District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Armed Robberies of a Convenience Store and a Fast-Food Restaurant Earn District Man a 90-Month Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damion Byrd, 21, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for the armed robberies of two commercial businesses – a convenience store and a fast-food restaurant – in December 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Byrd pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as a Hobbs Act robbery) on December 20, 2023, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Byrd to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 13, 2022, at 11:41 p.m. Byrd entered a convenience store on the 2300 block of Rhode Island Ave., NE, and asked an employee for juice. The employee told Byrd that the juice was in the refrigerator. Byrd retrieved a bottle of water and walked towards the counter where he tossed a $1 bill. Byrd then pointed a firearm at the employee and stated, “I need the money all the money you have.” The employee emptied the register and handed over the cash.
An hour later, on December 14, 2022, at 12:43 a.m., Byrd drove a silver-colored sedan to the drive-thru window of a fast-food restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave., NE. Byrd exited the vehicle, pointed a firearm at a cashier, and said, “Open the register and I won’t shoot.” The cashier ran away. Byrd reached in the window, grabbed the cash register, and fled in the vehicle.
Byrd was arrested in the District on January 11, 2023, and has been detained since.
This case was investigated by MPD officers and FBI agents who collaborated as members of MPD's Violent Crime Suppression Unit and FBI's Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Karla Nunez provided valuable assistance.
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String of Robberies Lands District Man in Prison for 10 YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Lee, 22, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to just over 10 years in prison for committing a string of six robberies that targeted local businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lee pleaded guilty on April 19, 2024, to two counts of armed robbery, two counts of robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, and one count of second-degree theft. Today, the Honorable Judge Robert Salerno sentenced the defendant to 129 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years’ of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in April 2023 and ending with his arrest in July 2023, Lee robbed a dry cleaner, fast-food restaurants, a pharmacy, and two local convenience stores. Lee targeted stores throughout the city, striking when there were few or no customers. In each instance, Lee attempted to steal money from the cash register. But when he could not easily take the money, Lee fought his victims. On two occasions, Lee was armed with a knife, and one occasion he grabbed a nearby pair of scissors.
On April 5, 2023, Lee went to a dry cleaner on Alabama Avenue SE under the auspices of dry cleaning his jacket. As Lee asked the victim how much the dry cleaning would cost, he suddenly walked behind the counter, grabbed the victim by the back of the neck, and demanded that she open the register. When the victim did not comply quickly enough, the two struggled. Lee grabbed a pair of scissors from under the counter, put them to the victim’s neck, and threatened to stab her if she refused to open the register. She opened the register and Lee took cash before fleeing.
On June 18, 2023, Lee ordered a sandwich at a fast-food franchise on Riggs Road NE, and then left abruptly, saying that he would come back to pay. About 30 minutes later, Lee returned and stood behind a customer who was checking out. Once the employee opened the register to give the customer change, Lee lunged across the counter, grabbed the money tray, and fled the store.
On June 23, 2023, Lee was armed with a knife when he entered a pharmacy on Ingraham Street NE. When the victim, a store employee, was alone, Lee went behind the counter, pulled out a knife, and demanded money from the register. When the victim could not open the register quickly enough, Lee pressed his knife against the victim’s side. The victim opened the register, and Lee took the cash and ran out of the store.
On June 26, 2023, Lee went to a convenience store on First Street NW. As the cashier stood at the register, Lee walked behind the counter, opened the register, took the cash, and fled.
On July 10, 2023, Lee entered a food market on Fourth Street NW. He took an item and attempted to leave the store when a store employee pepper sprayed him. Lee threw the item at the victim, pulled out a knife, and waived it at her. He then grabbed the cash register from the counter and, while still holding the knife, repeatedly slammed the register on the ground until it opened. He took cash from the register and fled.
On July 10, 2023, Lee went to a fast-food restaurant on Marion Barry Avenue SE and milled around as other customers ordered. One customer, with her infant in a stroller next to her, ordered a meal and started to pay with cash. When the restaurant cashier opened the register to give the customer change, Lee lunged across the counter and grabbed cash from the register before fleeing.
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 commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller and Will Lawrence.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Killing a Mother and Daughter Inside Southeast D.C. ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a D.C. Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict against Keanan Turner, 34, of Clinton, Maryland, for the murders of Wanda Wright and Ebony Wright on April 12, 2021, in the 2300 block of Good Hope Court SE, Washington D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Turner was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravated circumstances, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, attempted first degree murder of a minor, second degree cruelty to children, arson, destruction of property. In addition to these charges, Turner was found guilty of four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2024, in front of Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan. Because of the aggravated circumstances, Turner faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Ebony Wright had been in a prior relationship with the defendant when she became pregnant. The defendant asked her to terminate the pregnancy and when she declined, he stopped speaking to her. After giving birth, Ebony Wright filed a custody and child support lawsuit against the defendant in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
After the lawsuit was served against the defendant, he reached out to Ebony Wright to meet his child for the first time. On April 12, 2021, the defendant went over to Ebony Wright’s apartment. Present at the meeting were Ebony Wright, her mother Wanda Wright, her sister, the child, and the defendant.
After meeting with the family for nearly an hour, the defendant took out a gun and shot Ebony Wright in the head. He then shot Wanda Wright in the back of the head. He then went into the back bedroom, where the sister was located, and shot her once in the face. Prior to leaving the apartment, the defendant lit the custody paperwork on fire in an attempt to kill the child. As he was running out of the apartment, the defendant attempted to remove a Ring camera on the front door and, in doing so, exposed a unique tattoo on his arm.
As the sister lay wounded in the back bedroom, she heard the child crying in the living room. Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the face, she rescued the child and carried him out of the apartment and called 911.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Korba who investigated and indicted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen and Emma McArthur who prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Carjacking, Robbery, Burglary and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Phillips, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a jury of carjacking and other charges in an evening attack on a district driver that took place in Northeast Washington in November of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips also was found guilty of robbery, assault, burglary, first degree theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and driving without a permit. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2024. Phillips faces a mandatory minimum of seven years’ incarceration on the charge of carjacking.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 15, 2021, at approximately 9:00 PM, Phillips was in the 2000 block of fourth street Northeast when he approached the victim from behind, striking him in the back of the head and taking his car and house keys. Phillips crossed the street with the victim’s keys before returning to the victim, striking the victim in the face and fish-hooking him in the mouth. Phillips then fled the area in the victim’s Toyota Sienna van.
On November 16, 2021, at approximately 4:00 AM, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department located the Defendant in the 700 block of K Street NE. The Defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of the victim’s Toyota Van wearing a jacket that belonged to one of the victim’s family members. Police also recovered a key fob and a college graduation ring from the Defendant’s pockets. The key fob belonged to the victim of the carjacking and the college graduation ring was later determined to have been stolen from the victim’s house. In the trunk of the victim’s Toyota van, police recovered a television in an unopened box that had been taken from the victim’s home.
At 7:00 AM on November 16, 2021, the victim’s family reported to police that their home had been burglarized. Specifically, the front and rear doors had been left open and unlocked, interior lights and doors were on, and bedrooms had been ransacked. Several of the belongings reported missing by the victim’s family were found by police on Phillips’s person and in the car he was driving at the time of his arrest.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance video from the area around the carjacking that captured the suspect before and during the carjacking. At the time of Phillips’s arrest, he was wearing clothing that matched that worn by the carjacking suspect in the surveillance video.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney’s Benjamin Helfand and Sara Matar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Judge Gives 18 Year Sentence to Carjacker Who Shot DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tayvon Owens, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 216 months of incarceration after a jury convicted him in March 2024 of armed carjacking, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and associated firearms crimes for shooting and carjacking a woman on Newton Street NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the middle of the afternoon of December 12, 2022, Owens approached the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Newton St NW. Owens flung the car door open, pointed his firearm at the victim, and ordered her out of the car. The victim started to comply, but then tried to use the car door to shield herself from Owens and the firearm. Owens pivoted around the car door, shot the victim in the knee, and then pulled her out of the car onto the sidewalk before jumping into her car and driving off.
MPD officers arrived almost immediately, and with the assistance of patrol officers on the ground and MPD’s Falcon helicopter in the sky, MPD tracked Owens through the city to the 1400 block of Bangor St SE. There, Owens jumped out of the victim’s car while it was still moving, causing it to crash into a tree, and stashed his firearm behind a home before being apprehended by MPD officers.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forgie, who prosecuted the case.
D.C. Felon Sentenced to 32 Months for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Noah Jackson, 23, a previously convicted felon from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 32 months in prison for illegally possessing a Glock 23 .40 semi-automatic handgun that had been converted with a “giggle switch” to fire as a fully automatic weapon.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty on November 17, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Jackson was a passenger in an SUV when the vehicle failed to stop at two consecutive stop signs in Northwest. MPD officers in an unmarked cruiser initiated a traffic stop on the 900 block of Spring Road, NW. Officers conducted a pat down of the two occupants and searched the passenger compartment. Under the passenger’s seat where Jackson had been sitting, police discovered a Glock 23 .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun on the floorboard under the seat. The weapon had a large capacity magazine, one round in the chamber, and 19 rounds in a 22-round capacity magazine. In addition, the firearm had been outfitted with a visible Glock “giggle switch,” which rendered the gun fully automatic. Jackson knew the switch converted the weapon into a machine gun. Jackson previously had rapped about having such a switch in several videos he had posted to YouTube.
Jackson previously was convicted in April 2018 in D.C. Superior Court on felony charges of assault with significant bodily injury, attempted robbery, and carrying a pistol without a weapon.
This case was investigated by the MPD and ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and former AUSAs Anna Forgie and Connor Mullin.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Felony Second-Degree Theft for Stealing Items from CVS in Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Moffett, 38, of Maryland, was sentenced in D.C. Superior Court on July 23, 2024, to 18 months in prison for felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on May 10, 2024. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moffett pleaded guilty to one count of felony second-degree theft on July 11, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 10, 2024, Moffett stole food items from a CVS. Moffett had two prior theft convictions and was therefore subject to the enhanced penalties for his theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison. In addition to the 18 months of prison time, Superior Court Judge Robert Richter ordered Moffett to two years of supervised release.
