District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Leader in 2012 Benghazi Attack that Killed U.S. Ambassador Stevens and 3 Other Americans Is Resentenced to 28 YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, 53, a Libyan national, was resentenced today to 28 years in prison on federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
On June 15, 2014, Khatallah was captured in Libya and brought to the United States to face trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
On Nov. 28, 2017, at his original sentencing, Khatallah was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after a federal jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support or resources to terrorists, one count of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of using and carrying a semiautomatic assault rifle during a crime of violence.
Khatallah appealed his conviction, and the government cross-appealed the sentence imposed. On July 26, 2022, the D.C. Circuit affirmed the conviction, but, having found that the defendant’s “sentence [was] substantively unreasonably low in light of the gravity of his crimes of terrorism” the court reversed the sentence and remanded for resentencing.
U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper today resentenced Khatallah to 28 years.
According to the government’s evidence, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin Jarrah, which operated outside the law, and in the months prior to the attacks, he sought to incite violence by his and other militia groups against the presence of the United States in Libya. In early September 2012, he and other members of his group mobilized for an attack by stockpiling truckloads of weaponry.
On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Khatallah directed his group to carry out the violence, striking first at the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi. A group of men, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the Mission compound, setting fires and breaking into buildings. During that violence, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith valiantly tried to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into a villa, but they were fatally overcome by thick, black smoke when the attackers set a fire. A State Department employee, who tried to guide them to safety, was injured.
Before, during and after the attack, Khatallah maintained contact with his group in a series of cellphone calls. Also, according to the government’s evidence, for much of the attack, he positioned himself on the perimeter of the compound and kept others, including emergency responders, from getting to the scene. The government’s evidence also showed that Khatallah made calls to leaders of other militia groups warning them not to interfere with the attack.
Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at a nearby CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty died in the mortar attack, and a State Department employee and U.S. government security specialist were seriously wounded.
This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
This latest proceeding in the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb, Jr., and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. DiLorenzo. Assistance also was provided by Trial Attorney Joseph Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault while Armed in Gresham Place ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adrian Lee, 49, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed and other related charges for a late-afternoon shooting and assault against two victims that took place on April 18, 2023, on Gresham Place, NW, in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
The verdict was returned on September 24, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:15 p.m. on April 18, 2023, the victims were driving home after celebrating their anniversary at a DC restaurant when the defendant’s wife sideswiped their car. Lee came down to the accident scene and provided an expired insurance card. While the victim was on the phone with the insurance company, the defendant became aggravated that the process was taking too long. He directed his wife to drive away, and he ran off on foot. The victims followed behind in their car, in an attempt to get insurance or vehicle information from the defendant. The victims were driving a Tesla that day, which was equipped with exterior video cameras. Tesla cameras captured footage of the defendant running from the victims’ car. After Lee ran, the victims flagged down a police officer, and were instructed to return to the site of the accident to make a police report. In an attempt to get back to the scene of the accident, the victims turned down Gresham Place, NW – the street where the defendant lived.
Upon seeing the victims, Lee retrieved a gun from his house and ran towards them. The defendant first pointed the gun at the female victim, and then turned and shot the male victim one time in the torso.
Lee and his wife then fled to Florida. The defendant was apprehended back in DC in March of 2024 by United States Marshals.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rashmika Nedungadi and Sara Matar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 75 Months on Narcotics and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashaad Malik McDowell, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Washington Field Division.
McDowell pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024, to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kelly ordered McDowell to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 8, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McDowell’s residence on Harvard Street NW. Agents recovered a loaded Glock firearm with 17 rounds in its extended magazine in McDowell’s bedroom. They also seized distribution quantities of marijuana and cocaine. McDowell admitted that he possessed the narcotics seized from his bedroom and had intended to distribute them. He also admitted that the seized firearm was used in furtherance of his drug distribution.
McDowell was not present during the time of the February 2023 search, and following the search, he actively evaded law enforcement. Before and after this search, McDowell used his Instagram account to advertise controlled substances and arrange drug sales. McDowell also continued to possess firearms and distribute a variety of narcotics, including fentanyl, in the months following the February 2023 search.
On July 12, 2023, agents executed another search warrant at McDowell’s residence and recovered a stolen loaded Glock handgun. Law enforcement also seized fentanyl, PCP, marijuana, and a digital scale from McDowell’s bedroom.
McDowell was indicted on federal firearms and narcotics charges on July 25, 2023, and charged with additional counts in a superseding indictment on September 7, 2023. McDowell ultimately pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Washington Field Division with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department, United States Secret Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor and the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorneys Gary Crosby, Javier Urbina, Christopher Marin, and Robert Sainvil.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brennen Holloman, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded “ghost gun” in October 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Holloman pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 28, 2025.
According to court papers, on October 11, 2023, uniformed MPD officers patrolling the 1500 block of Maryland Ave., Northeast, encountered a group of men that included Holloman. In response to the officers’ presence, Holloman began jumping up and down and manipulating his pants. Because it appeared that Holloman was attempting to conceal a firearm, officers stopped him and conducted a limited pat down. A loaded 9mm black and grey Polymer80 privately made firearm (i.e., a “ghost gun”) was recovered from inside Holloman’s pants. The firearm was loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in its chamber and 17 rounds in its extended magazine.
Federal law prohibits Holloman from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2019 conviction for grand larceny in the Fairfax, Virginia, Circuit Court; a 2018 conviction for attempted robbery in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and a 2017 conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery in the Alexandria, Virginia, Circuit Court.
In November 2023, a federal grand jury empaneled by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Holloman with the October offense. On December 15, 2023, MPD officers arrested Holloman on the federal charges and discovered that he was in possession of another loaded firearm.
Holloman has remained held without bond since his December 15, 2023, arrest.
Holloman 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. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
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Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Shooting a Transgender VictimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, found Jerry Tyree, 46, of Washington, D.C., guilty of aggravated assault while armed for shooting the victim on November 29, 2023, in the 5900 block of Foote Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury found Tyree guilty, following a two-week trial, of one count of aggravated assault while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of attempted possession of liquid PCP. Tyree faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years incarceration for aggravated assault while armed. The Honorable Judge Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant met the victim at the intersection of Eastern Avenue NE and Foote Street NE shortly before 2:00 p.m., on November 29, 2023. After negotiating a price for oral sex, the defendant and the victim walked together into a nearby apartment building, where the victim performed oral sex on the defendant. The defendant then accused the victim of robbing him, and when she denied doing so, the defendant pulled out a small silver handgun and shot the victim directly in the penis before leaving the scene. Police were called by a neighbor and the victim was transported to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries.
A month later, on December 30, 2023, the defendant was arrested in possession of that same small silver handgun less than a mile from the shooting and in possession of several vials, including one that was partially filled with suspected PCP. Tyree was identified as the shooter from November 29, 2023, based on an identification procedure, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence connecting him to the scene.
The defendant was convicted in 2005 of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm during a crime of violence in Maryland, and in 2022 of attempted possession with intent to distribute PCP, in Washington, DC.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Daniel Bromwich.
James B. Nutter & Company to Pay $2.4M for Allegedly Causing False Claims for Federal Mortgage InsuranceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James B. Nutter & Company, a former mortgage lender located in Kansas City, Missouri, has agreed to pay $2.4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 by knowingly underwriting Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that did not meet program eligibility requirements.
“The HECM program helps support our nation’s senior citizens by providing an additional source of funds to supplement their income,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners at HUD, we are committed to protecting the financial integrity of this critical program and to pursuing those who seek to abuse it.”
“Our office continues its diligent pursuit of mortgage originators that do not play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “If a lender is asking the government to insure its loans, the government expects that lender to employ qualified underwriters to ensure the loans present acceptable credit risks and are supported by sound appraisals of the homes used to secure them.”
The FHA offers numerous mortgage insurance programs intended to help build and sustain strong communities across America. The HECM program is a reverse mortgage program specifically for senior homeowners aged 62 and older. The program allows seniors to access the equity in their residences, and thereby age in place in their family home, through a mortgage agreement with a lender that is insured against loss by the FHA.
Lenders who participate in the FHA’s HECM program are authorized to underwrite mortgages without first having the government review the loans for compliance with the agency’s underwriting and origination requirements. If an FHA-insured loan defaults, the holder of the loan can then recover from the United States for certain losses. Lenders commit to following FHA rules to ensure that only eligible mortgages are insured by the government.
The settlement announced today resolves the United States’ allegations in a lawsuit filed in 2020 that James B. Nutter & Company knowingly violated FHA underwriting requirements when it allowed inexperienced temporary staff to underwrite FHA-insured loans, and submitted loans for FHA insurance with underwriter signatures that were falsified and/or affixed before all the documentation the underwriter should have reviewed was complete.
“This case sought to redress serious violations of FHA requirements that posed a risk to the HECM program,” said HUD General Counsel Damon Smith. “HUD will continue to protect the integrity of this important mortgage program that serves the interests of our nation’s senior citizens.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to seeking recovery from mortgage lenders who take advantage of FHA programs and ignore essential program requirements,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “The integrity and resources of those important programs must not be put at risk by mortgage lenders who put their own financial interests first.”
“This case and the resulting $2.4 million settlement demonstrate the HUD Office of Inspector General’s commitment to holding lenders accountable when they commit fraud against FHA mortgage programs designed to provide financial assistance to senior homeowners,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “No one is above the law. Our office will continue to work with our partners at the Justice Department to investigate mortgage lenders who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.”
The investigation, litigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort among the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Columbia, HUD and HUD’s Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorneys Christopher Reimer, Kelly Phipps, Yifan Wang and Wilma Metcalf of the Commercial Litigation Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindi Woolery for the Western District of Missouri and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Hudak and Benton Peterson for the District of Columbia handled the matter. The litigation resolved by the settlement was captioned United States v. James B. Nutter & Co., Case No. 4:20-cv-874-RK (WDMO).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
James B. Nutter & Company to Pay $2.4M for Allegedly Causing False Claims for Federal Mortgage InsuranceRead the Press Release
James B. Nutter & Company, a former mortgage lender located in Kansas City, Missouri, has agreed to pay $2.4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 by knowingly underwriting Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that did not meet program eligibility requirements.
“The HECM program helps support our nation’s senior citizens by providing an additional source of funds to supplement their income,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners at HUD, we are committed to protecting the financial integrity of this critical program and to pursuing those who seek to abuse it.”
The FHA offers numerous mortgage insurance programs intended to help build and sustain strong communities across America. The HECM program is a reverse mortgage program specifically for senior homeowners aged 62 and older. The program allows seniors to access the equity in their residences, and thereby age in place in their family home, through a mortgage agreement with a lender that is insured against loss by the FHA.
Lenders who participate in the FHA’s HECM program are authorized to underwrite mortgages without first having the government review the loans for compliance with the agency’s underwriting and origination requirements. If an FHA-insured loan defaults, the holder of the loan can then recover from the United States for certain losses. Lenders commit to following FHA rules to ensure that only eligible mortgages are insured by the government.
The settlement announced today resolves the United States’ allegations in a lawsuit filed in 2020 that James B. Nutter & Company knowingly violated FHA underwriting requirements when it allowed inexperienced temporary staff to underwrite FHA-insured loans, and submitted loans for FHA insurance with underwriter signatures that were falsified and/or affixed before all the documentation the underwriter should have reviewed was complete.
“This case sought to redress serious violations of FHA requirements that posed a risk to the HECM program,” said HUD General Counsel Damon Smith. “HUD will continue to protect the integrity of this important mortgage program that serves the interests of our nation’s senior citizens.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to seeking recovery from mortgage lenders who take advantage of FHA programs and ignore essential program requirements,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “The integrity and resources of those important programs must not be put at risk by mortgage lenders who put their own financial interests first.”
