District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Alvin Halmon-Daniels, now 18, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury for armed carjacking and other charges related to a June 16, 2023 offense in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On March 13, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant, who was 17-years-old at the time of the carjacking, as an adult under Title 16. 

            In addition to armed carjacking, Halmon-Daniels is charged with robbery while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. According to documents filed in court, at approximately 11:20 am on June 16, an unidentified co-conspirator drove his car in front of the complainant’s sedan in the 200 block of 13th Street NE. Halmon-Daniels got out of the co-conspirator’s car, armed with a handgun, and ordered the complainant to leave her property and get out of her car. Halmon-Daniels then drove off with the complainant’s vehicle and property, with his co-conspirator following in the suspect vehicle. MPD officers responded immediately, and tracked the carjacked vehicle to Southeast D.C., where it had crashed, and apprehended Halmon-Daniels nearby. The victim subsequently identified Halmon-Daniels as the gunman. At the time of his arrest on June 16th, Halmon-Daniels still had some of the victim’s property in his pockets.

            The Court released the defendant after the preliminary hearing.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

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

WASHINGTON – Roman Sterlingov, a citizen of Russia and Sweden, was found guilty today of operating among the longest-running and most prolific bitcoin money laundering services on the darknet.

            The jury verdict, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Chief Jim Lee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.  

            Sterlingov, 35, was found guilty of money laundering conspiracy, sting money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and violations of the D.C. Money Transmitters Act. The jury also granted forfeiture to the government of several specific assets that law enforcement had previously seized, including over about 1,354 Bitcoin held in a Bitcoin Fog wallet, as well as $349,625 and various cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, and Stellar) held in seized Kraken cryptocurrency exchange accounts. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2024, and will also consider a further forfeiture money judgment.  Money laundering conspiracy and money laundering sting each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; unlicensed money services business and DC Code money transmission without a license each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            According to the government’s evidence, Sterlingov operated Bitcoin Fog from October 2011 to April 2021. Bitcoin Fog was a cryptocurrency “mixer,” or “tumbler,” and had gained notoriety as a money laundering service for criminals seeking to hide their illicit proceeds from law enforcement. Over the course of its decade-long operation, stopped only when Sterlingov was arrested and detained, Bitcoin Fog moved well over 1.2 million bitcoin (BTC) – valued at approximately nearly $400 million at the time of the transactions. The bulk of that cryptocurrency came from darknet marketplaces and was tied to illegal narcotics, computer fraud and abuse activities, and identity theft.  His service also served purveyors of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the notorious site Welcome to Video.

            “Darknet criminals should know by now that operations like Bitcoin Fog cannot provide the anonymity for cryptocurrency transactions that they claim they can,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia.  “This conviction demonstrates that the United States can and will combat the use of technology to carry out crimes in cyberspace.”

            “Roman Sterlingov thought he could use the shadows of the internet to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin without getting caught. But he was wrong,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Our team of agents, analysts, and prosecutors were relentless in their pursuit of justice, painstakingly tracing bitcoin through the blockchain to hold Sterlingov and his Bitcoin Fog enterprise to account. Today, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts — showing that no matter where you operate, if your cryptocurrency service reaches the United States, you must abide by U.S. law.”

            “Evidence presented at trial clearly showed that the defendant laundered hundreds of millions of illicit funds from the dark web through Bitcoin Fog in an attempt to conceal the origin of those funds,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Jim Lee. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed.”

            “For a decade, Sterlingov managed a cryptocurrency mixer that criminals used to launder millions of dollars linked to cybercrimes, narcotics sales, and child exploitation,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg. “His conviction demonstrates the FBI's commitment to working with our partners to disrupt the cybercriminal ecosystem by targeting its most technical and proficient enablers.”

            “Roman Sterlingov operated Bitcoin Fog, a cryptocurrency ‘mixing’ service that allowed criminals to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds from darknet marketplaces.  The defendant and his customers believed they could use Bitcoin Fog to conceal these illicit transactions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As the jury’s guilty verdict shows, that belief was mistaken. The Criminal Division is committed to unmasking and prosecuting those who use technology to hide their crimes, no matter how sophisticated the scheme may be.”

            At launch, Sterlingov publicized Bitcoin Fog as a tool for anonymizing bitcoin transactions and evading law enforcement. His site charged customers a fee for the service. Historically, the largest users of Bitcoin Fog were darknet markets such as Agora, Silk Road, Silk Road 2.0, Evolution, and AlphaBay. As the jury found, Sterlingov’s mixing and tumbling activity was an illegal money transmitting and money laundering service under federal law.

