District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
13 Months in Prison for Threatening Call to Congressional Staffer and 12,000 Harassing Telephone Calls to Members of CongressRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ade Salim Lilly, 35, of Queens, NY, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 13 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for threatening to kill a Congressional staffer and for conducting a campaign of pervasive harassing communications against members of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Lilly pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly on May 30, 2024, to two federal charges: interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and repeated telephone calls. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Lilly to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning about February 1, 2022, and continuing until his arrest in this case in Puerto Rico on November 8, 2023, Lilly made over 12,000 telephone calls to approximately 54 offices of Members of Congress across the country, both in district offices located in various U.S. States and to offices located in Washington, D.C.
Of the calls to congressional offices, more than 6,526 were made by Lilly to offices within the District of Columbia. Lilly placed the calls while he was in Maryland or Puerto Rico.
Most of these phone calls were answered by congressional staff members or interns. In some of these telephone calls, Lilly would become angry and use vulgar and harassing language towards the individual who answered the phone. Congressional staff repeatedly asked Lilly to refrain from calling. U.S. Capitol Police informed Lilly on multiple occasions that his phone calls were unwanted, and due to a harassing nature, were prohibited by law.
To avoid detection and to trick congressional staff to answer his phone calls, Lilly masked his phone number. Lilly made at least one phone call during which he threatened to kill or injure the person who answered. On October 21, 2022, Lilly called into a congressional office in Washington D.C., threatening a staff member. “I will kill you, I am going to run you over, I will kill you with a bomb or grenade,” Lilly told the employee. In addition to the threatening phone calls, Lilly would repeatedly call Congressional offices. For example, during two-days in February 2023, Lilly called one congressional representative more than 500 times.
In response, Lilly was indicted, and the U.S. Capitol Police deployed agents to arrest Lilly on November 14, 2023, in Puerto Rico.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police with valuable assistance from the United States Marshall’s Service. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander R. Schneider with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Nielsen.
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Three Men Sentenced for December 2018 Shooting of a Father and His Minor SonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Matthews, 34, Darnell Savoy, 25, and Stefon Freshley, 28, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced yesterday for their role in the December 2018 shooting of a father and his minor son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
On August 30, 2024, Matthews was sentenced to a period of 21 years in prison; Savoy received a sentence of nine years in prison; and Freshley was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Matthews was also sentenced to an additional five years in prison for his efforts to obstruct justice in the shooting case, for a total prison sentence of 26 years. Savoy’s nine-year sentence will be served consecutively to the five-year sentence he received in his federal possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense case.
All three defendants pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024, before Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe. Savoy was sentenced, on August 2, 2024, in U.S. District Court to five years in prison for federal charges for drug possession and firearms offenses related to an October 2022 stabbing investigation.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 28, 2018, the victims were in their SUV standing along the curb in the 200 block of 54th Street, Northeast, waiting for a friend to arrive so they could leave to attend a WWE wrestling event. As the victims waited, Matthews saw the SUV and mistook it for the same vehicle that shot at him and his cousin three days earlier. Matthews emerged from the Christmas Day shooting physically unharmed, but his cousin was killed. Matthews called another individual, who then called Freshley. Moments later, Freshley and Savoy, who were a few blocks away, entered Savoy’s Nissan Altima and drove to Matthews, who entered the Nissan with an assault rifle. All three defendants, while riding in Savoy’s vehicle, approached the 200 block of 54th Street Northeast. As they drove towards and past the victims’ vehicle, Matthews fired approximately 30 shots at the SUV. The minor victim was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The adult victim sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Smith, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Hispanic Construction WorkersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Franco Rawlings Jr. pleaded guilty today to robbing several Hispanic construction workers in the Trinidad neighborhood at gunpoint throughout 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Rawlings pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2024 before the Honorable Errol Arthur. As part of his sentence, Rawlings faces mandatory minimum sentences of five years in prison for each armed robbery offense and one year in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm offense.
According to the March 6, 2024 indictment, from May to June of 2023, Rawlings conspired with a co-conspirator to identify residential construction sites within the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast, Washington, D.C., staffed by Hispanic workers and to rob those Hispanic workers using firearms. The indictment also charged Rawlings with a solo armed robbery that he allegedly committed in April 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Rawlings agreed, on April 18, 2023, a victim was working as a welder on a home located in the 1400 block of Montello Avenue Northeast, in the Trinidad neighborhood, when Rawlings approached him in an alleyway. Rawlings pointed a gun at the victim and told him not to move. Rawlings then searched the victim and took his wallet, which contained $700 dollars in cash. On May 30, 2023, two victims were working to install a deck at a home located in the 1300 block of Montello Avenue Northeast, also in the Trinidad neighborhood, when Rawlings and his co-conspirator approached them through a rear, open gate. Rawlings and his co-conspirator pointed firearms at the victims and told them to go into the basement of the home. There, Rawlings forced one of the victims to the ground and robbed him while the co-conspirator robbed the other victim. On June 27, 2023, three victims were working to remodel a home in the 1100 block of Owen Place Northeast, also in the Trinidad neighborhood, when Rawlings and his co-conspirator entered through the rear of the residence. As Rawlings entered, he pointed a firearm at the victims and told them not to move and to put their hands up. Rawlings, with the aid of his co-conspirator, robbed a victim of U.S. currency and fled.
On June 28, 2023, police searched Rawlings' residence, which was located in the Trinidad neighborhood. There, police found Rawlings in possession of a black Glock 19 handgun, which was loaded with 12 rounds in a 17-round-capacity magazine. At the time police recovered the firearm, Rawlings had been previously convicted of a felony that prevented him from possessing a firearm in the District of Columbia.
The defendant was arrested on June 28, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Fifteen Year Sentence Handed Down for Northeast ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Scotland Alston, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to 15 years in prison for a February 2024 shooting, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Alston to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. When announcing Alston’s sentence, Judge O’Keefe cited the random viciousness of Alston’s actions and the devastating injuries sustained by the female victim.
Alston pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed on June 10, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Alston agreed, on February 28, 2024, Alston and the female victim got into a heated argument in the 2000 block of Benning Road NE, during which Alston shoved the victim and she shoved him back. During the argument, Alston took a gun from his waistband and held it at his side. A bystander tried to separate Alston and the victim, but the two continued to argue. Eventually, the victim sat down on a ledge. Alston got onto a bicycle to leave the area but then returned to where the victim sat. Alston drew his weapon again and fired numerous times at the victim. The victim tried to flee but she collapsed after being hit seven times. She spent months in the hospital recovering from her injuries.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro, who prosecuted the case.
Statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the Line of Duty Death of MPD Investigator Wayne DavidRead the Press Release
Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of MPD Investigator Wayne David. Our office had the extreme good fortune to work with Investigator David, who, throughout his over 25-year career with MPD, recovered hundreds of illegal firearms and directly contributed to the safety of our community. We were honored to have worked with Investigator David, and his tragic loss is a sobering reminder of the dangerous but important work that our law enforcement partners engage in every day.
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Former MPD Sergeant Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Fatally Shooting a D.C. MotoristRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Enis Jevric, 42, a former Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today in federal court to 60 months in prison for the August 2021 shooting death of 27-year-old An’Twan Gilmore, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
Jevric pleaded guilty February 23, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to violating Mr. Gilmore’s constitutional rights by using deadly excessive force. Jevric also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter under D.C. law. In addition to the prison term, Jevric was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
According to documents filed with the court, Jevric willfully used unconstitutionally excessive and unreasonable force by shooting Mr. Gilmore. Specifically, shortly before 3 a.m. on August 25, 2021, Jevric and 17 other MPD officers responded to the intersection of New York Ave. and Florida Ave., N.E. for a report of a man asleep in the driver’s seat of a car stopped at the intersection. Officers approached the car and noticed that the sleeping driver, later identified as Mr. Gilmore, had a handgun in his waistband. After officers had been on scene for about 10 minutes and had cleared the avenues of civilian pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Jevric approached the car and directed another officer to knock on its windows to rouse Mr. Gilmore. When Mr. Gilmore awoke, the car moved forward several feet, stopped briefly, and then moved forward again. As it did so, Jevric fired his MPD-issued firearm at the car four times. The car then rolled down New York Avenue, and Jevric fired at it six more times. Three of Jevric’s shots struck Mr. Gilmore, who died a short time later from his wounds. No other officer fired at Mr. Gilmore. When officers pulled the bleeding, unresponsive, and unconscious Gilmore out of the car after it came to a rest, Gilmore’s gun was in the same spot it had been observed, tucked into his waistband, underneath his buckled seatbelt.
As part of his guilty plea, Jevric admitted that his conduct constituted unconstitutional, unreasonable force, and that he acted willfully, in reckless disregard of Mr. Gilmore’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force by police. He also admitted that his conduct created an extreme risk of death to Mr. Gilmore and was a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with extensive assistance from the FBI Laboratory including the Laboratory Shooting Reconstruction Team. 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.
Two Foreign Nationals Charged in Swatting Conspiracy Targeting Lawmakers, Private Victims, Houses of Worship, and BusinessesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed today, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials. Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.
According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home.
Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”
The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.
“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”
“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”
“Today’s charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Minneapolis Field Office, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office, the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former MPD Officer Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Scheme that Sold Personal Data of Traffic Crash VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vincent Forrest, 36, a former patrol officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 20 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme in which he unlawfully provided non-public police information in exchange for cash payments. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
On January 11, 2024, Forrest, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of conspiracy, bribery, and making false statements following a jury trial. In addition to the prison term, Forrest was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $15,000.01.
According to the government’s trial evidence, beginning in April 2019, Forrest -- in violation of his official duties -- used his official access to MPD’s law enforcement sensitive database to review and record victim contact information from traffic accident reports that contained the names and contact information of individuals involved in traffic accidents.