“Our office continues its diligent pursuit of mortgage originators that do not play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “If a lender is asking the government to insure its loans, the government expects that lender to employ qualified underwriters to ensure the loans present acceptable credit risks and are supported by sound appraisals of the homes used to secure them.”
“This case and the resulting $2.4 million settlement demonstrate the HUD Office of Inspector General’s commitment to holding lenders accountable when they commit fraud against FHA mortgage programs designed to provide financial assistance to senior homeowners,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “No one is above the law. Our office will continue to work with our partners at the Justice Department to investigate mortgage lenders who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.”
The investigation, litigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort among the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Columbia, HUD and HUD’s Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorneys Christopher Reimer, Kelly Phipps, Yifan Wang and Wilma Metcalf of the Commercial Litigation Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindi Woolery for the Western District of Missouri and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Hudak and Benton Peterson for the District of Columbia handled the matter. The litigation resolved by the settlement was captioned United States v. James B. Nutter & Co., Case No. 4:20-cv-874-RK (WDMO).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Last Two Defendants in the Violent Kennedy Street Crew Case Plead Guilty to Narcotics and Firearms CountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khali Ahmed Brown, 23, Keion Michael Brown, 21, members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), pleaded guilty today to narcotics and firearms charges for their roles in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Khali Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” of Washington D.C., who many view as the face of KDY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, fentanyl, and oxycodone. He also pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and assault with a dangerous weapon for his role in a November 18, 2022, shooting just outside Jackson-Reed High School.
His brother, Keion Michael Brown, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and oxycodone and a charge of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing on December 12, 2024, for both men.
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 James VanVliet 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.
“The prosecution targeted leaders and key members of the KDY street crew--one of the largest, oldest, and most violent street crews in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “With these guilty pleas, every defendant charged in connection with this investigation has now pled guilty to charges that will ensure that they will be removed from, and no longer driving violence in, our community.”
“DEA’s top operational priority is combatting the current fentanyl crisis and the drug-related violence that is devastating the very foundation of our community and family structures,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. Today’s guilty plea clearly shows that Mr. Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” and his associations with violent criminal drug trafficking networks like the Kennedy Street Crew showed little respect for the wellbeing of the community. We are taking a strong stance and implementing strict measures to protect every city neighborhood.”
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 its drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews. During the charged conspiracy, from June 2019 to June 2023, on KDY territory there were five homicides, resulting in the deaths of seven and the wounding of six additional individuals, one assault with intent to kill with three wounded, and 19 assaults with a deadly weapon.
Khali Brown was among the charged defendants who played a key role in smuggling bulk quantities of marijuana from the West Coast to the DMV area, which allowed the crew to sell at significant profits and thereby fuel its operations.
Both defendants maintained stash houses of KDY’s controlled substances and fire power. By way of illustration, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement conducted an interdiction at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) in anticipation of several KDY members, including Khali Brown, smuggling marijuana back to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area through BWI via an overnight flight from LAX. During the interdiction, law enforcement seized five of the checked bags containing 39.2 kilograms of marijuana, but Khali Brown and his co-defendant Herman Signou evaded law enforcement with some of their luggage and traveled to a stash house at the 1700 block of D Street NE.
Hours later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence, where officers found Khali Brown, Keion Brown, and co-defendants Tristan Ware, Jovan Williams, and Herman Signou, among other KDY associates. Inside, law enforcement seized ten firearms (including two machine guns), assorted ammunition, 21 kilograms of marijuana, 39.5 grams of fentanyl-laced pills, and oxycodone pills in suitcases consistent with those taken from the airport during the BWI interdiction. Among the firearms recovered was the Glock 17 9mm firearm that Khali Brown and his co-conspirators had used in the November 18, 2022, shooting outside Jackson-Reed High School.
When Khali Brown and two co-defendants were arrested on June 26, 2023, at yet another stash house in the 1300 block of 5th Street NW, inside the residence were approximately 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, $2,710 in cash and five machine guns, and one firearm.
Keion Brown was a wanted fugitive when, on November 17, 2023, officers tracked him and his associates, including Jovan Williams, to a laundry room on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Law enforcement arrested Keion Brown, Jovan Williams, and an associate and found four firearms concealed within the laundry room, including Keion Brown’s machine gun.
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.
It 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.
It 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. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga27Pleaded Guilty 9/15/2024, 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”23Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, Fentanyl, and Oxycodone; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”21Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Keion Michael Brown21Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Cocaine Base; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”23Pleaded Guilty 7/11/2024 to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy”19Pleaded Guilty on 9/5/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”23Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Cameron Xavier Reid26Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby”27Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”30Pleaded Guilty 6/27/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams of Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”29Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”22Sentenced 2/8/2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”27Sentenced 4/26/2024, 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 6/12/2024, to Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced 5/16/2024, to 90 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Juan” and “Squirrel”28Pleaded Guilty 9/17/2024, to Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.Adebayo Adediji Green30Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA. Green is from Hyattsville, MD. All remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
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District Felon Convicted by a Federal Jury of Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm with .40 Caliber AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ezra Griffith, 34, a previously convicted felon, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm with .40 Caliber ammunition which is a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the evidence presented to the jury, on November 15, 2023, after sundown about 8:40 p.m., members of the MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team entered the parking lot of the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast Washington, D.C. and observed a small group of people congregating inside the fenced-in playground next to the recreation center building. The park was closed, so the officers went to make contact with the group. In fact, there is a sign next to the playground’s only entrance noting that it is open from dawn to dusk.
As officers approached the fenced-in playground, Griffith immediately sat down on a concrete partition and moved his hands near the front of his waistband, appearing to adjust an object in his lap. Subsequently, Griffith got up and sprinted along the inside fence line of the playground. Officers briefly lost sight of Griffith before stopping him moments later inside the playground area.
Officers canvassed Griffith’s flight path and recovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber semiautomatic firearm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. Griffith has two prior felony convictions in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for carrying a pistol without a license and for attempted robbery.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the outstanding efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Robinson, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, Litigation Technology Specialist Charles Bruce, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling.
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Indictment Charges Two in $230 Million Cryptocurrency ScamRead the Press Release
lamserrano_indictment_24cr417.pdfWASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging Malone Lam, 20, of Miami, FL and Los Angeles, CA, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, of Los Angeles, CA, with conspiracy to steal and launder over $230 million in cryptocurrency from a victim in Washington, D.C. Lam, a citizen of Singapore who goes by the online monikers “Anne Hathaway” and “$$$”, and Serrano, who uses “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar”, were arrested last night and are appearing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California, respectively, today.
The arrests and indictment were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According in the indictment, since at least August 2024, Lam, Serrano, and others conspired to carry out cryptocurrency thefts and to launder the stolen crypto currency through exchanges and mixing services. The conspirators would fraudulently gain access to victim cryptocurrency accounts and then transfer victim funds into their possession. They laundered the proceeds, including by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their true identities. Lam and Serrano then allegedly spent the laundered cryptocurrency proceeds on international travel, nightclubs, luxury automobiles, watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and rental homes in Los Angeles and Miami. In one instance, on August 18, 2024, Lam, Serrano, and their conspirators contacted a victim in D.C. and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin (worth over $230 million at the time).
This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami Field Offices.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24cr417
Gun Supplier Convicted of Murdering 13-Year-Old Boy Gets 108 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Nelson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to 108 ½ years in prison for first degree murder and other charges stemming from the killing of 13-year old Malachi Lukes in March of 2020. A jury found Nelson and two co-defendants--Tyiion Freeman and Koran Jackson—guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges. Last week Freeman received 108 years while Jackson was sentenced to 164 years in prison.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with two other defendants (whose cases were severed pre-trial), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson and Freeman, along with the severed defendants, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.
Stephon Nelson, who is a felon and approximately 10 years older than his coconspirators, supplied the firearms that were illegally possessed, carried, and transferred in the conspiracy. Over the span of nine days, February 22-March 1, 2020, the defendants engaged in a shooting spree in the Petworth, Shaw, and Stronghold neighborhoods using the firearms they illegally acquired and shared as a part of the firearms conspiracy. The first charged shooting occurred on February 22, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood when two victims were fired upon after a mere verbal exchange with two defendants. Two days later, on February 24, 2020, the conspirators drove through rival crew territory Ninth Street where they shot three rival crew members. An innocent bystander who was sitting in her vehicle was caught in the barrage of gunfire. She fortunately escaped with little physical injury because her front windshield suffered the bulk of the damage. The spree culminated on March 1, 2020, when the defendants participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of ten minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Federal Hate Crime Charges Brought for Assault on Stranger Wearing a Yarmulke in Foggy BottomRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Walter James, 38, with one count of causing bodily harm to an individual due to his actual or perceived religion.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg for the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that on the morning of July 10, 2024, James assaulted a man, who was walking through Foggy Bottom and wearing a yarmulke, without any provocation or warning. James repeatedly punched the individual in his face and head. While he was assaulting the individual and immediately afterward, James yelled antisemitic slurs, such as: (1) “You are murdering innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.” (2) “They’re the cause of all our wars – killing the children of Palestine.” (3) “You control us with money.” (4) “You are not the real Jewish [sic].” And (5) “You guys kill people in Gaza.” As a result of the assault, the individual suffered cuts and abrasions to his face and right elbow and cephalic swelling.
James faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. James was previously charged in D.C. Superior Court with assault with significant injury with a hate crimes enhancement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr.
For more information and resources about the Justice Department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws. For more information: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes.
Debt Relief Scam Lands Jamaican National in Federal Prison for 3 YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Sereika Savariau, 37, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that targeted debt-ridden Americans and tricked the victims into paying fraudulent processing fees and disclosing sensitive personal identifying information. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sally Luttrell of the Treasury Department, Office of Inspector General.
Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Savariau to pay restitution to the victims.
As part of her guilty plea, Savariau admitted that from at least June 2016 through September 2018, she and other conspirators created and operated a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. citizens into paying bogus processing fees and to disclose personal identifying information and identity documents. One of the fraudulent websites said consumers could receive up to $60,000 in government-funded aid to pay their bills. Another claimed consumers could receive up to $25,000 in annual debt relief.
Savariau admitted that through their false representations she and her co-conspirators tried to defraud U.S. victims out of more than $550,000. More than 50 individuals sent money to conspirators because of the scheme, most commonly through Western Union, believing the funds were service processing fees.
Savariau and her conspirators took advantage of people who were desperate to have their outstanding bills paid and improve their financial situation. Thinking they were to receive government-funded debt relief, victims eagerly sent their sensitive personal and financial information and paid exorbitant “processing fees” – approximately 14% of the requested debt relief. The nature of the scheme caused many victims to be victimized multiple times.
Conspirators also fraudulently used the victims’ personal identifying information for other illegal purposes. In one example, a victim’s information was used to create a PayPal account for use in the scheme. The information also was used to apply for and obtain an American Express pre-paid credit card. A different victim’s name and address were used to register one of their fraudulent debt relief sites.
Savariau’s conduct directly violated a prior judicial order issued in September 2015 by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in Case No. 14-CV-1414 that, among other things, permanently restrained her and those working with her from misrepresenting to others that they would substantially reduce consumers’ debts.
Savariau was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021, arrested in Jamaica in July 2023, and extradited to the United States in September 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Justice Department's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman for the District of Columbia.
21cr706
Sex Trafficker of Minor Sentenced to 17.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harrison Lee, 43, of Northeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl for his own financial benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Lee pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to sex trafficking of a minor before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden. In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Lee to serve 15 years of supervised release and pay $70,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, in December 2015, Lee began advertising the minor for commercial sex on Backpage.com, a now-defunct website that had an escorts-for-hire section. Lee placed ads with headings such as “Young Exotic MIXED GIRL” on a near-daily basis from December 18, 2015, to January 24, 2016. The advertisements posted by Lee contained nude and sexually explicit images of the minor that constituted child sexual abuse material.