            While the identity of a BTC address owner is generally anonymous (unless the owner opts to make the information publicly available), the evidence at trial demonstrated that law enforcement can identify the owner of a particular bitcoin address by analyzing the blockchain. The analysis can also reveal additional addresses controlled by the same individual or entity. IRS-CI’s analysis determined Bitcoin Fog received approximately 486,861.69 BTC, valued at about $54,897,316 at the time of the transactions, directly from darknet markets. Bitcoin Fog sent approximately 164,931.13 BTC (about $23,690,956 at the time of the transactions) directly to darknet markets. In sum, the anonymizer sent or received more than $78 million in transactions involving known darknet markets, counting only direct transactions.

            Based on Bitcoin Fog’s transaction activity over time, Sterlingov made millions in commissions from Bitcoin Fog transactions. Investigators obtained records of Sterlingov’s true-name accounts at several cryptocurrency exchanges. Analysis of those accounts revealed the vast majority of cryptocurrency deposited into Sterlingov’s accounts was originally sourced and traced back to bitcoin clusters associated with Bitcoin Fog.

            Under U.S. law, it is a crime to conspire to commit money laundering, that is, to conduct financial transactions with proceeds from unlawful activity designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of such proceeds.  It is also a crime to conduct or attempt to conduct a financial transaction involving property represented to be the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, with the intent to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of such property.  It is also a crime to operate a money transmitting businesses without obtaining an appropriate money transmitting license in the state in which the service operates, or with FinCEN.  The D.C. also criminalizes similar unlicensed activity.

            Sterlingov was arrested April 27, 2021, at Los Angeles International Airport and has remained detained since that time.

            The IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. Additional assistance was provided by Europol; the Swedish Economic Crime Authority (Ekobrottsmyndigheten), the Swedish Prosecution Authority, and the Swedish Police; and the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police, Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.

            Trial Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Pelker and Brown are members of CCIPS’ National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Divya Ramjee provided valuable assistance.

WASHINGTON – Ronald Allen, Jr., 54, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to one count of first-degree theft and one count of false statements for fraudulently obtaining and keeping $31,044 from a Covid-19 tenant assistance program, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Daniel W. Lucas Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            At today’s plea hearing, Allen admitted that in July and September of 2021, he submitted false information on two separate applications to the Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC) program, a DC government program established in 2021 to help cover rent and utilities for renters suffering hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. Allen falsely stated that he had earned no income in 2020 or 2021, and falsely stated that his work had stopped because of the pandemic when, in fact, he maintained steady income during both years from several sources. Based on Allen’s false statements, the DC government sent Allen two checks, totaling $31,044, that Allen had promised to use to pay back rent and utilities. Allen admitted that he did not use any of that money to pay his outstanding rent obligations, or utilities, as required by the terms of the program, and instead spent all of the STAY DC money on luxury goods, travel, dining, and other personal expenses. As part of the plea agreement, Allen agreed to pay full restitution, in the amount of $31,044.

            The Honorable Jason Park accepted Allen’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2024.

            In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming, on detail from the DC Office of the Attorney General to prosecute matters involving fraud and public corruption.

WASHINGTON – Demarco Diggs, 26, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for dealing firearms without a license and trafficking firearms into the District of Columbia. Diggs used various methods to advertise his weapons for sale, most often through Instagram, and intentionally sold them to convicted felons who were prohibited from buying weapons. Law enforcement has now recovered multiple firearms that Diggs trafficked, including six within the D.C. Metropolitan Area, which include guns that have been involved in multiple shootings or discharges in the DMV area.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Acting U.S. Marshal Ronald Carter of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Diggs pleaded guilty on November 14, 2023, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of illegal transport of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth ordered Diggs to serve three of supervised release on completion of his prison sentence. Diggs has agreed to forfeit 25 firearms, including pistols, rifles, and shotguns, as well as an assortment of ammunition. In court documents, Diggs agreed that his firearms dealing involved up to 24 firearms.

            Between September 2021 and September 2023, law enforcement recovered six firearms in the D.C. Metropolitan Area which were traced back to being purchased and subsequently re-sold by Diggs. The firearms were linked to shootings or discharges and theft incidents, and one firearm was recovered from a November 2022 search warrant at the residence of Quinton McLean. McLean was indicted as a result of that search warrant and, in March 2023, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Judge Lamberth sentenced McLean to 34 months’ imprisonment and 36 months of supervised release. 

            Investigators determined that each of the recovered firearms had been purchased by Diggs in Georgia in April and June 2021, where Diggs resided at the time. In June and July 2021, Diggs traveled from Georgia to Washington, D.C., to sell firearms to prohibited persons. To date, law enforcement has identified nearly two dozen firearms that Diggs purchased from federal firearm licensees (FFLs) and at gun shows between 2020 and 2023, which were then re-sold by Diggs for profit.

