her head and began pulling at her purse. Eliy dragged her out of the building and down a walkway before getting away with her purse. The woman screamed for help and a Good Samaritan, a 61-year-old man, intervened. The man was able to stop Eliy by pushing him up against a parked car. It was then that Eliy fired his gun one time at close range into the man’s chest before fleeing the scene. The shooting took place in broad daylight behind Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School.
MPD officers stopped the defendant within 10 minutes of the shooting.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz; former Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation Michael Ambrosino; former Forensic Operations Program Specialist Elizabeth Marrero; former Paralegal Specialists Kathryn Hoey, Sabrina Turner; former Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames, and former Finance Specialists Karen Lee-Putt, Marquetta Little and Sallie Rynas and Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph and Lashone Samuels.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Citizen Who Fought for ISIS Pleads Guilty to Receiving Military Training from a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Lirim Sylejmani, 48, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., to receiving military training from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division.
“As the threat from terrorist groups such as ISIS persists, we will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to bring those who would seek to join and receive training from these groups to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This prosecution demonstrates that those who seek to support terrorism will pay a heavy price.”
According to court documents, from November 2015 through February 2019, Sylejmani received military training from ISIS in Syria. Sylejmani was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2019, and spoke to a number of media outlets about his time with ISIS.In November 2015, Sylejmani, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Kosovo, decided to travel to Syria with his family to join ISIS. After entering Syria, Sylejmani completed his ISIS intake process. He adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi and trained to be a soldier with other ISIS recruits. Sylejmani’ s military training included instruction on how to assemble and fire an AK-47 rifle, as well as how to use a PK Machine gun, M-16 rifle and grenades.
Upon completion of the 21-day military training, ISIS assigned Sylejmani to a battalion in Mosul, Iraq, and issued him an AK-47, four AK-47 magazines, a belt to hold the magazines and two grenades. Sylejmani pledged “bayat”(allegiance) to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, and to the ISIS organization, in front of an Iraqi ISIS member. In May 2016, the defendant reported for ribat (guard) duty on the front line of the Manbij offensive. The defendant brought his gun belt, AK-47 and magazines to his ribat assignment. During a battle with Coalition Forces he was hit with shrapnel in his legs. After receiving these injuries, he eventually was reassigned to a new battalion in the fall of 2017. Sylejmani also received payments from ISIS for his services. Between November 2017 and February 2019, Sylejmani moved his family southeast to Baghouz, Syria, as the territorial Caliphate of ISIS collapsed.
On February 27, 2019, Sylejmani and his family were captured by Coalition Forces. Sylejmani was jailed by the SDF in Syria at the Dashisha prison. He was transferred to United States law enforcement personnel on September 15, 2020, to face criminal charges in the District of Columbia.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson, Steven Wasserman and Kimberly Paschall of the National Security Section, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Jury Convicts Man for Anti-LGBTQ Assault Against Two Men and Threats to a Female Club Employee in NW DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Franklin Siate, 42, of Washington, D.C., was convicted today of assaulting two local men near U Street, NW, because of their perceived LGBTQ-status, and making violent threats against the woman in charge of security at the 9:30 Club while she was protecting patrons in line for a Taylor Swift dance party, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The two assault charges carry a bias-related hate crime enhancement. The verdict followed a jury trial in Superior Court of the District of Columbia before Judge Jennifer Di Toro. Sentencing will take place on February 10, 2025.
On the night of August 3, 2024, Siate verbally and then physically accosted multiple people outside of the 9:30 Club. First, he approached a line of patrons waiting to enter the concert venue for a Taylor Swift Dance Party and started yelling at them. He then turned his attention to a 9:30 Club employee and threatened to rape and murder her. He then saw two men walking by, holding hands, and acting affectionately towards one another. Siate followed them down the block saying, “Gays cannot hold hands in my city,” “You’re in my living room,” and yelling a slur at them. He then picked up a sign outside of another establishment, lifted it over his head, and charged the two men. An MPD police officer arrived just in time to stop Siate from attacking the men.
Siate was arrested on Augst 3, 2024, and released on personal reconnaissance. Siate was then arrested on new, unrelated charges on August 31, 2024, and has been in custody since September 9, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ari B. Rubin and Douglas Maggs.
Department of Justice Wins Forfeiture of $12 Million Connected to Iran’s Illicit Petroleum IndustryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on November 21, 2024, ordered the forfeiture of $11,996,818.82 connected with Triliance Petrochemical Company Limited (Triliance), a well-known Iranian front company supporting the Iranian regime’s petrochemical industry which has financially supported the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and foreign terrorist organizations including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) and the IRGC-Quds Forces (IRGC-QF).
The forfeiture was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia, Special Agent in Charge John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Bay Office, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin Winston of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office.
The Court’s action came in response to the Motion for Default Judgment filed by the United States. The Court’s written opinion granting the motion found that the United States established that the funds afforded the potential claimants - all front companies organized by Triliance for the Iranian regime – a “source of influence over the IRGC and IRGC-QF.” The Court also found that, as required, the government provided appropriate notice of the action to the potential claimants so that they had the opportunity to advocate for their interest in U.S. District Court. None of the potential claimants or any other party claimed an interest in the seized funds. The court’s Order places all right, title, and interest in the forfeited funds with the United States of America.
On January 23, 2020, the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sanctioned Triliance for transferring funds on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company (NOIC) in connection with the sale of Iranian petroleum products. On October 26, 2020, OFAC sanctioned NIOC and the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum under their counterterrorism authority, for their financial support of the IRGC and IRGC-QF, both designated foreign terrorist organizations.
After Triliance was designated, multiple entities were formed as Iranian front companies, including Petrochem South East Limited, Dynapex Energy Limited, Binrin Limited, Sibshur Limited, and Dinrin Limited, to facilitate the continued illicit sale of Iranian petroleum products using the U.S. financial system in violation of U.S. sanctions. Each of these specifically named entities have been sanctioned by OFAC.
For example, on August 27, 2020, a Singapore company sent two wires totaling $5,467,958.94 to Dynapex through a U.S. bank to facilitate the purchase of Iranian petroleum. At the time of the transfers, OFAC found Triliance used Dynapex to facilitate the sale of tens of thousands of metric tons of Iranian petrochemical products. Shortly before and after the August 27, 2020, wire transfers, multiple oil tankers owned and/or operated by Dynapex were, on various occasions, found to be in Iranian waters and presumed have Iranian petroleum cargo on board.
Between approximately March 27, 2020, through approximately October 1, 2020, each of the above-mentioned entities either sent or received funds, using the U.S. financial system, in order to support and facilitate the sale and transportation of Iranian petroleum in violation of U.S. sanctions.
This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigation’s Tampa Bay Field Office and the FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajbir Datta of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section handled the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers, Paralegal Latina Sanders, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant United States Attorney Michael Grady and National Security Division Trial Attorney David Recker provided significant assistance in this investigation.
Stranger Rape and Kidnapping Results in Conviction for July 2023 AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Ricky McNeil, 31 of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of kidnapping while armed, one count of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravated circumstances and one count of robbery, in a July 2023 assault on a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McNeil was also found guilty of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (knife), one count of possession of a prohibited weapon (knife), and one count of assault with significant bodily injury. The verdict was returned on December 11, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe presided over scheduled sentencing for February 14, 2025. McNeil faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of release.
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 so hard 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.
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. Attorneys Peter V. Taylor and Molly K. Smith of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.
Florida Resident Indicted for Political Fundraising FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday charging Jason Pallante, 52, of Orlando, Florida, with defrauding political donors by operating numerous political fundraising websites that fraudulently promised to support presidential candidates and instead using the money he raised to enrich himself.
According to the indictment, Pallante operated the America Great PAC, purportedly a Super PAC able to receive unlimited contributions to finance independent expenditures and other independent political activity. During the 2023 — 2024 presidential primary season, Pallante created dozens of websites that claimed to support various specific candidates for president. Pallante allegedly designed these websites to appear affiliated with a particular candidate or campaign, such as by using photos of the candidate, first-person language, and the same font as the candidate’s campaign. Pallante also accepted checks made out directly to presidential candidates or their campaigns. Pallante directed all of the contributions to America Great PAC. According to the indictment, Pallante raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from these websites and did not use any of the money to support the advertised presidential candidates. Instead, Pallante allegedly used contributions to perpetuate the scheme and to pay himself more than $162,000 in 2023 and $334,000 in 2024.