Forrest sent the victim contact information to Raquel DePaula, 43, of Beltsville, Maryland, using an encrypted communications application. DePaula, who owned RD Legal Solutions, LLC, acted as a “runner,” providing victim contact information to local attorneys in exchange for referral fees. The attorneys then reached out to the accident victims within days of their traffic accidents in violation of D.C. law.
DePaula testified at trial that she paid Forrest between approximately $1,200 and $1,800 in bribe payments per week in exchange for the victim contact information. The evidence at trial showed that over the course of the scheme, she paid Forrest over $15,000 and received contact information for 2,667 traffic crash victims.
On October 6, 2021, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, DePaula pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official. On April 1, 2024, she was sentenced to five years of probation. DePaula and Forrest are the sixth and seventh defendants to be convicted in connection with the illegal sale of traffic crash reports by MPD officers. Previously, MPD Officers Walter Lee and Kendra Coles, MPD employee Aaron Willis, business owner Marvin Parker and law firm employee Michelle Cage pleaded guilty to related charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Rothstein and Madhu Chugh of the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with valuable assistance provided by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe.
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Dog Daycare Employee Indicted on Charges of Felony Cruelty to Animals for Kicking a Dog to DeathRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adriano Demorais, 33, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, was arrested and arraigned today on an indictment charging him with felony cruelty to animals stemming from an incident on February 16, 2024.
Demorais was arraigned on August 27, 2024, at a hearing in Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Robert Salerno. If convicted, Demorais faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 16, 2024, Demorais, an employee of District Dogs, was working overnight at the Navy Yard location. Demorais was feeding dogs in the early morning when Bronny, a 5-month-old Mountain Cur/German Shephard dog, was near Demorais’ feet. Demorais forcefully kicked Bronny in the left side of his stomach. Bronny briefly circled the room before collapsing several seconds later. Bronny was transported to a veterinary facility where he was pronounced dead. Demorais admitted to striking Bronny, claiming he kicked Bronny out of frustration over Bronny becoming too energetic while Demorais was trying to feed dogs. A necropsy report confirmed that Bronny’s cause of death was blunt abdominal trauma with subsequent hemorrhagic shock.
This case is being investigated by the Humane Rescue Alliance and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie Tsesarenko.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing, Stalking, and Blackmailing Three Victims, Including a Child and a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John’Ta Price, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 40 months in prison for the sexual abuse of three deaf victims, including a child and a minor, between 2015 and 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Price pleaded guilty on June 18, 2024, to second-degree child sexual abuse, attempted stalking, and attempted blackmail in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced the defendant on August 23, 2024, to 30 months in prison for the second-degree child sexual abuse, plus 180 days for attempted stalking, plus 120 days for attempted blackmail, all to run consecutively, followed by five years of probation. Price will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, between March 1, 2015 and February 20, 2020, Price engaged in a course of conduct to stalk the first victim, who throughout this period was around 13 to 18 years-old. The defendant sent nude videos and pictures on at least 10 different occasions to the victim, despite the victim repeatedly asking him to stop. Price continued his inappropriate behavior when he confronted the victim at her high school and made lude remarks about having sexual intercourse with the victim. While making these remarks, Price touched the victim’s shoulder and attempted a hug, but the victim pushed him away. Price then attempted to grab the victim’s breast.
In or around November 2021, Price threatened to expose nude pictures of the second victim to the public if the victim did not perform sexual acts on the defendant.
On October 21, 2023, the third victim, a 14-year-old child, was contacted by Price to meet up. The victim subsequently met up with Price at Union Station. Price asked the victim to get inside his vehicle and perform a sexual act on him, which the victim performed after Price’s request. Then, after asking to perform a subsequent sexual act on the victim, Price proceeded to perform that sexual act on the victim.
The defendant was arrested December 1, 2023, and was a Gallaudet student at the time. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Hungarian National Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End UsersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department unsealed a criminal complaint charging Hungarian national Bence Horvath with violations of U.S. export controls targeting Russia, including by conspiring with others to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without a license. Horvath is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA). He was arrested on arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on Aug. 23.
“As alleged, the defendant attempted to purchase military-grade radios for Russian entities using a multinational procurement chain to evade law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to disrupting and holding accountable criminal networks that continue to fuel Russian aggression abroad and threaten our collective security.”
“Targeting illicit global procurement networks that operate in the shadows to equip the Russian government is of the highest priority to BIS,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “As Horvath’s arrest demonstrates, it doesn’t matter where in the world you operate – when the United States believes your conduct violates our export laws, we take action.”
“This defendant allegedly sought to skirt U.S. export controls put in place to protect our national security and to address Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice the people who scheme to secure U.S. technology in violation of U.S. laws.”
According to the court documents, Horvath and others managed a multinational procurement network that contracted directly with various entities in the Russian government and worked on large scale projects such as the construction of operational radio communications systems in Russia’s Kursk region along the Russian/Ukrainian border. The complaint alleges that Horvath himself arranged to purchase U.S.-origin radio communications technology and smuggle such technology to Russian government end-users through a network of affiliates located in Spain, Serbia, Hungary, Latvia, and elsewhere.
Beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others in his network initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over the next several months, Horvath continued his efforts to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.
As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia, but he was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment, preventing the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.
Homeland Security Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Department of Commerce are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski 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.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. 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. 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.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hungarian National Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End UsersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 46, of Spain, was arrested in San Francisco, California on charges, unsealed today, that he conspired with others to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without a license.
The arrest and charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen, Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Trey McClish of the Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement (DOC) Dallas Field Office.
Horvath was arrested on arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California on August 23, 2024. He is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (“ECRA”). According to the complaint, Horvath and others managed a multinational procurement network that contracted directly with various entities in the Russian government and worked on large scale projects such as the construction of operational radio communications systems in Russia’s Kursk region along the Russian/Ukrainian border. The complaint alleges that Horvath himself arranged to purchase U.S.-origin radio communications technology and smuggle such technology to Russian government end-users through a network of affiliates located in Spain, Serbia, Hungary, Latvia, and elsewhere.
“This defendant allegedly sought to skirt U.S. export controls put in place to protect our national security and to address Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice those who scheme to secure U.S. technology in violation of U.S. laws.”
“As alleged, the defendant attempted to purchase military-grade radios for Russian entities using a multinational procurement chain to evade law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The Justice Department remains committed to disrupting and holding accountable criminal networks that continue to fuel Russian aggression abroad and threaten our collective security.”
“HSI protects national security by defending our U.S. import and export laws,” said Special Agent in Charge DeLaune. “This criminal thought he could exploit our laws for nefarious purposes, but thanks to HSI special agents and our partners at the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, he was stopped in his tracks.”
“Securing DoD technology and innovation from foreign adversaries is critical to U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “DCIS and our partners remain committed to protecting American-made military and dual-use technologies by using every tool at our disposal, and we’ll never rest in our pursuit of those who intend to harm the United States and our allies.”
“Targeting illicit global procurement networks that operate in the shadows to equip the Russian government is of the highest priority to BIS,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “As Horvath’s arrest demonstrates, it doesn’t matter where in the world you operate – when the United States believes your conduct violates our export laws, we take action.”
According to the complaint, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others in his network initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over the next several months, Horvath continued his efforts to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.
As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But he was not successful, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment, preventing the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigation’s New Orleans, Louisiana Field Office, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Commerce. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Kate Abrey and Jorge Casillas, of the USAO-DC.
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.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
20 Year Prison Sentence Handed to District Woman for First-Degree Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Griselda Martinez-Moz, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison on two counts of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the sentence.
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Martinez-Moz to 120 months of incarceration on each count, to run consecutive, for a total of 240 months. Upon her release, Martinez-Moz will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life. Martinez-Moz was convicted in March 2024 after a seven-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on two occasions in 2015 and 2016, Martinez-Moz sexually abused a child who was eight years old at the time. A close friend of the child’s family, Martinez-Moz, on multiple occasions, subjected the child to sexual acts.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Niki Holmes, and Dana Joseph who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Found Guilty in Brutal Revenge Kidnappings and Murders That Occurred Three Days After Christmas 2017Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malique Lewis, 26, and Marcel Vines, 28, were found guilty by a federal jury in the armed kidnappings of Armani Nico Coles and Kerrice Lewis in Washington, D.C., on December 28, 2017, which resulted in the brutal revenge killings of both victims later that evening.
The verdict, handed up yesterday, followed a four-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County (MD) Police Department.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich will schedule sentencing for Lewis, aka “Freak,” and Vines, aka “Baby Boy,” in the coming days. Both men face two consecutive mandatory-minimum sentences of life imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Lewis and Vines conspired with a third co-defendant to kidnap and kill Nico Coles and Kerrice Lewis, who has no relation to defendant Lewis, out of a desire for revenge. Earlier that day, the victims’ friend shot and killed the defendants’ friend, Ronzay Green. The defendants knew who killed Green and decided to retaliate against that man, travelling across the city to his neighborhood to look for him. When they arrived, they saw Ms. Lewis, who they recognized as friends with the man who killed Green, and began to follow her. Between approximately 2:45 and 3:00 pm, at an AutoZone parking lot in the 900 block of Longfellow Street Northwest, the defendants kidnapped Kerrice Lewis. Armed with an assault rifle and a .45 caliber firearm, Lewis and Vines held Ms. Lewis in the backseat of her own vehicle while they drove her car across the city with the intent that she would lure the man who killed Green to them.
Unsuccessful, the defendants then used Ms. Lewis’ phone to lure Nico Coles to a location near First and Kennedy Streets Northwest, believing Mr. Coles could lead them to the man responsible for Green’s murder. At approximately 6:00 p.m. that same evening, the defendants kidnapped Nico Coles. They forced Mr. Coles into the backseat of Ms. Lewis’ car and forced Ms. Lewis into the trunk of her own car. As the defendants drove Ms. Lewis’ vehicle towards their Clay Terrace neighborhood, they encountered traffic on Interstate 295 in Maryland. While in traffic, the defendants shot Mr. Coles twice, and then pushed the mortally injured man from the car onto the highway, leaving him on the shoulder of the Interstate as they fled into D.C.