            Over the course of his illegal firearms trafficking, Diggs often employed Instagram to identify prospective customers to whom he would re-sell firearms that he purchased. According to court documents, Diggs used direct messages to display inventories of weapons for sale to prospective customers. In one such Instagram direct message exchange, Diggs explained to a prospective customer that he was selling his firearms “for people that [can’t] get them on [their] own.”

            On March 24, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at two separate residences associated with Diggs in Aurora, Colorado. From those searches, law enforcement recovered more than a half-dozen firearms, assorted ammunition and magazines, and two gun cases bearing serial numbers that matched to firearms recovered in the D.C. Metropolitan Area.

            This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), with assistance from the ATF Denver Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAVEN).

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section and Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L.D. Stempel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy T. Wang.

A federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted a dual Russian-Swedish national today for his operation of the longest-running bitcoin money laundering service on the darknet.

“Roman Sterlingov thought he could use the shadows of the internet to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin without getting caught. But he was wrong,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Our team of agents, analysts, and prosecutors were relentless in their pursuit of justice, painstakingly tracing bitcoin through the blockchain to hold Sterlingov and his Bitcoin Fog enterprise to account. Today, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts — showing that no matter where you operate, if your cryptocurrency service reaches the United States, you must abide by U.S. law.”

“The FBI’s cyber workforce remains relentless in the pursuit of criminals who leverage technology to conduct and facilitate illegal activity,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Today’s conviction is the result of close collaboration between the FBI and our federal and international partners to impose consequences on Bitcoin Fog and its operator for their money laundering activities. The FBI will continue to use all available tools and resources to impose costs on cybercriminals, no matter where they operate.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Roman Sterlingov, 35, was involved in operating Bitcoin Fog from 2011 through 2021. Bitcoin Fog was the longest-running cryptocurrency “mixer,” gaining notoriety as a go-to money laundering service for criminals seeking to hide their illicit proceeds from law enforcement. Over the course of its decade-long operation, Bitcoin Fog moved over 1.2 million bitcoin, which was valued at approximately $400 million at the time of the transactions. The bulk of this cryptocurrency came from darknet marketplaces and was tied to illegal narcotics, computer crimes, identity theft, and child sexual abuse material.

“Roman Sterlingov operated Bitcoin Fog, a cryptocurrency ‘mixing’ service that allowed criminals to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds from darknet marketplaces.  The defendant and his customers believed they could use Bitcoin Fog to conceal these illicit transactions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As the jury’s guilty verdict shows, that belief was mistaken. The Criminal Division is committed to unmasking and prosecuting those who use technology to hide their crimes, no matter how sophisticated the scheme may be.”

“Darknet criminals should know by now that operations like Bitcoin Fog cannot provide the anonymity for cryptocurrency transactions that they claim they can,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “This conviction demonstrates that the United States can and will combat the use of technology to carry out crimes in cyberspace.”

“Evidence presented at trial clearly showed that the defendant laundered hundreds of millions of illicit funds from the dark web through Bitcoin Fog in an attempt to conceal the origin of those funds,” said Chief Jim Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed.”

The jury convicted Sterlingov of money laundering conspiracy and sting money laundering, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and money transmission without a license in the District of Columbia, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. Additional assistance was provided by Europol; the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, Swedish Prosecution Authority, and Swedish Police Authority; and the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police, Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, and Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.

Trial Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Pelker and Brown are members of CCIPS’ National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). CCIPS Paralegal Specialist Divya Ramjee and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance. 

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 an officer from the United States Park Police for a fatal shooting that occurred on November 22, 2023, and fatally injured a 30-year-old District resident in the 1100 block of M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from MPD.

            According to the evidence, at about 2:30 p.m. an individual was observed in the 1100 block of 12th Street, N.W. by officers with the United States Park Police. The officers believed that the individual was engaged in drug trafficking. When the officers approached, the individual ran onto the 1100 block of M Street. One officer was able to catch up to the individual. The officer reached out to grab the individual and the two men briefly struggled. The individual retrieved a gun from his pocket and shot the officer. Simultaneously, the officer was able to draw his service weapon and fire. Both men were struck with gunfire. The individual ran several more feet and collapsed on the scene. Other officers initiated life-savings measures. However, the individual was declared dead at the scene. The officer was taken to the hospital and survived his wounds.

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Park Police officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights.

Use-of-force investigations generally  

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. 