Pallante is charged with three counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FBI Arrests Man Charged with Political Fundraising Fraud Using a Scam PACRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jason Pallante, 52, of Orlando, Florida, was arrested today by special agents with the FBI and other law enforcement partners on charges he operated numerous political fundraising websites and illegally took the money for his own use. Pallante is charged with three counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
According to the federal indictment, returned on December 10th and unsealed today, Pallante operated the America Great PAC purportedly as a Super PAC. During the presidential primary season, Pallante created dozens of websites that claimed to support various specific candidates for President, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pallante allegedly designed these websites to appear affiliated with a particular candidate or campaign, such as by using photos of the candidate, first-person language, and the same font as the campaign. Pallante also accepted checks made out directly to presidential candidates or their campaigns. Unbeknownst to the contributors, all of this money was directed to America Great PAC. Pallante did not use the money raised from these websites to support the advertised presidential candidates. Instead, Pallante allegedly used contributions to perpetuate the scheme and pay himself more than $162,000 in 2023 and $334,000 in 2024.
“Campaign finance scams – like the one alleged here – harm victims twice over, stealing their money and preventing them from using that money to support the causes and candidates of their choice,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The Department and our Office will follow all the evidence and, with our law enforcement partners, prosecute these scams.”
“Pallante allegedly defrauded voters who believed they were donating to presidential candidates, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “As his indictment demonstrates, the FBI will pursue charges against fraudsters who seek to line their pockets by exploiting donors' participation in the political process.”
If convicted, Pallante faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Crew Member Sentenced to 19 Years for East Coast Gun-Point Robberies of Six South Asian Jewelers That Netted MillionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Hunter, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 228 months in federal prison for participating in a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores that netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for the 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado of the Newark Field Office; U.S. Marshal Peter Marketos of the United States Marshals Service; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hunter, aka “Ill Will,” pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024 to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, Hunter accepted responsibility for six robberies across Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that not only stole millions of dollars in jewelry, but terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Hunter to serve 48 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Hunter and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 when several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.
Each robbery was carefully coordinated in advance of its commission and employed a similar modus operandi, one that the co-conspirators seemed to hone and perfect over time and with each new criminal act. The co-conspirators researched stores to select their targets before meeting in Washington, D.C. and traveling in one or more getaway vehicles to the stores. To evade law enforcement detection, some of the suspect vehicles were stolen or outfitted with stolen tags. At least one of the vehicles was carjacked by Hunter and others at gunpoint on September 11, 2022, and later used in a robbery on September 20, 2022.
The co-conspirators often cased the stores in advance of the robbery and gained access by a variety of means, including using sledgehammers to shatter a store’s door or windows before storming in. The co-conspirators employed a show of force to gain compliance from their victims, with at least one co-conspirator armed with a firearm in each instance. They used hammers to smash the glass display cases, filling bags with gold jewelry and resulting in significant damage throughout the stores. In every single instance, however, Hunter and his co-conspirators terrorized the store’s owners, employees, and customers by engaging in an armed takeover of the store and then ransacking it before fleeing.
Often, following the robberies, the stolen gold would be melted to bars and ultimately converted to cash. Hunter and his co-conspirators would then flaunt their ill-gotten gains on social media.
On March 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C., law enforcement arrested Hunter on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Maryland arising from an October 22, 2022, armed carjacking. At the time of his arrest, Hunter had a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number in his waistband. That same day, law enforcement executed a residential warrant at Hunter’s D.C. residence and recovered, among other items, 135 live rounds of assorted ammunition, four rifle magazines, one speed loader, and an AR-15 rifle drum magazine. They also recovered clothing that appeared consistent with some worn by Hunter during the commission of robberies, along with a crowbar and a hammer.
In April 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Hunter and Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy,” in connection with the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry Store. On August 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 19-count Superseding Indictment, charging Hunter and his co-conspirators in connection with nine armed robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia, with substantial planning and coordination occurring in D.C. On March 12, 2024, a Second Superseding Indictment was filed, adding charges related to two additional robberies, including one in D.C., as well as charges related to the recovery of firearms and narcotics from multiple residences associated with the various co-conspirators.
According to his plea agreement, Hunter accepted responsibility for his roles in: (1) the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia; (2) the September 20, 2022, armed robbery of Sonia Jewelers and Boutique in Springfield, Virginia; (3) the October 25, 2022, armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey; (4) the November 10, 2022, armed robbery of Baral Jewelers and Gift Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; (5) the November 27, 2022, armed robbery of Sara Emporium Jewelry in Jersey City, New Jersey; and (6) the January 27, 2023, armed robbery of Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia.
This case was investigated by the ATF, Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.
DEFENDANT
AKA
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CHARGES/SENTENCETrevor Wright, 33Taliban GlizzyWashington DCInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.William Hunter, 28Ill WillWashington DCSentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Avery Fuller, 29
Deavry Cordell Fuller, Fully AceWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Franklin Hunter, 30GinoWashington DCInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.Davon Johnson, 31
YBWashington DCSentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Decarlos Hill, 30LosMarylandSentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.Lamont Marable, 28 Washington DCSentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Keith McDuffie, 27 CaliforniaInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jameise Christian, 33
Safety, Safe, Safe PlayWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Andrew Smith, 30
Drewso, DrewMarylandSentenced to 138 months in prison on October 17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Robert Sheffield, 33
Real LifaaWashington DCInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; felon in possession of a firearm.Jaylaun Brown, 22Lil LaunyWashington DCConspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery).Timothy Conrad, 33
TwinWashington DCSentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Antonio Tate, 21 Washington DCSentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Delonte Martin, 35 Washington DCSentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Photo introduced into evidence depicts the robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia
Surveillance photo depicts William Hunter walking with a tray of jewelry in one hand and a gun in the other during the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers.
Images posted on October 29 and November 1, 2022, to Hunter’s Instagram account depict him with stacks of cash, a firearm, and a wristwatch.
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Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 24, of Durham, North Carolina, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with destruction of federal property. The complaint alleges that, on July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag by setting it on fire as a crowd surrounded him chanting “Burn that sh--.”. Moments before, two other individuals took down the flag, which was flying on one of the flagpoles at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Snow will make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina. He is charged federally with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.
“Stealing a federal flag and burning it is not speech, it’s destruction of federal property,” said US Attorney Graves. “Hundreds of thousands of people engage in lawful First Amendment protest activity every year in the District of Columbia without incident. The relatively few who chose to cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable for the crimes they commit.”
“The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” said SAC Virmani, “but the FBI will not tolerate those who commit destruction of federal property in the guise of First Amendment activity. That includes taking and burning a federal flag from a federal flagpole as Snow allegedly did.”
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 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.
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 the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23.
Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard.
A review of open-source and U.S. Capitol Police surveillance footage show that two individuals lowered an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. After it was lowered, the flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. An individual man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters.
After throwing the flag onto the ground, the man produced a lighter and held it up to the flag in an apparent effort to light the flag on fire. The man was initially unsuccessful and yelled to the crowd: “I need a better lighter!” Individuals in the crowd surrounding the man chanted “Burn that sh--!” Another open-source video captured images of the man as he attempted to torch the flag.
After the failed attempt to light the flag, someone in the crowd handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to set the flag ablaze.
On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter), posted pictures in an apparent effort to identify the man who torched the flag. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Michael Snow, Jr., who resides in North Carolina. Snow’s identity was further confirmed when law enforcement interviewed individuals who personally know Snow, who identified him in a photo from July 24, 2024.
Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire.
Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag
pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the
burning American flag.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24mj287Prison Term for Former MPD Officer Who Sexually Abused a 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucius Kearney, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for sexually abusing a then 15-year-old girl from 2005 to 2006, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Kearney was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on September 27, 2024, to one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child. In addition to the prison term, Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Kearney to 10 years of supervised release. Kearney will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, during the 2005-2006 school year, the victim, who was in the tenth grade, met the defendant, then a Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department officer, while doing a school project. The victim and defendant met at the Fourth District Police Station, and exchanged phone numbers and began communicating about the school project. Their conversations turned sexual, and ultimately the defendant engaged in sexual acts with the victim in his truck near a D.C. public library, where the victim was volunteering to complete her high school community service hours. The victim disclosed the abuse in 2020 after a random encounter with the defendant while he was on duty in the area where the victim lived.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke and Veronica Yale; Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughan; Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling; Intern Emily Moran, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who did the initial investigation and indicted the case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Taylor and Richard Kelley, who prosecuted the case.