At sentencing the Court heard a victim impact statement from a CVS representative, who emphasized that Moffett’s repeated thefts have not only affected the store’s financial performance but have also created an environment of insecurity and demotivation among the stores’ staff members. The CVS representative added that thefts committed by repeat offenders like Moffett have caused several stores within the district to close. This not only deprives community members of access to necessities like prescriptions, but it also deprives the hardworking staff members of their jobs as more and more CVS locations close.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalie Anderson.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for Driving with Girlfriend on the Hood of His CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Paul Camby, 51, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict was returned in the late afternoon on July 24, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for September 27, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 3, 2024, at approximately 6:00 a.m., Camby, after getting high on cocaine and drinking whiskey, went to his apartment parking garage to drive his car. Camby’s girlfriend got in front of the car to prevent him from driving while intoxicated, because she was concerned for his safety and the safety of the public. Camby drove forward into his girlfriend, which caused her to end up on the hood of the car. Camby proceeded to drive out of the parking garage and continued driving with his girlfriend on the hood of the car for about two blocks on Third Street, Northeast. An eyewitness described Camby trying to swerve the car back and forth in an attempt to throw his girlfriend off the hood of the car, and in so doing, narrowly missed hitting other cars that were parked on both sides of the street. Camby eventually brought the car to a stop, and two eyewitnesses observed Camby striking his girlfriend and intervened until Metropolitan Police officers arrived and placed Camby under arrest. Surveillance video from the parking garage and a 911 call placed by the victim provided corroboration for the offense.
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 by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Covert and Monisha Rao from the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.
Woman Who Kidnapped Her Roommate Gets Seven Year Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antoinette Gilmore, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for the October 2023 kidnapping of her roommate, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A jury convicted Gilmore of kidnapping on May 20, 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, on October 12, 2023, the victim, Michael Brown, got into an argument on the phone with Gilmore. During the argument, the defendant told Mr. Brown she wanted him out of her apartment. They agreed that the defendant would pick up Mr. Brown from downtown and bring him back to her apartment so that he could remove his belongings. Defendant Gilmore and her cousin went to pick up Mr. Brown. Once inside the car, the defendant instructed her cousin to punch and beat Mr. Brown and take his belongings as the defendant drove. Mr. Brown tried to get out of the car, but they locked the doors and trapped him from within.
At one point, Mr. Brown was able to get the back car door open and escape. At the defendant’s direction, her cousin jumped out and chased Mr. Brown down, eventually catching him and dragging him by the collar of his shirt back into the defendant’s car. Once they reached their destination, Mr. Brown was pulled out of the car where he managed to break free. He ran straight to the Sixth District Police substation where he reported the incident to police.
In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Hanson and Lauren Miller of the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy and Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Dealing Crack Cocaine While Armed Inside a Northwest Dollar StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Lyles, 34, a convicted felon from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 90 months in prison, to run consecutive to any other sentence, in connection with dealing crack cocaine inside a variety store to undercover police officers while he was armed with a Glock 22 semi-automatic handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lyles pleaded guilty on October 11, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and another count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Lyles to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 14, 2020, about 6:40 p.m., members of MPD Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID) were conducting a buy-bust operation in the 1400 block of North Capitol Street, NW. Undercover officers (UC) approached Lyles inside a Dollar Plus store and asked Lyles if he had change for a $100 dollar bill. Lyles pulled out money to make change and simultaneously pulled out a plastic bag containing several smaller zips containing a white rock-like substance.
The undercover officers left the store, discussed what they saw, went back, and approached Lyles again. Lyles asked how much cash they had, and the UCs replied that they had $40. Lyles reached into his pants and pulled out two blue zips containing a white rock-like substance and handed them to one of the UCs. The UC handed Lyles two $20 bills of prerecorded currency. The UCs left the store and signaled that the buy was good.
The arrest team moved in. Lyles struggled briefly with officers as they placed him under arrest. As they attempted to handcuff him, an officer felt a hard object in Lyle’s front waistband which felt like a firearm. The officer asked Lyles if the firearm was loaded, and Lyles confirmed it was. The officers handcuffed Lyles and removed a Glock 22 semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine from his waistband.
From Lyle’s pockets, officers recovered cocaine base (crack) weighing a total of 32.73 grams. In addition, officers recovered $1,071 in cash which included the two $20 bills of MPD pre-recorded currency. Lyles admitted that he knew that he possessed the firearm and ammunition, that the firearm was loaded, and that he knew he had prior felony convictions for which the potential penalty was more than one year of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Previously Convicted Man Sentenced to 40 Month Prison Term for Strangulation and Attempted KidnappingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamari Jackson, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for felony strangulation and the attempted kidnapping of a victim in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty on April 10, 2024, to one count of attempted kidnapping, one count of strangulation and one count of simple assault. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz ordered Jackson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence regarding the attempted kidnapping and strangulation charges, on July 24, 2023, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Jackson approached the victim as she was walking down the street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest Washington D.C. Jackson grabbed the victim by the throat, indicated he had a gun, ordered the victim to “shut up” and follow him, and forced her to walk in the direction of the 3300 block of Holmead Place, NW. Jackson then held the victim against a car. Fearing for her life, the victim struck the defendant in the face and tried to fight him off while shouting repeatedly for help. Jackson assaulted the victim on her torso and ribs and grabbed her by her throat again, choking her. After throwing the victim on the ground and continuing to choke her, the defendant attempted to pull off the victim’s pants in an attempt to sexually assault her. As the victim began to lose consciousness, nearby homeowners came out, and Jackson walked away from the scene.
According to the government’s evidence regarding the simple assault, on June 20, 2023, while at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Jackson threatened to throw a cup of urine on hospital staff. Jackson was then placed in a wheelchair and staff took Jackson over to a different room to be placed in seclusion. When a staff nurse asked Jackson to return the wheelchair, Jackson, without provocation, punched the victim in face causing him to bleed.
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 commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Roessler and LaVater Massie-Banks, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the strangulation and attempt kidnapping case; and the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rana Wahdan, of the General Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the simple assault case.
20-Year Prison Sentence Handed Down for Fourth of July MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Smith, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for the July 4, 2023, death of 43-year old Charles Stanton, of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo ordered five years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a gun offender.
Smith pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on February 4, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:28 p.m. on July 4, 2023, police received a 911 call for a shooting in the unit bloc of Patterson Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. Officers arrived to find Mr. Stanton lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was unconscious and not breathing. Despite all lifesaving efforts, Mr. Stanton succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:40pm. It was later determined he had sustained at least 13 gunshot wounds.
During the course of the investigation, detectives viewed video surveillance footage from locations near and around the crime scene that captured the defendant’s car in the unit block of Patterson Street, NE, prior to the shooting. At the time, the victim was sitting on a bicycle on the north side of the street interacting with someone in another vehicle. The video captured Mr. Stanton riding away from that vehicle and toward the defendant's car. A short time later, the defendant exited his car where he engaged the decedent in a conversation. After a few minutes of conversation, the defendant retrieved a handgun from his pants, moved a few steps toward Mr. Stanton and, as Mr. Stanton attempted to leave on the bicycle, extended his right arm toward Mr. Stanton. The surveillance video captured Mr. Stanton falling from the bicycle, to the ground, and never getting back up. The defendant walked toward Mr. Stanton and continued to shoot the victim who remained helpless and defenseless on the ground. No weapons were found on the decedent’s person or near his body. The defendant then reentered his vehicle and left the scene.
In reviewing the surveillance video, detectives were able to retrieve the license plate number on the defendant’s car which ultimately led to his identification and arrest.
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Homicide Branch. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Police Shooting of Clifford BrooksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer for his role in a January 24, 2024, fatal shooting of 41-year-old Clifford Brooks, of Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of physical evidence, surveillance video footage, body-worn camera footage, audio and visual recordings from an ambulance, witness accounts, autopsy records, and MPD reports.
The evidence shows that early on the morning of January 24, 2024, an on-duty MPD officer encountered Mr. Brooks outside of a 7-Eleven on Benning Road, Northeast. The officer requested that an MPD Crisis Intervention Officer (CIO) be sent to the scene. MPD Officer Claude Jackson, a trained CIO, arrived at around 6:45 a.m., and observed indicators that Mr. Brooks was experiencing a mental health crisis. Officer Jackson stayed on the scene with Mr. Brooks for roughly an hour before Mr. Brooks ran out of the back of the 7-Eleven. Officers found Mr. Brooks hiding in a shed behind a nearby home. Officer Jackson requested assistance and assembled officers to extricate Mr. Brooks. A group of MPD officers removed Mr. Brooks from the shed with minimal force at roughly 8:30 a.m. Mr. Brooks, who remained conscious but largely non-responsive and in an altered mental state, was placed next to a police car. Firefighters with the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department arrived in an ambulance to transport Mr. Brooks for medical attention.
The ambulance drove towards the District’s Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Northwest. MPD officers, including Officer Jackson, followed behind the ambulance. While the ambulance was driving on North Capitol Street, NW, Mr. Brooks, who was not handcuffed, began attacking the firefighter seated in the back of the ambulance with him. When the ambulance stopped, Mr. Brooks pushed the firefighter out of the ambulance. The trailing MPD officers got out of their cruisers and approached Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks tried to grab the first responding officer’s upper body. Officer Jackson then approached Mr. Brooks and deployed his Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray. The spray struck Mr. Brooks but did not debilitate him. Mr. Brooks then fled into oncoming traffic on North Capitol Street.