            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. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

On March 7, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland welcomed to the Justice Department Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin (PG Kostin), Ambassador Oksana Markarova of Ukraine to the United States, and Director Yurii Belousov of the Prosecutor General’s Department for Countering Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict. On March 6 and 7, PG Kostin and Director Belousov also met with numerous Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C.

AG Garland expressed the Department’s continued support and commitment to working with Ukraine on all fronts and across numerous areas. He highlighted the Department’s work holding Russia accountable for war crimes, through the work of the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) as well as the Department’s participation in the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression in The Hague (ICPA). He also noted the Department’s ongoing work to seize illicit Russian assets for the benefit of the people of Ukraine, to prosecute those who facilitate the evasion of sanctions imposed on Russia, and to fight back against the export of sensitive technologies through Task Force KleptoCapture (TFKC) and the Disruptive Technology Strike Force (DTSF).

During the meeting, AG Garland reiterated the Department’s commitment to working closely with Ukraine to secure their democratic future through the prosecution of high-level corruption and highlighted recent successes including the December war crimes indictment charging four Russia-affiliated military personnel and recent cases brought by TFKC and the DTSF. AG Garland and PG Kostin also discussed the impact of relationships developed across the Department including with the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the FBI’s Art Crime Team, and the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ).

On March 6, PG Kostin met with Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen to discuss cooperation in identifying and prosecuting illicit actors and how to build upon the relationship between the Ukrainian government and the DTSF, including opportunities for engaging with partners in Europe and the United Kingdom on preventing the export of sensitive dual-use technologies to Russia and to other foreign adversaries for malign purposes.

On March 7, PG Kostin also met with Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce C. Swartz, WarCat, TFKC, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), Resident Legal Advisor at U.S. Embassy Kyiv Jared Kimball, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, ATJ, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). In addition, PG Kostin met with victim witness support experts of the Office of Victims of Crime, Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

The meetings were a follow-up to the meetings in September 2023 to discuss progress made and priorities moving forward including investigating and prosecuting war crimes of torture and sexual violence and providing support and resources to victims and witnesses of these horrific crimes. They discussed increased efforts to provide guidance, case-based mentoring, expertise, and capacity building to Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators on investigating war-related cyber-attacks to critical infrastructure and environmental crimes, as well as the theft and smuggling of cultural property and protecting cultural heritage.

It also was an opportunity to demonstrate the United States’ unwavering support and confidence in the Prosecutor General’s Office’s critical work and understand the current challenges they are facing and how the Department can help.

The Justice Department is proud to stand by our Ukrainian law enforcement partners in their courageous and crucial work and looks forward to continued collaboration and partnership.

WASHINGTON – James Fitzgerald Honesty, 35, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 115 months in prison for a May 2022 incident that involved a police foot chase resulting in the recovery of a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, and large quantities of drugs that included PCP and two varieties of “boot,” a designer synthetic stimulant, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Honesty pleaded guilty on September 2, 2023, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He also pleaded to unlawful possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Phencyclidine (PCP). In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Honesty to serve five years of supervised release following his incarceration.

            This conviction, Honesty’s fifth involving a gun and his third for possession of drugs with the intent to distribute, involved a flight from officers and abandonment of a loaded gun and dangerous controlled substances on a public sidewalk in a residential neighborhood in Southeast -- less than 1,000 feet from an elementary school. Two separate 911 callers alerted police to his possession of a gun, one of which said that he used it in a fight.

            According to court documents, on May 23, 2022, MPD received a call at 6:25 p.m. reporting an altercation on the 2500 block of Ainger Place SE, and that “one of the guys pulled out a gun.” Another caller reported a man with a weapon, saying, “[h]e right here. He pulled out a gun on my boyfriend, threatened to kill him.” Several MPD squad cars responded. Officers in separate patrol cars spotted Honesty. After making eye contact with one of the officers, Honesty took off running.

            With three officers in pursuit, Honesty reached for his waistband, produced a firearm and dropped it to the ground. The foot chase continued as he rounded a corner. Honesty dropped a black satchel to the ground shortly before police caught him. An officer recovered the gun -- a Springfield Armory 9mm semi-automatic loaded with 21 rounds in an extended magazine and one round in the chamber -- in the path of the Honesty’s flight. Another officer found the satchel bag which contained nearly 24 grams of liquid Phencyclidine aka PCP, 32 grams of a white powder, determined to be N, N-Dimethylpentylone, and brown rock-like substance later determined to be N-Propylbutylone.  Both substances are considered to be varieties of “boot,” which is a designer synthetic stimulant that is typically sold as a cheaper alternative to Ecstasy or MDMA (sometimes referred to as “Molly”).

            Honesty has been detained since his arrest on March 23, 2022.

            This case was investigated by the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin F. Song, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Cloherty and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Kristina Cervi.      