Approximately an hour later, the defendants drove Ms. Lewis’ vehicle, with Ms. Lewis still confined in her trunk, to an alley behind the 800 block of Adrian Street Southeast. The defendants then opened the trunk, shot Ms. Lewis at least 13 times, and set her remains and her vehicle on fire, before fleeing the scene.
Analysis of the ballistic evidence from both scenes indicated that the same two firearms, a .45 caliber and a 7.62mm caliber, were used to kill both victims. Additionally, law enforcement recovered fingerprints from an item that was pushed out of Ms. Lewis’ car along with Mr. Coles’ body. Analysis of those fingerprints identified two prints as belonging to defendant Vines. The night after the murders, Lewis was captured on video at a McDonald’s drive-through, driving Mr. Coles’ missing vehicle. Shortly after the murders, Lewis also made statements, via text, bragging about them by sending news articles and saying, “we ain’t done”. Lewis and Vines were both arrested on January 5, 2018, on unrelated charges. Shortly thereafter, Lewis was charged by Prince George’s County States Attorney’s Office with the murder of Mr. Coles. In August 2018, Lewis and Vines were charged in D.C. Superior Court with both murders. The case was removed to federal court on May 23, 2019. Both defendants have been in custody since their arrest in January 2018.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, with additional assistance provided by the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen, George Eliopoulos, and Colleen Kukowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Prison Sentence for District Man Who Sexually Assaulted Multiple StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Sharp, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on August 16, 2024, to over five years in prison for one third degree sexual abuse conviction and five misdemeanor sexual abuse convictions against six different victims. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced Sharp to 48 months of incarceration for the third degree sexual abuse count and 90 days of incarceration for each of the misdemeanor sexual abuse counts, to run consecutive to each other. In addition, Judge Okun ordered five years of supervised release with special conditions and ordered Sharp to pay a fee to the Victim’s Compensation Fund. Sharp will also have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
Sharp pleaded guilty to these charges on April 19, 2024. According to the factual proffer to which he plead guilty, and other court documents, at three separate times on the morning of August 13, 2023, Sharp approached three women who were walking on sidewalks in various parts of Northwest Washington, D.C. As he passed each of the women, he grabbed their breasts or buttocks.
Two days later, on August 15, 2023, Sharp left the George Washington University Hospital. Upon the leaving the building, he saw a woman standing near the exit. Sharp smacked the woman’s buttock. Sharp then walked away in the direction of Washington Circle. Five minutes later, he encountered another woman walking in the 2100 block of K Street, Northwest. As Sharp and the woman passed each other, Sharp grabbed her buttock. A short time later, Sharp encountered yet another woman near the intersection of 19th Street, Northwest and Eye Street, Northwest. He approached her from behind, touched her vagina, and lifted her into the air. Sharp then walked several feet forward before sitting down on the sidewalk with the woman still in his grasp. Once on the ground, Sharp pinned the woman to the ground, pulled up her dress, and attempted to sexually assault her. His efforts were thwarted when bystanders intervened, forcing Sharp to release the woman. All six of the victims were total strangers to the defendant.
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 Sexual Assault Unit and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raha Mokhtari and Kristin Sourbeer.
Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking, Armed Robbery, and Firearms Offenses in August 2023 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Montello Washington, 18, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during crimes of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Washington entered his guilty plea on August 16, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Judge Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for October 25, 2024. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of five years of incarceration.
During the plea hearing, Washington admitted that at around 1:00 a.m., on August 16, 2023, the victim arrived at the courtyard of an apartment complex in the 5400 block of 9th Street NW after his work shift via Uber. When the victim got out of his Uber, Washington and another male got out of a red Hyundai sedan and approached him. Washington brandished a firearm with a red laser sight and pointed it at the victim, telling him it was a robbery. The victim handed over his phone, wallet, and keys.
On the same day, at approximately 2:20 a.m., another victim parked his car, a white BMW, in the 1300 block of Missouri Avenue NW. The victim was closing the driver’s side door when a red sedan stopped next to his car. Washington exited the driver’s side of the red sedan, brandished a firearm, and demanded the victim’s car keys and phone. The victim gave Washington his car keys but refused to give up his phone. Washington then got into the victim’s BMW and drove away.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Sabena Auyeung of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
D.C. Councilmember Arrested on Bribery ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trayon White Sr., the D.C. Councilmember representing Ward 8, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with bribery. White, 40, is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees several agencies including the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
The complaint alleges that, beginning in June 2024, White corruptly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position as a D.C. Councilmember to pressure government employees at Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and DYRS to extend several D.C. contracts. The contracts at issue were valued at $5.2 million and were for two companies to provide Violence Intervention services in D.C. As alleged, the $156,000 White agreed to accept in exchange for using his official position to pressure renewal of those contracts to particular companies was three percent of the total contract value. According to the complaint, White’s agreement with a confidential human source (the owner of the companies) – including the source’s payments to White of $35,000 in cash on four separate occasions (June 26, July 17, July 25, and August 9, 2024) and the source showing White a document reflecting how White’s three-percent cut was calculated based on those contracts – was captured on video.
The arrest and charge was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our Office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating,” said U.S. Attorney Graves.
This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking of Delivery Driver and Related Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dennis Vanison, 31, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying a pistol without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Vanison entered his guilty plea on August 13, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Judge Salerno scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2024. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration.
During the plea hearing, Vanison admitted that he and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a food delivery driver on May 2, 2023. The victim had just dropped off a delivery in the 2400 block of Wagner Street Southeast when Vanison’s accomplice stole items from the victim’s car. When the victim went to retrieve his belongings, Vanison and his accomplice attacked the victim and attempted to take his phone. During the attack, the accomplice produced a gun and pointed it at the victim, and at Vanison’s direction, snatched the victim’s keys from his pocket. Vanison and his accomplice then fled the scene, driving away in their car and the victim’s car, respectively.
The next morning, members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department encountered Vanison inside an SUV several feet from the victim’s car, which was parked and idling in an alley. Vanison’s cellphone and keychain were found inside the victim’s car, and a fully-loaded pistol was found at Vanison’s feet inside the SUV. Vanison was apprehended on May 3, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Parron and Daniel Bromwich.
Judge Sentences Man to 78 Months in Prison for Robbery and Assault of Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emerson Goldring, Jr., 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for a robbery and assault he committed with a firearm on July 21, 2023. Sutasha Miller, 34, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration for attempted robbery in connection to the same events; however, the 18 months were suspended on the condition that Miller complete one year of supervised probation. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Goldring, Jr. pleaded guilty on June 14, 2024, to one count of robbery, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Miller pleaded guilty on the same date to one count of attempted robbery.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim was working as a Domino’s delivery driver when he parked in the 4800 block of North Capitol Street NE to deliver pizza to Miller. As the victim remained in the car, Miller and Goldring Jr. approached the victim’s car. Miller went to the driver’s side of the car, while Goldring Jr. went to the front passenger side. Goldring Jr. asked the victim to roll down the passenger side window, and Miller then reached inside to open the driver’s door. Goldring Jr. then pulled out a firearm, punched the victim, and hit the victim in the face with the butt of the firearm as Miller remained standing outside the driver’s side door. Goldring Jr. and Miller then took multiple pizza boxes and the pizza warmer bag from the victim. Goldring Jr. and Miller then went back together to Miller’s nearby apartment.
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. Attorneys Matthew Goldstein, Randle Wilson, and Lauren “Luca” Winer who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Guilty Verdict for Man Who Killed 13-Year-Old Karon BlakeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jason Lewis, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for the January 2023 killing of 13-year-old Karon Blake in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, NE, Washington D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lewis was found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed, committed against a minor.
Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for October 25, 2024. For committing voluntary manslaughter while armed against a minor, Lewis faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, at approximately 4:00 a.m., on January 7, 2023, Lewis armed himself with a fully-loaded handgun and went outside his home in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, NE. Lewis is on video leaving his house, aiming and firing at two young people who were involved in breaking into cars. After Lewis fired at those two people, hitting the car that one was driving, Karon Blake then ran in Lewis’s direction and Lewis fired two shots into Karon’s left side, killing him. Lewis claimed that he acted in self-defense because the two people that he initially fired at threatened him. In finding Lewis guilty of the assaults with a dangerous weapon, the jury rejected his claim of self-defense.
Lewis was arrested on January 31, 2023, and was initially held until he was released in March 2023, over the government’s objection.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Wojcik and Shauna Payyappilly.
Armed Robber Who Used Facebook Marketplace to Lure Victims Gets 10-Year Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Green, 19, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for committing two gunpoint robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery while armed on May 2, 2024, before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Leibovitz also ordered Green to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the evidence, with which Green agreed, he robbed two victims at gunpoint on August 19 and December 3, 2023. In the days leading up to the August 19, 2023, robbery, Victim 1 had seen a Stihl brand saw advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Victim 1 contacted the advertiser and arranged to meet on the 5100 block of B St. SE. When Victim 1 arrived, Green and an accomplice grabbed the victim and robbed him at gunpoint, taking his cell phone, wallet, credit and debit cards, and checks totaling $1,500. A citizen came to the victim’s aid after the robbery and called 911.
In the days leading up to the December 3, 2023, robbery, Victim 2 spotted an item advertised on Facebook Marketplace, a Hilti Laser, and contacted the advertiser to buy it. Victim 2 agreed to meet the advertiser in the 3600 block of Highwood Drive, SE. Victim 2 drove with his wife to Highwood Drive, where a man then got out of his car with a box. As Victim 2 got of his car to inspect the item, two assailants approached him, held him at gunpoint, and took his wallet, containing cash and bank cards, and an iPhone 13. The gunmen then pointed their guns at Victim 2’s wife and rifled through the center console of the car taking additional cash and a card. All three men then drove off together.