As he fled, Mr. Brooks pulled at the doors of some of the cars that were slowly driving by. Officer Jackson and two other officers pursued him on foot. Mr. Brooks hid under a box truck that was idling in the traffic. The officers surrounded the truck and ordered the driver not to move and to turn the vehicle off. After a few moments, Mr. Brooks picked up a metal object that was on the ground next to the truck. The officers told Mr. Brooks to “drop it.” Mr. Brooks charged at Officer Jackson with the metal object in his right hand. Officer Jackson said that Mr. Brooks had a knife and ordered him to “drop it” two more times. Officer Jackson backtracked with his firearm out. As Mr. Brooks continued to lunge towards Officer Jackson with the metal object in his hand, Officer Jackson fired his service weapon at Mr. Brooks. Officer Jackson shot at Mr. Brooks six times. Mr. Brooks was declared dead on the scene. An autopsy found that Mr. Brooks had been struck by four bullets, including a fatal shot to the chest.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Jackson is criminally liable for Mr. Brooks’ death.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Purported Psychic Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Outrageous $4 Million Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gina Rita Russell, 35, formerly of New York, N.Y., and Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today to 125 months in prison for masterminding an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which resulted in a Maryland man embezzling more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer. Russell is the sixth defendant to be sentenced in the case.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Russell, her ex-common-law husband Robert Evans, his brothers Tony John Evans and Corry Blue Evans, and the brothers’ parents, Archie Kaslov and Candy Evans, all of New York, on various charges related to the scheme. At one point, one of Russell’s coconspirators threatened to harm the Maryland man’s young children.
According to the government’s evidence, Russell met a New York woman in October 2009 in Manhattan and performed a psychic reading on her. Though Russell had no psychic powers, she convinced the New York woman that she did and told the woman that bad things would happen unless the woman raised large sums of money for Russell and her family. The woman started giving Russell money from her lawful jobs, but then Russell convinced her to lie to her father by claiming she needed money for therapy, extensive sleep studies, and university classes. After giving his daughter enormous sums of money, the New York woman’s father eventually stopped providing her with financial assistance.
Russell then convinced the woman to earn more money through sex work. The woman advertised sensual massage services online, including Backpage.com. Through one of her ads, she met a Maryland man, who eventually fell in love with and proposed to her, even though he was married and had children. Preying on his affection, Russell and the New York woman conspired with Robert Evans, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Archie Kaslov to extort money and gold bars from the victim. The New York woman told the Maryland man that she owed money to bad people from prior debts and that her life was in danger. As a result, the Maryland man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer between January and March of 2017. As part of the scheme, Russell had Tony John Evans impersonate a mobster during calls with the Maryland man. During one of those calls, Tony John Evans asked if he needed to remind the Maryland man where his children went to school. Russell also dictated threatening texts and provided the New York woman with instructions on what to tell the Maryland man.
The Maryland man converted embezzled funds to cash and gold bars which he delivered to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters. In reality, all of the funds the man embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Russell-Evans-Kaslov family.
In July 2019, Russell pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. She was originally scheduled to be sentenced in May 2024, after her five co-defendants were sentenced. However, prior to her sentencing, the government learned that Russell engaged in similar criminal conduct in Los Angeles, convincing a woman there that she had psychic powers, working with the woman to defraud the woman’s father out of money, and persuading the woman to raise funds through sex work. The government brought Russell’s conduct to the attention of U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who promptly issued a warrant for her arrest. Russell was arrested on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and has been in custody ever since.
In addition to the prison sentence of 10 years and five months, Judge Chutkan ordered Russell to pay $4,217,542.86 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
Tony John Evans, 35, and Robert Evans, 37, both pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion and were each sentenced to five years in prison. Corry Blue Evans, 31, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and was sentenced to 41-months in prison. Archie Kaslov, 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 30-months in prison. Candy Evans, 55, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Rick Blaylock, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind Lal and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds.
18cr0103
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for Pointing Gun at StepfatherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Nashawn Marshall, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict was returned today, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for September 30, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 1, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Marshall was at his parents’ apartment when he got into an argument with his mother and stepfather. During that argument, Marshall pointed a loaded handgun at his stepfather while threatening to kill him. His parents fled the apartment and his stepfather flagged down a police officer. Marshall was stopped and arrested in a nearby apartment building. A handgun matching the description given by his parents was recovered from a crawl space above where Marshall was stopped.
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 by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler from the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit.
“No Rats Allowed” Crew Member Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of an Illegal Firearm While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Jones, 27, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 74 months in prison for participating in a long-running drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Jones pleaded guilty March 19, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. At the time of the trafficking offenses, Jones was on supervised probation for a robbery conviction out of Maryland.
Jones’ plea followed a lengthy investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU), FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Jones to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the law enforcement partnership identified a crew of young men operating within on the 200 block of K Street, Southwest, with firearms, large amounts of U.S. currency, and illegal narcotics. The members of the group wore matching insignia on clothing printed with “NO RATS ALLOWED” or “N.R.A.” Jones, aka “Chief,” and other members of the N.R.A. crew used several townhouses on the block as stash locations or “trap houses” for narcotics and firearms. Many of Jones’ N.R.A. associates have been arrested and successfully prosecuted for firearms offenses and the possession and distribution of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
From October 2021 to October 2023, Jones relied heavily on social media to both make connections with other drug dealers to conduct sales of illegal substances to individual customers and N.R.A. crew members. On his Instagram account and cell phone, investigators found evidence showing Jones’ trafficking of crack cocaine, promethazine, and wholesale quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and marijuana. Furthermore, the digital evidence showed that Jones was aware that at least some of the counterfeit pills he sold contained fentanyl and was warned by another drug dealer that certain pills he was selling might contain lethal amounts of fentanyl.
MPD officers arrested Jones on October 28, 2023, following a foot chase, during which he discarded a 40 caliber Smith and Wesson in the lobby of the Capitol Park Plaza Apartments in Washington D.C. That firearm discharged as he tossed it and the bullet struck a glass window in the lobby of the apartment building, narrowly missing two security guards that were feet away from him.
Jones previously was convicted in January 2020 of a robbery in Prince George’s County for which he was sentenced to 10 years, but the sentence was suspended to all but six days followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin F. Song.
23cr0397
‘PDS’ Street Crew Leader Pleads Guilty to Numerous Offenses Related to Drug Trafficking, Machine Guns, and Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eugene Tracy Hill, 31, of Washington D.C., who utilized the street nicknames “Geno,” Cheese,” or “Doe,” pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to use, carry, and possess machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and two counts of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The plea was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent Craig B. Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set a sentencing date for October 18, 2024.
According to court documents, Hill, who was a member of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) Street Crew which held territory in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C., conspired with other crew members to distribute both marijuana and oxycodone within their territory. As part of his plea agreement, Hill admitted to holding a leadership role within the conspiracy, and further admitted that the co-conspirators distributed more than 100 kilograms of marijuana during the course of their conspiracy. For his part, Hill admitted that he sold marijuana and oxycodone in bulk transactions to other drug dealers, and also sold in street level transactions out of “trap houses” maintained by the crew.
According to court documents, the co-conspirators also conspired to use, carry, and possess firearms to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom PDS had “beefs.” As part of his plea agreement, Hill admitted that, as part of the conspiracy one of his co-conspirators assembled fully automatic AR-Pistol machineguns which were then distributed within the crew for use in furtherance of their drug trafficking conspiracy. Hill admitted that he purchased and possessed machineguns during his part in the conspiracy.
Hill was arrested on September 15, 2022, shortly before the FBI executed a search warrant at a “trap house” he and his co-conspirators maintained on Fourth Street, Southeast. FBI agents recovered two Glock handguns, approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, 1.8 pounds of marijuana, two digital scales, a money counter, and approximately $15,000 from that residence. Hill has been detained since his arrest.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and ATF with assistance from both officers and detectives from the MPD as part of a joint investigation which has resulted in the seizure of two vehicles, 13 handguns, five machineguns, and several hundred rounds of ammunition, as well as almost 40 pounds of marijuana, dozens of oxycodone pills, and more than $300,000 in cash. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli and Melissa Macechko.
22cr303
Spree of Gunpoint Pharmacy Robberies in Va. and Md. Nets District Man a 157-Month Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Floyd Neal, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to more than 13 years in prison for his role in a rash of 2021 gunpoint robberies of pharmacies in Maryland and Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Neal pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting (also known as Hobbs Act robbery). He also pleaded guilty to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
In addition to the 157-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Neal to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2021, Neal and two co-conspirators traveled from the District to a pharmacy in Henrico, Virginia. Neal approached the pharmacy counter, brandished a firearm, and ordered the pharmacist to hand over codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Neal held one employee at gunpoint while a co-conspirator demanded the pharmacist open the prescription safe. After grabbing prescription narcotics and amphetamines, they fled in a red SUV driven by another co-conspirator.
On March 25, 2021, Neal and a co-conspirator traveled from the District to a pharmacy in Alexandria, Virginia. They entered the store wearing yellow construction vests and posed as customers by grabbing beer. Then the co-conspirator shouted: “Give me all the money,” and indicted that he had a firearm. The men then ordered two employees into the store’s office before taking between $7,000 to $10,000 from the safe. The men fled in a 2005 silver sedan.
On March 31, 2021, Neal and two co-conspirators drove to a pharmacy in Beltsville, Maryland. A co-conspirator went behind the counter, grabbed a store employee, and demanded the code to the store’s safe. While the robbery was in progress, the store’s manager entered the store. Neal’s co-conspirator forced the store’s manager into the back office where Neal was watching the other employee. The co-conspirator forced the manager to open the safe and then stole the contents. Neal remained at the front of the store to empty the contents of the cash registers. The trio then fled in a dark sedan with silver trim.
On April 1, 2021, Neal and a co-conspirator traveled to a pharmacy in Manassas, Virginia. One employee locked herself in the back office. Another employee ran to the front where the co-conspirator grabbed them by the neck. Threatening the employees, Neal ordered them to give him “percocets and oxys” or else he would hurt them. Neal also ordered an employee to open the cash registers. Police arrested Neal and the co-conspirator after they fled the pharmacy. A search revealed a loaded 9mm Hipoint C9 firearm in the vicinity of the pharmacy. Each of the pharmacies robbed by Neal is part of a national chain of retailers and the robberies impacted interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from local law enforcement in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Cameron Tepfer of the District of Columbia.