Former United Medical Center Employee Sentenced for Criminal Abuse of a Vulnerable AdultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eleanor Flowers, 76, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for one count of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult and attempted threats, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Superior Court Judge Deborah J. Israel sentenced Flowers to 24 months of probation. As part of the sentencing, Flowers must also stay away from the victim and is prohibited from working, volunteering, or participating in any activity involving the elderly, vulnerable, cognitively disabled, or children, to include activities in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors’ offices, urgent care, and daycare.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Flowers was employed as a Patient Sitter at United Medical Center, a hospital in Southeast Washington. On January 4, 2021, while attempting to change the soiled clothing of a 68-year-old patient under her care, Flowers struck the patient repeatedly with the hospital bed’s remote controller. The victim, who had previously suffered a stroke, was paralyzed on one side of his body, unable to speak, and classified as a “vulnerable adult” under D.C. Code § 22-932.
The assault was captured on cellphone video by another Patient Sitter in the room, who witnessed the abuse. The video showed Flowers’ repeated strikes, causing visible distress to the victim. Flowers was terminated from her position following the incident, which was reported to hospital authorities and subsequently investigated by the D.C. Office of Inspector General.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative partners with the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which is statutorily responsible for investigating and prosecuting District Medicaid provider fraud as well as abuse or neglect of residents in health care facilities and board and care facilities and of District Medicaid beneficiaries in noninstitutional or other settings.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the efforts of those who investigated and prosecuted the case, including the D.C. OIG Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They also acknowledged the contributions of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, detailed from the D.C. OIG, who prosecuted the case.
Studies show that for every incident of abuse reported to authorities, nearly 24 additional cases remain undetected. (See https://ncea.acl.gov/prevalenceofeldermistreatment#gsc.tab=0).
If you have information about individuals committing these types of offenses, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS [202-724-8477].
Arrest Made in Superseding Indictment Charging Five Individuals with Three Different Murders and a Fourth Non-Fatal Drive-By ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – This morning, the U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”) arrested Dionzai Parker, 21, also known as “Moneybag Jefe,” on a bench warrant issued after the grand jury returned a third superseding indictment charging Parker with, among other counts, conspiracy and first-degree murder while armed for the February 25, 2023 homicide of Brice Djembissi, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Previously, four other men from the District and Maryland—Derrico Johnson, 20, Ronald Henderson, 19, Daveon Robinson, 18, and Demarco Robinson, 20—were arraigned on the same third superseding indictment in connection with three homicides—the April 12, 2022 murder of Clayton Marshall, the May 26, 2022 murder of Justin Johnson, and the February 25, 2023 murder of Brice Djembissi—and a fourth drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store that injured two bystanders, described below.
The 33-count third superseding indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy, as well as:
- Derrico Johnson with two counts of first-degree murder while armed and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed stemming from the April 12, 2022 murder of Clayton Marshall and May 26, 2022 murder of Justin Johnson;
- Ronald Henderson with one count of first-degree murder while armed and four counts of assault with intent to kill stemming from the May 26, 2022 murder of Justin Johnson and the January 2, 2023 drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store;
- Daveon Robinson with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed stemming from the January 2, 2023 drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store;
- Dionzai Parker with one count of first-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with intent to kill stemming from the February 25, 2023 murder of Brice Djembissi.
According to the third superseding indictment, the five defendants are members of a crew called “Get Back Gang,” which is associated with the Henson Ridge neighborhood in 7D often referred to as “the Z” and part of a broader group driving violence in DC known as “Fox 5 Gang.” Over the past few years, these defendants and others participated in several homicides and non-fatal shootings, including:
- On April 12, 2022, Derrico Johnson was picked up in a stolen vehicle and driven to the 2200 block of Savannah Street SE. At approximately 12:20 p.m., Derrico Johnson briefly exited the vehicle and fired several rounds in the direction of Shipley Market. Clayton Marshall, 32, who does not appear to have been the intended target, was shot and killed and another individual was shot and injured.
- On May 26, 2022, Derrico Johnson, Ronald Henderson, and another individual walked to the Savannah Terrace Circle, which the victim, 16-year-old Justin Johnson, also known as “23 Rackz,” had posted as his location to Instagram earlier that morning. At approximately 11:20 a.m., Derrico Johnson and Ronald Henderson fired eleven (11) shots from approximately 200 feet away in the direction of Justin Johnson, who was shot twice while standing a few feet away from an infant child on a scooter, who was uninjured. Justin Johnson died a few minutes later inside of a nearby apartment building.
- On January 2, 2023, Ronald Henderson and Daveon Robinson were riding in the back seat of a vehicle, while Dionzai Parker was seated in the front passenger seat and a known juvenile associated with “Get Back Gang” was driving the vehicle. At approximately 4:48 p.m., as the vehicle approached Alabama Convenience Store, Henderson and Robinson fired several rifle and handgun rounds in the direction of Alabama Convenience Store, shooting and injuring two people. Armed Special Police Officers in the area witnessed the shooting and pursued the two shooters through the Henson Ridge neighborhood to a home, where Henderson and Robinson were subsequently arrested. Parker and the driver made good on their escape.
- On February 25, 2023, Dionzai Parker was riding inside a stolen Jeep Compass as the vehicle approached the 2200 block of Savannah Street SE. At around 3:00 p.m., Parker and two others fired approximately 70 rifle rounds in the direction of Shipley Market. During the brazen drive-by shooting, Brice Djembissi—a Prince George’s County teacher and part-time Uber driver who was dropping off a customer—was shot feet away from where Clayton Marshall was killed on April 12, 2022, while two other bystanders were shot and injured. Mr. Djembissi, 37, succumbed to his injuries on March 3, 2023.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Sellinger.
dparker_third_superseding_indictment_-_filed_redacted.pdfConvicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damani Lamont Carmon, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded Glock firearm in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Carmon pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 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. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 14, 2025.
According to court papers, on April 30, 2024, uniformed MPD officers patrolling the 1800 block of Benning Road Northeast stopped Carmon’s vehicle for a traffic violation. After observing an open container of tequila in the vehicle, officers searched the car and recovered from its center console a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm loaded with one round of ammunition in its chamber and thirteen rounds of ammunition in its magazine. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked the firearm to Carmon.
Federal law prohibits Carmon from possessing a firearm because he is a previously convicted felon. Specifically, in 2021, Carmon was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license, arising from a 2019 shooting at a gas station in Washington, D.C. Carmon was on supervised release for that offense at the time he possessed the firearm charged in this case.
In September 2024, a federal grand jury empaneled by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Carmon with the April offense.
Carmon has remained held without bond since his October 1, 2024, arrest.
Carmon faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Kyle R. Mirabelli.
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Fatal Stabbing of 23-year-old Northeast Man Results in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Matthew Walker, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to the charge of second-degree murder while armed, stemming from the April 29, 2019 stabbing of 23-year-old Jamal Greenlee, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. As a result of the stabbing, Mr. Greenlee was left paralyzed and ultimately passed away from his injuries on November 4, 2020.
Walker will be sentenced by Judge Marisa Demeo on January 10, 2025.
Earlier this year, Walker was sentenced to 50 years of incarceration after being found guilty during a bench trial of, among other charges, the first-degree murder of David Remen, which occurred on February 14, 2019, at Trojan Labor, 1717 Hamlin Street NE.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Seidel, who prosecuted the case.
Charges Filed in the Armed Robbery of a Postal Maintenance Worker and Multiple High-Volume Thefts of U.S. Mail from Multi-Family Luxury Residences in D.C., Virginia, and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ibrahim Emmanuel De La Cruz, 25, of Washington D.C., was extradited to face charges filed by criminal complaint with the alleged high-volume thefts of U.S. Mail in Washington D.C., Arlington Va., and Bowie, Maryland, as well as an armed robbery of a Postal maintenance worker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Special Agent-in-Charge Jacob Cameron, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington Field Office.
The 43-page complaint, filed in September 2024 in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, charges De La Cruz with multiple counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail and the August 10, 2024, armed robbery of a postal maintenance worker.
“The defendant is charged with robbing a postal worker and repeatedly raiding mail collection boxes, apparently seeking to use the checks, credit cards, and personal identifying information he stole for his financial benefit. We stand ready to partner with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to hold accountable those who assault postal carriers and those who steal the valuable letters and items we depend on the Postal Service to ship,” said U.S. Attorney Graves for the District of Columbia.