Lee transported the minor to hotels in the Washington D.C. area as well as to other states up and down the eastern seaboard, including New Jersey and Georgia. He took all the money that the minor earned, rendering her completely dependent on him.
After the victim turned 18, Lee continued to exploit her in commercial sex off and on for years, until the time of his arrest on July 20, 2023. Lee received at least $70,000 from her commercial sex work.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica Arco from the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya Davis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
23cr213
Guilty Verdict Returned in 2022 Murder at East River ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darius Anderson, 23, of Washington, DC, has been found guilty by a jury today, of first-degree murder while armed for 2022 killing of 30-year-old Israel Mattocks, in in the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave, NE., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Anderson was found guilty by a jury on September 18, 2024, following a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 15, 2022, the victim, Mr. Mattocks, a shoe reseller, asked the defendant for help purchasing shoes from Shoe City located at the East River Park Shopping Mall. After the defendant failed to purchase the shoes for Mr. Mattocks, the two had a brief conversation and parted ways. A short time later, the two met again in another nearby local shoe store, DownTown Locker Room. Mr. Mattocks and the defendant had a brief argument. Afterwards, Mr. Mattocks left the store with another individual to return to Shoe City to buy the shoes the defendant failed to purchase. In the meantime, defendant Anderson walked home, dropped off his purchase from the DownTown Locker Room, and returned to the Shoe City. When the victim and the other individual walked out of the Shoe City, Anderson, was waiting, standing to the right entrance of the store, and fired numerous shots at Mr. Mattocks. Mr. Mattocks was shot at least six times – sustaining injuries to his left and right arms, his right chest, and his neck. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
In announcing this verdict, 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. Attorneys Ariel Dean and Stephanie Dinan.
Former U.S. Government Employee Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Multiple Sexual AssaultsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, of La Mesa, California, a former U.S. government employee, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually abusing numerous women in multiple countries, including photographing and video recording more than two dozen nude and partially nude women without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Director Carlos F. Matus of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
Raymond pleaded guilty November 7, 2023, to one count each of sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, coercion and enticement, and transportation of obscene material. As part of the plea agreement, Raymond admitted to drugging and then engaging in nonconsensual sexual acts with four women and nonconsensual sexual contact with six women. Raymond further admitted to drugging and then creating obscene material depicting 28 women without their knowledge or permission and drugging two other women.
“When this predator was a government employee, he lured unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing and drugged them,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “After drugging these women, he stripped, sexually abused, and photographed them. Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will be properly marked as a sex offender for life, and he will spend a substantial portion of the rest of his life behind bars.”
“Brian Raymond sexually exploited dozens of women over the course of 14 years, including while he served abroad as a U.S. government employee,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Argentieri. “Today’s sentence underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to prosecuting sexual abuse in violation of federal law—no matter where those violations occur or who commits them. We are grateful for the valuable partnership we have with the Mexican government and will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to pursue justice for victims of sexual exploitation.”
“This case demonstrates the strong commitment of the Diplomatic Security Service to work with our law enforcement partners here and abroad to investigate public servants in positions of trust who commit sexual assault anywhere in the world,” said DSS Director Carlos F. Matus. “It is a good example of how DSS’s global presence enables our agency to serve as a bridge between U.S. and foreign law enforcement counterparts to assist in bringing those who commit such heinous crimes to justice.”
“For 14 years, Raymond exploited his trusted position as a U.S. government representative to lure women into his confidence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “He then drugged and sexually assaulted them and took explicit photos and videos of them without their consent. The FBI thanks the brave women who shared information that furthered this investigation. We recognize our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners who helped bring Raymond to justice for his reprehensible crimes.”
According to court documents, while Raymond was on assignment in Mexico City, Mexico, he drugged and sexually assaulted several women in his government-leased housing. Additionally, between 2006 and 2020, in Mexico City and elsewhere, Raymond drugged and then photographed or video recorded 25 victims while they were nude or partially nude. Many of the recordings show Raymond touching and manipulating the victim’s bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent. Raymond attempted to delete the explicit photographs and videos depicting the victims after learning about the criminal investigation.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Raymond to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay $260,000 restitution to the victims. After his release from prison, Raymond will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The DSS Office of Special Investigations, the DSS Computer Investigations and Forensics Division, and FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City also provided valuable assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledges the government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República, the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, and the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Angela Buckner and Katharine Wagner of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP). Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen and Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Douglas of HRSP, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Hooks, Jolie Zimmerman, and Janani Iyengar for the District of Columbia. Additional assistance was provided by Victim Specialists Yvonne Bryant and Tonya Jones of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Victim Witness Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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21cr380
Trafficker Who Smuggled Mass Quantities of Fentanyl from Southern California to DC Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Nava Jr., 20, of Bell Gardens, California., was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that spanned the country and that was responsible for the distribution of kilograms of fentanyl from Southern California to the DMV. Nava – who sold 12,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and one dozen firearms, including an AR-style rifle to undercover officers – was one of 24 co-defendants arrested over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Nava pleaded guilty on May 9, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 14-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Nava to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Nava’s role in the conspiracy was to serve as an upstream Los Angeles-based supplier of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to other Los Angeles-based fentanyl traffickers, including co-defendant Hector David Valdez. Valdez allegedly was a bulk supplier of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to D.C.-based fentanyl traffickers.
In coordinating his sales of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, Nava worked with various co-defendants to obtain bulk quantities of pills for redistribution, including fake pills from Mexico-based sources. Nava also conspired with New York-based fentanyl traffickers, meeting with them in Los Angeles and supplying them with the fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone, which the New York-based traffickers then smuggled back to New York using interstate commercial shipping and mail carriers.
Additionally, Nava regularly trafficked firearms in conjunction with his drug trafficking. He conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics and firearms with undercover federal law enforcement agents.
In total, Nava sold 12,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and one dozen firearms, including an AR-style rifle, as part of controlled sales that were facilitated by federal undercover officers over the life of conspiracy.
The impetus for this investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death resulting case,[1] law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
26
Santa Fe Springs, California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
20
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty July 25, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
Charles Jeffrey Taylor
20
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.
20
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced 9/17/2024 to 14 Years for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ulises Aldaz
28
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison, four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres
26
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”
34
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
21
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison, five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown
28
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty March 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Columbian Thomas, aka
"Cruddy Murda”
26
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty June 4, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden
29
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months in prison, five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
23
Temple Hills, Maryland
Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months incarceration, 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
20
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
30
Alexandria, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
28
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”
38
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
34
Glen Allen, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
27
Alexandria, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix
25
Glendale,
California
Pleaded guilty July 1, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
27
Cudahy,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”
26
San Diego,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez
30
Long Beach,
California
Pleaded guilty July 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Giovani Alejandro Briones
30
Victorville, California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez
26
Rosarito, Mexico
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Maryland and U.S. Marshals.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section.
23cr73
[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/brother-and-sister-sentenced-drug-conspiracy-involving-fentanyl-sales
Former D.C. Special Police Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses for Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging former D.C. Special Police Officer Curtis Holloway with depriving an arrestee of her civil rights under color of law.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.
The indictment charges Holloway, 65, with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for willfully using unreasonable force against an arrestee, who is identified in the indictment as A.J., a 33-year-old woman. Specifically, the indictment alleges that, without legal justification, Holloway struck A.J. on the head with a firearm from behind on October 13, 2023, as she tried to run away from him, resulting in bodily injury to A.J.
The indictment also charges Holloway with obstruction of justice for false statements he made to responding Metropolitan Police Department officers. Finally, the indictment charges Holloway with assault with a deadly weapon under the D.C. code.
The civil rights charge and assault charge each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The obstruction offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former D.C. Special Police Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights Offense for Using Excessive Force and with Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging a former D.C. Special Police Officer with depriving an arrestee of her civil rights under color of law.
The indictment charges former D.C. Special Police Officer Curtis Holloway, 65, with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for willfully using unreasonable force against an arrestee, who is identified in the indictment as A.J. Specifically, the indictment alleges that, without legal justification, Holloway struck A.J. on the head with a firearm, resulting in bodily injury to A.J.
The indictment also charges Holloway with obstruction of justice for false statements he made to responding Metropolitan Police Department officers. Finally, the indictment charges Holloway with assault with a deadly weapon.
The civil rights charge and assault charge each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The obstruction charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section 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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Implementation of New Whistleblower Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced today the implementation of a new Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Pilot Program encouraging individuals to disclose criminal conduct undertaken by or through companies, exchanges, or other institutions. provided the whistleblower meets certain criteria. A copy of the policy is available on the USAO-DC webpage (embedded link). This pilot program is in addition to the Department of Justice’s recently launched Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program which provides monetary incentives for the disclosure of previously undetected misconduct that the whistleblowers themselves did not meaningfully participate in.
“This pilot program will allow more persons, with information vital to criminal activity, to participate in the criminal justice system from the correct side of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Cooperating witnesses are an important tool in our fight to identify crime undertaken by or through public or private companies, or criminal conduct involving local bribery, which may otherwise go undetected.”
The program, effective immediately, is designed to encourage individuals to come forward about previously unknown fraud, bribery, or other misconduct. The program applies in certain circumstances where an individual voluntarily discloses to the USAO-DC information regarding criminal conduct undertaken by or through public or private companies, exchanges, financial institutions, investment advisers, or investments funds involving fraud or corporate control failures or affecting market integrity, or criminal conduct involving state or local bribery or fraud related to federal, state, or local funds. It only offers benefits to those who did not play a leading role in the misconduct, and who are not in a position of executive leadership, or federal, state, or local law enforcement or officials.
The pilot program provides transparency regarding circumstances in which USAO-DC prosecutors will offer deferred or non-prosecution agreements to incentivize individuals to provide original information. Receipt of such information can assist in investigating and prosecuting criminal conduct that may otherwise go undetected, which will further encourage companies to create compliance programs that help prevent, detect, and remediate misconduct and to report misconduct when it occurs.
Additional information can be found at: District of Columbia | District of Columbia Whistleblower Non-Prosecution Program (justice.gov). Interested parties will also find an intake form that can be emailed to: [email protected].
Senior Leaders of Violent Drug Gang Convicted of Drug Trafficking While Armed with Machine GunsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Alonte Willis aka “Boogie,” 32, and Broadus Jamal Daniels aka “Wardy,” 29, both of Washington, D.C. were found guilty today of drug and gun charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge James Van Vliet of the ATF Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Willis and Daniels were both found guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, unlawful possession of machine guns, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Daniels was also found guilty of possessing machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing hearings for February 2025.
“These guilty verdicts are the latest step in our ongoing effort to federally prosecute those who are driving violence or whose conduct is a magnet for violence,” said US Attorney Graves. “These defendants have been found guilty of illegally possessing numerous firearms and possessing a conversion device that could transform a handgun into a machine gun. We, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify those driving violence within our community and work to hold them accountable for crimes that will remove them from our community for lengthy periods of time.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Willis was a “big homie” in the D.C. street crew known as “Push Dat Shit” or “PDS.” PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast, and adjacent areas, and operated an open air drug market outside the Holiday Market located at 3509 Wheeler Road, Southeast. In approximately August 2018, PDS became allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG,” including JG “big homie” Daniels.
Between August 2018 and April 2023, members of the allied PDS/JG street crew sold drugs from Holiday Market and from “trap houses” that they maintained in apartment buildings surrounding that location. As their drug business grew, PDS/JG became the target of drive-by shootings conducted by rival gangs – shootings they referred to as “spinning the block.” Beginning in approximately August 2019, a PDS/JG member began assembling AR-Pistol assault rifles from “kits” purchased from online retailers and modifying them to be capable of fully automatic fire. Such firearms are defined as “Privately Made Firearms” by the ATF but are frequently referred to as “ghost guns” on the street.
As was proved at trial, PDS/JG members used, carried, and possessed these “ghost gun” AR-Pistol machine guns in order to defend their territory from rival gangs, and also to “spin the block” on rival gangs in order to deter and dissuade their rivals from entering PDS/JG territory.