23cr190
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault While Armed in Northwest D.C. AttackRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darren Buchanan, 54, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday by a Superior Court jury of aggravated assault while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict follows a four-day trial.
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe has scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 2, 2019, the victim was riding on a Metrobus on Georgia Ave. NW when he kicked the defendant’s daughter. After the victim got off the bus, the defendant’s daughter called her mother—the defendant’s wife—to tell her about what happened. They all agreed to meet at a nearby establishment. Buchanan and his wife got into a taxi, and while they were on their way to meet their daughter, the defendant noticed an individual who matched the description of his daughter’s attacker. Buchanan exited the taxi, grabbed a large tree branch, and hit the victim with the tree branch multiple times. The victim —who was unarmed—began running from the defendant and eventually entered the market of a gas station located approximately ten minutes away from the location of the initial assault. Buchanan followed the victim for several blocks. As seen on video surveillance, the defendant peered through the window of the gas station market, saw the victim on the ground sweating and talking to himself, and entered. He then kicked the victim once in the chest and stomped on his head seven times. As a result, the victim was rendered unconscious, was transported to the hospital, and has been receiving treatment at a rehabilitation center, since the attack, for injuries related to the traumatic brain injury he suffered. After the defendant assaulted the victim, he boasted about his assault to law enforcement personnel during a police interview.
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 commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sabena Auyeung and Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.
Founder of Casa Ruby Pleads Guilty to Stealing at Least $150,000 in COVID-Relief Funds for Personal UseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ruby Corado, 53, the founder of Casa Ruby, Inc., a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that provided services to the LGBTQ+ community, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to diverting at least $150,000 in taxpayer-backed emergency Covid relief funds to private off-shore bank accounts for her personal use.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
Corado was charged by complaint on March 1, 2024, with bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, and failure to file a report of foreign bank account.Corado pleaded guilty today to a one-count information charging her with wire fraud today before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, who scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2025.
According to court documents, Corado, on behalf of Casa Ruby, received more than $1.3 million from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Instead of using the funds as she promised, Corado stole at least $150,000 by transferring the money to bank accounts in El Salvador, which she hid from the IRS. During 2022, when financial irregularities at Casa Ruby became public, Corado sold her home in Prince Georges County and fled to El Salvador. FBI agents arrested Corado on March 5, 2024, at a hotel in Laurel, Maryland, after she unexpectedly returned to the United States.
Casa Ruby had claimed to provide housing services for homeless LGBTQ+ youth including transitional housing; to assist LGBTQ+ immigrants and connect them to attorneys; to provide social services such as case management and therapeutic mental health support for survivors of violence, and to assist with a wide array of services such as assisting with passport applications and certain visa applications. The non-profit’s website stated that Casa Ruby employed over 50 people and provided more than 30,000 social and human services to more than 6,000 people each year. At various times, Casa Ruby operated multiple shelters in Washington, D.C., that provided transitional housing.
Casa Ruby effectively ceased operations in July 2022 when it shuttered its transitional housing, failed to pay its employees, and faced eviction from multiple properties for failure to pay rent.
Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Corado’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the D.C. Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Borchert, Madhu Chugh, and Kathryn Rakoczy.
24cr266
Drug Dealer Sentenced for Possessing a Smith & Wesson .45 While Distributing PCP, Crack, and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – DeCarlos Wilkins, 24, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for distributing PCP, crack cocaine, and marijuana while in possession of a Smith & Wesson M&P .45 caliber handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wilkins pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the five-year prison term, Judge Lamberth ordered Wilson to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2023, about 6:25 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE when they observed Wilkins kneeling down weighing an unknown substance on a digital scale. Officers recognized this to be consistent with a drug transaction, i.e. a drug dealer measuring the quantity of a drug immediately prior to a sale. When officers exited their vehicle to investigate, Wilkins fled on foot. Officers found Wilkins hiding in a residential yard in a nearby alley. Police recovered 92 small vials of PCP from Wilkins’ jacket pocket and a Smith & Wesson M&P .45 from inside Wilkins’ pants near his kneecap, underneath a layer of compression shorts. Officers also seized 6.8 ounces of marijuana, 120 grams of cocaine base, and $149 in cash.
Watkins has three prior convictions involving the distribution of illegal drugs, and three prior convictions involving the use of illegal firearms. At the time of his arrest in March 2023, he was on supervision after the release from a prior firearms offense conviction, he was also awaiting sentencing for attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider.
23cr098
Businessman Arrested for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme to Defraud Pandemic Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose “Joe” Biaou, 40, a local businessman and founder of FRB Capital Group LLC (“FRB”), was arrested today on charges he defrauded the Paycheck Protection (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS). The indictment, returned on July 16, 2024, was unsealed today and Biaou made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court to face six counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property.
According to the multi-count indictment, Biaou applied for and received more than $3.5 million in PPP and EIDL loan proceeds on behalf of two businesses he controlled – FRB and Millenium Global Finance. With respect to his applications on behalf of FRB, a loan brokerage firm that connected real estate developers with lenders, Biaou consistently inflated the number of employees the company had, as well as their average monthly salaries and other financial information. The indictment further alleges that Biaou then applied for forgiveness of one of the PPP loans, again, submitting false information about how his business spent the funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the false applications submitted on behalf of FRB, Biaou allegedly submitted fabricated documentation in support of these applications, including fraudulent payroll reports, a fictitious birth certificate, and a forged lease, among other things.
With respect to Millenium Global Finance according to the indictment, Biaou applied for and received $1.25 million in PPP funds after representing that Global had 52 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $520,000 throughout 2019. In reality, Millenium Global was not even in operation at that time.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the charged offenses. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Worth $2.5 Million for Victims of Pig Butchering SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a civil forfeiture action today to recover cryptocurrency seized by the FBI from perpetrators abroad. The cryptocurrency consists of proceeds from crypto confidence schemes, commonly referred to as “pig butchering,” targeting United States citizens through an investment scam. Specifically, the government seeks to forfeit 2,546,415.01 USDT Coin (USDT) seized from two accounts controlled by a perpetrator in Thailand. This cryptocurrency has a current estimated value of approximately $2,546,415.01.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office made the announcement.
“Our office will find and hold accountable criminal organizations – whether they operate within the United States or outside of if – that use fraudulent investment schemes like ‘pig butchering’ to defraud victims in the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This forfeiture action demonstrates that scammers cannot hide their illegal activity by using cryptocurrency and engaging in complicated transactions: we will find them, seize their illegal proceeds, and get money back to the victims.”
“The rate at which bad actors are using elaborate pig-butchering scams to defraud innocent people is despicable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Moy. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to evolve investigative techniques to thwart the progression of this threat and use all available resources to ensure we disrupt and dismantle organizations responsible for contributing to these crimes.”
In a pig-butchering scheme, scammers obtain funds from victims using fraudulent and manipulative tactics. The scammer establishes a level of trust with a victim in online communications and then entices the victim into investing in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. Often the victim is enticed to make additional payments before realizing they are a victim of fraud. The “butchering” or “slaughtering” of the victim occurs once the victim’s assets, or funds, are stolen by the criminal, or criminals, ultimately causing the victim financial and emotional harm.
Civil forfeiture allows the United States to seize assets from fugitives and perpetrators abroad. In this case and others, the Department of Justice uses asset forfeiture to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in or acquired through illegal activities; to promote and enhance cooperation among federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies; and to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims when authorized under federal law. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims. The United States is committed to seizing assets from perpetrators at home and abroad, to holding criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and to making victims whole.
Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and “pig butchering” fraud scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock, Jr. of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with Trial Attorneys Jonas Lerman and Stefanie Schwartz of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. Paralegal Gina Torres is providing valuable assistance. FBI Boston, FBI San Diego, and FBI Bangkok with cooperation from the Royal Thai Police, are assisting with the case.
The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations, and the United States of America proudly bears the burden of proof.
Fifteen Year Sentence for Maryland Man for 2019 Shooting in Northeast DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mercedes Edmonds, aka Marcedes Edmunds, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today after being found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and additional firearms charges arising from a 2019 shooting in the 4000 block of Hayes Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On May 14, 2024, Edmonds was also found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a shotgun, and related firearms offenses. Today, Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Edmonds to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s trial evidence, on May 1, 2019, Edmonds was standing with a group in the 4000 block of Hayes Street NE, and the victim was dropping items off at a nearby apartment. Apparently perceiving disrespect by the victim toward a member of the group, Edmonds retrieved a shotgun from his car and ordered the victim to leave the area. As he tried to leave, the defendant shot the victim twice, striking him in the leg. The victim suffered substantial blood loss and had to undergo emergency surgery to save his leg.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated this case. Invaluable assistance was also provided by the United States Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa; Information Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nomnso Kalu, Randle Wilson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Raspa, who investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Bartz and Lauren Winer, who investigated prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Wesley Monroe, 19, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today by a grand jury on a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that on April 29, 2024, Monroe unlawfully possessed a 9mm Smith & Wesson SD9 2.0 semiautomatic pistol and 9mm ammunition, knowing he previously had been convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of an offense punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 29, 2024, MPD officers approached a man in the 1400 block of Girard Street Northwest to investigate an unrelated offense. Monroe, who was standing nearby, broke into unprovoked flight and evaded police. Moments later, officers observed Monroe return to the scene and run under an apartment building stairwell while clutching his waist. Officers apprehended Monroe and located a firearm nearby. The firearm and its magazine were swabbed for DNA and submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for testing and analysis. The results linked both the firearm and magazine to Monroe.
Monroe was arrested on April 29, 2024, and initially charged by criminal complaint in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He has remained held without bond since his arrest.
Federal law prohibits Monroe from possessing a firearm and ammunition because, in September 2023, he was convicted in the D.C. Superior Court of robbery, an offense punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Monroe was on probation for that offense at the time of his arrest in this case.
