District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 20, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging her with destruction of federal property. -This complaint alleges that Giordano spray painted several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

            Giordano will make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. She is charged with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.

           “Politically motivated violent and destructive behavior, regardless its motivation, is a crime—not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s federal prosecution should make clear that those who engage in politically motivated violence and destruction in the District of Columbia should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We anticipate more charges in connection with the criminal conduct that occurred on July 24, 2024.  And we ask for the public’s continued assistance in identifying individuals who engaged in criminal conduct.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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WASHINGTON – Ronald Lamont Jenkins, 36, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for the June 2022 armed robbery of a TD Bank in Northeast Washington D.C. and ordered to pay $8,345.00 in restitution to TD Bank. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Jenkins pleaded guilty on May 12, 2024, to a one count indictment charging him with bank robbery before Judge Randolph D. Moss in the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, Judge Moss ordered Jenkins to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, FBI agents and MPD officers responded on June 13, 2022, to the TD Bank branch on the 900 block of Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, D.C. Upon arrival, FBI agents met with the victim teller at the bank. The teller told agents that soon after the branch’s security guard went on break, an unknown man entered the bank, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, neon yellow/green gloves, and brown boots. The man approached the counter and ordered the teller “open the drawer.” The teller did not realize what the man had said at first. The man repeated “open the drawer.” As the teller looked up, the man lifted his shirt to display the handle of a handgun located in his waistband. The teller opened the register. The man reached over the counter and grabbed more than $8,000. As he fled, he dropped several of the stolen bills in the bank’s vestibule.

            FBI agents canvassed the area and reviewed commercial and residential surveillance video. The video showed the bank robber traveling on foot northbound in the alley east of 10th Street, Northeast. Agents discovered a blue left-foot water shoe along a fence line adjacent to a residential yard on the 2400 block of 10th Street, Northeast. During their search, agents recovered a pair of neon yellow gloves, a black Calvin Klein hooded sweatshirt, a pair of brown Nike size 8.5 men’s shoes, gray “Champion” sweatpants, a black mask, and two plastic grocery-style bags, one of which contained a $100 bill with fingerprints. The agents noted that the clothing was “soaked in sweat,” which was consistent with that day’s temperature of 91 degrees with a heat index as high as 97 degrees.

            FBI agents tracked the suspect’s movements from a nearby liquor store to the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station in Prince Georges, County. Based on the evidence recovered, agents deduced he likely lived in Maryland.

            The FBI reviewed law enforcement reports from other robberies in the DMV, specifically those involving the modus operandi of wearing two sets of clothes to commit the robbery and removing the outer clothes shortly after to make a getaway. Agents learned of the knife-point robbery on August 5, 2021, at a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store in Bowie, Maryland.

            In that robbery’s immediate aftermath, Bowie City police officers received a call of a suspicious male running through residential backyards near the Lowe’s. Soon after, a man was seen walking out of the wood line behind the caller’s residence. Officers stopped Ronald Lamont Jenkins, whose clothes were wet. Prince George’s County K9 Officers searched of the immediate area. The K9 led officers directly from Jenkins into the wood line where they recovered a $20 bill, a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants with green zipper pockets, and black shoes with white soles. The clothes matched those worn by the suspect in the robbery of the Lowe’s. Investigators recovered DNA samples from the clothing. Later analysis showed the DNA on the clothing matched DNA recovered from items discarded after the bank robbery.

            The FBI arrested Jenkins on November 14, 2023.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, and the police department of Prince George’s County, Md.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James Nelson of the Federal Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON -- Terence D. Sutton Jr., 40, a Fourth District police officer, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison and Andrew Zabavsky, 56, an MPD lieutenant, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, in connection with an unauthorized police pursuit that ended in a collision on Oct. 23, 2020, that caused the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, in Northwest Washington D.C.  The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.

            Sutton was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a unanimous federal jury on December 21, 2022, following a nine-week trial, of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct, and obstruction of justice. The same jury found Zabavsky guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice. In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release.

            “The jury in this case found the defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for their roles in the murder of Karon Hylton Brown and a related cover up, affirming that what happened here was a serious crime,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Public safety requires public trust. Crimes like this erode that trust and are a disservice to the community and the thousands of officers who work incredibly hard, within the bounds of the Constitution, to keep us safe.”

        “The FBI follows the rule of law and works to hold those accountable who violate the law, no matter who they are,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “The community and fellow law enforcement officers deserve trusted officers that do not abuse their positions of trust and power or put the public at risk. Today’s sentencings show the weight of the crimes and the significance of the criminal justice system and processes at work.”

            The jury found that Sutton caused Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death by driving a police vehicle in conscious disregard for an extreme risk of death or serious bodily injury to Mr. Hylton-Brown. The jury further found that Sutton and Zabavsky conspired to hide from MPD officials the circumstances of the traffic crash leading to Mr. Hylton-Brown’s death, thereby obstructing justice.