WASHINGTON – Daniel Greene, 42, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for two counts of felony second degree theft. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            On January 5, 2024, Greene pleaded guilty to both counts. At today’s sentencing, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced Greene to 16 months in prison for each count, to run consecutively.

            According to the government’s evidence, on September 16, 2023, the defendant went up to residences in Northeast Washington, D.C. and stole packages that been delivered to residents’ front doors. Greene was indicted on October 12, 2023, on two counts of felony second degree theft. Greene had nine prior theft convictions, in the District of Columbia, and was therefore subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison.

            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, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Quinton Thomas, 40, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on nine counts of felony second-degree theft and two counts of unlawful entry stemming from events occurring between October 2023 and November 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Thomas is to be arraigned on April 22, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.

            According to the government’s evidence, between October 2023 and January 2024, Thomas repeatedly stole from two CVS stores located in Northwest Washington D.C., returning on multiple occasions to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise. Thomas was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.    

            Thomas has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 31 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Kurland.

            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. 

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Dwayne Bingham, 63, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on December 30, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Bingham is to be arraigned on March 21, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.

            According to the government’s evidence, on December 30, 2023, Bingham took a range of merchandise without paying from the Lidl store at 3100 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. Bingham was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.    

            Bingham has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 31 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Jones.

            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. 

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WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Demetrius Hamm, 55, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on three counts of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 30, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Hamm has been arraigned and has another hearing before a Superior Court judge on March 19, 2024.

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 30, 2024, Hamm took packages off of a porch in Northwest Washington, DC. Hamm was quickly located and arrested by members of the Metropolitan Police Department.    

            Hamm has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 31 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Yee Yee Myint.

            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. 

WASHINGTON – Ruby Corado, 53, the founder of Casa Ruby, Inc., a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that provided services to the LGBTQ+ community, had her first appearance in U.S. District Court today to face charges of defrauding Paycheck Protection and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and money laundering. Corado allegedly diverted at least $150,000 of $1.3 million in taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds, intended for Casa Ruby, to private bank accounts off-shore for her personal use. 

            Corado is charged by complaint 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.

            According to court documents, Corado 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 her unexpected return to the United States. Corado is being held pending a detention hearing on Friday.  

            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.

            Bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The money laundering charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.  If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being 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.

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

WASHINGTON – Shaquille Taylor, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 12 years in prison, yesterday, for causing near-fatal injuries to another motorist in May 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Michael Buck of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division (USSS), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            A Superior Court jury convicted Taylor, in November 2023, of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and destruction of property. According to the government’s evidence, a USSS officer had initiated a traffic stop of Taylor, near 17th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW, at approximately 2:00 AM on May 6, 2022. Taylor had initially complied with the stop and started to get out of his car, but then got back in the car and drove off at a high rate of speed. As he did so, Taylor ran a red light at 12th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, travelling just under 100 MPH, and crashed into the victim’s car. As a result of the crash, the victim sustained near-fatal injuries and spent weeks on a ventilator. As a result, the victim will suffer chronic pain for the rest of his life. Taylor sustained a broken arm and leg. Police officers later recovered a firearm from Taylor’s car.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Buck, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division and 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 Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Victim Witness Program Specialist Lakeisha McFall, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck and Jamie Carter who assisted with the investigation of the matter.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Bartz and Benjamin Helfand, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Christopher Norece Mitchell, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal firearms and drug trafficking offenses stemming from his possession of three loaded firearms and distributable quantities of narcotics on April 20, 2023, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Mitchell 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 and one count of possession with intent to distribute N,N-Dimethylpentylone, a Schedule I controlled substance. The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2024.

            According to plea documents, in the early afternoon hours of April 20, 2023, members of the Metropolitan Police Department approached a group of men who were loitering on private property in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood. As the men left the area, one took a black plastic bag off a fence post and threw it into a public trash can. The officers recovered the bag, which contained a distributable quantity of marijuana, a digital scale, empty plastic bags consistent drug distribution, and a key for a nearby SUV. Minutes later, Mitchell arrived on scene and claimed the SUV belonged to his mother. Mitchell consented to a search of his person, which yielded almost $4,000 in U.S. currency and distributable quantities of drugs that were later determined to include fentanyl and the synthetic stimulant N,N-Dimethylpentylone. Officers also searched the SUV and recovered additional N,N-Dimethylpentylone among other drugs, along with additional scales. Officers also recovered three loaded Glock firearms and additional ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis tied Mitchell to the firearms.

            On May 18, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Mitchell on firearms and drug trafficking offenses. Mitchell was arrested on May 19, 2023, and has remained in custody since.