Working in tandem with Prince George’s County Police, MPD Detectives obtained evidence from Facebook and used that information to identify Green. Police executed a search warrant at Green’s residence on December 21, 2023. During the search, police found a phone that was linked to the Facebook account used in the robbery of Victim 1, Victim 2’s wallet, credit cards and identification card on a dresser in the same room, and the Hilti laser and box used to lure Victim 2 from his car.
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. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Elizabeth Van Haasteren, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
2024 DC Violent Crime Rate Decrease: A Fact SheetRead the Press Release
• Media outlets have recently reported that violent crime is down dramatically in the District of Columbia. Overall, violent crime is down 35% and on trend to be at its lowest level since MPD began reporting the number roughly 20 years ago. Carjackings involving firearms are down 55%.
• Policing and Prosecution can influence violent crime numbers, but it cannot control them. Here is what the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has been doing to influence these numbers:
- In early 2022, our law enforcement partners formed investigative teams cross-staffed with federal law enforcement agents and MPD officers. Our Office dedicated specific prosecutors to support these teams in building federal cases against drivers of gun violence.
- In April 2022, we launched a daily review by our Office, federal law enforcement partners, and MPD of every firearms arrest in the District of Columbia to determine whether a basis exists for federal prosecution, and, if a basis exists, whether the data suggests the person arrested is a driver of gun violence who should be prosecuted federally. This coordinated review of those arrested with illegal firearms still occurs every day.
- We dedicated resources to using 21st century investigative techniques to develop digital and forensic evidence tying our most prolific drivers of violence to dozens of violent crimes.
- We used sophisticated data analysis to determine where large-scale investigations should occur and which individuals should be subject to them.
• In mid-2023, our Office began announcing a series of prominent federal cases aimed at violent crews engaged in carjackings, shootings, illegal firearms possession, and drug trafficking resulting from these investigations.
• Simultaneously, our Office continued to prosecute roughly 90% of the most serious violent felony arrests at the time of arrest and continued to investigate the limited number that could not be charged at the time of arrest.
• Because one homicide is one too many and one carjacking is one too many, the Office continues to innovate and refine its approach in homicide and carjacking investigations, leveraging new technology with a goal of each new investigation being better and more efficient than the last.
• The steep drop in violent crime we have seen in the first half of 2024 is good news, but our Office remains firmly focused on doing everything we can to continue this trend. We have a number of important ongoing investigations designed to keep the community safe, and every week we remove from our community known drivers of gun violence.
• To keep up the momentum, we need a whole of community response, including addressing the root causes of crime and maintaining a community-based intervention system that deescalates conflict before it results in violence.
- In early 2022, our law enforcement partners formed investigative teams cross-staffed with federal law enforcement agents and MPD officers. Our Office dedicated specific prosecutors to support these teams in building federal cases against drivers of gun violence.
Three Additional Suspects Arrested in Connection with Rash of Carjackings in the District and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Law enforcement this week executed search warrants at several homes in Washington D.C. and arrested three suspects in connection with a series of armed car jackings and vehicle thefts in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Elmer Bonilla, 22, was arrested on August 9 at his home in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Christian Rodriguez, 19, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was also arrested on August 9 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dylan Giron, 22, was arrested August 12 by law enforcement at a relative’s home in Northwest Washington, D.C. A detention hearing is scheduled for Bonilla, Rodriguez, and Giron for August 16, 2024.
Earlier this year, on February 28, 2024, Gregory Giron, 20, of the Washington D.C.’s Crestwood neighborhood, was taken into custody by Baltimore County Police following a vehicle pursuit of Gregory Giron, who was driving a Toyota Corolla that had just been carjacked. He was initially charged with one count of carjacking the Toyota Corolla.
On August 1, the four co-defendants were charged in a 16-count Superseding Indictment for the rash of offenses that occurred from December 12, 2023, to February 27, 2024, which include:
• January 5, 2024, carjacking of a Hyundai Elantra on the 3900 block of Georgia Avenue NW;
• January 16, 2024, auto theft of a 2023 Kia Sportage on Hanover Pike, in Reisterstown, MD;
• January 23, 2024, armed carjacking of a 2019 Dodge Challenger on the 7500 block of Eastern Avenue NW;
• January 23, 2024, armed carjacking of a 2016 Dodge Challenger, on the 1500 block of Decatur Street NW;
• January 24, 2024, armed carjacking of a 2019 Dodge Charger on the 6400 block of Luzon Avenue, NW;
• January 25, 2024, armed carjacking of a 2023 Honda Pilot on the 3200 block of P Street, NW;
• January 25, 2024, armed carjacking, of a 2015 Infiniti Q50 on the 200 block of Pidco Road, Reisterstown, MD;
• January 25, 2024 armed carjacking of a 2014 BMW 428i on the 5600 block of Sargeant Road, Hyattsville, MD
During the execution of the search warrants this week at the co-defendents’ residences, law enforcement recovered ammunition, firearms, a bullet proof vest, cash, and imitation firearms.
This is an ongoing investigation being handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from local law enforcement.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Russian Citizen Sentenced to 40 Months for Selling Stolen Financial Information on the Criminal Internet Marketplace SlilppRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Georgy Kavzharadze, 27, of Moscow, Russia, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for being a prolific vendor of stolen financial information, login credentials, and other personally identifying information (PII) on a criminal internet marketplace called Slilpp, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Kavzharadze pleaded guilty February 16, 2024, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Kavzharadze to pay $1,233,521.47 in restitution.
Kavzharadze is also known as “George” and went by online monikers of “TeRorPP,” “Torqovec,” and “PlutuSS.” In Cyrillic his name is ГЕОРГИЙ КАХОВИЧ КАВЖАРАДЗЕ.
According to court documents, between July 2016 and May 2021, Kavzharadze, using the name “TeRorPP,” listed over 626,100 stolen login credentials for sale on Slilpp and sold more than 297,300 of them on the illegal marketplace. Those credentials were subsequently linked to $1.2 million in fraudulent transactions. On May 27, 2021, Kavzharadze’s account on Slilpp listed 240,495 login credentials for sale that would allow the buyer to use the information to steal money from the victim’s online payment and bank accounts. The credentials included access to accounts with banks located in New York, California, Nevada, and Georgia. Kavzharadze accepted Bitcoin as payment for the credentials. An FBI analysis connected Kavzharadze to withdrawals of more $200,000 in Slilpp profits from his Bitcoin account.
In June 2021, the FBI, in a coordinated action with international law enforcement partners, disrupted Slilpp by seizing its infrastructure and domain names. The Slilpp database contained a wealth of historical information about Slilpp vendors, customers, and transactions, including subscriber and payment information for individual accounts that have been used to buy and sell login credentials over Slilpp. The database accurately reflected known Slilpp transactions and subscriber records, including FBI undercover purchases.
On August 24, 2021, Kavzharadze was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He was subsequently extradited to the United States. His initial appearance occurred May 18, 2022, in U.S. District Court. Kavzharadze has been detained since his extradition to the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Misher. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Demian S. Ahn, and former Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
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California Man Indicted for Unlawfully Exporting Aircraft Components to IranRead the Press Release
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging U.S.-Iranian national Jeffrey Chance Nader, 68, with crimes related to the illicit export of U.S.-manufactured aircraft components, including components used on military aircraft, to Iran in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and other federal laws. Nader was arrested yesterday in California.
“This action demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to keeping military-grade equipment out of the hands of the Iranian regime,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will aggressively investigate, disrupt, and hold accountable criminal networks that supply sensitive technology to hostile and repressive governments in contravention of U.S. sanctions.”
“Attacks by Iran and its proxies on U.S. allies in the Middle East and its ongoing supply of Russia with drones and other technology to be used in its illegal war against Ukraine demonstrate why we must do all that we can to stop Iran from acquiring U.S. parts, services, and technology," said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The charges announced today represent the latest step in our ongoing effort to hold accountable those who illegally funnel goods and services to Iran and to deter others from doing the same.”
“Iran has no business using U.S.-manufactured parts and components to keep their planes and drones in the sky,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. “Stopping these items before they get to our adversaries – like we did here – reflects the real-world impact we’re having through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force.”
“This indictment highlights the FBI’s commitment to enforcing export laws by holding those accountable who allegedly try to smuggle U.S.-origin military equipment to the benefit of Iran,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Any circumvention of U.S. export control law is unacceptable, and the FBI works diligently with its partners across the globe to seek out and bring to justice those who violate export laws along with any shell companies that support such activities.”
According to the indictment, beginning at least in 2023, Nader and other associates, conspired to purchase and illegally 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, coordinated the purchase of relevant aircraft components with business associates in Iran, by which Nader and his Iran-based associates would reach out to U.S.-based suppliers of such components. In several instances, Nader falsely identified himself and his company, California-based Pro Aero Capital, to the U.S.-based suppliers as the end user of the items.
Once Nader obtained the aircraft components, he attempted to export the items on multiple occasions to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The items were then to be transshipped to the ultimate customer in Iran. The items discussed in the indictment, however, were detained by a Special Agent with the Department of Commerce, and none were successfully exported from the United States.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case, with assistance provided by the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
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 are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, 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. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed with a Firearm of 22-Year-Old in Southeast Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury found Bernard Matthews, 45, of Washington, D.C., guilty of first-degree murder while armed, for shooting and killing Diamonte Green in February 2021 in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Matthews was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a license. The verdict was returned on August 12, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2024. Matthews faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, around mid-afternoon, on February 16, 2021, Matthews walked several blocks and sought out the victim, 22-year-old Diamonte Green, who was threatening the defendant’s son via Instagram. The defendant shot the unarmed victim eight times inside an apartment building entry way at 33rd and C Street SE, D.C., killing him.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Coronado and Kathleen Gibbons.