           As the evidence at trial showed, at the time of the offense, Sutton was assigned to the Crime Suppression Team in MPD’s Fourth Police District. Zabavsky supervised the Fourth Police District’s Crime Suppression Team officers, including Sutton. At about 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, officers observed Mr. Hylton-Brown, 20, driving a moped, helmetless, on a sidewalk in the Brightwood Park area of Northwest Washington. Mr. Hylton-Brown, who was unarmed, ignored Sutton’s attempt to stop him and drove off. Sutton then began chasing Mr. Hylton-Brown on neighborhood streets for minutes, over more than 10 blocks, at unreasonable speeds, and at one point proceeding the wrong way up a one-way street. In the pursuit’s final moments, Sutton followed Mr. Hylton-Brown into a narrow alley, turned off his car’s emergency lights and siren, and accelerated behind the moped. When Mr. Hylton-Brown reached the street at the mouth of the alley, he was struck by an uninvolved oncoming motorist. As Mr. Hylton-Brown lay unconscious in the street in a pool of his own blood, Sutton and Zabavsky, agreed to cover up what Sutton had done to prevent any further investigation of the incident.

            Neither Sutton, as the lead officer at the scene, nor Zabavsky, the ranking MPD official, preserved the crash scene for investigators; they allowed the driver of the car that struck Hylton-Brown to leave the scene within 20 minutes of the crash. They then turned off their own body worn cameras, conferred privately, and left. Zabavsky designated no other MPD official to supervise the scene upon his own departure. Sutton further compromised the integrity of the crash scene by driving his MPD car directly over the crash site, audibly crushing pieces of debris from the collision as he left. At no point did either defendant contact MPD’s Major Crash Unit (MCU) or its Internal Affairs Division (IAD) to initiate an investigation by those units.

            Sutton and Zabavsky continued the cover up back at the police station. First, they misled their commanding officer about the nature of the incident by substantially downplaying its seriousness, denying that a police chase had even occurred, and omitting any mention of Mr. Hylton-Brown’s critical injuries. Zabavsky also falsely implied that Mr. Hylton-Brown had been a drunk driver. Both defendants also hid their direct involvement in the incident, thereby avoiding the assignment of other, uninvolved MPD officials to investigate what had happened. Sutton drafted a police report that memorialized a false narrative of the incident. Despite video evidence to the contrary, his false narrative gave the impression that no police pursuit had occurred, that officers had lost sight of Mr. Hylton-Brown and were engaged in a “canvass” of him in the area until shortly before the crash, and that the officers were wholly uninvolved with the fatal collision in any way. The defendant’s account also described Mr. Hylton Brown’s observable injuries only as “superficial abrasions on [his] left eyebrow line.”

            Mr. Hylton-Brown, suffering from severe head trauma, died on Oct. 25, 2020.

            This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, Anthony Antwon McNair, 36, and Erin Sheffey, 29, were found guilty by a federal jury today for their involvement in a series of armed robberies of Brinks armored cars in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the loss of approximately $1.2 million. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The jury convicted all three defendants of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery.  The jury also convicted Brock and McNair of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2025.

            The offenses related to three robberies of Brinks armored trucks occurring on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brinks armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million.

              According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on D.C. city streets while doing so.  Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at approximately 9 a.m. in the morning and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public.  Testimony in the case revealed the conspirators used assault rifles, such as the one pictured below and recovered by law enforcement, to carry out their assault.

An AR-15 Weapon Used by The Defendants During the Armed Robberies

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

            Defendant Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and timings that the Brinks driver would arrive, in order to ensure the robbery team was in place. When the Brinks driver would exit his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a bank or local business, the robbers would ambush him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he turned over his courier bag, who still carries injures today from being assaulted in the robberies.

            Some of the defendants used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases.  For example, within two days of the robberies, Defendant Brock purchased vehicles in cash totally over $36,000. In addition, a member of Choppa City who was present during the planning of the armed robberies testified against the defendants. 

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation WFO Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by AUSAs Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.