“The safety and security of the U.S. mail, our employees and customers remain central to the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood. “Protecting postal workers from crimes of violence and bringing those criminals who perpetuate these crimes to justice is of great importance. This case highlights the critical work of Postal Inspectors in safeguarding the integrity of the mail and pursuing individuals who commit theft or fraud against individuals. We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to ensure that criminals are held accountable.”
According to the complaint, beginning in December 2023, multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD), began investigating multiple high-volume mail thefts from mailboxes at multi-family luxury residences and the potentially related robberies of letter carriers and other victims in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The investigation found that a man was using stolen U.S. Postal Service “arrow keys” to access USPS collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment mailbox panels. The suspect in the thefts resembled a man who had robbed a postal maintenance worker of his arrow keys on August 10, 2024, while the suspect appeared to be gripping a pistol tucked into his waistband.
Through surveillance camera footage, Instagram posts, and cell phone tracking, De La Cruz was tied to a theft of mail from two apartment complexes on February 19, 2024, on the 2300 block of Champlain Street NW; the theft of mail from collection box units on February 29, 2024, from the 1600 block of R Street NW; the theft of mail using a stolen arrow key on March 3, 2024, from an outdoor locked mail area on the 2200 block of 17th Street NW; the theft of mail using a stolen arrow key on March 4, 2024, from the 2400 block of Ontario Road, NW; the theft of mail on March 5, 2024, from the 2100 block of California Avenue NW; theft of mail on March 5, 2024, from the National Landing in Arlington, Va.; the theft of mail from cluster boxes using an arrow key on March 21, 2024, on the 1500 block of Pointer Ridge Place in Bowie, MD; and theft of mail on August 10, 2024, from the 700 block of Parkside Place, NE.
De La Cruz is also suspected of using personal identifying information gleaned from the stolen mail to obtain bank accounts and credit cards in other people’s names. The defendant allegedly used money stolen from accounts to pay for student tuition, rent, utilities, and cell phone bills. According to the complaint, De La Cruz also posted a rap on YouTube boasting of his exploits.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
An complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Gen Digital, Formerly Symantec Corp., Pays $55.1M False Claims Act Judgment for Knowing Overcharges to General Services AdministrationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gen Digital Inc. (formerly known as Symantec Corp.), of Tempe, Arizona, paid $55.1 million to satisfy a judgment, concluding a decade of False Claims Act litigation. The judgment required the company to pay $16.1 million in damages and $36.8 million in civil penalties, plus post-judgment interest and costs.
The judgement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson.
Following a four-week bench trial in February and March 2022, the trial court found Symantec liable for making knowing false claims to the United States when it mispresented its commercial sales practices during the negotiation and subsequent performance of a General Services Administration (GSA) contract. In particular, the court concluded that Symantec made false statements to GSA during contractual negotiations in 2006 and early-2007 and continued to falsely certify throughout the performance of the contract through Sept. 30, 2012, that its disclosures of its commercial sales practices were current, accurate and complete. The false disclosures induced GSA to accept and then continue to pay higher prices than it would have had it known of Symantec’s actual commercial pricing practices.
The court also found that Symantec continuously violated the Price Reduction Clause, a standard term in these types of Multiple Award Schedule contracts that requires the contractor throughout performance of the contract to maintain GSA’s price position in relation to an identified customer or category of customer agreed upon in contract negotiations. These violations deprived the United States of discounts to which it was entitled.
“The trial team secured a $55 million judgment that holds accountable a contractor who intentionally tried to overbill the government,” said U.S. Attorney Graves for the District of Columbia. “Because these schemes steal taxpayer dollars, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will be steadfast in its efforts to bring fraudsters to justice no matter the complexity of the matter, pursuing them through trial, if necessary, to secure a just outcome.”
“The department will hold accountable contractors that knowingly overcharge the United States to enrich themselves,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The years spent litigating this case and taking it to trial demonstrate the department’s steadfast commitment to protecting taxpayer funds.”
“The United States deserves fair prices and accurate information from GSA contractors,” said GSA Deputy Inspector General Erickson. “This outcome is the result of hard work and dedication by a cross-functional team from the U.S. Department of Justice, GSA and GSA Office of Inspector General.”
Gen Digital’s payment ends a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Morsell v. Symantec Corp., Civ. A. No. 12-0800 (DDC), and was brought by Lori Morsell, who administered the contract at issue for Symantec. Her share of the recovery has not yet been determined.
This successful litigation was a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from GSA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Civil Chief Brian P. Hudak for the District of Columbia, and Senior Trial Counsel Daniel Schiffer and Trial Attorney F. Elias Boujaoude of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Gen Digital Pays $55.1M False Claims Act Judgment for Knowing Overcharges to General Services Administration After Government Prevails at TrialRead the Press Release
Gen Digital Inc. (formerly known as Symantec Corp.), located in Tempe, Arizona, paid $55.1 million to satisfy a judgment, concluding a decade of False Claims Act litigation. The judgment required the company to pay $16.1 million in damages and $36.8 million in civil penalties, plus post-judgment interest and costs.
“The department will hold accountable contractors that knowingly overcharge the United States to enrich themselves,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The years spent litigating this case and taking it to trial demonstrate the department’s steadfast commitment to protecting taxpayer funds.”
Following a four-week bench trial in February and March 2022, the trial court found Symantec liable for making knowing false claims to the United States when it mispresented its commercial sales practices during the negotiation and subsequent performance of a General Services Administration (GSA) contract. In particular, the court concluded that Symantec made false statements to GSA during contractual negotiations in 2006 and early-2007 and continued to falsely certify throughout the performance of the contract through Sept. 30, 2012, that its disclosures of its commercial sales practices were current, accurate and complete. The false disclosures induced GSA to accept and then continue to pay higher prices than it would have had it known of Symantec’s actual commercial pricing practices.
The court also found that Symantec continuously violated the Price Reduction Clause, a standard term in these types of Multiple Award Schedule contracts that requires the contractor throughout performance of the contract to maintain GSA’s price position in relation to an identified customer or category of customer agreed upon in contract negotiations. These violations deprived the United States of discounts to which it was entitled.
“The trial team secured a $55 million judgment that holds accountable a contractor who intentionally tried to overbill the government,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Because these schemes steal taxpayer dollars, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will be steadfast in its efforts to bring fraudsters to justice no matter the complexity of the matter, pursuing them through trial, if necessary, to secure a just outcome.”
“The United States deserves fair prices and accurate information from GSA contractors,” said GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson. “This outcome is the result of hard work and dedication by a cross-functional team from the U.S. Department of Justice, GSA and GSA Office of Inspector General.”
Gen Digital’s payment ends a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Morsell v. Symantec Corp., Civ. A. No. 12-0800 (DDC), and was brought by Lori Morsell, who administered the contract at issue for Symantec. Her share of the recovery has not yet been determined.
This successful litigation was a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from GSA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General.
Senior Trial Counsel Daniel Schiffer and Trial Attorney F. Elias Boujaoude of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Civil Chief Brian P. Hudak for the District of Columbia handled the matter.
Self-Proclaimed “Neighborhood Pharmacist” Found Guilty in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Josiah Hampton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court for his role in a multi-year drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division.
On November 26, 2024, after a six-day jury trial, Hampton was found guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2025.
The ATF identified Hampton, also known by his rap alias “Carti Ears,” as an opioid and marijuana dealer operating in the District of Columbia. On October 31, 2022, ATF agents executed a search warrant at Hampton’s residence, which he shared with co-conspirator Myles Allen, and recovered three firearms, numerous prescription oxycodone pills, fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, promethazine, several pounds of marijuana, and several thousand dollars in cash.
Evidence presented over the course of the trial established that Hampton was a prolific drug trafficker who utilized social media to conduct his business. Both Hampton and Allen also posted numerous pictures of themselves together with large quantities of cash, firearms, and bulk marijuana. Hampton referred to himself as “The Neighborhood Pharmacist,” posting frequent advertisements about the opioids he possessed for sale.
On August 31, 2023, Myles Allen pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced, on December 20, 2023, to five years in prison.