Prison Sentence for District Woman Who Defrauded the STAY DC Tenant Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khin Phoo Ngon, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court to 23 months in prison for six felony counts arising from her defrauding a Covid-19 tenant assistance program of more than $245,000.00, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
In addition to the prison term, D.C. Superior Court Judge Jason Park ordered her to pay $206,320.00 in restitution to the District government, in addition to a $600 fine paid to the victims compensation fund and three years of supervised release.
According to facts admitted in her guilty plea, in 2021 Ngon submitted seven fraudulent applications to the Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC) program, a DC government program established in 2021 to help cover unpaid rent and utilities for renters suffering hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time she submitted all seven applications, Ngon was the sole tenant of an apartment at 1111 New Jersey Ave SE in the District. Two of her fraudulent applications listed her actual address and stated accurate information about unpaid rent she owed, but falsely stated that her 2020 income was $17,270.00 and that her projected 2021 income was $12,000.00. In 2020, however, Ngon had actually received income well in excess of $57,650.00, the STAY DC program’s minimum qualifying threshold for a household of one, and was on pace to exceed that threshold for 2021 when she submitted both applications.
Ngon also submitted two applications in which she listed her residence as 3210 ½ O Street NW, an apartment she had moved out of in the summer of 2020 with her rent paid in full. Ngon attached a fictitious lease to that application and falsely stated in her application that she was residing at the O Street address and owed 19 months of unpaid rent. Based on that fraudulent application, Ngon received $37,000.00 from the program.
In her guilty plea, Ngon also admitted to submitting two STAY DC applications in her family member’s name without his knowledge or permission. Ngon falsely stated in those applications that her family member lived at 3632 N Street NW in the District and owed tens of thousands of dollars in back rent. In fact, Ngon’s family member lived in Virginia, and had never lived at that address. Ngon admitted that she attached stolen and doctored documents to both applications, including her family member’s expired driver’s license and federal and District tax return documents. Ngon fraudulently obtained $82,800.00 from these two applications.
Finally, Ngon admitted to submitting a seventh STAY DC application, on behalf of an associate of hers. Ngon created a fraudulent lease document for an apartment at 450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, falsifying the lease term and monthly rent due. Based on those and other fraudulent representations, the STAY DC program issued Ngon’s associate a check for $78,200.00. Through a series of transactions involving other individuals, Ngon received at least $38,500.00 of those funds.
Ngon pled guilty on April 23, 2024 to two counts of first-degree fraud (felony), two counts of first-degree theft (felony), and two counts of first-degree identity theft.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Scott, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and D.C. Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General to prosecute matters involving fraud and public corruption.
Life Sentence Handed Down to Man Who Kidnapped and Sexually Assaulted His Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bryant Phillips, 54, of Washington DC, was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of release, in addition to 30 years in prison, for first-degree sexual abuse, kidnapping, and multiple assault counts, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein sentenced Phillips to life in prison without the possibility of release, in addition to 30 years in prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release/probation. The defendant will also have to register as a sex offender for life.
According to the court’s evidence and testimony presented at trial, between June 5-8, 2022, Phillips held his intimate partner hostage at his apartment in Northeast Washington DC. While there he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times causing extensive injuries.
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.
Finally, they commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and ReShawn Johnson, Investigative Analyst Lucas Jetson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Holmes and Dana Joseph, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Guilty Plea for the 2024 Fatal Shooting of a Man in Southeast DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kyree Anthony Hairston, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the February 2024 fatal shooting of David Coe in the 1200 block of Southern Ave., SE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hairston has been in custody since his arrest on March 14, 2024. His guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed upon top half of the guideline period of incarceration of 14 to 18 years, followed by five years of supervised release. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein accepted the plea today.
According to the proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on February 3, 2024, Hairston and Mr. Coe were in the parking lot area of the Arbor View Apartment Complex located in the 1200 block of Southern Ave., SE. The two engaged in a conversation, part of which was captured on the audio portion of video surveillance footage that captured the shooting. On the surveillance, the defendant can be heard stating, “on my grandmother, you got 30 seconds. On my grandmother” and “you trippin like sh-t.” The surveillance shows Hairston pull the hood of the sweatshirt he was wearing over his head, covering part of his face. Hairston then removed a black handgun from his jacket pocket and pointed it at Mr. Coe. Mr. Coe lunged forward to try and disarm Hairston, but Hairston shot him in the chest before he could do so. Mr. Coe fell to the ground and as he laid there, Hairston shot Mr. Coe again. Mr. Coe was shot four times and died 20 minutes later.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Amtrak Employee Pleads Guilty to Lying to a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Driver, 35, of Gloucester City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to one count of lying to a Federal Agent, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Mike Waters of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General Eastern Area Field Office.
According to court documents, Driver was employed by Amtrak and was working as a Lead Service Attendant in the café car on an Amtrak train, which departed from Washington, D.C. in the afternoon of January 3, 2024, and ended in Chicago, Illinois, on the morning of January 4, 2024. While working on that train, Driver met a passenger. Driver spoke and texted with the passenger, and Driver allowed her to use a vacant sleeper car on the train. On January 4, in Chicago, that passenger reported to Amtrak Police that Driver sexually assaulted her in a sleeper car on the train. Amtrak-OIG then initiated an investigation of the sexual assault allegations.
During an interview with an Amtrak-OIG Special Agent, Driver made multiple false and misleading statements about his communications and contacts with the passenger, denying that he gave the passenger his personal phone number, texted with the passenger, and that he showed the passenger to a sleeper car.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for November 6, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Amtrak OIG with assistance from the Amtrak Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca G. Ross and Brian P. Kelly, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed of a 6-Year-Old in Southeast Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON –A Superior Court jury found Deon Cannon, 30, of Washington, D.C., guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed of a minor and other charges in a late-afternoon shooting that took place on Labor Day weekend in 2021 on Terrace Road SE at Naylor Gardens, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cannon also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon committed against a minor, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. The verdict was returned on August 7, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2024. Cannon faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:40 p.m. on September 5, 2021, Cannon was pacing the sidewalk of Terrace Road SE, waiting for the victim to walk in that direction. The victim was walking from the playground with his 6-year-old son when Cannon fired two rounds aimed directly at the victims. In defense of his son, the father fired back. A second shooter came from around the corner and fired 17 more rounds aimed at the victim while his son ran away.
Cannon followed the victims and was seen by officers within minutes of the shooting. He fled but was later caught and arrested. He has been in custody since.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance video from the residences in the area that captured the shooting. At the time of Cannon’s arrest, he was wearing clothing that matched that worn by the suspect in the surveillance video. Additionally, the government presented DNA and ballistics evidence.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Matar and Mark Levy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury found Maunyae Worsley, 18, of Washington, D.C., guilty of armed robbery and other charges arising from a robbery of a Northeast gas station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Worsley was also found guilty of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. The verdict was returned on August 8, 2024.
The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for October 18, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 9, 2024, at approximately 3:47 a.m., Worsley went to the Exxon gas station in the Brookland neighborhood. The lone attendant was outside the store, putting up a sign in the window. As the attendant went back inside, Worsley pulled out a tan semiautomatic pistol, grabbed the attendant, and forced him into the employees-only section. Worsley took approximately $5,000 from the cash register and a file cabinet before fleeing the scene.
The next day, MPD officers were executing an unrelated search warrant at Worsley’s home when they recovered a tan Glock 19X semiautomatic pistol from Worsley’s bedroom. Officers also recovered a jacket, sweatpants, and shoes from Worsley’s bedroom that matched the clothing the defendant wore during the robbery. Subsequent investigation found that Worsley was wearing a GPS monitor, and his GPS records placed him at the scene of the robbery.
Worsley was arrested during the execution of the search warrant on April 10, 2024, and he has been in custody since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ella Gladman and Will Lawrence, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced in Possessing an AR-Style Pistol and Ammunition on U.S. Capitol GroundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for possessing an AR-style pistol and 73 rounds of ammunition on Capitol grounds in November 2023. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Merrell pleaded guilty on April 23, 2024, to one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper today ordered Merrell to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2023, at about 12:40 p.m., a U.S. Capitol Police officer, patrolling the Upper Senate Park between Union Station and the U.S. Capitol, was approached by a citizen who stated that while walking through Lower Senate Park he observed someone holding an object that appeared to be a firearm.
Multiple officers responded to the scene and observed Merrell, holding an object that appeared to be firearm equipped with a magazine. Officers ordered Merrell to drop the firearm. Merrell refused and replied with words to the effect of "[f]or you to get this gun from me, you are going to have to kill me."
One of the responding officers deployed a taser. Merrell fell to the ground and dropped the firearm. Merrell was taken into custody without further incident. Officers recovered a Diamondback Arms AR-Style pistol loaded with one .223 caliber round in the chamber and equipped with a 30-round high-capacity ammunition feeding device containing 26 rounds as depicted in Figure 1.
Figure 1, Diamondback Arms AR-Style Pistol Possessed by The Defendant
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider with valuable help from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Harmon.
District Man Indicted on 28 Federal Counts for String of Armed Carjackings and Robberies at Convenience Stores and Gas StationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 28-count superseding indictment, unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges Shamell Naquan Joyner, 36, of the District of Columbia, with offenses arising out of ten armed robberies of commercial establishments and two armed carjackings that he allegedly committed between April 12 and May 2, 2023, in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. The charges build on a previous indictment in which Joyner was charged with six armed commercial robberies and one armed carjacking. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the superseding indictment, on April 12, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the Falcon Fuel gas station and convenience store, located at 1301 13th Street Northwest, stealing money and personal property from the business and two employees while holding them at gunpoint. Joyner also is alleged to have discharged his firearm at two store employees during this robbery, neither of whom was wounded.