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WASHINGTON – Kylee Palmer, 25, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from a day-time shooting on February 12, 2020, in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Palmer was found guilty by a jury on September 11, 2024, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, felony destruction of property, and tampering with evidence. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2024.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 11, 2020, Palmer got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend and stole her cell phone. After exchanging calls with the ex-girlfriend’s brother in the early hours of February 12, 2020, at approximately 11:01 a.m., Palmer drove a stolen black Nissan Altima, with another individual inside, past 843 51st Street Southeast, where they fired six bullets into the ex-girlfriend’s family home. One of those shots broke through a living room window and struck Barron Goodwin, a 60-year-old innocent bystander, in the head as he slept on a couch in the living room. About an hour later, after Palmer fled the scene, he burned the vehicle used in the shooting in an alley near the 800 block of Chesapeake Street Southeast.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Christopher Carson, Lisa Lindhorst, and Julia Cosans, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Quenton Jones, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for threats he made to his ex-girlfriend and the February 2024 arson at her apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced Jones to 234 months (19.5 years) in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            Jones was found guilty on May 24, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of one count of arson, two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of felony threats, one count of felony destruction of property, and multiple counts of felony contempt. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on December 28, 2023, Jones threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, the victim, after he accused her of cheating on him. On February 2, 2024, he violated a Stay Away No Contact Order by calling her multiple times and leaving demeaning voicemails on her phone. Then, on February 3, 2024, at approximately 3:00 am, Jones went to the victim’s apartment and wrote on her front door, with a black marker, her personal information and a list of sex acts he said she would do in exchange for money.  He returned three hours later and set a piece of paper on fire, shoving it under her front door, causing her front door to catch fire. This fire forced all the residents of the apartment building to evacuate the building. After Jones was arrested, he continued to contact the victim from jail and wrote a handwritten letter to her right before trial.  

            In making its recommendation, the government argued that Jones showed “little remorse for his actions, which posed a significant risk to the victim’s life.”  The government pointed out not only to the psychological damage Jones inflicted onto the victim but also the “security risk he poses for the entire community.”

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Reshawn Johnson, Tiffany Jones, Johnny DaSilva, Sigourney Jackson, Shanika McCullough, and Nelson Rhone.  U.S. Attorney Graves also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Monisha Rao from the Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - North Carolina automotive parts manufacturer and seller, Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. (Rudy’s), and its owner, Aaron Rudolf, have agreed to pay a total of $10 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for manufacturing, selling and installing devices, commonly known as “defeat devices,” used to remove or disable required emissions controls in motor vehicles.

            Rudy’s pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Washington, D.C., for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden for the District of Columbia ordered Rudy’s to pay a criminal fine of $2.4 million and to complete a three-year period of organizational probation, consistent with a plea agreement. Rudolf, sole owner and chief executive officer of Rudy’s, previously pleaded guilty for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with monitoring devices on approximately 300 diesel trucks, which involved the installation of defeat devices on those trucks. He was sentenced in April to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $600,000 criminal fine. 

            Separate from the criminal actions, the Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a civil suit in 2022 against Rudy’s and Rudolf for violating the Clean Air Act by manufacturing, selling and installing defeat devices and failing to adequately respond to the EPA’s formal requests for information. Under a consent decree filed July 29, 2024, Rudy’s and Rudolf will pay a $7 million civil penalty for those violations. The consent decree would also prohibit them from making, selling, offering to sell and installing defeat devices, transferring intellectual property that would allow others to make or sell defeat devices and investing in or profiting from defeat devices manufactured or sold by other businesses. The decree is subject to court approval.

             “Defeat devices, such as those sold by Rudy’s, can lead to pollution at high levels that pose health risks and harm the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This plea agreement and civil settlement show that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and emissions controls requirements for motor vehicles.”

             “For too many years, companies like Rudy’s have installed Illegal defeat devices to evade the public health protections of the Clean Air Act, to the detriment of communities across America,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that EPA will vigorously pursue criminal and civil penalties until this blatant illegal behavior comes to an end.” 

             “Those selling defeat devices are willing to pollute the environment so that they can personally profit,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Today’s sentencing makes clear that there will be significant consequences for those who traffic in these devices.  Anyone considering peddling or installing these devices is on notice of the substantial costs of doing so.”

             “The Clean Air Act’s protections are essential for the health and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Tampering with emissions controls adds excess pollutants to the air we breathe and harms both public health and the environment. Settlements like these are essential to hold entities who violate the Clean Air Act accountable and to prevent harmful air pollution.”

            According to court documents in the criminal case, Rudy’s sold defeat devices, known as delete tuners, which tampered with the on-board diagnostic systems (OBDs) of vehicles. Rudy’s top selling product was the Mini Maxx delete tuner originally manufactured by another company, identified in court documents as “Company A.” Rudy’s also sold the XRT Pro, another Company A delete tuner. After Company A stopped making these tuners, Rudy’s conspired with others to manufacture imitation Company A tuners. Rudy’s reached an agreement with a software technician to convert certain tuners into imitation Company A tuners. That agreement ran from July 2015 through December 2016, when the software technician stopped converting tuners.

After that, Rudy’s manufactured the imitation delete tuners in-house using a laptop computer that Rudy’s purchased for $850,000. The laptop contained software to convert tuners into imitation Company A tuners. In-house manufacturing lasted from about December 2016 through July 2018. In total, Rudy’s sold approximately 43,900 imitation tuners, generating about $33 million in revenue.