Monroe faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle M. McWaters and Paul V. Courtney, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustin Horner.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves Welcomed Youth to 14th Annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence” Youth SummitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations welcomed about 150 District youths to the 14th Annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence” Youth Summit,” held today at The Catholic University of America’s Przybyla Center.
The event focused on a variety of subjects, including opioid abuse prevention, gun violence prevention, and mental health awareness. A moment of silence was held to remember young victims lost by homicide in 2024. The Summit featured dynamic speakers, entertainment, information, and resources. U.S. Attorney Graves presented the United States Attorney’s Office’s Youth Citizenship Awards to four participants.
Thousands of the District’s youth have participated in the Summit since the U.S. Attorney’s Office began holding this event. The Summit is a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood Program, a nationwide effort to reduce violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney thanks this year’s partners: the East of the River Family Strengthening Collaborative; the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation; The Catholic University of America, including its Department of Public Safety; the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Metro Transit Police Department; the D.C. Housing Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Housing; and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigation.
The event is planned and executed each year by members of the Community Engagement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Sentence Handed Down for Murder of Maryland Man Left in Car for Three DaysRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jordan Jones,23, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced Friday for voluntary manslaughter while armed for the killing of Noel Nicol in Southeast D.C. in October, 2021. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter while armed for the fatal shooting of Nicol, an acquaintance. Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Jones to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jones agreed to meet Nicol in Southeast D.C. on October 11, 2021, the day after Jones arranged to purchase a 9mm handgun (the same caliber as murder weapon). Mr. Nicol was last seen by family and friends on the afternoon of October 11, 2021. The police did not locate Mr. Nicol until three days later when they were investigating an anonymous tip and discovered Mr. Nicol’s body in the in the driver’s seat of a car parked on Savannah Place S.E.. The police could not locate the murder weapon or any eyewitnesses, but detectives obtained surveillance video footage from the vicinity of the vehicle for a 3-day period and developed Jones as a suspect in the murder. Jones admitted to the police in his post-arrest interview that he was in the car at the time of the shooting and that he and Nicol struggled over a gun. The medical examiner findings and the physical evidence recovered by the police were consistent with the shots being fired at close range from the passenger side of the vehicle where Jones was sitting.
This case was investigated by MPD’s Criminal Investigation Division Homicide Branch. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.
I-295 Drive-By Murder Defendant Gets More Than 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Oscar Ramos, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 39.5 years in prison for first degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed for the May 28, 2015 shooting that killed one many and injured another, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
A jury found Ramos guilty in April of killing 50-year old Pedro Melendez Alvarado and wounding 56-year old Miguel A. Rodriguez Carabantes. The two men, both of Alexandria, Virginia, were driving to work together when Ramos shot them from his car on I-295. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered Ramos to serve 360 months in prison for the first-degree murder conviction and 114 months in prison for assault with intent to kill.
According to the government’s evidence, Ramos, who is a member of MS-13, was one of three men in a car that was driving on I-295 NB, in Southwest, D.C., near exit 1, when the car he was in pulled alongside the victims’ car. Two men in the defendant’s car then opened fire on Mr. Alvarado’s car, striking the victims, and then pulled away.
The defendant was charged in 2021 after evidence was developed identifying him as having plotted to kill Mr. Alvarado. The defendant and Mr. Alvarado are both from El Salvador. The defendant believed Mr. Alvarado was somehow involved in the death of the defendant’s father, years earlier, in El Salvador.
U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from MPD, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office, the Prince George’s County (Md.) Police Department, the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department, the Chelsea, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County (Md.) Fire Department. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Jacqueline Yarbro who prosecuted the case at trial.
Eight Year Prison Term Handed Down in Connection with Teen Crime Spree That Ended in DeathRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Duron Hudson, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter while armed in connection with the killing of a homeless man in Northwest D.C., in November 2019. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hudson pleaded guilty on December 20, 2023, to involuntary manslaughter while armed, and other felony and misdemeanor charges arising from multiple incidents occurring primarily during a six-week period in 2019, including two others involving serious injuries to the victim. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s case, on November 29, 2019, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Hudson and his girlfriend were seen arguing while standing near the intersection of 13th and U Street NW. Shortly thereafter Hudson walked across the street in the direction of the Lincoln Theater and approached the victim, Nahzil Zaid Abdul Rahim, a homeless man. After a short conversation, Mr. Rahim walked away from Hudson, in an attempt to distance himself from the defendant. Hudson then began chasing the victim, picked up rocks or a brick-like material and threw it with full force at Mr. Rahim. It missed hitting the victim but Hudson threw another brick which struck Mr. Rahim, who fell down in the street and hit his head on the pavement. While disoriented and lying barely conscious in the street, Mr. Rahim was struck by a car and died from multiple blunt force injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle left the scene.
Later the same day at approximately 2:30 p.m., Hudson robbed a female victim of her cell phone in the 1500 block of U Street Northwest. Hudson approached the victim, took her cell phone by force, and fled the scene. Mr. Hudson was also involved in incidents on December 9, 2019 and January 11, 2020, where he seriously injured the victims trying to take their property.
Hudson was initially arrested and detained on January 16, 2020, in connection with the cellphone robbery on December 9, 2019, and an attempt to steal a motorbike on June 26, 2019. Hudson was 18 years old when the first crime was committed. He was arrested on August 23, 2023, and charged with involuntary manslaughter while armed. He was on release at the time and has been detained since his re-arrest on the manslaughter charge.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from by the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Testifies Before D.C. Council in Support of the “Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024”Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia testified today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, Bill 25-0692, addressing the “Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024.”
USAO-DC strongly supports Bill 25-0692, the “Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024.” This bill will enhance the procedures relating to how the civil and criminal systems address the treatment and commitment of people with mental illnesses, when they are dangerous because of that mental illness. This bill will streamline processes and provide more tools to treatment providers and the courts both to address a person’s mental illness and to protect the community. This bill is a crucial tool that will help to address the overlap between mental health, civil commitment processes, and criminal justice.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Jennifer Mika, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Pretrial Mental Health Coordinator, provided written remarks, available in the accompanying attachment .
Mexican and El Salvadoran Nationals Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
Erik Rivera Garcia, 29, of Mexico, and Vladimir Roque Ceron, 33, of El Salvador, were sentenced this week for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that sold fentanyl and kilogram quantities of cocaine into the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division.
Both Rivera Garcia and Roque Certon were previously charged in a multi-defendant indictment, returned September 1, 2023, alleging a drug conspiracy and various firearms and drug distribution counts.
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 by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates, who also ordered him to serve four years of supervised release.
Roque Ceron pleaded guilty March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Judge Bates sentenced Roque Ceron today to 14 months in prison and three v years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Rivera Garcia served as armed “protection” for the drug trafficking conspiracy which sold large quantities of cocaine and other drugs in the D.C. region from at least March 2023 to August 8, 2023. On at least two occasions, Rivera Garcia accompanied one or more co-conspirators for cocaine transactions totaling more than four kilograms of cocaine.
First, on August 8, 2023, Rivera Garcia served as protection for a sale of approximately 515 grams of cocaine. Then, on August 18, 2023, Rivera Garcia arrived in a vehicle with other co-conspirators when they were arrested. Agents recovered from the area where Rivera Garcia was seated a bag containing approximate weight of 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and a.38 caliber revolver, loaded with five .38 caliber rounds in the cylinder. Another co-conspirator in the vehicle was found with a privately manufactured Polymer 80 semiautomatic pistol with a 30-round extended magazine containing 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition with one round in the chamber.
Meanwhile, Roque Ceron directly sold 197 grams of cocaine and 111 pills containing fentanyl with an aggregate weight of 11.62 grams to confidential sources from March 22, 2023 to June 1, 2023, on five separate occasions. DEA laboratory analysis confirmed that the pills and the powder purchased from Roque Ceron contained fentanyl and cocaine, respectively. All of the pills sold by Roque Ceron were found to contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl (more than 2 mg/per tablet).
Both Rivera Garcia and Roque Ceron were unlawfully present in the United States during the offenses.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 DEA’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s DC Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Coley and Ernesto J. Alvarado with the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Jury Finds Maryland Man Guilty for Pointing Gun at the Head of a Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Price, 66, of Lanham, MD was found guilty by a jury on July 8, 2024, of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a three-and-a-half-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for September 12, 2024. Price faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on March 30, 2022, the victim was delivering an UberEATS order when he attempted to shift into the left lane but noticed a white Mercedes blocking his attempts to get over. Eventually, the victim was able to shift into the lane and get in front of that vehicle. However, the victim noticed the driver of the white Mercedes, identified as Charles Price, tailgating him, and following him. The victim became afraid and made a U-turn at 3rd and K Street NE to get away from the vehicle driven by the defendant. After making the U-turn, the victim was stopped at a red light when Price walked up to his vehicle and pointed a gun at his head.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shaniqua Butler and Kraig Ahalt.
Gun Supplier and Co-Defendants Convicted of Killing 13-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On July 10, 2024, a Superior Court jury returned guilty verdicts for defendants Tyiion Freeman, Koran Jackson and Stephon Nelson on first degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges stemming from the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with two other defendants (whose cases were severed pre-trial), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson and Freeman, along with the severed defendants, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.
Stephon Nelson, who is a felon and approximately 10 years older than his coconspirators, supplied the firearms that were illegally possessed, carried, and transferred in the conspiracy. Over the span of nine days, February 22-March 1, 2020, the defendants engaged in a shooting spree in the Petworth, Shaw, and Stronghold neighborhoods using the firearms they illegally acquired and shared as a part of the firearms conspiracy. The first charged shooting occurred on February 22, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood when two victims were fired upon after a mere verbal exchange with two defendants. Two days later, on February 24, 2020, the conspirators drove through rival crew territory Ninth Street where they shot three rival crew members. An innocent bystander who was sitting in her vehicle was caught in the barrage of gunfire. She fortunately escaped with little physical injury because her front windshield suffered the bulk of the damage. The spree culminated on March 1, 2020, when the defendants participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of ten minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree.