Andre Alonte Willis, also known as “Boogie,” faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Willis’ sentencing is scheduled for February 6, 2024. Broadus Jamal Daniels, also known as “Wardy” and “JG Wardy” faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 65 years in prison. Daniels’ sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2024.
This conviction is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has now resulted in 22 convictions and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.
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22cr303
Russian Citizen Arrested for Illegally Exporting U.S.-Sourced Microelectronics with Military Applications to RussiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Denis Postovoy, 44, a Russian citizen living in Sarasota, Florida, was arrested this morning in Sarasota, Florida on an indictment charging him with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, to commit smuggling, to commit money laundering, and to defraud the United States.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of HSI’s Denver Field Office.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in at least February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Postovoy procured and illicitly exported from the United States to Russia microelectronic components with military applications. The exported microelectronics can be used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones). Through a web of companies that he owns or operates in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, Postovoy and individuals in his network purchased the microelectronics from U.S.-based distributors and exported them to Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“According to the indictment, this defendant illegally exported dual-use technology to Russia that could bolster its capabilities to wage its unprovoked war against Ukraine,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “As alleged, he lied about the final destination for the technology he was shipping and used intermediary destinations to mask this illegal activity. Fortunately, our skilled law enforcement partners at HSI and our dedicated attorneys unraveled the plot.”
“This defendant attempted to procure and illegally export dual-use microelectronics with military applications, and ultimately ship them back to Russia,” said Special Agent in Charge Spradlin, of HSI Denver. “Mr. Postovoy will now face justice for his duplicity. Our stellar agents will continue to investigate these crimes alongside our strike force partners and the Department of Justice and hold accountable these criminals who threaten the security of the United States.”
As alleged, Postovoy’s companies included WowCube HK Limited, JST Group Hong Kong, Jove HK Limited, all based in Hong Kong, and the Vector Group in Russia. Postovoy repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the microelectronics by submitting false information on documents. He transshipped items that were ultimately destined for Russia through intermediary destinations, including Hong Kong, Switzerland, and elsewhere, and received payments in U.S. dollars from foreign bank accounts. His companies transferred funds for the purchase and shipment of the goods through bank accounts in Hong Kong, Russia, and elsewhere to bank accounts in the United States, including bank accounts maintained by the U.S. suppliers of microelectronics and other sensitive technologies.
This case is being investigated by HSI Colorado Springs. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean R. Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Five Cases Tied to Disruptive Technology Strike ForceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced criminal charges in five cases from four U.S. Attorney’s offices in connection with the multi-agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force (Strike Force).
The Strike Force is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce to counter efforts by hostile nation states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. Launched in February 2023, the Strike Force’s work has led to the unsealing of charges against 34 defendants in 24 cases involving alleged export control violations, smuggling, theft of trade secrets, and other charges by actors connected to Russia, China, and Iran.
The cases announced today took place over the course of multiple weeks, culminating in the arrest today of a Russian national allegedly seeking to illegally export electronics for use in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Russia. The other cases also cover spearfishing of U.S-based scientists by an employee of a state-owned Chinese defense company and the smuggling of laser welding machines used in nuclear munition production to Russia.
“The prosecutions of these cases under the Disruptive Technology Strike Force reflects the joint efforts of five agencies across the government focused on the shared goal of stopping the transfer of sensitive, cutting-edge technologies to Iran, China, and Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “The Justice Department, through the work of the Strike Force, will continue to do all we can to prevent advanced technologies from falling into the hands of our adversaries and protect our national security.”
“We launched the Disruptive Technology Strike Force a year and half ago to advance the vital mission of safeguarding U.S. technology,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the U.S. Department of Commerce. “As today’s announcements make clear, our efforts to protect sensitive U.S. technologies – which to date have yielded 24 publicly charged criminal cases, millions of dollars in administrative penalties, and multiple Entity List additions – remain relentless and unyielding.”
“It’s no secret that the threats we face today are more complex and severe than ever before,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The best way – and the only way – we can stay ahead of current and emerging threats is by working together. With these indictments, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an excellent example of the power of partnerships in practice.”
“Those who facilitate the illegal proliferation of sensitive technologies and material to hostile nations and terrorist groups pose a serious threat to the safety and security of the United States,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that aid and abed U.S. adversaries.”
“Disrupting the efforts of foreign nations, international criminal organizations, and other potentially hostile entities that seek to illegally obtain sensitive DoD technology and weapon systems that could potentially be used against our military forces remains a top priority of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch of DoD. “We will continue to work with the Justice Department and our strike force partners to thwart the efforts of criminal elements whose activities threaten the security of the United States.”
United States v. Postovoy (District of Columbia)
A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Denis Postovoy, a Russian citizen living in the United States, with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, commit smuggling, commit money laundering and defraud the United States. HSI arrested Postovoy this morning in Sarasota, Florida.
According to court documents, beginning in at least February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Postovoy procured and illicitly exported from the United States to Russia microelectronic components with military applications. The exported microelectronics can be used in UAVs or drones. Through a web of companies that he owns or operates in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, Postovoy and individuals in his network purchased the microelectronics from U.S.-based distributors and exported them to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.
As alleged, Postovoy’s companies included WowCube HK Limited, JST Group Hong Kong, Jove HK Limited, all based in Hong Kong, and the Vector Group in Russia. Postovoy repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the microelectronics by submitting false information on export-related documents. He transshipped items that were ultimately destined for Russia through intermediary destinations, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and elsewhere, and received payments in U.S. dollars from foreign bank accounts. His companies transferred funds for the purchase and shipment of the goods through bank accounts in Hong Kong, Russia, and elsewhere to bank accounts in the United States, including bank accounts maintained by the U.S. suppliers of microelectronics and other sensitive technologies.
HSI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Allen for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Song Wu (Northern District of Georgia)
Today, a federal court in Atlanta, unsealed an indictment charging Chinese national, Song Wu, 39, with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), research universities, and private companies. Song remains at large.
According to the indictment, Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons.
In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the U.S. government, including NASA, the Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access.
According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing. AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world.
In total, Song is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Song faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Song also faces a mandatory, two-year consecutive penalty in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the NASA’s Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the National Security Division's Cyber Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
United States v. Teslenko (District of Massachusetts)
Massachusetts resident, Samer Bhambhani, 55, and Russian national, Maksim Teslenko, 35, have been charged with smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls, commit smuggling, and defraud the United States. Bhambhani was arrested on Sept. 9 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Teslenko remains at large overseas.
It is alleged that from in or around 2015 through at least 2021, Bhambhani and Teslenko conspired to export laser welding machines from Bhambhani’s employer in the United States to the Ural Electromechanical Plant (UEMZ) in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while falsifying the export documentation submitted to the U.S. government in order to conceal the fact that the UEMZ was the true end user of the machines. The UEMZ is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow, that oversaw Russia’s civilian and military nuclear program. According to the indictment, Teslenko knew that the laser welding machines were intended for the portion of the UEMZ involving the Russian nuclear weapons program.
The charge of smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura S. Kaplan for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Goodarzi (Southern District of Texas)
Gholam Reza Goodarzi, also known as Ron Goodarzi, 76, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen who resides in Porter, Texas, was arrested at the George Bush International Airport on Aug. 30 based on a criminal complaint alleging he smuggled parts and components used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as other manned aircraft, from the United States to Iran.
According to court documents, from December 1, 2020, through July 5, Goodarzi illegally exported aircraft-related parts, in addition to oil and drilling components, to Iran. As alleged, Goodarzi purchased U.S.-origin aircraft components from U.S.-based suppliers and then exported them to Iran – typically through Dubai, UAE. He also traveled to and from Iran multiple times per year and concealed aircraft parts and other items in his checked luggage. Goodarzi exchanged multiple emails with suppliers and customers, acknowledging that parts could not be shipped to Iran because of sanctions.
The complaint alleges that on several occasions, authorities searched Goodarzi’s luggage and found numerous aircraft parts and components hidden within articles of clothing. Some of the items had characteristics consistent with parts for the production of UAVs, as well as parts with electrical motor and generator applications. Goodarzi does not have the required licenses to export such items to sanctioned countries, including Iran, according to the complaint.
The FBI, with assistance from and Customs and Border Protection, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Nader (District of Columbia)
U.S.-Iranian national Jeffrey Chance Nader, 66, of Arcadia, California, was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024, based on an indictment charging him with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured aircraft components, including components used on military aircraft, in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and other federal laws.
According to the indictment, beginning at least in 2023, Nader and others conspired to purchase and export – and attempted to export – from the United States to Iran four types of aircraft components, totaling nearly three dozen individual pieces. Some of these components are for use on military aircraft operated by Iran’s armed forces, including the F-4 fighter jet.
Nader, acting on purchase orders he received from customers in Iran, would coordinate the purchase of relevant aircraft components with business associates in Iran, by which they would reach out to U.S.-based suppliers of such components. In several instances, Nader identified himself and his company, California-based Pro Aero Capital, to these U.S.-based suppliers as the end-user of these items. Victim companies in this procurement scheme were located across the United States.
Once the aircraft components were obtained, Nader attempted to export the items on multiple separate occasions. The items were then transshipped to the ultimate customer in Iran. None of the transactions discussed in the indictment were successfully exported; they were detained on export by a Special Agent with the Department of Commerce.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
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Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. The Postovoy and Teslenko investigations were also coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.
* * *
Also today, the Department is announcing the unsealing of an indictment in Chicago, Illinois, charging Chinese national Jia Wei with unlawfully accessing the computer network of a U.S. communications company to steal proprietary information for the benefit of the China-based entities.
As alleged, Wei was a member of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military of the People’s Republic of China, and assigned to a PLA unit tasked with obtaining communications and information of third parties through computer hacking. In March 2017, Wei and his co-conspirators accessed the U.S. company’s network without authorization approximately two days after the U.S. company filed a civil action against a China-based competitor for theft of communication-device trade secrets. Through this unauthorized access, Wei and his co-conspirators stole U.S. company documents relating to, among other things, the company’s civilian and military communication devices, product development, testing plans, internal product evaluations and commercial information about competitors. These documents pertained to some of the same technology and information that the China-based competitor stole from the U.S. company, as alleged in the civil action. In addition, Wei and his co-conspirators stole documents from the U.S. company discussing the China-based competitor.
During his unauthorized access, Wei and his co-conspirators attempted to install malicious software designed to provide persistent unauthorized access to the U.S. company’s network. Wei’s unauthorized access continued until approximately late May 2017.
The six-count indictment, returned in March 2022, charges Wei with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, computer intrusions and aggravated identity theft. A warrant for his arrest has been issued. If convicted, Wei faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, five years in prison for each of the conspiracy and computer intrusion counts, and a mandatory, two-year consecutive penalty in prison for each aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Chicago Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Steven Dollear and Thomas Peabody for the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
An indictment, complaint or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: This press release was updated on Sept. 16, 2024, to include two additional cases.
Judge Hands District Man Eight Year Prison Sentence for 2023 Armed Robbery in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome Lewis Jackson, aka Damon Hudson, 20, of Washington D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison for offenses committed against three victims, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty on December 11, 2023, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. On September 13, 2024, Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow sentenced Jackson to serve 96 months imprisonment for each offense, to be served concurrently, for a total of eight years, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Jackson agreed, at around 3:24 a.m., on September 10, 2023, Jackson and an unknown suspect approached the three victims in the 2000 block of 12th Street NW, armed with a firearm. Jackson pointed the firearm at the first victim, ordered him not to move, and removed car keys from his pocket belonging to the second victim, who was also present. Jackson and his accomplice then entered the second victim’s vehicle, which was nearby, and ordered the third victim who was sitting in the car to get out, but not before taking a watch and U.S. currency from the third victim. Jackson then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle while the unknown suspect followed in a second vehicle.