            Federal law prohibits Mitchell from possessing a firearm because he previously was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

            Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearms count and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and up to a $2,000,000 fine on the drug trafficking count. The maximum potential sentences in this case are 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 United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            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 Drug Enforcement Administration Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

            The case was indicted by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Kelley and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

WASHINGTON – Mark A. Blue, 34, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in the December 2018 kidnapping, robbery, and multiple rapes of a total stranger. The jury verdict in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The jury found Blue guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping while armed, robbery while armed, and two counts of first degree sexual abuse while armed. The Honorable Carl J. Nichols, who presided over the case, scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2024. This conviction carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

            According to court documents, Blue, along with a co-conspirator, targeted the victim, who was walking home from a bus stop in Prince Georges County, MD. Blue stripped her naked, robbed her, forced her into a car, threatened to kill her, covered her eyes with her shirt so she would not be able to see, and sexually assaulted her in Maryland. Then Blue drove her to Southeast Washington, D.C., where he forced her to disclose her ATM information. His co-conspirator drained her bank account of nearly everything as Blue assaulted her again. Blue drove the victim to an alley where both men sexually assaulted her yet again. They left her naked in an alley, with her shirt covering her head.

            At the time of the attack, Blue was under supervised release for a 2013 armed robbery conviction. Elements of the crime were captured by surveillance footage and ATM cameras. Two days after the offenses, on December 5, 2018, Blue quit his job and fled to North Carolina. A tipster, who recognized Blue’s mugshot on a television news show, called law enforcement. The tipster stated that Blue had said he was wanted by police for robbing and kidnapping a girl.

Blue was arrested on January 29, 2019, in North Carolina and has remained in custody since his arrest.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince Georges County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Rachel Forman, and Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson of the District of Columbia. The prosecution team received valuable assistance from Veronica Vaughn of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Allen, Nicholas Miranda, and Jessica Wash.

WASHINGTON- Keith Williams, 23, of the District of Columbia, was indicted today on the charge of first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of 17-year-old Brendan Ofori, on board a green line Metro rail car, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe ordered that Williams be held without bond pending trial.

            According to the indictment, on May 28, 2023, Williams and the victim were both traveling on the Metro rail system separately. Surveillance video captured the victim get on a southbound Green Line train at the West Hyattsville Metro Station. The defendant was captured entering the Stadium Armory Metro Station and transferring to a Green Line train at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station. At approximately 11:40 a.m., while both were on the same train traveling to the Waterfront station, Williams shot the victim multiple times following an altercation between the two. The victim was found to be unresponsive by emergency personnel and pronounced dead a short time later.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.

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

WASHINGTON – Andrey Chun Sarmiento, 24, of Hallwood, Virginia, is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Special agents with the FBI arrested Sarmiento in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday, March 1.

            According to the indictment, on February 13, 2024, Chun Sarmiento distributed numerous video files depicting adult males engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors via an encrypted instant messaging application.

            On February 13, 2024, a member of the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force was monitoring an online application in an undercover capacity.  Law enforcement has come to learn that the application is used by some individuals who have a sexual interest in children. The undercover agent encountered Chun Sarmiento, who sent a message believing he was communicating with a pedophile. Chun Sarmiento expressed his sexual interest in children and sent the undercover agent a link to an online folder containing hundreds of videos, many of which depict adult males sexually abusing prepubescent boys.  At the time of the offense, Chun Sarmiento was enrolled in law school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

            On February 29, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Chun Sarmiento with one count of distribution of child pornography.  The case is assigned to the Honorable Loren L. AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            On Friday, March 1, the FBI arrested Chun Sarmiento in Pennsylvania and executed a search warrant at his residence there.  Chun Sarmiento will remain in custody pending a detention hearing to be held in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.  The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes.  Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guideline and other statutory factors.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office’s Harrisburg Resident Agency and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON - 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 two officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for their role in an October 19, 2023, fatal shooting involving a 33-year old District resident that occurred in the 2800 block of Naylor Road, S.E., Washington, D.C.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from MPD.

            According to the evidence, at about 5:00 p.m. MPD officers were summoned to the 2800 block of Gainesville Street, S.E., for a report of a man with a gun made by a 911 caller. The officers observed a man matching the description given by the 911 caller and attempted to make contact with the individual. The individual ran from the police and a foot chased ensued. As the individual entered the backyard of a house in the 2800 block of Naylor Road, he turned and fired a handgun at the police. The officers, including MPD Officer Dallas Bennett, responded. Officer Bennett returned fire and another officer was struck during the exchange. As this was occurring, MPD Officer Jonathan Hasstedt approached the scene by running towards the front of the house. The individual emerged from the side area of the same house and pointed a gun at Officer Hasstedt, who then drew his weapon and shot the individual. The individual collapsed after running a few more feet. The police immediately initiated life-savings measures.  However, the individual was declared dead at the scene. Officer Bennett was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive his wounds.