At the conclusion of the trial, jurors returned guilty verdicts against the defendants including the gun supplier who was not present for the homicide.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb and Nebiyu Feleke for their critical efforts in prosecuting this case.
Seven Indictments Returned and One Sentencing Handed Down for Multiple Felony Second-Degree Theft DefendantsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Several individuals were indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for felony second-degree theft. One other individual was sentenced for felony second-degree theft, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A grand jury indicted Mohamed A. Mohamed, 36, Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2024, on one count of felony second-degree theft. Arraignment is scheduled for July 11th.
A grand jury indicted Deangelo L. Reed, 36, of Washington, D.C., on July 5, 2024, of one count of felony second-degree theft and threats to do bodily harm. Arraignment is scheduled for July 29th.
A grand jury indicted Richard T. Holmes, 51, of Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2024, on one count of felony second-degree theft. Arraignment is scheduled for July 11th.
A grand jury indicted Emoni Hubbard, 29, of Washington, D.C., on July 5, 2024, on three counts of felony second-degree theft. Arraignment is scheduled for August 22nd.
A grand jury indicted Quinton Mercer, 44, of Washington, D.C. on July 3, 2024, on one count of felony second-degree theft. Arraignment is yet to be scheduled.
A grand jury indicted Meredith Wilson, 51, of Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2024, on one count of felony second-degree theft. Arraignment is yet to be scheduled for August 1st.
Eugene Fleet, 61, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on July 1, 2024, in D.C. Superior Court, to one year in prison for felony second-degree theft from events occurring on January 12, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, on December 19, 2023, Fleet took a package containing a pair of jeans from a resident’s porch in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Then, less than a month later, on January 12, 2024, Fleet took a package containing a baby blanket from a resident’s porch in Northwest, Washington, D.C. In doing so, Fleet unlawfully entered areas he was not legally allowed to be in. Fleet had multiple prior theft convictions and was therefore subject to the enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison. The government had indicted Fleet on February 23, 2024. Fleet pleaded guilty in both cases on April 29, 2024. The Court imposed the one-year mandatory minimum of each of Fleet’s theft convictions but sentenced him concurrently.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned cases, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 56 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
In announcing the indictments and the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty
Serial Rapist Indicted for Three Violent Stranger Sexual AttacksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Angel Gomez, 42, formerly of Washington D.C., was indicted today by a District of Columbia grand jury on numerous counts of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances and first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, for three rapes involving three different victims who were strangers to him, that occurred between July and October 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On July 10, 2024, a District of Columbia grand jury returned an indictment, charging Gomez with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, five counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, for the attacks on the three victims. If convicted, Gomez faces a maximum penalty of life without release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime. Trial is scheduled to begin on September 17, 2024, before the Honorable Anthony Epstein.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2018, at approximately 2:45 a.m., Gomez knocked on the back door of a home in the 5500 block of 8th St. NW. When the victim emerged, Gomez brandished a knife to her face, forced the victim to the ground and raped her at knifepoint. The victim was able to kick Gomez and escape back inside of her home, where she called 911. The victim sustained a cut to her face and other injuries. Police responded immediately, canvassed for the suspect, and transported the victim to the hospital, where she obtained a sexual assault examination.
On September 7, 2018, at approximately 11:48 p.m., in the 100 block of Gallatin Street, NE, Gomez raped a second victim at knifepoint, also a stranger to him. This time, Gomez followed a woman from the Ft. Totten Metro, and dragged the victim into a wooded area nearby, where he raped her at knifepoint. Gomez then fled the scene. The victim sustained injures but was able to flag down police. The victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where she received a sexual assault examination.
On October 21, 2018, at approximately 6:35 a.m., in the 5400 block of 7th Street, NW, Gomez sexually assaulted a third stranger victim. The victim had called for a share ride to take her to work. As she waited at the corner of 7th and Longfellow Street, NW, the defendant approached her and began talking to her. The victim asked Gomez to leave her alone, but he continued trying to have a conversation with her. As she checked on the status of her rideshare vehicle, she started to walk away but Gomez followed her. Gomez grabbed the victim by the throat and dragged her under the porch of a nearby home. Gomez raped the victim under the porch, strangling the victim harder when she attempted to move. When the assault was over, Gomez fled on foot. The victim sustained injuries and immediately returned home and called police, who responded promptly. The victim was transported to the hospital, where she obtained a sexual assault examination.
By December 2018, all three rape kits had been forensically tested, and the DNA profile of an unknown male had been obtained from the testing of all three kits and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) maintained by the FBI. The cases matched each other but the perpetrator was still unknown.
Detectives with MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit continued to develop and investigate forensic leads over the next several years in an exhaustive effort to identify the unknown assailant. Once identified, Gomez was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on June 7, 2023 and transported by law enforcement to D.C. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed that Gomez was the rapist in all three cases. He is currently detained pending trial.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, including the Sexual Assault Unit and the Cold Case Unit of the Sexual Assault Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Amy Zubrensky.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously-unsolved cases of sexual assault of adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area and nationwide.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Repeat Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Distribution of Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnie Wise, 27, a repeat felon from Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for possessing two illegal firearms and distribution quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine at his Southeast apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wise pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss on March 21 to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. In addition to the prison term, Judge Moss ordered Wise to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 18, 2023, at about 6 a.m., members of the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division executed a search warrant at Wise’s apartment on the 1900 block of 18th Street, SE. Law enforcement found Wise sitting inside his bedroom. Once handcuffed, Wise told police he was the only one who resided in the apartment. The kitchen was filled with drug making equipment that included digital scales, baking soda, empty ziplock bags.
Officers searched Wise’s bedroom and, next to his bed, recovered a Zastava Arms ZPAP92 7.62 x 39mm firearms with 30 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers also located a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol in the same room with 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Police additionally recovered a 50-round magazine containing 15 rounds, a Zigana gun box containing two magazines, 39 rounds of .40 caliber ammo, a baggie containing empty yellow pill capsules, 21 grams of crack cocaine, and 85 grams of powder cocaine on a shelf over a television. DNA linked Wise to the Glock 17.
This case was conducted under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods and was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division in concert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
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D.C. Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Corporations of over $900,000Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raekwon Malik Harrod, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term for fraudulently using the UPS accounts of two American companies to create shipping labels, which he and another conspirator sold online. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Harrod pleaded guilty on January 5 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered that Harrod serve six months and one day in prison and an additional twelve months on home detention. Harrod must serve a total of three years of supervised release and pay $920,000 in restitution.
In his plea agreement, Harrod admitted that no later than 2020, Carl Granada Wilson, Jr., a California co-conspirator, gained access to one company’s UPS account and provided Harrod with the account’s log-in credentials. Harrod provided the credentials to a Maryland co-conspirator. Initially, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator, who both re-sold shoes online, used the account to create UPS shipping labels to mail the shoes that they sold, which reduced their shipping costs to zero. Wilson intended that they use the account in this manner. However, in late 2020, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator decided to use the account to sell UPS shipping labels to third parties. They advertised the service online and each created thousands of UPS labels using the compromised account. Harrod acknowledged that the fraudulent use of the company’s account caused the company to lose more than $900,000.
In late July 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator lost access to the account, prompting them to tell Wilson that they had been selling labels using the account. Wilson requested that they pay him $120,000, which Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator understood would be used to compensate the person who gave Wilson access to the account. However, in reality, Wilson planned to keep all of the money for himself. Thus, in August 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator withdrew nearly $70,000 in cash and flew with the money to Los Angeles, where they gave the proceeds to Wilson. When they were in California, they withdrew another $50,000 in cash and provided it to Wilson who pocketed all of the money.
Eventually, Wilson secured access to a second American company’s UPS account, which he provided to Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator. The two men then resumed selling UPS shipping labels online, this time with direct involvement and knowledge of Wilson.
On June 13, 2024, Wilson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for October 31, 2024, before Judge Reyes.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with the assistance of paralegal specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi. Former paralegal specialist Michon Tart and former Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar also assisted with the investigation.
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Boyfriend Found Guilty by Jury of First-Degree Murder and Related Charges for Killing Romantic Rival Inside His Home in SoutheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Parrish, 40, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from a mid-afternoon shooting on September 26, 2021, outside a home in the 5200 block of E Street Southeast, Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Parrish was found guilty by a jury on July 9, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2024.
According to the evidence, Parrish drove to the decedent’s home on September 26, 2021, armed with a firearm, to kill Ronald Bailey because they were both engaged in a romantic relationship with the same woman. Parrish sped into the block of E Street where the decedent lived. After bringing his car to a screeching halt, he got out of the car. Parrish screamed for the decedent and then fired multiple shots into the decedent’s house killing him. Parrish then fled the scene.
Parrish was arrested on October 6, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office Cellular Analysis Survey Team. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possession of Glocks, ‘Molly,’ and Fake Pills Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Norece Mitchell, 26, a three-time convicted felon from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison in connection with illegally possessing three loaded Glock firearms and distribution quantities of cocaine base, fentanyl, N,N-Dimethylpentylone (also known as “molly”), marijuana, promethazine, and synthetic cannabinoids. At the time of the offense on April 20, 2023, Mitchell was on probation in three Superior Court cases, having been released from a 30-month prison term only three months earlier. Two of his probation cases were for felon-in-possession convictions.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mitchell, 26, pleaded guilty March 6, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with a count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a count of possession with intent to distribute N,N-Dimethylpentylone. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Jia M. Cobb ordered Mitchell to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2023, MPD officers approached a group of men who were loitering on private property in the 800 block of 6th Street, NW, in Chinatown. One of the men grabbed a black plastic bag off a fence post and threw it into trash can in front of the officers. Officers recovered the bag, which contained 118 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, empty plastic baggies, and a key fob for an Acura SUV parked on the block. Minutes later, Mitchell approached the officers and requested the fob, which he said was for his mother’s car.