            The civil lawsuit alleges that from at least 2014 through mid-2019, Rudy’s and Rudolf manufactured and sold over 250,000 products designed to remove or disable EPA-mandated emissions controls. These products included hardware parts such as plates that block a vehicle’s exhaust gas recirculation system and pipes that replace pollution treatment components in a vehicle’s exhaust system.

            Disabling or removing emissions controls and tampering with the OBD of a diesel truck causes its emissions — including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and non-methane hydrocarbons — to increase significantly. Diesel exhaust is a mobile source air toxic because it poses cancer and noncancer health risks. In the civil complaint, the EPA estimates that the number of products sold by Rudy’s amounted to adding about 1 million vehicles’ worth of pollution to America’s roads.

            The $7 million that Rudy’s and Rudolf will pay pursuant to the consent decree was based on their financial capability.

            The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the criminal case.

            Senior Counsel Krishna S. Dighe and Trial Attorney Stephen J. Foster of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Blackwell for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the criminal case. Senior Counsel Elizabeth L. Loeb of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassie Crawford and Rebecca Mayer for the Middle District of North Carolina and Attorney-Adviser Lauren Tozzi of EPA’s Air Enforcement Division are handling the civil case.

            The consent decree was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. It is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the Court. A copy of the consent decree and information on submitting comments is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. 

            Stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for the EPA. You can learn more about the EPA’s criminal enforcement actions on defeat devices here and here.

WASHINGTON – Robert Moses, 25, of Washington, D.C., and James Mayfield, 25, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced to decades in prison for the murder of Jamahri Sydnor and wounding of three others in a daytime shooting in August 2017 in Northeast D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Moses to 61 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Mayfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            Moses and Mayfield were found guilty on December 8, 2022, by a Superior Court jury of one count of conspiracy, one count of first-degree murder while armed (premediated), two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed (one with aggravating circumstances), one count of aggravated assault while armed (with aggravating circumstances), one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Moses was also convicted of two counts of obstructing justice, and because he was on pre-trial release at the time of the offenses, faced additional penalties. Mayfield is charged in a separate multiple-count indictment, including two counts of murder, for a three-day crime spree that occurred December 24-27, 2017.  Trial in that case is scheduled to begin January 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, at around 3:30 p.m., on August 10, 2017, Moses and Mayfield, each armed with firearms, approached on foot the busy neighborhood intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues Northeast, where numerous people were outside, in and around area. Both defendants opened fire across Montana Avenue towards the people on Saratoga Avenue, collectively firing over ten rounds. As they fired their weapons indiscriminately, Jamahri Sydnor, the 17-year-old daughter of retired MPD Homicide Detective and Sgt. Que Wallace, who was driving through the intersection with her 12-year-old nephew, was struck in the head by a bullet. After being struck, she lost control of the car, and it crashed into another parked car.  Her nephew was injured by the shattering glass caused by the bullet that struck Ms. Sydnor, which traveled through the front passenger window.  A third victim was shot as he stood on the corner speaking with friends, and another innocent bystander shattered his leg, after throwing himself from his wheelchair, attempting to take cover from the hail of gunfire. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Robert Cephas and Lesley Slade; former Victim/Witness Security Specialist Wanda M. Queen; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Lashone Samuels, and Grazy Rivera; former Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Lenerz who provided Appellate support, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Aaron Jackson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the June 2021 stabbing death of Damohn Gill, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Jackson to 40 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed, three years in prison for carrying a dangerous weapon, and five years of supervised release.

            Jackson was found guilty on May 22, 2024, in D.C. Superior Court, for one count of first-degree murder while armed and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon.

           According to the government’s evidence, at 7:50 p.m., on Thursday, June 24, 2021, the victim, Damohn Gill, 27, of Washington, D.C., pulled into the parking lot of the Orchard Park Apartments with his pregnant girlfriend. The defendant, who arrived a minute later, parked his vehicle on the street near the parking lot. After both men got out of their cars and hugged on the sidewalk, they briefly spoke to each other before Jackson pulled out a knife and aggressively approached Mr. Gill.  Mr. Gill raised his hands in the air at which point the defendant grabbed the victim by the throat. Mr. Gill pulled away and attempted to run, but Jackson held onto the victim and proceeded to stab him nine times in the back, face, arm, and abdomen. Jackson then fled the scene. A few days after the murder, the defendant posted to Instagram to brag about killing the victim.

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

            Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner and Marybeth Manfreda, who prosecuted and tried the case. AUSA Peter Roman who investigated the case, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialists April Urbanowski and Lauren Douglas, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Supervisory Security Specialist Lesley Slade, Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Shanika McCullough.