Hampton faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it and conspiracy thereof. Hampton also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with a statutory maximum of life imprisonment, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
This case was investigated by ATF’s Washington Field Division with assistance from the DEA’s Washington Division, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Solomon S. Eppel of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Jones, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Jones appeared in court today and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, at approximately 10:47 a.m. on November 7, 2024, ShotSpotter technology alerted to the sound of five gunshots in the front of 78 53rd Place Southeast, Washington, D.C. When MPD responded to the area, they located a shooting victim in a car in the 5300 block of Central Avenue Southeast, Washington D.C. The victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to the left eye. During the initial interaction with law enforcement, officers determined the victim was driving southbound on 53rd Place Southeast when shots were fired. A review of surveillance cameras in the area showed the suspect at 53rd place Southeast just two minutes before the shooting. Two minutes later, the victim’s vehicle traveled southbound and out of view. Just after, the suspect can be seen on the west sidewalk walking southbound. The suspect retrieved a large firearm and appeared to shoot the firearm multiple times southbound in the direction of victim’s vehicle. The suspect fired, then briefly ran south in the direction of the victim’s vehicle and out of camera view. Approximately nine seconds later, the suspect returned to the camera’s view and ran northbound on 53rd Place Southeast.
A search of the suspect’s home led to discovery of a Glock firearm which was not the weapon used in the shooting but which the suspect admitted he had acquired. Jones has a prior conviction for carrying a pistol without a license, in D.C. Superior Court and a conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Activists Sentenced in Red Powder Attack on U.S. Constitution at the U.S. Archives and Vandalizing Art at the National GalleryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donald Zepeda, 35, of Maryland, and Jackson Green, 27, of Utah, were sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison and 18 months respectively in the February 14, 2024, attack on the U.S. Constitution housed at the National Archives in Washington D.C.
The sentencings, which occurred earlier this month, were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Zepeda pleaded guilty on August 15 to felony destruction of property for dumping a fine red powder over a display case containing the U.S. Constitution in the Rotunda of the Archives building. The cost of cleaning up after the stunt, which was intended to draw attention to climate change, exceeded $58,000. In addition, the offense closed the Rotunda for four days, preventing students, visitors, and D.C. residents from visiting. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Zepeda to serve 24 months of supervised release, to pay restitution in the amount of $58,600, to complete community service, a portion of which must include cleaning up graffiti, and ordered him to stay out of the District of Columbia and all museums nationwide.
Green also pleaded guilty on August 13 to felony destruction of property for the red powder attack on the U.S. Constitution and, in addition, pleaded guilty to one count of injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit for his November 14, 2023, defacement of a memorial to Black Civil War soldiers, Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial (1900). Green had been charged in the assault on the Shaw Memorial only 13 days before Zepeda joined him in soiling the Archives. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Green to serve 24 months of supervised release, to pay restitution in the amount of $58,600, to complete community service, a portion of which must include cleaning up graffiti, and ordered him to stay out of the District of Columbia and all museums nationwide. In addition to his role in the attack on the Constitution, Zepeda helped organize and filmed the attack on the Shaw memorial. Zepeda was also involved in the April 2023 attack on the display of Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art.
According to court papers, Zepeda and Green are members of Declare Emergency, a group of activists that purport to raise awareness regarding climate change by engaging in a variety of criminal offenses, primarily in Washington, D.C.
Green (left) and Zepeda posed for photographs on February 14, 2024, after dumping red powder on a display case housing the U.S. Constitution at the National Archives.
Zepeda and Green’s criminal actions predate the attacks on the U.S. Constitution. During the week of April 24, 2023, Zepeda and other members of Declare Emergency orchestrated an escalating series of offenses in Washington, D.C. that included blocking rush hour traffic on April 24, 2023, and April 26, 2023. Zepeda also helped plan and participated in the April 27, 2023, attack on the National Gallery of Art exhibition of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Zepeda filmed as two group members smeared red and black paint on the case, base, and floor surrounding the exhibit. Zepeda purchased the paint used in the offense one week before the defacement. Zepeda has hosted trainings for individuals who were interested in participating in similar attacks.
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On November 14, 2023, Green defaced The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial which commemorates the Civil War efforts of one of the first regiments of African Americans in our country’s history.
On November 14, 2023, Green, Zepeda, and other members of Declare Emergency, entered the National Gallery of Art (NGA), and approached Augustus Saint-Gauden’s The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial, which commemorates the Civil War efforts of one of the first regiments of African Americans in our country’s history. Green then hand-painted “Honor Them” in red paint on the wall next to the mural, below the inscribed names of the Regiment. Zepeda and other members of Declare Emergency filmed Green’s actions. NGA reported that it cost $706 to repair the damage.
On February 6, 2024, Green self-surrendered and made his initial appearance before the Honorable G. Michael Harvey. As a condition of Green’s release, Judge Harvey ordered Green to stay-away from Washington, D.C. and also to stay away from all museums and public monuments. While under oath, Green stated that he understood these conditions and agreed to them.
Despite his express acknowledgment of his release conditions, on February 14, 2024, Green, accompanied by Zepeda, entered the National Archives at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Green and Zepeda stood in front of the display of the U.S. Constitution and emptied bags containing red powder on themselves and the case. The offense was captured by several video cameras. Green and Zepeda were still covered in powder when law enforcement arrested them.
Zepeda (left) and Green were photographed covered in red powder after their attack on the U.S. Constitution at the National Archives in Washington D.C.
The National Archives was closed from February 14, 2024, to February 17, 2024, to allow for repairs which cost approximately $58,646.25.
On February 16, 2024, Green appeared in Court, still covered in red powder from his attack on the Constitution. Green was detained until a hearing on February 21, 2024, after which he was released to the custody of a farm in Virginia. On August 15, 2024, Green pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to both counts of the indictment against him. Despite that, he immediately violated his conditions of release, wandering around Washington, D.C., including around the monuments which he was barred from visiting. At a hearing held on August 30, 2024, Green indicated to the Court that he would not abide by his release conditions and was remanded into custody.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Jackson Green (left) and Donald Zepeda.
Jury Convicts Man of March 2024 Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 20, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on November 21, 2024, by a Superior Court jury, of armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his role in a March 2024 traffic-accident-turned-carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2025. Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of fifteen years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of 48th Pl. NE and Lee St. NE, as the victim was driving home from work. After Edwards and his co-conspirator got out of their car, Edwards pulled a gun on the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door. Edwards’ co-conspirator got into the victim’s car and drove away, and Edwards chased after the victim and held him down, allowing his co-conspirator to make off with the victim’s car.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy.
Armed Carjacker Gets 20 Years in Prison for Robbery and Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Richardson, 22, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for committing an armed carjacking on July 14, 2022 and armed robbery on November 26, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Richardson pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. Today, Judge Erik Christian sentenced Richardson to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 14, 2022, Richardson, along with two unidentified co-conspirators, committed a series of violent offenses in Washington, D.C., ending with an armed carjacking near the 600 block of Morton Place NE. During the commission of each violent crime, all three assailants covered their faces. Richardson and his unidentified co-conspirators, armed with firearms, attempted to carjack two separate individuals before proceeding to the 600 block of Morton Place NE at approximately 6:49 p.m. Once at the location, they approached the victim who was parking her car at the location. One of the co-conspirators brandished a handgun and stated, “Give me everything!” Richardson and two associates took the victim’s car keys, phone, and credit cards attached to her phone, and other property. Then they took her car. Richardson later used the victim’s credit card at gas stations and a restaurant.
Richardson also committed an armed robbery that took place on November 26, 2022, near the 1300 block of South Carolina Avenue SE. At approximately 7:54 p.m., Richardson parked a car ahead of the victims who were walking their dog after dinner. When the couple walked near his car, the defendant jumped out with a gun and robbed the husband of his phone. Richardson was arrested that evening after a vehicle pursuit.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force Unit. Valuable assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans and former Assistant United States Attorney Omeed Assefi.
Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Hosts “15 Years of Progress: Honoring the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act”Read the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in collaboration with the University of the District of Columbia Law School, hosted an event yesterday commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Several hundred attended the event in-person and online.
The Shepard-Byrd Act is a landmark federal statute passed in 2009 that allows federal criminal prosecution of hate crimes motivated by actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Yesterday’s event paid tribute to the lives of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard, uplifted the voices of hate crime survivors, recognized ongoing efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents and called for the continued expansion of victim services to address the needs of survivors and their communities.
“Fifteen years ago, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act gave the Justice Department critical tools that have made us more effective as we work to counter hate,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We know that there is more work to be done, and the Department will keep working tirelessly to ensure that every person feels safe in their communities.”