Given Mitchell’s association with a vehicle whose key was recovered alongside evidence of drug distribution, the officers stopped Mitchell. Mitchell voluntarily consented to a search of his person, which—in addition to a small bag of marijuana he had previously showed the officers—yielded $3,818 in cash, a bag of 24 blue pills marked “M/20,” and a baggie containing about 22 grams of a white crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for amphetamine.
Officers also saw a loose crystal substance in plain view on the SUV’s driver’s floorboard—which they identified as a controlled substance known as “molly”—and proceeded to search the vehicle. The substance appeared identical to the powder recovered from Mitchell’s person and field-tested positive for amphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered additional controlled substances. From the center console, they recovered 145 grams of a white rock-like substance packaged into five baggies. From the rear driver’s side floorboard, they recovered a plastic bag containing 342 grams of suspected synthetic cannabinoids. From the driver’s side door panel, they recovered three digital scales with white residue. From the front passenger’s seat, officers recovered a jacket containing a bottle of suspected promethazine that was approximately 25% full. Some of the drugs recovered on April 20, 2023, were subsequently lab tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The substance that field-tested as amphetamine was determined to predominantly be N,N-Dimethylpentylone and cocaine base. The pills were determined to contain fentanyl and acetaminophen.
The officers also recovered three loaded firearms and ammunition from the vehicle. Mitchell directed the officers to the locations of these firearms. From the glove box, officers recovered a Glock 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm with a 15-round magazine, with one round loaded in the firearm’s chamber and 13 rounds in its magazine. There was also a 31-round magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. From a backpack in the backseat, the officers recovered two additional firearms: a Glock 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm with 15 rounds loaded into its 22-round magazine; and a Glock 19, 9mm semi-automatic firearm with a 17-round magazine, with one round loaded in the firearm’s chamber and 15 rounds in its magazine. Swabs from the firearms and magazines were submitted to the FBI for DNA testing and analysis. The results tied Mitchell to one of the firearms and two of the magazines.
Federal law prohibits Mitchell from possessing a firearm because he has three prior convictions in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
At the time of the offense, Mitchell was on probation in three Superior Court cases—two involving felon-in-possession convictions and one involving a misdemeanor assault conviction—having been released from a 30-month prison term only three months earlier. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno has scheduled a probation revocation hearing for July 17, 2024. Upon revocation of probation, Mitchell faces up to 13 additional months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA’s Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Kelley.
23cr0176
Federal Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Local Agencies to Benefit His Private CompanyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ifediora Oli, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), pled guilty today to conspiring with other public officials to defraud the District of Columbia and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) of money, property, and their employees’ honest services. As a result of the conspiracy, a private company owned and operated by Oli improperly received over $1 million.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Inspector General Michelle A. Zamarin of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General, and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
Oli, 41 of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud, and one count of falsifying records. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for October 16.
In related cases, co-defendants Bridgette Crowell and Obinna Ogbu also pleaded guilty to conspiring with Oli to defraud the District and WMATA.
According to court documents, during the conspiracy—which was carried out between 2018 and 2023—Oli was employed at USDA while separately acting as the Principal of Highbury Global Group, Inc. (Highbury). Ogbu was employed at WMATA as an information technology (IT) customer support manager who sometimes also served as a WMATA contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR) on certain WMATA contracts. Crowell was a public employee who managed contracts at the District’s Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) and, before that, WMATA.
Beginning in 2018, Oli and Ogbu agreed to use Ogbu’s official position and connection to Crowell to steer funds from WMATA IT-related contracts to Highbury. As part of the conspiracy, Oli and Ogbu agreed to commit bribery. Specifically, Oli and Ogbu agreed that Oli would give Ogbu things of value in exchange for Ogbu misusing his position at WMATA to benefit Oli. By 2023, Oli and Highbury had received nearly $500,000 through this corrupt scheme.
Crowell also misused her official position at OCP and agreed with Oli to commit bribery as part of the conspiracy. In January 2021, OCP began the process of helping the District’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) hire a vendor to provide DFS with COVID-19 testing supplies. In her official capacity at OCP, Crowell managed the contract solicitation, offer, and award. Crowell alerted Oli and Ogbu to the contracting opportunity; provided them with non-public information about the solicitation, including information regarding contract pricing; and steered the contract to Highbury. The District ultimately paid Highbury over $630,000 under the contract. In return, Oli paid Ogbu over $100,000 and instructed Ogbu to give $15,000 of the money in cash to Crowell in exchange for her corrupt acts.
Oli also pleaded guilty to unlawfully falsifying an annual financial disclosure record related to his USDA employment. As a USDA employee, Oli was required to complete an annual “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report” on a U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) form referred to as the “OGE Form 450.” Oli admitted that he repeatedly falsified his annual OGE Form 450 filings to hinder the USDA’s ability to identify, investigate, and assess his activities with Highbury and any conflict of interests they may have caused.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with the WMATA Office of the Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Visser of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
24cr0275
FACT SHEET: Year-to-Year Carjacking Trends for the Month of JuneRead the Press Release
In June of 2023, the District of Columbia experienced 140 carjackings in that month alone. In June of this year (2024), the number of carjackings in the District is 31. That is over 100 fewer carjackings—or a 78% decrease—in June alone compared to last year.
Notable facts from the representative prosecutions below:
- Four D.C. men charged with allegedly carjacking 33 vehicles in the District of Columbia and Maryland during a six-month period, including one case which resulted in a death. Read more.
- 11 juveniles charged as adults under Title 16 for various armed robberies and carjackings.
- Combined local and federal law enforcement approach.
- More than 60 years of total prison time for carjackers.
- Multiple armed carjacking sprees crossing state lines into Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia interrupted and thwarted.
NOTABLE CARJACKING HEADLINES FROM THE USAO
Superior Court Indictments
- Four District Men Indicted on 76 Federal Counts for Armed Carjacking Conspiracy. Read more. Read more.
- Two District Men Indicted for the February Kidnapping and Robbery of a Virginia Man. Read more.
- Carjacking and Robbery Charges Filed Against Three Men in D.C. Read more.
- Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two D.C. Residents with Kidnapping and Carjacking Charges. Read more.
- District Man Indicted on Armed Carjacking and Other Charges in String of Armed Robberies at Convenience Stores and Gas Stations. Read more.
- D.C. Man Indicted in a Six Count Federal Indictment After Deadly Carjacking Spree. Read more.
Title 16 Charges (Youth Charges as an Adult)
- District Teen Indicted on Multiple Armed Carjacking, Armed Robbery and Related Charges from August 2023 Crime Spree. Read more.
- Three Juveniles Charged as Adults with Armed Carjacking, Armed Robbery, and Related Charges. Read more.
- Teen Indicted on Armed Carjacking and Other Violent Crimes Arising from a Crime Spree in August 2023. Read more.
- Grand Jury Indicts District Teen for Armed Carjacking and Other Offenses. Read more.
- Separate Indictments Charge Multiple Defendants in Armed Carjacking Conspiracies. Read more.
- Seven Teens Indicted for Conspiracy and Three Armed Carjackings. Read more.
Significant Sentences
- Carjacker Sent to Prison for 10 Years. Read more.
- District Man Sentenced to Sixteen Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking at Gas Station. Read more.
- District Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Carjacking and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Read more.
- District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Two Carjackings. Read more.
Significant Plea & Trail Convictions
- District Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking in Northeast. Read more.
- District Man Pleads Guilty in Armed Carjacking Spree. Read more.
- District Man Convicted of Offenses Arising from Violent Armed Carjacking and Shooting. Read more. Read more.
- Jury Finds Maryland Man Guilty of Armed Carjacking of Delivery Driver. Read more.
- District Man Found Guilty of Armed Carjacking of Handyman’s Car, Which He Crashed During a Police Chase. Read more.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antone Watkins, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of armed robbery and other firearm-related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned on July 3, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for September 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 10:47 p.m., on June 17, 2022, the victim was led into an alley near Howison Place and N Street SW. In that alley, Watkins brandished a firearm and hit the victim across the face with it, chipping his tooth. Watkins and two others then robbed the victim of his cash, chains, watch, and car keys. Video footage showed Watkins running from the alley, getting into the victim’s truck, and driving off. Further video footage showed Watkins only a few minutes later rummaging through the victim’s belongings in the truck. Police arrested Watkins on September 15, 2022. Watkins has been detained since his arrest.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Rubb of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office from early in the case and through trial.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Gregory Evans.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed Burglary and Multiple Armed Assaults for Attack on Woman and ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Sean Branch, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree burglary while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges in a morning home invasion and violent assault of a woman and her twelve-year-old son that took place in Southeast Washington D.C. on September 11, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Branch was also found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of second-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of threats to do bodily harm. The verdict was returned on July 3, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe presided over the trial. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Branch faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment for his offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, Branch had developed a friendship with the adult victim in the summer of 2020, which led to Branch storing belongings in her apartment. In the days leading up to the offense, Branch and the adult victim argued over whether Branch could continue to store his belongings there. On September 11, 2020, shortly after 8:30 a.m., Branch broke into the apartment of the victims. After breaking into the home through an exterior window, Branch, wearing a ski mask, approached the woman and her child in the living room. He struck the woman in the face with the gun, causing her to bleed extensively, and then dragged them to the back bedroom while repeatedly demanding his belongings. Branch eventually pointed the gun at the child’s head and threatened to kill both victims. Branch then fled the scene. The victims identified the assailant based on the assailant’s voice and the context of the offense.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance footage showing the assailant fleeing from the ground floor balcony, wearing a ski mask. Officers also recovered a pair of sweatpants and jacket along the defendant’s flight path that was consistent with the assailant’s appearance on video. Branch was eventually linked to the recovered clothing through DNA testing.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle White who indicted the case in 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Covert and Katharine Yaske of the Domestic Violence Unit.