One day after the Falcon Fuel robbery, on April 13, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have carjacked a man at gunpoint in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Joyner allegedly stole the man’s Honda HR-V and drove it across state lines into Virginia. The government’s evidence shows that Joyner used that car to commit subsequent armed robbery offenses, including an April 15, 2023, armed robbery of the 7-Eleven store at 1100 Vermont Avenue Northwest, in which an employee was held at gunpoint.
On April 17, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the 7-Eleven store at 3023 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia, and an employee at gunpoint. Joyner allegedly discharged his firearm during this robbery, causing a store employee to sustain a non–life threatening gunshot wound to his leg. The government’s evidence connects this armed robbery to the April 12, 2023, robbery of Falcon Fuel, in which Joyner is also alleged to have discharged his firearm.
On April 30, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the 7-Eleven store at 7401 Georgia Avenue Northwest and an employee, again at gunpoint. Joyner allegedly robbed another two stores at gunpoint the next day, May 1, 2023, including the 7‑Eleven store at 1325 2nd Street Northeast and the 721 Shop & Run and an employee at 721 H Street Northeast.
Finally, on May 2, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the 7-Eleven store at 1645 Connecticut Avenue Northwest and an employee; the 7-Eleven store at 8484 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland; the 7-Eleven store at 1101 Annapolis Road in Odenton, Maryland; and the Exxon Auto Service Center at 7898 Ridge Road in Hanover, Maryland. All the May 2, 2023, robberies were also committed at gunpoint. During the Exxon robbery, Joyner additionally is alleged to have carjacked an employee by holding him at gunpoint and robbing him of the keys to his nearby Toyota RAV4, which Joyner then stole and drove across state lines into the District of Columbia.
Later that day, in the 400 block of Condon Terrace Southeast, the Metropolitan Police Department found Joyner in the carjacked RAV4’s driver’s seat and arrested him without incident. At the time of his arrest, Joyner was in possession of the firearm used in the armed robberies committed between April 30, 2023, and May 2, 2023, as well as unique clothing and other evidence that tied him to numerous offenses.
Joyner has been detained since his May 2, 2023, arrest. The case is assigned to the Honorable Rudolph Contreras.
The superseding indictment charges Joyner with 28 counts: ten counts of interference with commerce by robbery (also known as Hobbs Act robbery), which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison; two counts of carjacking, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; 12 related counts of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and/or ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Under the superseding indictment, Joyner faces a mandatory minimum of 90 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering applicable sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland; the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland; the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Alexandria City, Anne Arundel County, Fairfax County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Justin F. Song of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation into these offenses and potentially related armed robberies of commercial establishments located in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assault of Congregants Outside a Washington D.C. Synagogue Charged as a Federal Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON —A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Brent Wood, 35, of Toledo, Ohio, with three counts of obstructing by force or threat of force a person’s enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, while using a dangerous weapon.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
The indictment alleges that on December 17, 2023, Wood drove a U-Haul truck around security barriers and parked on the sidewalk directly in front of Kesher Israel Congregation Synagogue, at 2801 N St NW, Washington, DC. Over the next several minutes, while in the immediate vicinity of the synagogue, Wood accosted congregants and others by spraying a noxious aerosol and yelling, “Gas the Jews!”
Wood faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the three counts. The hate crimes sentencing enhancement increases the guidelines range of the potential sentence. Wood previously was charged in D.C. Superior Court with simple assault. He is currently a fugitive in that case.
This case is being 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.
180-Month Sentence in the July 2021 Death of an Innocent Bystander Caught in the Crossfire of a NW Gun BattleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathan Brown, 31, was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed crack cocaine in Northwest Washington D.C. and for his involvement in the July 31, 2021, slaying of Kervin Sanches, an innocent bystander, caught in a shootout on a street corner controlled by members of Brown’s drug trafficking conspiracy.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown, aka “Tsunami,” of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty on June 17 to a two-count criminal Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and voluntary manslaughter while armed. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Brown to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in late 2021, the MPD and FBI began investigating violent crime and drug trafficking activities near 7th Street and O Street, NW. During the investigation, Brown visited a stash house at 1221 M Street on a regular basis. Brown sold controlled substances with co-conspirators on various occasions and text messages recovered from his phone indicated that he was selling fentanyl and cocaine base. Law enforcement used undercover officers to purchase hundreds of grams of cocaine base and fentanyl from members of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
During the investigation, law enforcement determined the group was working together to control the drug trafficking activity in their territory. Their territory was primarily located at the corner of 7th and O Streets, NW, the site of the July 31, 2021, shootout that resulted in Kervin Sanches’ death.
On July 31, 2021, at about 11:20 p.m., Brown traveled by car to the area of 7th and O Streets NW with a loaded firearm. An unidentified male in a grey Pontiac followed Brown and parked nearby. Brown exited his car and then walked across the street to meet with a group of associates and others. As Brown approached the group, the unidentified male approached with a gun in his hand. Brown pulled a firearm from his waistband and began shooting at the unidentified gunman, who returned fire. The group scattered. Brown and the gunman continued to shoot at each other while taking cover behind trees and cars. As the gun battle continued, occupants of a white automobile parked near Brown’s car also began shooting at the unidentified gunman. Police later recovered more than 25 shell casings at the scene.
Sanches, who had been part of the group standing on the corner of 7th and O Streets, was struck by a bullet as he attempted to flee the gunfire. Sanches, the dean of students at a local charter school, died of his wounds at a nearby hospital.
Brown was previously sentenced in District Court case 22-cr-114 (TJK) on March 26, 2024, to 51 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. His 180-month sentenced he received today will run consecutive to that 51-month sentence.
This case was investigated by the MPD and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg, Solomon Eppel, and Erin DeRiso of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Members of U.S. Attorney’s Office Join Local Law Enforcement and the Community for National Night OutRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia joined law enforcement partners, along with community organizers and neighbors, at Sycamore & Oak in the District’s Congress Heights neighborhood, for National Night Out this evening.
“Our fellow community members both inspire us in our work and are invaluable partners in our efforts to hold those who harm our community accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “On National Night Out, we thank our fellow community members for all that they are doing in this fight—the 35% reduction in violent crime we have seen this year would not be possible without their partnership.”
This year, hundreds of residents across the District of Columbia participated in various National Night Out events in their communities. This annual community-building campaign promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve in order to foster safer neighborhoods. Established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice, the initiative is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
With coordination by local law enforcement and community partners, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together in a positive way, by hosting neighborhood block parties, cookouts, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, and more fun activities. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking and Armed Robbery in 2022 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Richardson, 22, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, to committing an armed carjacking on July 14, 2022 and armed robbery on November 26, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Richardson pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The Honorable Erik Christian scheduled sentencing for November 1, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 14, 2022, Richardson along with two unidentified co-conspirators committed a series of violent offenses in Washington, D.C., ending with an armed carjacking near the 600 block of Morton Place NE. During the commission of each violent crime, all three assailants covered their faces. Richardson and his unidentified co-conspirators, armed with firearms, attempted to carjack two separate individuals before proceeding to the 600 block of Morton Place NE at approximately 6:49 p.m. Once at the location, they approached the victim who was parking her car at the location. One of the co-conspirators brandished a handgun and stated, “Give me everything!” Richardson and two associates took the victim’s car keys, phone, and credit cards attached to her phone, and other property. Then they took her car. Richardson later used the victim’s credit card at gas stations and a restaurant.
Richardson also pleaded guilty to an armed robbery that took place on November 26, 2022, near the 1300 block of South Carolina Avenue SE. At approximately 7:54 p.m., Richardson parked a car ahead of the victims who were walking their dog after dinner. When the couple walked near his car, the defendant jumped out with a gun and robbed the husband of his phone. Richardson was arrested that evening after a vehicle pursuit.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Taskforce Unit. This case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Evans and Omeed Assefi.
Six Indicted in Scheme to Defraud D.C. Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Omolere Omomowo, 43, a resident of Laurel, Maryland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who led several companies that claimed to provide mental health rehabilitative services to some of the District’s most vulnerable citizens, was indicted on August 1, 2024, along with five “community support workers” (CSWs) employed by his company, on charges that they conspired to and did defraud the D.C. Medicaid program of over $10 million by engaging in a scheme to submit bills for mental-health related services that were not medically necessary, not reimbursable, and did not occur.
The indictment was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Law enforcement arrested Omomowo earlier today in Fort Lauderdale. He made his initial appearance earlier today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Co-defendant Zilah Bessem, 36, a resident of Frisco, Texas, who previously lived in Maryland, was charged in the same indictment and arrested Thursday evening at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. She made her initial appearance earlier today in the U.S. District for the Northern District of Texas and was detained pending trial.
The remaining four co-defendants – Gregory Clark of Washington, D.C., Ernest Ikomi of Beltsville, Maryland, Diane Mochi of Adelphi, Maryland, and Seraphine Nwufor of Bowie, Maryland – are expected to make their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the next week.
According to the indictment, Omomowo hatched the conspiracy in early 2020, while serving as the chief financial officer of a D.C.-based mental health provider, Prestige Healthcare Resources. After Prestige obtained certification from D.C.’s Department of Behavioral Health to start an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, Omomowo took the lead in implementing the program. In the District, the ACT program provides intensive, integrated services to the most at-risk adults, individuals with an “intractable, serious, and persistent mental illness.” Under Medicaid rules, ACT providers were authorized to submit bills for a greater number of hours and at a higher rate given the seriousness of the mental-health and substance-abuse issues faced by program participants.
The indictment alleges that, shortly after Prestige obtained its ACT authorization, Omomowo orchestrated a scheme by which most, if not all, of the consumers on certain CSWs’ caseloads were stepped up from receiving standard mental health services into receiving services as part of the ACT Program. Omomowo and his co-conspirators allegedly implemented this scheme by directing the submission of false and fraudulent assessments despite knowing that ACT services were not medically necessary for the consumers. Omomowo and his co-defendants then allegedly billed Medicaid for ACT services that were not medically necessary as well as for services that did not occur.