In her opening remarks, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division expressed immense gratitude to those whose years of advocacy and activism made the passage of the Shepard-Byrd Act possible 15 years ago. She underscored the work that still needs to be done in prosecuting and preventing hate crimes, as recent statistics from the FBI indicate that the incidence of hate crimes is rising. Racial bias remained the most significant motivator for hate crimes in 2023, and anti-Black hate crimes continued to represent the largest portion of race-motivated hate crimes.
“The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act is one of our most powerful tools in efforts to combat violent bias-motivated hate crimes in America today,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “We know that prosecutions alone will not eliminate hate, root and branch, and that public education, training and prevention efforts are just as necessary. Hate mongers fueled with racist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, anti-LGBTQI or xenophobic motivations have no place in America today. Rest assured, we will keep moving towards an inclusive and more peaceful America while holding accountable those responsible for senseless, vile, and hate-filled crimes.”
Dennis and Judy Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard, joined Assistant Attorney General Clarke for a fireside chat, and Louvon Byrd Harris, sister of James Byrd Jr., provided recorded remarks. The Shepards spoke about their son’s tragic death and his legacy—the work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Ms. Harris spoke of her brother’s brutal murder and the family’s continued work to promote healing through the Byrd Foundation.
Also on the program, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia highlighted the district’s hate crimes enforcement work and his office’s longstanding commitment to working with local community organizations through the district’s Hate/Bias Crime Task Force.
“The murders of James Byrd and Matthew Sheppard rocked our collective conscience,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “When victims are targeted because of their identities, it can put those with identities like the victims on edge, wondering if they will be next. As we mark the anniversary of the Shepard-Byrd Act, our Office reaffirms its commitment to hold accountable those who commit hate- and bias-related crimes.”
The trial team that prosecuted U.S. v. Daqua Ritter explained how they secured the first guilty verdict in trial under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act for violence against a transgender person — the brutal murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman in South Carolina. Ritter was sentenced to life in prison.
Taylor Dumpson-Lippincott, an attorney and former student government body president at American University, shared her experience as the target of racially- and gender-motivated hate and cyber-harassment. She explained how her experience as a survivor fueled her passion to combat hate-based violence and threats, especially on school campuses.
The program also featured voices of survivors and their families. In 2017, 1st Lt. Richard W. Collins III was murdered in an unprovoked attack on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, by a follower of a white nationalist hate-group. Parents Dawn and Richard Collins described how in the years since their son’s murder, they have led efforts at HBCUs and beyond to educate the public about the proliferation of hate groups targeting majority-white colleges and universities for recruitment.
On the panel with the Collins family, Daphne Felten-Green shared examples of her work with the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service educating colleges and universities in conjunction with the Divided Communities Project at the Ohio State Moritz College of Law. Benny Del Castillo of Network for Victim Recovery DC spoke of local efforts at survivor-centered responses to hate crimes.
For more information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat hate and hate crimes, see the updated Hate Crimes Fact Sheet.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer delivers remarks. Assistant Attorney General Clarke delivers remarks. Assistant Attorney General Clarke sits with Judy and Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s parents. Assistant Attorney General Clarke stands with attendees of the event.Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in Stabbing of Man in Northwest DC in February 2023Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Willie Byrd, 61, of Washington D.C., has been found guilty of committing a violent assault in February 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Superior Court jury returned its verdict on November 19, 2024, finding Byrd guilty of one count aggravated assault while armed and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:30 pm, on February 28, 2023, the defendant stabbed the victim in the chest with a large fixed-blade knife, near the corner of 2nd and D Streets N.W. Before the stabbing occurred, the defendant was trying to take money from the victim while attempting to conduct a drug transaction. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries to multiple organs and required surgery and an extended hospital stay.
MPD officers and detectives reviewed surveillance video footage of the stabbing from the nearby Federal City Shelter, which led to Byrd’s identification as the assailant. MPD detectives located Byrd inside of the shelter, and he was placed under arrest.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Rudolf and Ella Gladman, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Evans, who investigated the case.
Teen Pleads Guilty in Two November 2023 CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Devonta Lynch, 18, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in Superior Court to armed carjacking in relation to a November 29, 2023 offense, robbery in relation to a November 12, 2023 offense, and carrying a pistol without a license on November 12, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2025.
According to the Government’s evidence, Lynch and an accomplice carjacked an off-duty federal agent at gunpoint on November 29, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Northeast, D.C. The perpetrators knocked the victim to the ground next to their vehicle, pointed a firearm at them, demanded their keys, and then drove off in their vehicle.
Additionally, about two weeks earlier, the defendant and two accomplices robbed a rideshare driver at gunpoint in the Benning Ridge neighborhood of Southeast, D.C. The perpetrators struck the victim in the head, pointed two firearms at him, demanded his phone, wallet, and keys, took the victims’ wallet out of his pocket, and then drove off in the victim’s vehicle.
This case was investigated by the MPD Carjacking Task Force and the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Bromwich and Anthony Cocuzza.
Syrian National Charged with Diverting $9 Million in U.S.-funded Humanitarian Assistance to a Terrorist Organization Affiliated with Al-QaidaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mahmoud Al Hafyan, 53, a Syrian national, has been charged in a 12-count indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, alleging major fraud against the United States for illegally diverting more than $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid intended for Syrian civilians to armed combatant groups, including the Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), which is a designated foreign terrorist organization affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jason Donnelly of the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG), and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division.
“This defendant not only defrauded the U.S. government, but he also gave the humanitarian aid he stole to a foreign terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “While this foreign terrorist organization fought with the cruel al-Assad regime, the people who were supposed to receive the aid suffered. This office has a history of pursuing criminals around the globe, no matter how many years it takes, and will do all it can to ensure that Mahmoud Al Hafyan is held accountable for these crimes.”
“USAID OIG works tirelessly to ensure that US-funded humanitarian assistance does not fall into the hands of terrorist organizations,” said Donnelly of USAID-OIG. “We will continue to work with the Department of Justice and law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who compromise USAID programs for vulnerable populations around the world.”
“The FBI’s number one priority is to fight terrorism, including identifying and investigating individuals who are enabling terrorist activities through financial support,” said Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division. “Al Hafyan diverted millions of dollars in USAID funding to support the terrorist organization Al-Nusrah Front, as well as to line his own pockets. Not only was Al Hafyan supporting violent terrorists, but he was stealing money from the U.S. government that was meant for humanitarian efforts. This public indictment is the culmination of years of work, and I want to thank our partners, specifically USAID OIG, for their work with this investigation.”
According to the indictment, Al Hafyan, aka Abu Abdo Al-Homsi, was the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO-1) in the NGO’s regional office in Syria. Al Hafyan managed 160 NGO-1 employees.
Syria has been involved in a civil war since 2011 that resulted in a humanitarian crisis. Through USAID, the U.S. Government spent more than $12 billion until 2020 to aid Syrian civilians affected by the war. USAID-funded humanitarian assistance programs are administered by United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. The funding in this case was intended for food and medical supplies.
USAID awarded $122 million to NGO-1 between January 2015 through November 2018. That money was intended for food kits for conflict-affected Syrian refugees. Along with at least two co-conspirators, Al Hafyan directed food kits valued at millions of dollars to commanders leading ANF. ANF’s primary objective was the overthrow of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. ANF was notorious for the atrocities it committed and publicly took responsibility for conducting mass executions of civilians, suicide bombings, and kidnappings.
Al Hafyan sold the kits on the black market to the ANF commanders for his personal benefit. Al Hafyan and his coconspirators falsified beneficiary logs and inflated the number of food kits received by war-affected families in the Syrian villages of Bweiti, Lof, Mazratt-Shoukh, and Salamin to fraudulently make it appear that NGO-1 was dispersing the kits according to NGO-1’s guidelines.
The case represents one of the most significant diversions of USAID-funded humanitarian aid that USAID-OIG has investigated.
The case was investigated by USAID-OIG and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert, Alexandra Hughes, and Jack Korba of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
alhafyan_20cr274_affidavit_in_support_redacted.pdfHead of School at Early Education Center in Northwest Arrested for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James S. Carroll, 55, of Washington D.C., was arrested today on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, charging him in connection with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Carroll, the Head of School at an early education center in Northwest Washington D.C., is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He made his first court appearance today before Magistrate Court Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh.