Former Defense Contractor and his Wife Indicted for Evading U.S. Taxes on Profits from Selling Jet Fuel to U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 30-count indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Douglas Edelman, 72, a former defense contractor, and Delphine Le Dain, 58, his wife, with a decades-long scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on more than $350 million in income Edelman made as a defense contractor during the United States’ post-9/11 military efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Edelman was arrested today in Ibiza, Spain, based on the U.S. criminal charges. The United States will seek Edelman’s extradition to stand trial in the United States.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, between 2003 and 2020, Edelman allegedly was the 50% owner of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide jet fuel to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Working with Le Dain and several other co-conspirators, Edelman allegedly engaged in a years-long scheme to conceal his profits from Mina/Red Star, including by concealing his income in undisclosed foreign bank accounts, creating false documents, and making false statements that Le Dain who, as a French citizen residing abroad, did not have U.S. tax obligations, founded and owned Mina/Red Star. Le Dain allegedly signed some of false documents, including those that purported to “gift” Edelman money for certain personal expenses.
The indictment further alleges that to carry off his scheme, Edelman conveyed this false story of Le Dain’s ownership to various arms of the U.S. government, including to a Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives during a 2010 Congressional investigation, to the Department of Defense during contract negotiations, to the Internal Revenue Service in a 2015 application to the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, and to the Department of Justice in a 2018 presentation.
Until approximately 2015, Edelman allegedly did not file any U.S. individual tax returns and did not pay any tax on the tens of millions of dollars he was allegedly making each year from Mina/Red Star. In 2015, Edelman allegedly filed false returns for tax years 2007 to 2014 claiming that his business interests, income, and assets belonged to Le Dain. From 2015 to 2020, Edelman allegedly filed false tax returns claiming that his only income was as a consultant, and that he had no interests in any foreign businesses.
The indictment further alleges that Edelman directed his profits from Mina/Red Star into banks known at the time to shield account holder identities from U.S. authorities, in countries such as Switzerland, the Bahamas, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. He allegedly held the accounts in the name of non-U.S. entities created in countries such as Panama, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands. Edelman allegedly always controlled the money in these accounts and used it to fund his other business ventures around the world, including a business selling internet services to U.S. troops and contractors at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan, a Mexican fuel infrastructure project, and a music television franchise in Eastern Europe. Edelman allegedly also used the money to buy a ski chalet in Austria, a house in Spain, a townhouse in London, and multiple yachts—all of which were purchased in the name of nominees.
Edelman and Le Dain are charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and 15 counts of tax evasion. Edelman also is charged with two counts of making false statements to the United States, and 12 counts of willfully violating his foreign bank account reporting obligations, as part of a pattern of unlawful activity.
If convicted, Edelman and Le Dain face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count, as well as five years in federal prison for each tax evasion count. Edelman also faces up to five years in prison for each false statement count and 10 years in federal prison for each count of willfully violating foreign bank account reporting while engaged in a pattern of unlawful activity involving more than $100,000 per year. They each face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Guardia Civil of Spain provided assistance with Edelman’s arrest.
This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis, Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney, and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold of the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24cr239
Ex-Husband Sentenced for Assault and Burglary of Pregnant Ex-Wife’s HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Miller, 41, of Virginia, was sentenced today for burglary, simple assault, and destruction of property in a break-in that took place in Northwest Washington in the middle of the night, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On January 10, 2024, a Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict, following a trial for burglary, simple assault, and destruction of property. Miller was sentenced today by Superior Judge Robert A. Salerno to five years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Miller broke into his pregnant ex-wife’s home by breaking through the front door on September 19, 2023. Immediately upon breaking into her home, the defendant charged at his ex-wife and assaulted her by grabbing her by the throat and throwing her to the ground. After she got back up, the defendant grabbed her by her bathrobe and threw her onto the couch. Both the victim and her 22-year-old-daughter, who was hiding upstairs, called 911. Police arrived quickly at 1:49 a.m. and arrested Miller on scene.
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 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Matthew Covert of the Domestic Violence unit, who prosecuted the case.
Court Sentences Armed Carjacker to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gianni Saunders, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on July 2, 2024, to 10 years of incarceration followed by five years of supervised release by the Honorable Errol Arthur in Superior Court for the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Saunders was sentenced for the May 24, 2023, armed carjacking of a handyman who was getting out of his car in the 2800 block of Denver Street SE to do a repair job. Saunders received the benefit of the Youth Rehabilitation Act over the government’s objection.
Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of incarceration. The Youth Rehabilitation Act allows for judges to sentence beneath mandatory minimum terms.
A jury in the District of Columbia convicted Saunders of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on January 30, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:24 pm on May 24, 2023, the victim pulled up to the 2800 block of Denver Street SE to make repairs inside a residential building when Saunders approached him, armed with a gun with an extended magazine, and demanded the victim’s car keys, which were hung around his neck. Saunders then drove off in the victim’s black Honda Civic, parking the car outside his residence later that afternoon.
Two days later, on May 26, 2023, Maryland police officers attempted to pull over the stolen car, which led to a high-speed pursuit that ended when the defendant crashed the stolen car into five other cars on Oxon Hill Road in Maryland. Saunders was pulled out of the driver’s seat. A search of the car recovered a gun with an extended magazine with the defendant’s DNA on it.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Invaluable assistance was provided by the Forest Heights Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Abu Alawy and Antoinette Sakamsa and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather; Information Technology Specialist William Henderson and Supervisory Information Technology Specialist Stephanie Vice; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English, who investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Gimenez and Iris McCranie, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Maryland Resident Sentenced in Theft of More than $350,000 in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zhong Jie Chen, 47, formerly of Randolph, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for misappropriating $354,520 of COVID-19 relief funds that he was supposed to use to operate his restaurants during the pandemic. Chen used the funds to engage in day trading. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Chen, who now lives in New Jersey, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on February 28, 2024, to wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper ordered Chen to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $369,087 in restitution.
In court documents, Chen admitted that, while he was a Maryland resident, he was the sole owner of two Shanghai Tokyo Café restaurants, one in the District’s Columbia Heights neighborhood, and the other in College Park, MD. Between May 2020 and July 2021, he applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans for the two eateries.
The Paycheck Protection Program was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the U.S. government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. Once the PPP loan applications were approved, businesses received loan proceeds from third-party lenders. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA also offered EIDL loans to certain entities, including small business owners. These loans were provided directly from the SBA and were low-interest, fixed-rate, long term loans. Both PPP loans and EIDL loans could only be used for specified purposes.
Between May 2020 and July 2021, Chen’s two restaurants received PPP and EIDL loans totaling approximately $964,843. On loan applications, Chen acknowledged understanding how the loans could be used and that if he knowingly used funds for unauthorized purposes, he could be held legally liable by the federal government, and potentially charged with fraud.
Chen admitted that he falsely certified that all loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes even though he knew and intended that he would misappropriate some loan proceeds to a personal investment account to allow him to engage in day trading. He admitted that he misappropriated $354,520 of loan proceeds and used those funds to engage in day trading through his Robinhood and TD Ameritrade accounts.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Ryan Sellinger, who were assisted by paralegal specialists Sonalika Chaturvedi and Michon Tart.
24cr0050
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Borum, 21, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to armed carjacking in connection with several armed carjackings that occurred in January of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Borum pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking. Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2024, before Judge Lynn Leibovitz. Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 12, 2021, just after midnight, Borum and other individuals approached the victim as he was standing in front of his home in Northwest DC. The defendant and his accomplices, at least one of whom was armed with a firearm, pointed a firearm at the victim and demanded the keys to the victim’s car. Borum and his accomplices then took the keys to the victim’s car and fled from the area in that car.
At approximately 1:00 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department observed the victim’s vehicle speeding in the 2600 block of Benning Road, NE. Police requested air support from MPD’s helicopter, Falcon-1, which tracked the victim’s vehicle, following it to the 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue. As the victim’s vehicle approached the traffic circle located at 1 Municipal Place in Mount Rainier, Maryland, the vehicle struck a utility pole and flipped upside down. Borum exited and ran from the vehicle before being stopped by MPD officers.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Richard Carlton.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jereal J. Booker, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm in March 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Booker pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2024.
According to court papers, on March 21, 2023, an MPD officer observed Booker walking outside a convenience store in a manner that suggested he was carrying a firearm in the front of his pants. An employee of the store then told the officer that he had seen Booker adjusting a firearm in the front of his pants, and he showed the officer surveillance footage that corroborated his account. When the officer attempted to stop Booker in the 4600 block of Livingston Road Southeast, Booker broke into headlong flight. While fleeing the police, Booker discarded the firearm in some bushes before allowing himself to be apprehended. Nearby construction workers who had witnessed the chase alerted the officers to look in the bushes. They did so and recovered a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun loaded with one chambered round and ten rounds in its magazine. DNA testing later linked the firearm to Booker.
Booker was arrested on March 21, 2023, and remains detained pending sentencing.
Federal law prohibits Booker from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and a 2021 conviction for attempted carjacking in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Booker was on probation for both convictions at the time of this offense.
Booker faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
23cr103
Man Who Tried to Sell Marijuana in a Northeast Smoke Shop Sentenced to Seven Years for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevon Lockerman, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lockman was found guilty on April 5, 2024, of armed robbery with a knife, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian ordered Lockerman to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 15, 2023, the defendant and another man, who was never identified, went into a smoke shop on West Virginia Avenue NE and tried to set up their own business inside, with a scale, a knife, and product they offered for sale. The store’s surveillance footage showed that when the complainant walked in, the defendant and his accomplice try to sell the complainant marijuana without success. The defendant handed a knife to his accomplice as the complainant spoke to the store’s clerk. When the complainant turned to leave the shop, the defendant and his accomplice blocked the complainant’s path. The accomplice gestured toward the knife, which he had tucked in the front of his pants, and the complainant handed the defendant cash. After the two men left together, the complainant turned to the store clerk with tears in his eyes and told him he had been robbed. Police arrested the defendant roughly three weeks later near the same smoke shop.
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 Paralegal Specialists Abubakar Alawy and Antoinette Sakamsa and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather; Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling; and Investigative Analyst Stephen Jones.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Van Haasteren and Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.