WASHINGTON – Marcus Walker, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, by Superior Court Judge Robert Okun in the shooting death of Erik King on October 11, 2022, in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Walker was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on May 7, 2024, of second-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as second degree cruelty to children, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

            In addition to the prison term, Judge Okun ordered Walker to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, Walker was living in the living room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. On October 11, 2022, the defendant became upset that his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Erik King, were engaged in sexual relations in the bedroom of the apartment. After sending his ex-girlfriend aggressive text messages for approximately an hour, Walker burst into the locked bedroom door and told the two to stop having sex. When the couple ignored his demands, the defendant shot Mr. King twice in the chest and scrotum area. Mr. King died on scene. A six-year-old child was also present in the bedroom when the shots were fired. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocates Karina Hernandez and Latrice Washington-Williams, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling and IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, former Victim Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegals Lauren Douglas, Mabry Johnson, Stephanie Gilbert, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Shanika McCullough, and Intern Tariq Abdel-Wakil.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case at trial.

            WASHINGTON—A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Dana Garnett, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a former District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) employee, with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. The indictment also charges Yelake Meseretu, 40, owner of U.S. Office Solutions, a vendor of goods to DCPS, with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for Garnett steering business to Meseretu’s business, and for accepting significantly fewer supplies than ordered in exchange for the bribe payments.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            The indictment alleges that over the course of at least five years, Garnett accepted payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders awarded to the vendors that were paid in full by DCPS. According to the indictment, however, Garnett and co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, another former DCPS employee had coordinated with the vendors to deliver a lesser amount of goods than were listed on the orders. Based on false certifications made by or at the direction of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the orders as if the orders had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and Bailey in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area.  

            In several related cases, three defendants have accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Patricia Bailey pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement and information filed in October 2023 in U.S. District Court. Two of the vendors who made cash payments to Garnett and Bailey have also pleaded guilty: Donald McWhirter, owner of General Merchandise, and Duane King, owner of American Business Supplies (ABS), for their roles in the scheme. King additionally pleaded guilty to his role in a similar scheme in which King made bribe payments to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services Department (DC FEMS) employees Charity Keys and Louis Mitchell in return for the award of business by DC FEMS to King’s company and for the authorization of payments to King’s company for goods that were not actually delivered. Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.

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

            This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with embezzling over $320,000 from a District non-profit advocacy organization, according to an indictment unsealed today.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Lewis was arrested yesterday. The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and October 2022, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. On at least 35 occasions, Lewis used his position to misdirect hundreds of thousands in payments to bank accounts he controlled, while falsely designating the payments to a vendor for “digital” services and creating other false documentation to hide the embezzlement. Lewis also allegedly misused the organization’s credit card on at least eleven occasions to purchase airfare for travel by Lewis and his friends and family.

            Lewis is charged with nine counts of wire fraud.  If convicted, he would face up to 20 years in prison. 

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

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WASHINGTON – Alphonso Lorenzo Murray, 50, and Marquete Alonzo Murray, 31, both of Washington D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for participating in an open-air narcotics market operating on the 100 block of Yuma Street, in Southeast.

            The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced Alphonso Murray today to 45 months in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Alphonso Murray pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. In his plea agreement, Alphonso Murray acknowledged that he was accountable for distributing 42.179 grams of fentanyl, 15.87 grams of fentanyl analogue, and 5.67 grams of crack cocaine.

            Judge Nichols sentenced Marquete Murray to 60 months and prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release. Marquete Murray, Alphonso’s son, pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Marquete Murray acknowledged that law enforcement recovered weapons from his home in Northeast on two occasions. On July 19, 2023, HSI agents seized a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson with an obliterated serial number loaded with 13 rounds ammunition and an additional 37 rounds of ammo. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents recovered a Glock pistol with a 17-round magazine.

            According to court documents, law enforcement began an investigation into an open-air drug market in December 2022, operating around the 100 block of Yuma Street Southeast. Agents identified several men who worked together to distribute a variety of drugs. On August 9, 2023, an HSI undercover bought 9.03 grams of fentanyl pre-packaged into 60 plastic bags from Marquete Murray who was assisted in the sale by his father. On September 21, 2023, an undercover officer from the MPD bought 10 grams of fentanyl in 56 small bags from Alphonso Murray. On October 5, 2023, the MPD undercover bought an additional 15.87 grams of fentanyl from Alphonso Murray.

            On November 29, 2023, HSI agents arrested Alphonso Murray at his home on the 200 block of Adams Street, NE, where they also recovered 5.67 grams of crack cocaine. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents arrested Marquete Murray at his apartment on the 700 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE.

            The arrests were part of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in many more prosecutions of fentanyl dealers in and around the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Andrea Duvall and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – Erik Antonio Hernandez Pineda, 27, recently of Washington D.C., was sentenced today for illegally possessing and discharging a pistol twice within the District during September 2023 and for using the firearm to persistently terrorize his wife. Hernandez Pineda, who is a citizen of El Salvador and an alleged associate of the multinational gang Calle 18, or 18th Street, is in the United States unlawfully and knew that as a noncitizen it was illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the charged possession, he was also subject to a domestic violence protective order barring him from possessing a firearm.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Hernandez Pineda, aka “Lucky,” pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States. Today he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Hernandez Pineda faces deportation following his prison term.