According to the indictment, in April 2021, following an employment dispute with the CEO of Prestige, Omomowo resigned and started a new company, The Marcaulay Group, to continue the fraudulent billing scheme. At Omomowo’s direction, the co-defendant CSWs also left Prestige and joined The Marcaulay Group. The Marcaulay Group, however, was not certified with the Department of Behavioral Health, so Omomowo partnered with D.C.-based mental health service providers Affordable Home Healthcare LLC and later Goshen Healthcare Management Services LLC.
Because Affordable did not have an ACT Program, the Medicaid beneficiaries Omomowo and his CSWs sought to transfer from Prestige required medical assessments to determine whether they continued to need ACT services. The indictment alleges that Omomowo and an unnamed co-conspirator directed the CSW co-defendants to initiate a blanket ACT step-down process without regard to medical necessity and on the basis of false and fraudulent assessments. Omomowo and his co-defendants then conspired to and did submit false and fraudulent encounter notes for standard mental health services to Medicaid that (1) grossly inflated the amount of time spent conducting the mental health services; (2) were based on activities not authorized to be reimbursed by Medicaid; and (3) for mental health service encounters that did not occur.
For this conduct, the indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. It also charges Omomowo with an additional 10 counts of substantive health care fraud, and each of the five co-defendants with an additional two counts of health care fraud. In addition, Omomowo is charged with four counts of expenditure money laundering for making large purchases with the proceeds of the fraud scheme.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and lesser penalties for the other offenses. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mt. Juliet Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- A Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Nicholas Waldon Smotherman, 41, of Mt. Juliet is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
In addition to the felonies, Smotherman is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in restricted grounds or buildings, disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted grounds or buildings, engaging in physical violence in restricted grounds or buildings, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
The FBI arrested Smotherman today in Hermitage, Tennessee, and he will make his initial appearance in the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Smotherman was identified among a crowd of rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, amassed on the Upper West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol grounds. At approximately 2:28 p.m., a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer's body-worn camera captured Smotherman standing in front of the bike racks and a police line on the southwest side of the Upper West Plaza.
Here, a group of rioters had begun pulling on the bike racks. Smotherman was seen on body-worn camera next to the group, appearing to advance toward at an MPD officer. Police then commanded the rioters to move back. Instead, the rioters pulled the bike rack barricades to the ground, and Smotherman moved forward toward the police line. It is alleged that Smotherman then approached an MPD officer and pushed the officer with both hands.
The officer then attempted to push Smotherman back using a baton, but Smotherman stood upright and yelled, "Hit me with it again." When the officer again attempted to push Smotherman back, Smotherman allegedly grabbed the officer's baton and attempted to pull it away. As Smotherman acted, he yelled, "I'll f— take this" and "Come out here b—." The officer managed to prevent Smotherman from taking the baton while another officer deployed pepper spray, and Smotherman retreated.
Soon after this, rioters overran the police line on the Upper West Plaza, and officers retreated to the Lower West Terrace. A large crowd of rioters then gathered in and around the entrance to the Lower West Terrace Door, referred to as the "Tunnel," the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. Smotherman was later identified in and around the Tunnel.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The case is being investigated by the FBI's Memphis and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. Smotherman was identified as Assault on Federal Officer (AFO) #364.
In the 42 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,470 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Five-Year Sentence for District Man Who Used a Firearm During a Drug Crime While He Was Under Investigation for a StabbingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Lamont Savoy, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today today to 60 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, which was revealed during the investigation into an October 2022 stabbing. The stabbing occurred while Savoy was on pre-trial release -- over the federal government’s written and oral objections -- in connection with the December 2018 shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Northeast.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Savoy pleaded guilty on April 17, 2024, to use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly. In addition to the five-year prison sentence, Judge Kelly today ordered Savoy to serve four years of supervised release.
Despite the federal government’s written and oral objections, in 2021, Savoy was released from custody while awaiting trial in Superior Court on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and related offenses stemming from the 2018 shooting.
According to court documents, months later, on October 11, 2022, Savoy allegedly stabbed a person during an argument and fled the scene. Investigators tracked Savoy to the 3900 block of Southern Avenue, SE. On the morning of October 21, 2022, MPD officers and FBI agents executed a search warrant at an apartment unit where Savoy was staying with a woman and a 3-year-old child. During the search, law enforcement found a plastic bag containing 4.55 grams of an off-white powder, a digital scale with white powder residue, a red cut straw with white powder residue, and a two-pack of naloxone. The powder and the residues tested positive for fentanyl.
In a blue jacket that contained Savoy’s ID and credit card, investigators discovered 27 zip baggies with an off-white powder weighing a total of 7.3 grams, 29 blue pills stamped M30, 16 red zip baggies containing an off-white powder weighing nearly 5 grams, and $473 in U.S. currency. The powders tested positive for fentanyl.
In a hall closet, on top of a dryer, officers discovered a loaded, unregistered, semi-automatic Glock 30, loaded with 24 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. DNA testing linked Savoy to the firearm. The fentanyl recovered during the search warrant was found in a common area of the apartment that the three-year-old had access to, which could have led to the death or serious injury of the child.
On March 29, 2024, Savoy and two co-defendants -- Jamal Matthews and Stefon Freshley -- pleaded guilty in Superior Court to their roles in the December 28, 2018, shooting of a father and son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. Savoy was driving as Matthews fired 30 shots into an SUV in which the father and son were sitting. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. The three men are scheduled to be sentenced for those offenses on August 30.
The federal case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Long and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Hart and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam.
The shooting of the boy and his father was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan.
23cr0178
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bombing Near the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Rodriguez, 45, of Panama City, Fla., pleaded guilty today to a three-count superseding information charging him in the September 2023 attempted bombing outside the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., and a November 2022 bombing of a sculpture depicting communist leaders Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong in San Antonio, Tex.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division.
Rodriguez, a licensed Florida attorney, pleaded guilty today to damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials—malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device).
According to court documents, on September 23-24, 2023, Rodriguez drove from his home in Panama City, Fla., to Northern Virginia with a rifle and 15 pounds of explosive material. En route, he stopped in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Va., to buy a black backpack, nitrile gloves, and a burner cell phone. On September 24, he parked his car in Arlington, Va., and used the burner phone to arrange for a taxi to drive him to within a few blocks of the Chinese Embassy. Sometime between midnight and 3:00 a.m. near the back wall of the Embassy in Northwest Washington, Rodriguez placed the black backpack filled with explosives next to a streetlight. Rodriguez then attempted to detonate the explosives by shooting at the backpack with a rifle. Rodriguez missed his target, and the device failed to detonate. Law enforcement officers later recovered the backpack containing explosive material, three shell casings, and bullet fragmentations from the ground along the outer perimeter wall of the Chinese Embassy. Impact marks were found on the Embassy wall near the bullet fragments behind the backpack.
Also according to court documents, DNA obtained from the black backpack was found to be consistent with DNA evidence obtained from a previous arrest of Rodriguez in June 2021 in California. During the California incident, Rodriguez possessed three firearms and apparent explosive material consistent with the explosives used during the Chinese Embassy attack. DNA evidence obtained from Rodriguez pursuant to a buccal swab warrant later confirmed this DNA match.
Between November 5 and 7, 2022, according to court documents, Rodriguez rented a vehicle in Pensacola, Fla., and drove to San Antonio, Tex. At approximately 2:25 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez scaled an eight-foot fence to enter a courtyard on the 300 block of West Commerce Street, San Antonio. Inside the courtyard, he placed two canisters of explosive materials at the base of a satirical steel sculpture titled “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head.” At about 2:30 a.m. on November 7, Rodriguez used a rifle to shoot at the canisters at the base of the statue, causing an explosion that caused significant damage to the Miss Mao sculpture.
The ATF arrested Rodriguez on November 4, 2023, in Lafayette, La. He has been held since that date.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida, the Western District of Louisiana, and the Western District of Texas; the ATF’s Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston Field Divisions; the FBI’s Washington and San Antonio Field Offices; the San Antonio Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Secret Service, Uniformed Division and Foreign Missions Detective Unit; the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and Stuart D. Allen. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeghan Mikorski and Kelly Stephenson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy.
23cr392
60 Year Prison Term for Man Who Shot and Killed a Man in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Davis, 61, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 years in prison for the July 2021 shooting of Theodore “Bino” Riley in the Kingman Park neighborhood. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A Superior Court jury found Davis guilty of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense on May 2, 2024, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on July 19, 2021, at around 7:33 p.m., Davis was captured on surveillance walking with the victim, Theodore Riley, to an alley adjacent to 1608 Gales Street Northeast. Once in the alley, Davis shot Mr. Riley once in the head. The defendant then quickly walked out of the south end of the alley and fled while attempting to change his outward appearance by putting on a long-sleeved shirt over the short-sleeved shirt he had been wearing. Mr. Riley was found in the alley face-down with a single .45 caliber casing at his feet. Davis was arrested on September 22, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Gibbons and Saman Danai of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Videos of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bayo Thomas Bakare, 42, a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing six videos of child sexual abuse materials on his mobile phone in September 2023 and maintaining additional child exploitation videos on an online storage application. At the time of the offense, Bakare was on supervised release for a previous conviction of distributing child pornography. The sentencing was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Bakare pleaded guilty February 8, 2024, to a charge of access with intent to view child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Bakare to serve 15 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2023, law enforcement agencies conducted compliance checks of sex offenders registered within Washington, D.C. Bakare, who lived on the 3200 block of 8th Street, NE, was a registered sex offender in the District due to a 2016 conviction on a charge of distribution of child pornography for which he was sentenced to 60 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
Bakare met the law enforcement agents at his front door. The group was comprised of members of the U.S. Probation Office (USPO), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), and a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF). Bakare indicated that he needed to retrieve clothes from his bedroom. The USPO member followed Bakare into his bedroom. The USPO member spotted a Galaxy A11 cell phone, and an Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max plugged into a wall charger. Bakare said that the Galaxy phone was being monitored by USPO. Bakare reported that the Apple iPhone was not monitored. Because Bakare was on supervised release, he was forbidden to have a phone that was not monitored by the USPO. The iPhone was seized. The USPO subjected the iPhone to a forensic extraction which revealed six videos depicting child exploitation and an additional 30 video depicting likely child exploitation stored on the Discord application.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Foreman.