Approximately 15 minutes later, members of the Metropolitan Police Department observed the stolen vehicle and came into contact with Jackson, who was exiting the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle. On Jackson’s person were the keys to the vehicle taken from the first victim, as well as the watch taken from the third victim.
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 Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 70 Months for Role in Street Crew’s Drug Conspiracy in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daevon Narce, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a violent trafficking conspiracy that distributed significant amounts of crack cocaine and fentanyl near the corner of 7th and O Streets, NW.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Narce, aka “Black Jesus,” was one of nearly two dozen defendants charged in connection with a wide-ranging drug trafficking investigation centered on the area of 7th and O Streets. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Narce has six prior convictions, two of which were for escapes. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Narce to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in mid-2021, the FBI and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) launched a probe into violent crime and drug activities around 7th and O Streets in Northwest. Investigators discovered a group that included Narce selling controlled substances. The group used several residences in the neighborhood as stash houses where they processed and packaged drugs for resale. Law enforcement installed covert cameras in the stash houses and witnessed dozens of hand-to-hand sales transactions both inside the homes and on the adjacent sidewalks. Police and agents also executed controlled purchases of crack and fentanyl.
The following co-defendants and defendants in related cases have pleaded guilty and received sentences in relation to this case:
DEFENDANT
GUILTY PLEA
SENTENCE
Bryan Rice
aka “Ice”
Pleaded January 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Sentenced April 23, 2024, to 120 months in prison.
Elliot Johnson
aka “Nadir” and “Hundo”
Pleaded May 5, 2023, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Sentenced August 17, 2023, to 120 months in prison.
Jeremy Young
aka “G-Code”
Pleaded March 1, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sentenced June 7, 2023, to 70 months.
William Proctor
aka “Billy”
Pleaded November 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Sentenced February 24, 2023, to 60 months.
Andre William
aka “Sin”
Pleaded March 22, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Sentenced August 18, 2023, to 63 months.
Ako Handy
aka “K.O.”
Pleaded December 15, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Sentenced April 11, 2023, to 60 months.
Keith Gliss
aka “K.D.,” “Flea”
Pleaded May 4, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Sentenced August 4, 2023, to 84 months.
Stanley Hood
aka “Slim”
Pleaded January 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced May 23, 2023, to five years of probation.
Thomas Shelton
aka “T”
Pleaded January 10, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Sentenced April 10, 2023, to 24 months.
Tyrone Wade
aka “Fats”
Pleaded April 10, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base.
Sentenced July 26, 2023, to 24 months.
Harold Augostus Stone aka “Bankroll”
Pleaded June 23, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Sentenced October 12, 2023, to 60 months.
Christion Cooper
aka “Soulja”
Pleaded February 23, 2023, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Sentenced February 3, 2023, to 60 months.
Kenneth Watts
aka “Wop”
Pleaded December 22, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced April 6, 2023, to 24 months.
Marquette Hunter
aka “Q”
Pleaded September 14, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced January 3, 2024, to time served.
Brandon Benson
aka “Jet”
Pleaded January 11, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced May 15, 2023, to 51 months.
Burnell Smith
aka “Drip”
Pleaded December 2, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced March 21, 2023, to five years' probation.
Kelfa Kamara
Pleaded December 9, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Sentenced March 29, 2023, to 46 months.
Samuel Hall
Pleaded February 1, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sentenced on June 2, 2023, to five years of probation.
Wesley Hilliard
aka “God”
Pleaded January 25, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Sentenced May 7, 2024, to 37 months.
Tyrone Robinson
aka “Dog”
Pleaded January 10, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 37 months.
Daevon Narce
aka “Black Jesus”
Pleaded May 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sentenced September 19, 2024, to 70 months.
This case stems from a collaborative investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, and the Washington Division of the DEA. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.
The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg, Steven Wasserman, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaunik Panse.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office to Work with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
In the District of Columbia, the following jurisdictions have been designated:
Ward 7, District of Columbia
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
Complete List of Jurisdictions as of September 11, 2024:
Montgomery County, Alabama
Jefferson County, Alabama
Little Rock, Arkansas
Washington County, Arkansas
Fresno, California
San Diego, California
Hartford, Connecticut
Ward 7, District of Columbia
Jacksonville, Florida
Alachua County, Florida
Metro Miami-Dade County, Florida
Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
Ada County, Idaho
Danville, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Madison County, Illinois
Gary, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Des Moines, Iowa
Linn County, Iowa
Garden City, Kansas
Fayette County, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Western Main Region: Franklin, Oxford, and Androscoggin Counties, Maine
Baltimore City, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Saginaw, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Greenville, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Greene County, Missouri
Gallatin County and Bozeman, Montana
Northeast Omaha, Nebraska
Las Vegas, Nevada
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Borough of Brooklyn, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Borough and County of the Bronx, New York
Monroe County, New York
Fayetteville and Cumberland County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Asheville (including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), North Carolina
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Toledo, Ohio
Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Greenville County, South Carolina
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota
City of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee
Gregg County, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Salt Lake County, Utah
South Hampton Roads (Chesapeake/Norfolk/Portsmouth/Virginia Beach), Virginia
Oswald Harris Court Housing Community, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Chittenden County, Vermont
Spokane County, Washington
King County, Washington
Wheeling Area (Ohio/Brooke/Hancock Counties), West Virginia
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
Fremont County, Wyoming
Two Men Each Sentenced to More Than 100 Years in Prison for Killing 13-Year-Old Malachi LukesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyiion Freeman, 25, and Koran Jackson, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 108 years and 164 years, respectively, for a nine-day shooting spree that culminated in the March 1, 2020, murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A Superior Court jury on July 10, 2024, found Freeman, Jackson, and a third conspirator, Stephon Nelson, guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges. Nelson, who supplied the illegal firearms, is scheduled for sentencing on September 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, Freeman and Jackson, along with two other defendants who are awaiting trial, participated in a firearms conspiracy.
Using the firearms from that conspiracy, the defendants engaged in four separate shooting sprees that resulted in the murder of Malachi Lukes and assaults on 10 other victims. Three of shootings stemmed from a longstanding rivalries among various District of Columbia neighborhoods.
According to the evidence, on March 1, 2020, Jackson, Freeman, and two co-conspirators traveled to the Shaw neighborhood in a stolen vehicle. Malachi and his three teenage friends were walking to a basketball court. The defendants followed the teens and pulled alongside them. Two defendants exited the stolen vehicle and opened fire on the boys, killing Malachi Lukes and grazing another. Immediately thereafter, the defendants drove 10 minutes to another neighborhood where they opened fire on another victim.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Two Members of Kennedy Street Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron DeAndre Mercer, 33, and Ronald Lynn Dorsey, 30, both of Washington D.C. and members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), were sentenced today to federal prison terms for their roles in a drug trafficking organization operating open-air drug markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Mercer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a bulk supplier of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base for the KDY organization. Dorsey was sentenced to 30 months for laundering KDY’s trafficking proceeds by establishing phony businesses and shell companies and by using local casinos.
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 James VanVliet 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.
Mercer, aka “Curby,” pleaded guilty on June 14, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Dorsey pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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, Mercer conspired with his KDY associates to traffic fentanyl in bulk in addition to cocaine base and marijuana. Dorsey concealed the proceeds of KDY’s illegal operations, helping to smuggle bulk quantities of drugs by flying 15 times to the West Coast, and conducting retail sales of crack cocaine and marijuana in the open-air markets. Dorsey and co-defendant Kenneth Olugbenga created two businesses for money laundering: Heavy Baggz LLC and HBG LLC. The later purported to be a music, entrepreneurial, and car detailing business, but tax records for both entities confirmed that neither business reported income. Dorsey, aka “HBGeezy,” also used the businesses to apply for, and receive, two forgivable loans from the Small Business Administration during the Covid pandemic. He allegedly used the EIDL and PPP loans to purchase bulk narcotics to further fuel KDY’s drug trafficking. Dorsey and his co-conspirators also concealed illicit income at D.C. area casinos by using drug trafficking proceeds to wager bets, then cash out the funds after incurring small losses to make the funds appear as if they were legitimate.
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.
It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, FBI Washington Field Office and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
It 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. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga
27
Pleaded 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”
22
Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Aiding and Abetting; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Possessing a Machine Gun During a Drug Trafficking Offense; Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun; Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number
Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”
21
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”
23
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”
23
Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Cameron Xavier Reid
26
Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”
27
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base
David Penn, aka “Turtle”
30
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl; and two counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”
29
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”
22
Sentenced 2/8/24, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment
Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”
27
Sentenced 4/26/24, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana Within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location
Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”
29
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub
26
Sentenced 5/16/24, to 90 months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
23cr0202
Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following RallyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 20, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging her with destruction of federal property. -This complaint alleges that Giordano spray painted several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Giordano will make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. She is charged with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.
“Politically motivated violent and destructive behavior, regardless its motivation, is a crime—not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s federal prosecution should make clear that those who engage in politically motivated violence and destruction in the District of Columbia should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We anticipate more charges in connection with the criminal conduct that occurred on July 24, 2024. And we ask for the public’s continued assistance in identifying individuals who engaged in criminal conduct.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin with multiple photos and the FBI issued a bulletin seeking information on five individuals, including Giordano, who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. On August 1, 2024, USPP received two tips identifying Giordano.
The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.
This case is being investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
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.
24mj287Armed Bank Robber from Maryland Sentenced to 77 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronald Lamont Jenkins, 36, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for the June 2022 armed robbery of a TD Bank in Northeast Washington D.C. and ordered to pay $8,345.00 in restitution to TD Bank. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Jenkins pleaded guilty on May 12, 2024, to a one count indictment charging him with bank robbery before Judge Randolph D. Moss in the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, Judge Moss ordered Jenkins to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, FBI agents and MPD officers responded on June 13, 2022, to the TD Bank branch on the 900 block of Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, D.C. Upon arrival, FBI agents met with the victim teller at the bank. The teller told agents that soon after the branch’s security guard went on break, an unknown man entered the bank, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, neon yellow/green gloves, and brown boots. The man approached the counter and ordered the teller “open the drawer.” The teller did not realize what the man had said at first. The man repeated “open the drawer.” As the teller looked up, the man lifted his shirt to display the handle of a handgun located in his waistband. The teller opened the register. The man reached over the counter and grabbed more than $8,000. As he fled, he dropped several of the stolen bills in the bank’s vestibule.
FBI agents canvassed the area and reviewed commercial and residential surveillance video. The video showed the bank robber traveling on foot northbound in the alley east of 10th Street, Northeast. Agents discovered a blue left-foot water shoe along a fence line adjacent to a residential yard on the 2400 block of 10th Street, Northeast. During their search, agents recovered a pair of neon yellow gloves, a black Calvin Klein hooded sweatshirt, a pair of brown Nike size 8.5 men’s shoes, gray “Champion” sweatpants, a black mask, and two plastic grocery-style bags, one of which contained a $100 bill with fingerprints. The agents noted that the clothing was “soaked in sweat,” which was consistent with that day’s temperature of 91 degrees with a heat index as high as 97 degrees.
FBI agents tracked the suspect’s movements from a nearby liquor store to the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station in Prince Georges, County. Based on the evidence recovered, agents deduced he likely lived in Maryland.
The FBI reviewed law enforcement reports from other robberies in the DMV, specifically those involving the modus operandi of wearing two sets of clothes to commit the robbery and removing the outer clothes shortly after to make a getaway. Agents learned of the knife-point robbery on August 5, 2021, at a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store in Bowie, Maryland.