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the MPD Officers Bennett and Hasstedt, both involved in the incident, are criminally liable for the death of the decedent.

Use-of-force investigations generally  

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. 

            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. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia applauds the Council’s passage of the Secure DC legislative package. The provisions in this bill will provide crucial tools to police and to prosecutors as we collectively work together to hold those who commit crimes in our community accountable. And we are particularly grateful that the Council listened to our arguments related to DNA collection and developed a compromise position that allows for the earlier collection of DNA. This  provision will both help solve violent crimes and prevent future crimes by removing these dangerous people from our community.

WASHINGTON – Victor Scott Terrill, 40, of Landover, Maryland, had an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court on a criminal complaint charging federal firearms offenses – in addition to Superior Court charges of felony assault on a law enforcement officer – for the February 29, 2024, shooting of a District Housing Authority Police officer in Southeast Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. The injured officer was seriously wounded and is still recovering from his injuries.

            According to court documents, two police officers from the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) were dispatched to a Southeast apartment building for a report of a disturbance early on the morning of February 29, 2024. During his interactions with the responding DCHA officers, Terrill pulled out a handgun and fired a shot, striking one DCHA officer in the abdomen. Terrill fled through the hallway and down a westside staircase. The officers chased Terrill while calling for backup and split up. As the uninjured officer exited the building, he observed two flashes of muzzle fire and heard two additional gunshots, appearing to be exchanged between Terrill and the injured DCHA officer. The uninjured officer then rendered aide to the injured DCHA officer, who had been shot. When help arrived, the DCHA officer was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

            Additional officers responded to the scene and began canvassing for Terrill. Citizens reported seeing Terrill enter 1331 4th Street, SE. Law enforcement barricaded the building. Surveillance cameras inside the building captured Terrill placing a handgun into a trashcan in the building’s parking garage. Minutes later, Terrill is seen via video surveillance seen pulling a fire alarm. Terrill eventually was detained by the Emergency Response Team without incident. Investigators found a Smith & Wesson 40 Caliber handgun in the trashcan.

            On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, prosecutors asked Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather to order Terrill detained pending trial. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 8, where the court will determine whether to release Terrill or detain him.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – Dirk Easton, 27, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a May 13, 2023, shootout near a DuPont nightclub, 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 Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Easton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates to assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprison for a term exceeding one year. Judge Bates scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2024.

            According to court documents, on May 13, 2023, at around 3 a.m., Easton and a group of men were outside the Abigail nightclub at 1730 M Street, NW. A physical altercation broke out between some of those men and others inside the parking garage. Two of the individuals entered a silver Kia and began to leave the parking garage. Easton, who had not been involved with the earlier altercation, ran into the garage and towards the Kia. Easton pulled out a black Polymer 80 firearm with an extended magazine. The Kia attempted to reverse, leaving the garage. Easton opened fire on the Kia as it reversed out of the garage, striking the vehicle and surrounding area multiple times. Easton was hit with a bullet that ricocheted from his own gun. Easton had previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison.

            Three other men were arrested and charged in relation to the May 2023 parking garage shootout.  On November 13, 2023, Adrian Vinson pled guilty to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and, on February 20, 2024, was sentenced to 66 months in prison.  On October 16, 2023, Tyron Hines pled guilty to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2024. Garrick Richardson was also charged in relation to his possession of a firearm in the parking garage. A status hearing is scheduled in his matter for March 18, 2024.

            Easton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $37,500 for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He also faces a mandatory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon and a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. 

            The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer.

WASHINGTON – Rowena Joyce Scott, 71, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for a scheme to steal and embezzle money from the non-profit corporation she was entrusted to run for the benefit of some of the District’s economically disadvantaged residents. Scott – a minister and the former head of the Ward 8 Democrats – was convicted following a June 2023 jury trial on charges of wire fraud, credit card fraud, filing false tax returns, and failing to file tax returns.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Washington D.C. Office, and Chief John Fowler of the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Criminal Investigation Division.

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Wilkins also ordered Scott to serve 24 months of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $153,432.04 to the Park Southern Neighborhood Corporation (PSNC) and $47,726 to the Internal Revenue Service. She also was ordered to forfeit a $153,432.04 criminal money judgment. 