            According to court documents, Hernandez Pineda purchased a 9mm Springfield XD firearm on January 20, 2023. An FBI investigation into the 18th Street gang began focusing on Hernandez Pineda when investigators learned he had purchased the charged firearm from an 18th Street gang member. Specifically, the pistol had been used in a shooting on January 11, 2023, on a Washington, D.C. Metrobus where two children (aged 6 and 9 at the time) were shot as bystanders after an altercation broke out between two individuals.

            Review of a phone recovered from the 18th Street gang member eventually linked the sale of the gun to Hernandez Pineda. On September 18, 2023, Hernandez Pineda recorded a video of himself shooting the pistol into the air. The same minute this video was recorded, at 1:37 am, the MPD received a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity of the Hernandez Pineda’s residence. MPD recovered two 9mm shell casings nearby. These were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and yielded a lead to the January 11, 2023, Metrobus shooting. On September 24, 2023, at about 6:48 PM, MPD received another ShotSpotter alert from the area near Hernandez Pineda’s residence. Officers responded and recovered one 9mm shell casing in the alley behind the building.

            Between these two shootings, on September 20, 2023, Hernandez Pineda pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges in Alexandria, Virginia, but was admitted to a diversionary program that granted him a two-year probationary term to comply with the conditions of the program. This plea also included a final order of protection that barred him from possessing a firearm and required him to sign an acknowledgement of that fact.

            On December 8, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hernandez Pineda’s residence and recovered three live 9mm rounds from a drawer. Law enforcement also recovered his cell phone. Hernandez Pineda admitted to possessing the Springfield XD 9mm pistol. Law enforcement reviewed Hernandez Pineda’s phone after his arrest and learned that, not only did he discharge this firearm twice, he also used it as part of his persistent harassment and intimidation of his wife following his arrest on May 17, 2023, for alleged domestic violence and assault.

            This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Washington D.C., the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

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Note: View the indictments for District of Columbia cases #24-cr-403 and #24-cr-404. 

The Department of Justice today unsealed two indictments charging Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions.

As alleged in the first indictment, Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation. 

From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.

Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.

As alleged in the second indictment, Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on Feb. 23, 2023 for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. From at least in or around February 2023 through the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.

In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating both cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

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

WASHINGTON – Rodger Bonilla Vargas, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for maintaining a stash house for a cocaine trafficker, facilitating the distribution of large quantities of cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Washington, D.C., and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bonilla Vargas, aka “Paki,” pleaded guilty to involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. As part of the plea agreement, Bonilla Vargas – who is a Honduran national and is in the U.S. unlawfully – admitted he was accountable for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 32-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge ordered Bonilla Vargas to serve three years of supervised release. He is also facing deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison sentence.

            According to court documents, beginning in March 2023 and continuing until August 2023, Bonilla Vargas’ co-conspirators -- Jorge Cruz Maldonado, Vladimir Roque Ceron, Francisco Rosales Diaz, Cila Melgar Rodriguez, and others -- conspired to sell approximately 771 grams of cocaine and 11.62 grams of fentanyl (111 pills) to a DEA confidential source. On multiple occasions between March 2023 and August 2023, in the District of Columbia, Bonilla Vargas agreed to store significant quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine, at his residence on behalf of one of his co-conspirators. Bonilla Vargas was aware that the substances he was storing were illegal controlled substances, and that Melgar Rodriguez intended to distribute these controlled substances.

            Specifically, on August 18, 2023, Bonilla Vargas knowingly stored cocaine weighing approximately 3.6 kilograms at his residence in service of Melgar Rodriguez’s drug trafficking operation. When Melgar Rodriguez arrived at the Bonilla Vargas residence to retrieve the cocaine, Bonilla Vargas provided the package to Melgar Rodriguez so that Melgar Rodriguez could give the narcotics to Cruz Maldonado and others to sell to the confidential source.

            Prior to his involvement in the narcotics conspiracy, Bonilla Vargas was arrested on November 30, 2023, by ICE in Chantilly, Va., on a charge of alien present without admission. He currently is under removal proceedings.

            Two of Bonilla-Vargas’s co-conspirators have been sentenced as part of this case. Vladimir Roque Cerone pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and was sentenced on July 11, 2024, to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Erik Rivera Garcia pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rivera Garcia was sentenced Wednesday to 62 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.

            This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO).  The VRTO’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking. VRTO places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders. 

            This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel.

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            WASHINGTON –Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia, are charged by indictments with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office.