In that robbery’s immediate aftermath, Bowie City police officers received a call of a suspicious male running through residential backyards near the Lowe’s. Soon after, a man was seen walking out of the wood line behind the caller’s residence. Officers stopped Ronald Lamont Jenkins, whose clothes were wet. Prince George’s County K9 Officers searched of the immediate area. The K9 led officers directly from Jenkins into the wood line where they recovered a $20 bill, a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants with green zipper pockets, and black shoes with white soles. The clothes matched those worn by the suspect in the robbery of the Lowe’s. Investigators recovered DNA samples from the clothing. Later analysis showed the DNA on the clothing matched DNA recovered from items discarded after the bank robbery.
The FBI arrested Jenkins on November 14, 2023.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, and the police department of Prince George’s County, Md.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James Nelson of the Federal Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Two MPD Officers Sentenced for 2020 Murder of Karon Hylton-Brown and Subsequent CoverupRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Terence D. Sutton Jr., 40, a Fourth District police officer, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison and Andrew Zabavsky, 56, an MPD lieutenant, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, in connection with an unauthorized police pursuit that ended in a collision on Oct. 23, 2020, that caused the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, in Northwest Washington D.C. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.
Sutton was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a unanimous federal jury on December 21, 2022, following a nine-week trial, of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct, and obstruction of justice. The same jury found Zabavsky guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice. In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release.
“The jury in this case found the defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for their roles in the murder of Karon Hylton Brown and a related cover up, affirming that what happened here was a serious crime,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Public safety requires public trust. Crimes like this erode that trust and are a disservice to the community and the thousands of officers who work incredibly hard, within the bounds of the Constitution, to keep us safe.”
“The FBI follows the rule of law and works to hold those accountable who violate the law, no matter who they are,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “The community and fellow law enforcement officers deserve trusted officers that do not abuse their positions of trust and power or put the public at risk. Today’s sentencings show the weight of the crimes and the significance of the criminal justice system and processes at work.”
The jury found that Sutton caused Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death by driving a police vehicle in conscious disregard for an extreme risk of death or serious bodily injury to Mr. Hylton-Brown. The jury further found that Sutton and Zabavsky conspired to hide from MPD officials the circumstances of the traffic crash leading to Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death, thereby obstructing justice.
As the evidence at trial showed, at the time of the offense, Sutton was assigned to the Crime Suppression Team in MPD’s Fourth Police District. Zabavsky supervised the Fourth Police District’s Crime Suppression Team officers, including Sutton. At about 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, officers observed Mr. Hylton-Brown, 20, driving a moped, helmetless, on a sidewalk in the Brightwood Park area of Northwest Washington. Mr. Hylton-Brown, who was unarmed, ignored Sutton’s attempt to stop him and drove off. Sutton then began chasing Mr. Hylton-Brown on neighborhood streets for minutes, over more than 10 blocks, at unreasonable speeds, and at one point proceeding the wrong way up a one-way street. In the pursuit’s final moments, Sutton followed Mr. Hylton-Brown into a narrow alley, turned off his car’s emergency lights and siren, and accelerated behind the moped. When Mr. Hylton-Brown reached the street at the mouth of the alley, he was struck by an uninvolved oncoming motorist. As Mr. Hylton-Brown lay unconscious in the street in a pool of his own blood, Sutton and Zabavsky, agreed to cover up what Sutton had done to prevent any further investigation of the incident.
Neither Sutton, as the lead officer at the scene, nor Zabavsky, the ranking MPD official, preserved the crash scene for investigators; they allowed the driver of the car that struck Hylton-Brown to leave the scene within 20 minutes of the crash. They then turned off their own body worn cameras, conferred privately, and left. Zabavsky designated no other MPD official to supervise the scene upon his own departure. Sutton further compromised the integrity of the crash scene by driving his MPD car directly over the crash site, audibly crushing pieces of debris from the collision as he left. At no point did either defendant contact MPD’s Major Crash Unit (MCU) or its Internal Affairs Division (IAD) to initiate an investigation by those units.
Sutton and Zabavsky continued the cover up back at the police station. First, they misled their commanding officer about the nature of the incident by substantially downplaying its seriousness, denying that a police chase had even occurred, and omitting any mention of Mr. Hylton-Brown’s critical injuries. Zabavsky also falsely implied that Mr. Hylton-Brown had been a drunk driver. Both defendants also hid their direct involvement in the incident, thereby avoiding the assignment of other, uninvolved MPD officials to investigate what had happened. Sutton drafted a police report that memorialized a false narrative of the incident. Despite video evidence to the contrary, his false narrative gave the impression that no police pursuit had occurred, that officers had lost sight of Mr. Hylton-Brown and were engaged in a “canvass” of him in the area until shortly before the crash, and that the officers were wholly uninvolved with the fatal collision in any way. The defendant’s account also described Mr. Hylton Brown’s observable injuries only as “superficial abrasions on [his] left eyebrow line.”
Mr. Hylton-Brown, suffering from severe head trauma, died on Oct. 25, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Choppa City Members Found Guilty in Brinks Armored Trucks RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, Anthony Antwon McNair, 36, and Erin Sheffey, 29, were found guilty by a federal jury today for their involvement in a series of armed robberies of Brinks armored cars in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the loss of approximately $1.2 million. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury convicted all three defendants of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. The jury also convicted Brock and McNair of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2025.
The offenses related to three robberies of Brinks armored trucks occurring on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brinks armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million.
According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on D.C. city streets while doing so. Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at approximately 9 a.m. in the morning and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public. Testimony in the case revealed the conspirators used assault rifles, such as the one pictured below and recovered by law enforcement, to carry out their assault.
An AR-15 Weapon Used by The Defendants During the Armed Robberies
Defendant Brock (Right) and Defendant McNair (Left) robbing a Brinks armored car employee weapon with a firearm on December 8, 2021. Both Brock and McNair assaulted the driver by beating him with their pistols even after he turned over the delivery bag.
Defendant Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and timings that the Brinks driver would arrive, in order to ensure the robbery team was in place. When the Brinks driver would exit his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a bank or local business, the robbers would ambush him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he turned over his courier bag, who still carries injures today from being assaulted in the robberies.
Some of the defendants used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases. For example, within two days of the robberies, Defendant Brock purchased vehicles in cash totally over $36,000. In addition, a member of Choppa City who was present during the planning of the armed robberies testified against the defendants.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation WFO Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by AUSAs Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kylee Palmer, 25, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from a day-time shooting on February 12, 2020, in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Palmer was found guilty by a jury on September 11, 2024, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, felony destruction of property, and tampering with evidence. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 11, 2020, Palmer got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend and stole her cell phone. After exchanging calls with the ex-girlfriend’s brother in the early hours of February 12, 2020, at approximately 11:01 a.m., Palmer drove a stolen black Nissan Altima, with another individual inside, past 843 51st Street Southeast, where they fired six bullets into the ex-girlfriend’s family home. One of those shots broke through a living room window and struck Barron Goodwin, a 60-year-old innocent bystander, in the head as he slept on a couch in the living room. About an hour later, after Palmer fled the scene, he burned the vehicle used in the shooting in an alley near the 800 block of Chesapeake Street Southeast.
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. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Christopher Carson, Lisa Lindhorst, and Julia Cosans, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Judge Sentences Man to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Ex-Girlfriend’s Apartment in February 2024Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quenton Jones, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for threats he made to his ex-girlfriend and the February 2024 arson at her apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced Jones to 234 months (19.5 years) in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Jones was found guilty on May 24, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of one count of arson, two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of felony threats, one count of felony destruction of property, and multiple counts of felony contempt.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 28, 2023, Jones threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, the victim, after he accused her of cheating on him. On February 2, 2024, he violated a Stay Away No Contact Order by calling her multiple times and leaving demeaning voicemails on her phone. Then, on February 3, 2024, at approximately 3:00 am, Jones went to the victim’s apartment and wrote on her front door, with a black marker, her personal information and a list of sex acts he said she would do in exchange for money. He returned three hours later and set a piece of paper on fire, shoving it under her front door, causing her front door to catch fire. This fire forced all the residents of the apartment building to evacuate the building. After Jones was arrested, he continued to contact the victim from jail and wrote a handwritten letter to her right before trial.
In making its recommendation, the government argued that Jones showed “little remorse for his actions, which posed a significant risk to the victim’s life.” The government pointed out not only to the psychological damage Jones inflicted onto the victim but also the “security risk he poses for the entire community.”
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 acknowledged the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Reshawn Johnson, Tiffany Jones, Johnny DaSilva, Sigourney Jackson, Shanika McCullough, and Nelson Rhone. U.S. Attorney Graves also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Monisha Rao from the Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Auto Parts Seller and its Owner to Pay $10M for Making, Selling and Installing Emissions Defeat Devices on Motor VehiclesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - North Carolina automotive parts manufacturer and seller, Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. (Rudy’s), and its owner, Aaron Rudolf, have agreed to pay a total of $10 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for manufacturing, selling and installing devices, commonly known as “defeat devices,” used to remove or disable required emissions controls in motor vehicles.
Rudy’s pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Washington, D.C., for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden for the District of Columbia ordered Rudy’s to pay a criminal fine of $2.4 million and to complete a three-year period of organizational probation, consistent with a plea agreement. Rudolf, sole owner and chief executive officer of Rudy’s, previously pleaded guilty for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with monitoring devices on approximately 300 diesel trucks, which involved the installation of defeat devices on those trucks. He was sentenced in April to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $600,000 criminal fine.
Separate from the criminal actions, the Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a civil suit in 2022 against Rudy’s and Rudolf for violating the Clean Air Act by manufacturing, selling and installing defeat devices and failing to adequately respond to the EPA’s formal requests for information. Under a consent decree filed July 29, 2024, Rudy’s and Rudolf will pay a $7 million civil penalty for those violations. The consent decree would also prohibit them from making, selling, offering to sell and installing defeat devices, transferring intellectual property that would allow others to make or sell defeat devices and investing in or profiting from defeat devices manufactured or sold by other businesses. The decree is subject to court approval.
“Defeat devices, such as those sold by Rudy’s, can lead to pollution at high levels that pose health risks and harm the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This plea agreement and civil settlement show that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and emissions controls requirements for motor vehicles.”
“For too many years, companies like Rudy’s have installed Illegal defeat devices to evade the public health protections of the Clean Air Act, to the detriment of communities across America,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that EPA will vigorously pursue criminal and civil penalties until this blatant illegal behavior comes to an end.”
“Those selling defeat devices are willing to pollute the environment so that they can personally profit,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Today’s sentencing makes clear that there will be significant consequences for those who traffic in these devices. Anyone considering peddling or installing these devices is on notice of the substantial costs of doing so.”
“The Clean Air Act’s protections are essential for the health and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Tampering with emissions controls adds excess pollutants to the air we breathe and harms both public health and the environment. Settlements like these are essential to hold entities who violate the Clean Air Act accountable and to prevent harmful air pollution.”
According to court documents in the criminal case, Rudy’s sold defeat devices, known as delete tuners, which tampered with the on-board diagnostic systems (OBDs) of vehicles. Rudy’s top selling product was the Mini Maxx delete tuner originally manufactured by another company, identified in court documents as “Company A.” Rudy’s also sold the XRT Pro, another Company A delete tuner. After Company A stopped making these tuners, Rudy’s conspired with others to manufacture imitation Company A tuners. Rudy’s reached an agreement with a software technician to convert certain tuners into imitation Company A tuners. That agreement ran from July 2015 through December 2016, when the software technician stopped converting tuners.
After that, Rudy’s manufactured the imitation delete tuners in-house using a laptop computer that Rudy’s purchased for $850,000. The laptop contained software to convert tuners into imitation Company A tuners. In-house manufacturing lasted from about December 2016 through July 2018. In total, Rudy’s sold approximately 43,900 imitation tuners, generating about $33 million in revenue.
The civil lawsuit alleges that from at least 2014 through mid-2019, Rudy’s and Rudolf manufactured and sold over 250,000 products designed to remove or disable EPA-mandated emissions controls. These products included hardware parts such as plates that block a vehicle’s exhaust gas recirculation system and pipes that replace pollution treatment components in a vehicle’s exhaust system.