According to the criminal complaint, between November 5, 2024 and November 14, 2024, Carroll used the Discord messaging application to communicate with an undercover officer who posed as the father of a young child. Carroll directed the undercover officer to abuse his child over a period of approximately two weeks. Law enforcement agents identified Carroll as the Discord user based on IP addresses that traced back to both his residence and workplace.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes agents and officers from the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie.
To report child exploitation, call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Corrections Officer Charged Along with Inmates and Others in Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband into the D.C. JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corrections Officer Rashaad Roper, 45, of Gaithersburg, MD, is one of five people charged by indictment, unsealed today, in a conspiracy to provide a knife, drugs, and cell phones to inmates in the D.C. jail as they awaited trial for murder and assault with intent to kill while armed. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Investigator Kevin L. Hammond of the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services.
Also named in the indictment are: LaTara Brown, 31, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, and Kiya Holland, 33, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, who were arrested on November 19, 2024. Roper, Brown, Holland, and their co-defendants—Darius Robertson, 31, Marcel Vines, 28, and Stefon Freshley, 28—are each charged with providing or possessing contraband in a prison, as well as conspiring to do so.
According to the indictment, Holland and Brown packaged contraband, such as a knife, cell phones, and controlled substances, into Tupperware containers hidden concealed in saranwrap in the middle of prepared food. They would bring the Tupperware containers to the Central Detention Facility, also known as the D.C. Jail, where Officer Roper or another corrections officer identified in the indictment as Co-Conspirator 1, would take possession of the containers and smuggle them into the jail. Once inside, the corrections officer would deliver the contraband to Robertson, Vines, and/or Freshley, who were inmates inside the housing unit where the officers worked.
On two occasions, the Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services (“OIS”) recovered contraband related to the conspiracy. On February 28, 2024, OIS intercepted a bag Holland dropped off at the jail and that Roper intended to pick up. The bag contained two Tupperware containers filled with: (1) one switchblade knife; (2) one Apple iPhone cellphone; (3) a white USB iPhone charger; (4) two pairs of eyeglasses; (5) a bundle marijuana wrapped in clear saranwrap; (6) suspected tobacco wrapped in clear saranwrap; (7) several sheets of white rolling papers; (8) a pair of gambling dice; (9) three white sheets of bonded paper that were damp and emitted a chemical odor; (10) two saran-wrapped packages of marijuana; and (11) five individually wrapped packages in clear saranwrap containing approximately 100 cigarettes.
Additionally, on July 25, 2024, OIS did a sweep of the housing unit where Robertson, Vines, and Freshley were held. Officers recovered, among other things, (1) 269 blue pills (including 120 from Vines’ cell), containing 5F-ADB—a synthetic cannabinoid and a Schedule I controlled substance; (2) 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid (including 40 in Vines’ cell); (3) 255 strips containing Buprenorphine (170 in Vines’ cell)—a Schedule III narcotic controlled substance; (4) 7 pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance; (5) three cellular phones; and (6) cigarettes.
The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, while providing or possessing contraband in a prison carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. A U.S. District court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services with the assistance of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
roper_et_al_indictment.pdfMan Gets 17 Year Prison Term for Fatally Shooting a Man in Southeast DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kyree Anthony Hairston, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 204 months in prison, for voluntary manslaughter while armed with a firearm, for the February 2024 shooting death of David Coe, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hairston pleaded guilty on August 9, 2024, to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed with a firearm. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein sentenced Hairston, on November 15, 2024, to the top of the guideline period of incarceration, 17 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on February 3, 2024, Hairston and the victim, Mr. David Coe, were in the parking lot area of the Arbor View Apartment Complex, located in the 1200 block of Southern Avenue in Southeast, Washington, DC. The two engaged in a conversation, part of which was captured on the audio portion of video surveillance footage that also captured the shooting. On the surveillance, the defendant can be heard stating, “on my grandmother, you got 30 seconds. On my grandmother” and “you trippin like sh*t.” The surveillance shows Hairston pull the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, which covered part of his face. Hairston then removed a black handgun from his jacket pocket and pointed it at Mr. Coe. Mr. Coe lunged forward to try and disarm Hairston, but Hairston shot him in the chest before he could do so. The victim fell to the ground and as he laid there, Hairston shot Mr. Coe again. Mr. Coe was shot four times and died twenty minutes later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Fraud Perpetrated on a Pandemic Housing Assistance Program Results in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Geary Simon, 71, of Washington, D.C., entered a guilty plea today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared disaster or emergency and to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.
According to court filings, Simon obtained $38,560 from a D.C. government program called Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C. (STAY DC). The STAY DC program was intended to provide financial assistance to tenants living in the District who needed support during the COVID-19 pandemic to cover their housing and utility expenses due to a loss of income. In April 2021, the city allocated $352 million in federal relief funds for the program. Applicants applied for funds from the STAY DC program via an online portal operated by the D.C. Department of Human Services (DC-DHS).
Court filings show that Simon applied to the STAY DC program on June 22, 2021. In his application, SIMON stated that he was a tenant who rented a property in Washington, D.C., located at 2433 H Street, NW; that his landlord was “Robert Sutton”; that Simon owed “Robert Sutton” the sum of $72,000 in past due rent for the months of April 2020 through July 2021; that the telephone number for “Robert Sutton” was (***) ***-6933; and that “Robert Sutton” could be contacted at the email address *******@gmail.com. All of these statements were materially false and misleading. Simon was not a “tenant” at that address; “Robert Sutton” was not Simon’s landlord; Simon did not owe “Robert Sutton” the sum of $72,000 in unpaid rent; and the phone number and email address that Simon provided for “Robert Sutton” were actually for a phone number and email account that Simon created and controlled. Unaware of the fraud, DC-DHS granted Simon’s application for funding and issued Simon a check in the amount of $38,560 that DC-DHS would not otherwise have approved.
After receiving those funds from DC-DHS, court documents explain, Simon used those taxpayer-backed relief funds for personal purposes, such as to pay the private school tuition of Simon’s children and to satisfy Simon’s court-ordered child support obligations.
On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Simon’s personal residence and recovered two firearms. Simon has at least two prior felony convictions, including a conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. By virtue of those prior felonies, Simon was prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2025. Simon faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison on the firearms possession charge.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Borchert.
80 Year Prison Term for Man Convicted in Double Homicide in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Beysean Jones, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 80 years in prison for the July 2022 deadly shooting of Ronald Brown, 19, and Tijuan Wilson, 41, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A Superior Court jury found Jones guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with intent to kill, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime on June 26, 2024, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.
According to the evidence presented during trial, on July 22, 2022, Beysean Jones and Ronald Brown argued at the SC Discount Tobacco and Grocery store on South Capitol St. SW. Shortly thereafter, shots fired from Brown’s vehicle struck Jones’ vehicle and Jones returned fire in the 4000 block of Livingston Rd. SE. A civilian witness who associated with Jones in the drug trade testified about texts he received from Jones about the shooting on the 22nd and Jones’ actions in preparing to retaliate against Brown, including putting a $30,000 bounty on the person who shot him.
Just five days later, surveillance video captured a vehicle follow Ronald Brown’s vehicle into a residential parking lot surrounded by apartments in the 4300 block of 4th St. SE. That vehicle backed into a parking space several spaces down from Brown’s vehicle and at least two shooters opened fire with both .40 caliber and rifle rounds, firing over 60 rounds in the direction of Brown. This barrage of fire killed Tijuan Wilson and badly injured his partner of over 18 years, though luckily their children, who were outside at the time, were unharmed. Others in the parking lot returned fire. Multiple vehicles and residential buildings were damaged by gunfire.
Casings left behind on July 27th near the suspect vehicle were ballistically linked to the casings Jones fired at Brown on July 22nd.
The convictions would not have been possible without the assistance of the extraordinary efforts of Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Squad, led by Detective Konstantinos “Gus” Giannakoulias, and the excellent work of personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including, Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Paralegal Specialist LaShone Samuels, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Latrice Washington-Williams, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Witness Security Specialist Marlon Hernandez, Witness Security Specialist Robert Cephas, Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Shanika McCullough, Homicide Interns Tasha Dambacher and Karen Padilla, and former Homicide Intern Xander de los Reyes.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Antonelli and Zach Horton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Operator of Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency “Mixer” Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy and Ordered to Forfeit over $400M in AssetsRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was sentenced today to three years in prison for his operation of the darknet cryptocurrency “mixer” Helix, which processed transactions involving over $300 million worth of cryptocurrency from 2014 to 2017.