            The first indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by OFAC on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation. 

            From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes, and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of ten employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri Simes and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.

            “These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine,” said US Attorney Graves. “Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated.”

            Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

            A second indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on February 23, 2023, for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. Between at least February 2023 and the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.

(Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.)

            In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

            The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating both cases.  The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

            The case is part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The task force leverages all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

WASHINGTON – Tyrell Lamont Bailey, 27, of Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, was arrested last night and charged by criminal complaint with multiple counts in connection with a handgun he discarded along I-295 in Northeast Washington D.C. The firearm later discharged and killed Investigator Wayne David, 52, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Bailey had an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. He is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and unlawfully discarding a firearm and ammunition.

            According to court documents, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit (RSU) were patrolling in the area of the 1600 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE, about 5:30 p.m. on August 28, 2024, when they spotted a man with long black dreadlocks sprint away from them. As he fled, the man held the waistband of his shorts in a manner consistent with carrying a concealed firearm. The officers gave chase as the man ran through the DC Public Housing Complex on the 4400 block of Quarles Street and then jumped a retaining wall that borders Interstate 295. Officers saw the man drop something into a storm drain on the shoulder of southbound lane of the highway. The man then ran further, crossed to the northbound side of the interstate, flagged down a passing motorcyclist, and fled the area going northbound riding on the back of the motorcycle.

            Investigator Wayne David attempted to recover the firearm from the storm drain. While doing so, the firearm discharged and killed him. Technicians from the Department of Forensic Sciences responded to scene about 7 p.m., removed the metal grate covering the storm drain, and recovered a Smith & Wesson M+P Shield 40, .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number. DFS also recovered a white shoe from the southbound side of I-295 near Quarles Street NE where the man was captured by video jumping over the wall.

            Detectives were later able to identify the defendant through a review of related video surveillance.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF's NIBIN Investigations Unit which includes members of the ATF and MPD. Valuable assistance is being provided by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters.

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

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WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 31, of Hyattsville, MD., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for committing 10 robberies – six of which while armed with a firearm – in Georgetown and Glover Park during a five-month period between August 2023 and January 2024. Moreover, he robbed two of the victims repeatedly with one of the stores being robbed by him three separate times, including at gunpoint on Thanksgiving.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            McBean, who formerly worked for the Architect of the Capitol, admitted to committing all 10 robberies. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024, to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered McBean to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on August 22, 2023, McBean first used a small hammer to rob a Sunoco gas station on the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW. McBean told the store clerk: “don't touch anything, don't say anything, this is hard for me.” He then ordered the store clerk to open register, which McBean then emptied entirely.

            On August 31, 2023, McBean used a small vegetable knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits on the 2700 block of P street, NW. After checking for customers, McBean pointed the blade at the employee working the counter and demanded both the money from the register as well as the employee’s wallet. On the way out of the store, he grabbed a bottle of red wine. On September 18, 2023, McBean was stymied when he brandished a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits on the 2000 block of Florida Ave. A customer saw what was happening and barked, “Not today, Get out!” McBean fled without taking any cash.

            On November 23, 2023, on Thanksgiving Thursday, McBean wore a mask and gloves and entered the Glover Park Market on the 2400 block of 37th Street, NW. Armed with a black firearm, he robbed the register of cash.  McBean would later rob this store three more times. On December 8, 2023, McBean entered an Exxon gas station in Georgetown, on the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW, produced a gun, and left with a small amount of money. On December 8, 2023, McBean returned to the Sunoco gas station on Wisconsin Ave., produced his firearm, and ordered the employee to empty the register in a bag. On December 16, 2023, McBean returned to the Glover Park Market, where the same individual he had robbed at gunpoint on Thanksgiving was on duty. McBean went behind the counter, opened the register, and took the cash, multiple lottery tickets, and a plastic bag.

            On December 20, 2023, McBean returned to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits shop and ordered an employee to empty the register. The employee told McBean that he didn’t have a key to the register. McBean pulled out a gun and again demanded money. The employee picked up the entire register and handed it to McBean. McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back. Unsuccessful, McBean left the store.

On January 4, 2024, McBean entered Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners on the 3000 block of Q Street NW. McBean picked up a bottle of wine, set it on the counter, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. The employee said the market did not accept cash. Flustered, McBean went back over to the shelf of wine and asked where the red wine was located. When the clerk pointed out that he had already grabbed red wine, he took the bottle and left the store without paying for it.  

            On January 5, 2024, McBean once again returned to the Glover Park Market armed with a handgun and ordered an employee to fill a bag with cash. In addition to the money, McBean took lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes. On January 8, 2024, at 6:06 p.m., McBean, once again wearing gloves and a mask, returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The store employee on duty recognized him as the same person who had robbed her on Thanksgiving and December 16, 2023.