Disabling or removing emissions controls and tampering with the OBD of a diesel truck causes its emissions — including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and non-methane hydrocarbons — to increase significantly. Diesel exhaust is a mobile source air toxic because it poses cancer and noncancer health risks. In the civil complaint, the EPA estimates that the number of products sold by Rudy’s amounted to adding about 1 million vehicles’ worth of pollution to America’s roads.
The $7 million that Rudy’s and Rudolf will pay pursuant to the consent decree was based on their financial capability.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the criminal case.
Senior Counsel Krishna S. Dighe and Trial Attorney Stephen J. Foster of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Blackwell for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the criminal case. Senior Counsel Elizabeth L. Loeb of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassie Crawford and Rebecca Mayer for the Middle District of North Carolina and Attorney-Adviser Lauren Tozzi of EPA’s Air Enforcement Division are handling the civil case.
The consent decree was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. It is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the Court. A copy of the consent decree and information on submitting comments is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for the EPA. You can learn more about the EPA’s criminal enforcement actions on defeat devices here and here.
Judge Hands Down Lengthy Sentences for Pair Who Killed Woman in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Moses, 25, of Washington, D.C., and James Mayfield, 25, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced to decades in prison for the murder of Jamahri Sydnor and wounding of three others in a daytime shooting in August 2017 in Northeast D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Moses to 61 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Mayfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Moses and Mayfield were found guilty on December 8, 2022, by a Superior Court jury of one count of conspiracy, one count of first-degree murder while armed (premediated), two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed (one with aggravating circumstances), one count of aggravated assault while armed (with aggravating circumstances), one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Moses was also convicted of two counts of obstructing justice, and because he was on pre-trial release at the time of the offenses, faced additional penalties. Mayfield is charged in a separate multiple-count indictment, including two counts of murder, for a three-day crime spree that occurred December 24-27, 2017. Trial in that case is scheduled to begin January 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 3:30 p.m., on August 10, 2017, Moses and Mayfield, each armed with firearms, approached on foot the busy neighborhood intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues Northeast, where numerous people were outside, in and around area. Both defendants opened fire across Montana Avenue towards the people on Saratoga Avenue, collectively firing over ten rounds. As they fired their weapons indiscriminately, Jamahri Sydnor, the 17-year-old daughter of retired MPD Homicide Detective and Sgt. Que Wallace, who was driving through the intersection with her 12-year-old nephew, was struck in the head by a bullet. After being struck, she lost control of the car, and it crashed into another parked car. Her nephew was injured by the shattering glass caused by the bullet that struck Ms. Sydnor, which traveled through the front passenger window. A third victim was shot as he stood on the corner speaking with friends, and another innocent bystander shattered his leg, after throwing himself from his wheelchair, attempting to take cover from the hail of gunfire.
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 (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Robert Cephas and Lesley Slade; former Victim/Witness Security Specialist Wanda M. Queen; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Lashone Samuels, and Grazy Rivera; former Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Lenerz who provided Appellate support, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Judge Gives 40 Year Sentence to Man Who Stabbed to Death and Bragged on Social MediaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Jackson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the June 2021 stabbing death of Damohn Gill, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Jackson to 40 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed, three years in prison for carrying a dangerous weapon, and five years of supervised release.
Jackson was found guilty on May 22, 2024, in D.C. Superior Court, for one count of first-degree murder while armed and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon.
According to the government’s evidence, at 7:50 p.m., on Thursday, June 24, 2021, the victim, Damohn Gill, 27, of Washington, D.C., pulled into the parking lot of the Orchard Park Apartments with his pregnant girlfriend. The defendant, who arrived a minute later, parked his vehicle on the street near the parking lot. After both men got out of their cars and hugged on the sidewalk, they briefly spoke to each other before Jackson pulled out a knife and aggressively approached Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill raised his hands in the air at which point the defendant grabbed the victim by the throat. Mr. Gill pulled away and attempted to run, but Jackson held onto the victim and proceeded to stab him nine times in the back, face, arm, and abdomen. Jackson then fled the scene. A few days after the murder, the defendant posted to Instagram to brag about killing the victim.
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 and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner and Marybeth Manfreda, who prosecuted and tried the case. AUSA Peter Roman who investigated the case, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialists April Urbanowski and Lauren Douglas, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Supervisory Security Specialist Lesley Slade, Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Shanika McCullough.
Judge Gives 30 Year Prison Sentence to Man for Killing His Ex’s New Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Walker, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, by Superior Court Judge Robert Okun in the shooting death of Erik King on October 11, 2022, in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Walker was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on May 7, 2024, of second-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as second degree cruelty to children, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Okun ordered Walker to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Walker was living in the living room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. On October 11, 2022, the defendant became upset that his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Erik King, were engaged in sexual relations in the bedroom of the apartment. After sending his ex-girlfriend aggressive text messages for approximately an hour, Walker burst into the locked bedroom door and told the two to stop having sex. When the couple ignored his demands, the defendant shot Mr. King twice in the chest and scrotum area. Mr. King died on scene. A six-year-old child was also present in the bedroom when the shots were fired.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocates Karina Hernandez and Latrice Washington-Williams, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling and IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, former Victim Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegals Lauren Douglas, Mabry Johnson, Stephanie Gilbert, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Shanika McCullough, and Intern Tariq Abdel-Wakil.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case at trial.
Former District of Columbia Public School Employee and Government Contractor Indicted in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Dana Garnett, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a former District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) employee, with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. The indictment also charges Yelake Meseretu, 40, owner of U.S. Office Solutions, a vendor of goods to DCPS, with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for Garnett steering business to Meseretu’s business, and for accepting significantly fewer supplies than ordered in exchange for the bribe payments.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The indictment alleges that over the course of at least five years, Garnett accepted payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders awarded to the vendors that were paid in full by DCPS. According to the indictment, however, Garnett and co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, another former DCPS employee had coordinated with the vendors to deliver a lesser amount of goods than were listed on the orders. Based on false certifications made by or at the direction of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the orders as if the orders had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and Bailey in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area.
In several related cases, three defendants have accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Patricia Bailey pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement and information filed in October 2023 in U.S. District Court. Two of the vendors who made cash payments to Garnett and Bailey have also pleaded guilty: Donald McWhirter, owner of General Merchandise, and Duane King, owner of American Business Supplies (ABS), for their roles in the scheme. King additionally pleaded guilty to his role in a similar scheme in which King made bribe payments to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services Department (DC FEMS) employees Charity Keys and Louis Mitchell in return for the award of business by DC FEMS to King’s company and for the authorization of payments to King’s company for goods that were not actually delivered. Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Finance Director Indicted for Embezzling from Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with embezzling over $320,000 from a District non-profit advocacy organization, according to an indictment unsealed today.
The charges were announced by 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.
Lewis was arrested yesterday. The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and October 2022, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. On at least 35 occasions, Lewis used his position to misdirect hundreds of thousands in payments to bank accounts he controlled, while falsely designating the payments to a vendor for “digital” services and creating other false documentation to hide the embezzlement. Lewis also allegedly misused the organization’s credit card on at least eleven occasions to purchase airfare for travel by Lewis and his friends and family.
Lewis is charged with nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he would face up to 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Father and Son Fentanyl Dealers Who Operated on Yuma Street Sentenced to Federal Prison TermsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alphonso Lorenzo Murray, 50, and Marquete Alonzo Murray, 31, both of Washington D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for participating in an open-air narcotics market operating on the 100 block of Yuma Street, in Southeast.
The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced Alphonso Murray today to 45 months in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Alphonso Murray pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. In his plea agreement, Alphonso Murray acknowledged that he was accountable for distributing 42.179 grams of fentanyl, 15.87 grams of fentanyl analogue, and 5.67 grams of crack cocaine.
Judge Nichols sentenced Marquete Murray to 60 months and prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release. Marquete Murray, Alphonso’s son, pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Marquete Murray acknowledged that law enforcement recovered weapons from his home in Northeast on two occasions. On July 19, 2023, HSI agents seized a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson with an obliterated serial number loaded with 13 rounds ammunition and an additional 37 rounds of ammo. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents recovered a Glock pistol with a 17-round magazine.
According to court documents, law enforcement began an investigation into an open-air drug market in December 2022, operating around the 100 block of Yuma Street Southeast. Agents identified several men who worked together to distribute a variety of drugs. On August 9, 2023, an HSI undercover bought 9.03 grams of fentanyl pre-packaged into 60 plastic bags from Marquete Murray who was assisted in the sale by his father. On September 21, 2023, an undercover officer from the MPD bought 10 grams of fentanyl in 56 small bags from Alphonso Murray. On October 5, 2023, the MPD undercover bought an additional 15.87 grams of fentanyl from Alphonso Murray.
On November 29, 2023, HSI agents arrested Alphonso Murray at his home on the 200 block of Adams Street, NE, where they also recovered 5.67 grams of crack cocaine. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents arrested Marquete Murray at his apartment on the 700 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE.
The arrests were part of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in many more prosecutions of fentanyl dealers in and around the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. 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 Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Andrea Duvall and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Alleged 18th Street Gang Affiliate Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Non-CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Erik Antonio Hernandez Pineda, 27, recently of Washington D.C., was sentenced today for illegally possessing and discharging a pistol twice within the District during September 2023 and for using the firearm to persistently terrorize his wife. Hernandez Pineda, who is a citizen of El Salvador and an alleged associate of the multinational gang Calle 18, or 18th Street, is in the United States unlawfully and knew that as a noncitizen it was illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the charged possession, he was also subject to a domestic violence protective order barring him from possessing a firearm.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hernandez Pineda, aka “Lucky,” pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States. Today he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Hernandez Pineda faces deportation following his prison term.
According to court documents, Hernandez Pineda purchased a 9mm Springfield XD firearm on January 20, 2023. An FBI investigation into the 18th Street gang began focusing on Hernandez Pineda when investigators learned he had purchased the charged firearm from an 18th Street gang member. Specifically, the pistol had been used in a shooting on January 11, 2023, on a Washington, D.C. Metrobus where two children (aged 6 and 9 at the time) were shot as bystanders after an altercation broke out between two individuals.
Review of a phone recovered from the 18th Street gang member eventually linked the sale of the gun to Hernandez Pineda. On September 18, 2023, Hernandez Pineda recorded a video of himself shooting the pistol into the air. The same minute this video was recorded, at 1:37 am, the MPD received a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity of the Hernandez Pineda’s residence. MPD recovered two 9mm shell casings nearby. These were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and yielded a lead to the January 11, 2023, Metrobus shooting. On September 24, 2023, at about 6:48 PM, MPD received another ShotSpotter alert from the area near Hernandez Pineda’s residence. Officers responded and recovered one 9mm shell casing in the alley behind the building.
Between these two shootings, on September 20, 2023, Hernandez Pineda pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges in Alexandria, Virginia, but was admitted to a diversionary program that granted him a two-year probationary term to comply with the conditions of the program. This plea also included a final order of protection that barred him from possessing a firearm and required him to sign an acknowledgement of that fact.
On December 8, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hernandez Pineda’s residence and recovered three live 9mm rounds from a drawer. Law enforcement also recovered his cell phone. Hernandez Pineda admitted to possessing the Springfield XD 9mm pistol. Law enforcement reviewed Hernandez Pineda’s phone after his arrest and learned that, not only did he discharge this firearm twice, he also used it as part of his persistent harassment and intimidation of his wife following his arrest on May 17, 2023, for alleged domestic violence and assault.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Washington D.C., the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
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TV Presenter Who Worked for Channel One Russia Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions Imposed on RussiaRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictments for District of Columbia cases #24-cr-403 and #24-cr-404.
The Department of Justice today unsealed two indictments charging Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions.
As alleged in the first indictment, Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation.
From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
As alleged in the second indictment, Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on Feb. 23, 2023 for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. From at least in or around February 2023 through the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.