According to court documents, Larry Dean Harmon, 41, of Akron, ran Helix, a darknet mixer that laundered customers’ bitcoin. Helix was connected to Grams, a darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Helix was one of the most popular mixing services on the darknet and was highly sought after by online drug dealers who needed to launder their illicit proceeds. Helix processed at least approximately 354,468 bitcoin — the equivalent of approximately $311,145,854 in U.S. dollars at the time of the transactions — on behalf of its customers, including customers in the District of Columbia. Much of those funds were coming from or going to darknet drug markets. Harmon retained a percentage of these transactions as his commissions and fees for operating Helix.
Harmon worked to ensure Grams and Helix connected to or otherwise supported all of the major darknet markets at the time. Harmon developed an Application Program Interface (API) to allow darknet markets to integrate Helix directly into their bitcoin withdrawal systems. Harmon also customized features of Helix to ensure compatibility with significant markets. Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
On Aug. 18, 2021, Harmon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to his term in prison, Harmon was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $311,145,854; and forfeiture of seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets valued at over $400 million.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI’s Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The Attorney General’s Ministry of Belize and Belize Police Department provided essential support for the investigation, coordinated through U.S. Embassy Belmopan. The investigation was coordinated with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which assessed a $60 million civil monetary penalty against Harmon in a parallel action.
Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols of CCIPS, Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.
Operator of Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency ‘Mixer’ Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Hundreds of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Larry Dean Harmon, 41, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to three years in prison for his operation of the darknet cryptocurrency “mixer” Helix, which processed transactions involving over $300 million worth of cryptocurrency from 2014 to 2017.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
Harmon pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Harmon ran Helix, a darknet mixer that laundered customers’ bitcoin. Helix was connected to Grams, a darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Helix was one of the most popular mixing services on the darknet and was highly sought after by online drug dealers who needed to launder their illicit proceeds. Helix processed at least approximately 354,468 bitcoin — the equivalent of approximately $311,145,854 in U.S. dollars at the time of the transactions — on behalf of its customers, including customers in the District of Columbia. Much of those funds were coming from or going to darknet drug markets. Harmon retained a percentage of these transactions as his commissions and fees for operating Helix.
Harmon worked to ensure Grams and Helix connected to or otherwise supported all of the major darknet markets at the time. Harmon developed an Application Program Interface (API) to allow darknet markets to integrate Helix directly into their bitcoin withdrawal systems. Harmon also customized features of Helix to ensure compatibility with significant markets. Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Harmon was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $311,145,854; and forfeiture of seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets valued at over $400 million.
The IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The Attorney General’s Ministry of Belize and the Belize Police Department provided essential support for the investigation, coordinated through the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan. The investigation was coordinated with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which assessed a $60 million civil monetary penalty against Harmon in a parallel action.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols of CCIPS, Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.
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Man Who Carjacked Delivery Driver is Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dennis Vanison, 31, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was sentenced today, to 84 months in prison for his participation in the May 2023 carjacking of a delivery driver, and carrying a pistol without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Vanison pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying a pistol without a license, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, on August 13, 2024. Judge Robert A. Salerno also sentenced Vanison to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence, Vanison and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a food delivery driver on May 2, 2023. The victim had just dropped off a delivery in the 2400 block of Wagner Street Southeast when Vanison’s accomplice stole items from the victim’s car. When the victim went to retrieve his belongings, Vanison and his accomplice attacked the victim and attempted to take his phone. During the attack, the accomplice produced a gun and pointed it at the victim, and at Vanison’s direction, snatched the victim’s keys from his pocket. Vanison and his accomplice then fled the scene, driving away in their car and the victim’s car, respectively.
The next morning, members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department encountered Vanison inside an SUV several feet from the victim’s car, which was parked and idling in an alley. Vanison’s cellphone and keychain were found inside the victim’s car, and a fully loaded pistol was found at Vanison’s feet inside the SUV. Vanison was apprehended on May 3, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Spotswood, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi; Investigative Analyst Stephen Jones; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather; and Paralegal Specialist Marcella Trader. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parron and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Senior CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Peoples, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, to orally raping a senior citizen at her home, in Southeast Washington earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Peoples pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon twenty-year prison term. Following his prison term, Peoples will be required to complete a term of supervised release and register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime.
The Honorable Anthony C. Epstein scheduled sentencing for February 10, 2025.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on June 11, 2024, the victim was working in her yard. Peoples approached the victim from behind, displayed a knife, and told the victim to get on her knees. When the victim informed Peoples that she could not get on her knees, Peoples grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Peoples then pulled down his pants and exposed his penis. He pulled the victim’s head toward his penis and told the victim, “Shut up, shut up, put it in your mouth.” While the victim was screaming and shouting “No,” Peoples forcefully inserted his penis into the victim’s mouth multiple times.
The defendant was arrested on the same day and has been in custody ever since.
The case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Sourbeer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Kennedy Street Drug Gang Member Sentenced to 220 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Penn, 31, of Washington D.C. and a member of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), was sentenced today to 220 months in federal prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C. where he dealt copious amounts of fentanyl and cocaine base and sold firearms, including an assault rifle.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
Penn, aka “Turtle,” pleaded guilty on June 27, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and to two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Penn to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
For his part, Penn was a bulk fentanyl supplier who trafficked narcotics and firearms in the Kennedy Street Neighborhood while armed with guns. During a span of five months, from December 2022 to May 2023, Penn conducted 17 controlled buys with undercover officers selling a total of about 257.73 grams of fentanyl, 11.15 grams of cocaine base, and semi-automatic firearms that included a Draco and an AR-15 assault rifle.
On February 3, 2023, patrol officers in the 900 block of Kennedy Street NW stopped Penn’s vehicle wherein they found about 44 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of cocaine base, 1.4 kilograms of marijuana, digital scales, one 22-round extended magazine with 22 rounds of ammunition; and one loaded machine gun.
On February 23, 2023, wholly undeterred by his recent arrest, Penn agreed to sell an undercover officer a privately manufactured AR-15 assault rifle for $3,800.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga27Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”22Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”21Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”23Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”23Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of MarijuanaCameron Xavier Reid26Sentenced May 31, 2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”27Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”31Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”29Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”22Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”27Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”29Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced May 16, 2024 to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Adebayo Adediji Green30Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fentanyl Trafficker Who Distributed Lethally Potent Doses in the District and Maryland Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mynor Josue Fernandez Alfaro, 24, of Dundalk, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking scheme that distributed thousands of doses of lethally potent fentanyl in Washington D.C. and Maryland.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, Chief Marcus G. Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fernandez Alfaro, aka “Mino,” pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024, to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered Fernandez Alfaro to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court papers, Fernandez admitted that, along with co-defendant Edward Steven Monge, 23, of Beltsville, Maryland, he supplied co-conspirator Jennifer Echeverria Flores with more than 4,500 blue pills that contained varying concentrations fentanyl. Echeverria Flores then sold the pills to an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) in five transactions between February and July 2023 in Washington, DC and Maryland. More than half of those pills contained more than what DEA estimates is a lethal concentration of fentanyl, 2 milligrams per pill.
As part of his guilty plea, Fernandez Alfaro admitted that he distributed fentanyl to other redistributors and clients besides Echeverria Flores. Social media posts indicate that Fernandez Alfaro was involved in a lucrative distribution scheme as early as October 2022. Monge advertised the drugs for sale on his social media, while Fernandez Alfaro provided the drugs to customers and coordinated payment through his own CashApp account. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the pair netted more than $150,000 in incoming Cash App transactions, while not otherwise legitimately employed.
Despite this large volume of digital payments, evidence suggests that Fernandez Alfaro and Monge primarily accepted payment for these pills in cash. Fernandez Alfaro’s Instagram account and cell phone contained dozens of photographs of him with significant amounts of cash, boasting of the scheme’s success.
Fernandez Alfaro posted photos to social media accounts where he boasted about his lucrative fentanyl sales.
In addition to his distribution of significant quantities of fentanyl, Fernandez Alfaro, a citizen of El Salvador, used at least four different firearms to protect his supply and profits through intimidation and threats of violence. Many of these firearms appeared to have extended magazines or were military-style rifles.
Co-conspirator Monge was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to 96 months in prison for his role in this scheme.
This investigation 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 investigation additionally was an effort of Montgomery County Police under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). MCIN was launched in 2017 and provides grant funding and strategic support through the Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCPP) funded this project.
This matter was investigated by the DEA – Washington Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Leiter and Javier Urbina.
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