            Then a police officer spotted McBean as he left the store and noticed he matched the description of a perpetrator from previous robberies from the market. The officer was able to identify the license plate from the vehicle McBean used to leave the scene, which led to his eventual arrest and indictment later that month.

            Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on January 26, 2024.

            Because each of the six stores that McBean robbed bought and sold goods in interstate commerce, McBean’s actions in each of the robberies delayed, obstructed, or affected interstate commerce.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Ryan Lipes and Omeed A. Assefi.

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WASHINGTON – Three alleged conspirators – Chidi Olujie, 36, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Maryland and the District of Columbia, Jennifer Chibueze, 36, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Maryland, and Jessica Nortey, 32, a Ghanaian citizen and resident of Maryland – are charged with conspiring to launder over $1 million in proceeds from a romance scam and other online frauds, according to an indictment unsealed today.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            “Online fraud schemes require people who are willing and able to launder the money stolen through these schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s indictment reflects our commitment to aggressively prosecute the launderers whom we believe are enabling the fraudsters.”

            "In today's digital world, online scams are innumerable, so the FBI encourages you to remain vigilant whenever you're banking, shopping, or looking for a relationship online. The defendants in this case allegedly conspired to launder over $1 million in proceeds from multiple victims using various fraud schemes. Their indictment demonstrates the FBI's commitment to investigating fraudsters no matter what type of scam they perpetrate."

            As charged in the indictment, between 2016 and 2019, Olujie, Chibueze, and Nortey each played roles in laundering the proceeds of different online scams. Among other things, they allegedly created companies and bank accounts that they then used to move and launder money obtained in fraud schemes, which included:

• $774,150 from a victim of an online romance scam in 2017 through 2018;
• $84,320 from victims who believed they were consummating a business transaction in 2018;
• $140,000 stolen from a victim’s bank account in 2019; and
• over $37,000 in funds misdirected from a victim company in 2019 as a result of an email hack – commonly referred to as a “business email compromise” scheme.

            Each of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and aggravated identity theft.  If convicted, the defendants would face up to 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy counts and an additional two years on the identity theft counts.

            Online fraud comes in many forms. Business email compromise (BEC) scams typically involve a combination of computer intrusion techniques and social engineering to misdirect a transfer of funds into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. For example, conspirators might hack a victim company’s computers, monitor their emails, and then use the knowledge they gain to trick customers into sending their payments to a bank account controlled by the conspirators rather than the company’s real account. Romance scams involve impersonating a person who pretends to express romantic interest in a victim in order to build trust over time during an online relationship; scammers then later trick that victim into transferring funds, believing they are helping their romantic interest.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

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WASHINGTON – Americans For Peace Now, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $261,890 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $130,945 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan. 

            The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region.

            In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small business and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document.

            At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, Americans For Peace Now certified to the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.”  It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. Americans For Peace Now contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent.

            Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had Americans For Peace Now been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, Americans For Peace Now agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $261,890.

            The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.

            “Funds allocated for the Paycheck Protection Act Program had a specific purpose: get businesses eligible for the Program through the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When ineligible businesses falsely claimed to be eligible, they harmed both the taxpayers who funded the program and the eligible businesses that needed it.”

            “Misusing SBA program funds is a serious violation that affects the integrity of the assistance programs meant to support those in genuine need,” said Special Agent in Charge McCall-Braithwaite. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources. We appreciate the diligent work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice in this matter.”  

            “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers.

            The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen DeGenaro and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Gary Fox and Kandace Zelaya of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. Americans For Peace Now.

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

WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, returned guilty verdicts against two men charged in the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and an associate who obstructed justice in the case. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The jury found Mark Price, 30 and Antonio Murchison, 31 guilty of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, obstruction of justice, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses.  Both men are members of the “Wellington Park crew.”  Additionally, the jury found Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, guilty of obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the murder of Makiyah Wilson.

            Sentencing hearings are scheduled for December 13, 2024.

            On July 16, 2018, defendants Mark Price, Antonio Murchison, and three other individuals, who have already been convicted, drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. Price, who was driving, briefly stopped to allow the other defendants to exit the vehicle. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately.  Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded.   Despite having witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case. Ramseur lived in or hung out in the Wellington Park neighborhood most of her life and knew most of the defendants, one of whom she identified as her cousin. She was observed on video surveillance interacting with the defendants as they loaded into the vehicles to drive to Clay Terrace to commit the shooting.  Ramseur was also observed on video closely engaging with one of the defendants who orchestrated the attack, but who remained behind.  Despite the obvious familiarity, Ramseur steadfastly refused to identify the individuals with whom she was interacting in the video, resulting in the charge of obstruction of justice. 

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

            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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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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

•           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.

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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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. 

21cr531

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. 

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.

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.

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.