In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating both cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Honduran National Sentenced for Maintaining a Stash House for a District Cocaine TraffickerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rodger Bonilla Vargas, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for maintaining a stash house for a cocaine trafficker, facilitating the distribution of large quantities of cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland.
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, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Washington, D.C., and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bonilla Vargas, aka “Paki,” pleaded guilty to involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. As part of the plea agreement, Bonilla Vargas – who is a Honduran national and is in the U.S. unlawfully – admitted he was accountable for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 32-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge ordered Bonilla Vargas to serve three years of supervised release. He is also facing deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2023 and continuing until August 2023, Bonilla Vargas’ co-conspirators -- Jorge Cruz Maldonado, Vladimir Roque Ceron, Francisco Rosales Diaz, Cila Melgar Rodriguez, and others -- conspired to sell approximately 771 grams of cocaine and 11.62 grams of fentanyl (111 pills) to a DEA confidential source. On multiple occasions between March 2023 and August 2023, in the District of Columbia, Bonilla Vargas agreed to store significant quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine, at his residence on behalf of one of his co-conspirators. Bonilla Vargas was aware that the substances he was storing were illegal controlled substances, and that Melgar Rodriguez intended to distribute these controlled substances.
Specifically, on August 18, 2023, Bonilla Vargas knowingly stored cocaine weighing approximately 3.6 kilograms at his residence in service of Melgar Rodriguez’s drug trafficking operation. When Melgar Rodriguez arrived at the Bonilla Vargas residence to retrieve the cocaine, Bonilla Vargas provided the package to Melgar Rodriguez so that Melgar Rodriguez could give the narcotics to Cruz Maldonado and others to sell to the confidential source.
Prior to his involvement in the narcotics conspiracy, Bonilla Vargas was arrested on November 30, 2023, by ICE in Chantilly, Va., on a charge of alien present without admission. He currently is under removal proceedings.
Two of Bonilla-Vargas’s co-conspirators have been sentenced as part of this case. Vladimir Roque Cerone pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and was sentenced on July 11, 2024, to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Erik Rivera Garcia pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rivera Garcia was sentenced Wednesday to 62 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). The VRTO’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking. VRTO places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel.
23cr302
Channel One Russia TV Contributor Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia, are charged by indictments with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office.
The first indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by OFAC on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation.
From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes, and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of ten employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri Simes and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
“These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine,” said US Attorney Graves. “Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated.”
Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
A second indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on February 23, 2023, for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. Between at least February 2023 and the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
(Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.)
In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating both cases. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The case is part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The task force leverages all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
simesa_indictment_signed.pdf simes_d_a_indictment_24-cr-404_signed.pdfArrest Made in Connection with Discarded Gun that Killed Washington D.C. Police OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrell Lamont Bailey, 27, of Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, was arrested last night and charged by criminal complaint with multiple counts in connection with a handgun he discarded along I-295 in Northeast Washington D.C. The firearm later discharged and killed Investigator Wayne David, 52, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Bailey had an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. He is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and unlawfully discarding a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit (RSU) were patrolling in the area of the 1600 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE, about 5:30 p.m. on August 28, 2024, when they spotted a man with long black dreadlocks sprint away from them. As he fled, the man held the waistband of his shorts in a manner consistent with carrying a concealed firearm. The officers gave chase as the man ran through the DC Public Housing Complex on the 4400 block of Quarles Street and then jumped a retaining wall that borders Interstate 295. Officers saw the man drop something into a storm drain on the shoulder of southbound lane of the highway. The man then ran further, crossed to the northbound side of the interstate, flagged down a passing motorcyclist, and fled the area going northbound riding on the back of the motorcycle.
Investigator Wayne David attempted to recover the firearm from the storm drain. While doing so, the firearm discharged and killed him. Technicians from the Department of Forensic Sciences responded to scene about 7 p.m., removed the metal grate covering the storm drain, and recovered a Smith & Wesson M+P Shield 40, .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number. DFS also recovered a white shoe from the southbound side of I-295 near Quarles Street NE where the man was captured by video jumping over the wall.
Detectives were later able to identify the defendant through a review of related video surveillance.
This case is being investigated by the ATF's NIBIN Investigations Unit which includes members of the ATF and MPD. Valuable assistance is being provided by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters.
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.
24mj28278 Month Sentence for Maryland Man Convicted of Gunpoint Robberies in Georgetown and Glover ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 31, of Hyattsville, MD., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for committing 10 robberies – six of which while armed with a firearm – in Georgetown and Glover Park during a five-month period between August 2023 and January 2024. Moreover, he robbed two of the victims repeatedly with one of the stores being robbed by him three separate times, including at gunpoint on Thanksgiving.
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, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McBean, who formerly worked for the Architect of the Capitol, admitted to committing all 10 robberies. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024, to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered McBean to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 22, 2023, McBean first used a small hammer to rob a Sunoco gas station on the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW. McBean told the store clerk: “don't touch anything, don't say anything, this is hard for me.” He then ordered the store clerk to open register, which McBean then emptied entirely.
On August 31, 2023, McBean used a small vegetable knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits on the 2700 block of P street, NW. After checking for customers, McBean pointed the blade at the employee working the counter and demanded both the money from the register as well as the employee’s wallet. On the way out of the store, he grabbed a bottle of red wine. On September 18, 2023, McBean was stymied when he brandished a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits on the 2000 block of Florida Ave. A customer saw what was happening and barked, “Not today, Get out!” McBean fled without taking any cash.
On November 23, 2023, on Thanksgiving Thursday, McBean wore a mask and gloves and entered the Glover Park Market on the 2400 block of 37th Street, NW. Armed with a black firearm, he robbed the register of cash. McBean would later rob this store three more times. On December 8, 2023, McBean entered an Exxon gas station in Georgetown, on the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW, produced a gun, and left with a small amount of money. On December 8, 2023, McBean returned to the Sunoco gas station on Wisconsin Ave., produced his firearm, and ordered the employee to empty the register in a bag. On December 16, 2023, McBean returned to the Glover Park Market, where the same individual he had robbed at gunpoint on Thanksgiving was on duty. McBean went behind the counter, opened the register, and took the cash, multiple lottery tickets, and a plastic bag.
On December 20, 2023, McBean returned to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits shop and ordered an employee to empty the register. The employee told McBean that he didn’t have a key to the register. McBean pulled out a gun and again demanded money. The employee picked up the entire register and handed it to McBean. McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back. Unsuccessful, McBean left the store.
On January 4, 2024, McBean entered Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners on the 3000 block of Q Street NW. McBean picked up a bottle of wine, set it on the counter, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. The employee said the market did not accept cash. Flustered, McBean went back over to the shelf of wine and asked where the red wine was located. When the clerk pointed out that he had already grabbed red wine, he took the bottle and left the store without paying for it.
On January 5, 2024, McBean once again returned to the Glover Park Market armed with a handgun and ordered an employee to fill a bag with cash. In addition to the money, McBean took lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes. On January 8, 2024, at 6:06 p.m., McBean, once again wearing gloves and a mask, returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The store employee on duty recognized him as the same person who had robbed her on Thanksgiving and December 16, 2023.
Then a police officer spotted McBean as he left the store and noticed he matched the description of a perpetrator from previous robberies from the market. The officer was able to identify the license plate from the vehicle McBean used to leave the scene, which led to his eventual arrest and indictment later that month.
Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on January 26, 2024.
Because each of the six stores that McBean robbed bought and sold goods in interstate commerce, McBean’s actions in each of the robberies delayed, obstructed, or affected interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Ryan Lipes and Omeed A. Assefi.
24cr46Three Indicted for Conspiracy to Launder over $1 Million from Online Fraud ScamsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three alleged conspirators – Chidi Olujie, 36, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Maryland and the District of Columbia, Jennifer Chibueze, 36, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Maryland, and Jessica Nortey, 32, a Ghanaian citizen and resident of Maryland – are charged with conspiring to launder over $1 million in proceeds from a romance scam and other online frauds, according to an indictment unsealed today.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
“Online fraud schemes require people who are willing and able to launder the money stolen through these schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s indictment reflects our commitment to aggressively prosecute the launderers whom we believe are enabling the fraudsters.”
"In today's digital world, online scams are innumerable, so the FBI encourages you to remain vigilant whenever you're banking, shopping, or looking for a relationship online. The defendants in this case allegedly conspired to launder over $1 million in proceeds from multiple victims using various fraud schemes. Their indictment demonstrates the FBI's commitment to investigating fraudsters no matter what type of scam they perpetrate."
As charged in the indictment, between 2016 and 2019, Olujie, Chibueze, and Nortey each played roles in laundering the proceeds of different online scams. Among other things, they allegedly created companies and bank accounts that they then used to move and launder money obtained in fraud schemes, which included:
- $774,150 from a victim of an online romance scam in 2017 through 2018;
- $84,320 from victims who believed they were consummating a business transaction in 2018;
- $140,000 stolen from a victim’s bank account in 2019; and
- over $37,000 in funds misdirected from a victim company in 2019 as a result of an email hack – commonly referred to as a “business email compromise” scheme.
Each of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, the defendants would face up to 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy counts and an additional two years on the identity theft counts.
Online fraud comes in many forms. Business email compromise (BEC) scams typically involve a combination of computer intrusion techniques and social engineering to misdirect a transfer of funds into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. For example, conspirators might hack a victim company’s computers, monitor their emails, and then use the knowledge they gain to trick customers into sending their payments to a bank account controlled by the conspirators rather than the company’s real account. Romance scams involve impersonating a person who pretends to express romantic interest in a victim in order to build trust over time during an online relationship; scammers then later trick that victim into transferring funds, believing they are helping their romantic interest.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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22cr82
Non-Profit Americans for Peace Now, Inc. to Pay $261,890 to Resolve PPP Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Americans For Peace Now, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $261,890 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $130,945 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan.
The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small business and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document.
At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, Americans For Peace Now certified to the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. Americans For Peace Now contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent.
Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had Americans For Peace Now been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, Americans For Peace Now agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $261,890.
The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
“Funds allocated for the Paycheck Protection Act Program had a specific purpose: get businesses eligible for the Program through the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When ineligible businesses falsely claimed to be eligible, they harmed both the taxpayers who funded the program and the eligible businesses that needed it.”
“Misusing SBA program funds is a serious violation that affects the integrity of the assistance programs meant to support those in genuine need,” said Special Agent in Charge McCall-Braithwaite. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources. We appreciate the diligent work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice in this matter.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers.
The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen DeGenaro and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Gary Fox and Kandace Zelaya of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. Americans For Peace Now.
Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Jury Finds Final Two Gang Members Guilty in the Murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and Associate Guilty of Related Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, returned guilty verdicts against two men charged in the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and an associate who obstructed justice in the case. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury found Mark Price, 30 and Antonio Murchison, 31 guilty of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, obstruction of justice, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. Both men are members of the “Wellington Park crew.” Additionally, the jury found Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, guilty of obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the murder of Makiyah Wilson.
Sentencing hearings are scheduled for December 13, 2024.
On July 16, 2018, defendants Mark Price, Antonio Murchison, and three other individuals, who have already been convicted, drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. Price, who was driving, briefly stopped to allow the other defendants to exit the vehicle. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately. Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded. Despite having witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case. Ramseur lived in or hung out in the Wellington Park neighborhood most of her life and knew most of the defendants, one of whom she identified as her cousin. She was observed on video surveillance interacting with the defendants as they loaded into the vehicles to drive to Clay Terrace to commit the shooting. Ramseur was also observed on video closely engaging with one of the defendants who orchestrated the attack, but who remained behind. Despite the obvious familiarity, Ramseur steadfastly refused to identify the individuals with whom she was interacting in the video, resulting in the charge of obstruction of justice.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Natalie Hynum.