23cr385
Indictment Returned under Title 16 on More than 80 Charges for Spring 2023 Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Hanif Brown, 18, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with 81 charges for his role in a criminal conspiracy to commit armed carjackings, armed robberies, identity theft, credit card fraud, and vehicle theft during the Spring of 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
A grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday charging Hanif Brown with conspiracy, two counts of armed carjacking, carjacking of a senior citizen, thirteen counts of armed robbery, sixteen counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, first-degree and second-degree identity theft of senior citizens, credit card fraud of a senior citizen, three counts of first-degree theft, three counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, eight counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence, and 31 firearm related charges.
Brown was arraigned on August 1, 2024, at a hearing before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. If convicted, Brown faces mandatory minimum sentences of fifteen years for each armed carjacking, seven years for unarmed carjacking, and five years for each firearm-related offense.
According to the government’s evidence, in 2021, Brown and other suspects created a Cash App account using a senior citizen’s stolen personal identifying information. Two years later, beginning in March 2023, Brown and his associates commenced a months-long crime spree in which he and his associates stole vehicles and used those vehicles to commit carjackings and gunpoint robberies. During those robberies, Brown and his associates stole currency and jewelry and forced their victims to surrender the passcodes for their phones, which Brown and his associates then accessed to initiate unauthorized monetary transfers via Cash App.
Over a two-week period during the months of March 2023 and April 2023, Brown and his associates committed three armed carjackings – one of which was a brazen attack in the Third Street Tunnel and another in which a senior citizen was the victim. Over this same time period, Brown and his associates committed five armed robberies in D.C. and one in Hyattsville, Maryland, with a total of more than 10 victims. Brown and his associates then used phones stolen from the robbery victims to illegally transfer funds from their Cash App accounts to Brown.
In May 2023, Brown and his associates continued their violent crime spree and committed several more armed robberies – one in which the victim was robbed at gunpoint on H Street NE of the victim’s phone, which was subsequently used to illegally transfer funds from the victim to Brown’s Cash App account and another in which two victims were robbed of their high-end jewelry at gunpoint. Brown then shared social media posts depicting himself wearing the proceeds from the robbery.
Brown was ultimately arrested on May 15, 2023. He has been in custody since his arrest.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Armed Robber Sentenced to 22 Years for Carjacking and RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jameson McNeil, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday by Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz to 22 years in prison for a series of crimes he committed between August 2022 and February 2023. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McNeil pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024, to one count of armed carjacking and four counts of robbery. According to court documents, on February 7, 2023, McNeil was armed with what appeared to be a handgun when he ordered a woman out of her car while she was inside a parking garage in the 800 block of P Street NW. The robberies stemmed from McNeil’s targeting of female victims who were walking alone. On August 1, 2022, McNeil approached a woman walking alone in the 600 block of 21st Street SE and robbed her of her purse. Between February 13, 2023 and February 15, 2023, McNeil robbed three other women of their property – one in the 400 block of 7th Street NE, one in the 400 block of G Street NE, and one in the 1700 block of A Street SE. McNeil committed an armed carjacking on Capitol Hill in April 2023. He was running from the victims’ car when MPD officers found him hiding under a different car.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Dinan, Ronald Chester, Shauna Payyappilly and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forgie, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
17.5-Year Sentence in Spree of Dozens of Gunpoint ‘Hobbs Act’ Robberies and Attempted Robberies in the District and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Harrigan, 31, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for a 2022 spree of approximately three dozen armed robberies and attempted robberies of various commercial business. The robbed establishments included gas stations, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, check cashers, and liquor stores in the District and suburban Maryland. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Harrigan pleaded guilty on March 25, 2024, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as Hobbs Act robbery) and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington D.C.
Harrigan’s co-defendant and brother, Aaron Harrigan, 28, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery for his participation in four of the robberies. Aaron Harrigan was sentenced to 87 months in prison on September 25, 2023. Co-defendant Tavarus Thompson pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024, and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, the spree began on January 12, 2022, with the gunpoint robbery of a gas station on 18th Street, NE, Washington, D.C. It ended on March 6, 2022, when law enforcement stopped a stolen car at the intersection of 1st Street and Gallatin Street, NW, and its occupants fled on foot. Stephon Harrigan forced his way into a woman’s vehicle and ordered her to drive him away, but the car collided with an unmarked MPD vehicle. Law enforcement then arrested him.
During the first three months of 2022, Stephon Harrigan and/or Tavarus Thompson, along with, at times, other individuals, entered an additional approximately 34 establishments while armed with at least one firearm. In general, they brandished at least one gun and demanded money. They generally obtained cash or other property of the establishments, as well as, at times, property belonging to individuals in the establishments.
On March 6, 2022, law enforcement captured Stephon Harrigan. Tavarus Thompson was arrested in South Carolina on March 18, 2022, and Aaron Harrigan was arrested on March 29, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina Field Office, and the Mount Rainier, Md., Prince George’s County, Md., and Montgomery County, Md. Police Departments.
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. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kinskey and Andrea Duvall, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher.
22cr104
Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Shooting Restaurant WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Davis Jr., 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated assault while armed for a 2023 shooting in a carry-out restaurant located in the 1400 block of H Street NE. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On July 26, 2024, Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Davis to 84 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised probation. The defendant was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act over the government’s objection.
According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendant agreed, at approximately 12:30 pm on May 24, 2023, Davis entered a carry-out restaurant in the 1400 block of H Street NE to pick up a food order. As soon as Davis reached the counter, the victim threw a plastic bag at Davis, consistent with a food order. Davis quickly grabbed the plastic bag and threw it back at the victim. Davis then pulled out a concealed handgun from his waistband and fired multiple times, hitting the victim, before fleeing to his girlfriend’s home. Davis was arrested on November 28, 2023 and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed on May 6, 2024.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Nurse Practitioner Indicted in D.C. on Charges of Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucas Allen Fussell, 42, of Onley, Virginia, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that on June 22, 2024, and again on June 30, 2024, Fussell, a former nurse practitioner, distributed numerous image and video files depicting adult men engaged in sexual intercourse with prepubescent minor boys.
According to court documents, between December 20, 2023, and February 7, 2024, Fussell used an anonymous account on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to exchange videos and images containing child pornography with another individual whose phone was later seized and searched by the FBI pursuant to a search warrant. In the course of those conversations, Fussell shared details that revealed his identity. Those details included his home address, a description of his vehicle, and numerous comments about examining the genitals of patients—some as young as 11 years old—that he saw in the course of his work as a nurse practitioner. In June 2024, an undercover agent with the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force used the seized phone to respond to a message from Fussell on the end-to-end encrypted messaging app. On June 22, 2024, and again on June 30, 2024, Fussell sent the undercover agent numerous images and videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of prepubescent boys.
On July 16, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Fussell’s residence in Onley, Virginia, and seized numerous encrypted electronic devices. Fussell was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained detained ever since.
Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guideline and other statutory factors.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Onley Police Department, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Anyone with additional information about Fussell’s alleged conduct is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or to submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
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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Convicted Felon Indicted on Federal Charges for Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rasheed Jenkins, 25, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges arising out of armed carjackings he allegedly committed in August 2023 and January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The superseding indictment, unsealed today, charges Jenkins with two counts of carjacking, two related counts of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Jenkins committed armed carjackings on August 25, 2023, and January 26, 2024. The indictment further alleges that on August 26, 2023, and February 2, 2024, Jenkins unlawfully possessed semi-automatic pistols and ammunition. Federal law prohibits Jenkins from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was previously convicted, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, of offenses that are punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
According to Court documents, on August 25, 2023, Jenkins carjacked a man at gunpoint outside a residence in Southeast Washington, D.C., taking a Dodge Charger. After MPD’s Air Support Unit spotted the carjacked vehicle and illuminated it with a spotlight, Jenkins fled through the District before abandoning the vehicle in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. MPD officers found Jenkins hiding near the basement entrance of a row home in the block, and they recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield 9mm semi-automatic pistol from a mailbox just feet away. On January 26, 2024, Jenkins and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a woman at gunpoint outside of a convenience store in Capitol Heights, Maryland, taking a BMW 328i. A week later, on February 2, 2024, officers with the Forest Heights Police Department spotted the carjacked BMW in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and attempted a traffic stop. Jenkins fled at a high rate of speed, leading officers on a chase into the District of Columbia. He ultimately abandoned the vehicle in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C., and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. Officers recovered a loaded Glock 30 Gen4 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from the vehicle’s backseat. DNA testing and analysis linked Jenkins to the firearms recovered during his August 2023 and February 2024 arrests. In addition, ATF Special Agents later obtained historical cell site location data for Jenkins’ cellphone, which revealed that Jenkins’ phone was present near the scenes of both the August 2023 and January 2024 armed carjackings.
A federal grand jury previously indicted Jenkins for his February 2, 2024, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jenkins was arrested on July 4, 2024, and has remained detained ever since. The case is assigned to the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Jenkins faces a mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division’s Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension Group (SPARTA). Valuable assistance was provided by MPD, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Forest Heights Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Cameron A. Tepfer with significant assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Toth.