            From January 2010 through May 2014, Scott served as the president of the board of directors and manager of PSNC, a non-profit, non-member corporation that owned and operated the Park Southern apartment complex in Southeast Washington, D.C. According to the government’s evidence, Scott was hired to serve PSNC’s charitable mission of providing adequate, safe, affordable housing for the District’s underhoused and underprivileged residents. Instead, Scott engaged in a scheme through which she embezzled at least $125,000 from the organization’s coffers and used nearly $30,000 in additional funds to make purely personal, unauthorized purchases from third-party vendors. All the while, Scott collected $260,000 in “salary” (about $60,000 per year), lived in the building rent-free, and used the property’s common rooms, free of charge, to operate her own ministry. Scott failed to report all of the income she received from PSNC – legitimate or otherwise – for tax purposes. Meanwhile, under her watch, PSNC failed to finish renovations for Americans-with- Disabilities-Act compliant units and failed to make loan payments to the District.

            This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the DC Office of Tax and Revenue, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas.

            It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Kelly and Diane Lucas, and Paralegal Specialist Sona Chaturvedi.

WASHINGTON – Adam West, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on March 1, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 4 ½ years in prison for carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  Over the government’s objection, West was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, which permitted the Court to issue a sentence below the mandatory minimum of seven years.

            On December 14, 2023, West pleaded guilty to carjacking, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years’ incarceration. During the plea hearing, West admitted that he carjacked the victim while he was at a Northeast Washington D.C. gas station. West further acknowledged that he approached the victim, who was seated in his car, and demanded that he get out of his car while patting his waistband, to suggest that he was armed. When the victim got out with his hands up, West took the key fob out of the victim’s pocket and drove off.

            MPD responded immediately, and used the MPD helicopter to track the stolen vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Seat Pleasant, Maryland, Police Department officers spotted the carjacked vehicle and initiated pursuit. West drove back into Northeast D.C., where he drove over a median, and then onto a sidewalk in the 300 block of 20th Street Northeast, where the car was disabled. Thereafter, Seat Pleasant officers apprehended West and the District’s MPD officers placed him under arrest.

            The government asked for eight years’ incarceration, a sentence within the applicable guidelines range and one year above the mandatory minimum. The government opposed imposition of the Youth Rehabilitation Act.  The Honorable Errol Arthur sentenced West under the Youth Rehabilitation Act to serve a term of 4 ½ years’ incarceration, with an additional 1 ½ years suspended and a two-year period of probation.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney David “Will” Lawrence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Tavon Owens, 31, of Washington, D.C., was convicted by a jury today of armed carjacking, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and associated firearms offenses for shooting and carjacking a woman on Newton St, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Heidi Pasichow scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2024 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            According to the government’s evidence, 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 shut the car door to shield herself from Owens and the firearm. Owens then shot the victim in the knee. The victim fell onto the sidewalk, bleeding, and Owens jumped into the victim’s car and drove off.

            MPD officers arrived immediately, and with the assistance of patrol officers on the ground and MPD’s Falcon helicopter in the sky, MPD tracked Owens to the 1400 block of Bangor St SE. 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 MPD officers apprehended him.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of MPD’s Fourth and Seventh District Detectives Units who investigated the case, Patrol Officers, and Falcon. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Forgie and Daniel Bromwich, who prosecuted and tried the case.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves announced today the formation of an Affirmative Civil Rights and Environmental Justice Unit (the Unit) in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia. The new civil unit will focus on investigating and enforcing federal civil rights and environmental laws within the District, as well as conducting regular community outreach regarding civil rights and environmental justice concerns.

“Protecting civil rights within our district is a high priority for both the Department and our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Graves.  “We recognize that communities of color and low-income communities too often feel the greatest effects of environmental contamination and pollution, so we are also committed to addressing those issues as part of this new unit, and we generally want to hear from our fellow community members when they believe their rights have been violated and legal action is needed.”

The unit will work to enforce federal civil rights laws regarding discrimination, housing, disability access, environmental justice, sexual harassment, and other matters. Coordinating the activities of the unit will be Deputy Civil Chiefs John Truong, the division’s Civil Rights Coordinator, and Diana Valdivia, the office’s Environmental Justice Coordinator. The unit will primarily be staffed with three Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Carlos Andino, Christopher Hair, and Sean Tepe. The unit will work closely with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Environmental and Natural Resources Division and coordinate its activities with other Justice Department components and local, state, and federal agencies as appropriate.

The creation of the unit is part of the Justice Department’s initiative to confront discrimination through modern, comprehensive methods, prioritize community outreach, and make better use of civil enforcement mechanisms. Advancing environmental justice is also a priority for the Justice Department, which recently created the Office of Environmental Justice within the Environmental and Natural Resources Division with a mandate to engage all Justice Department bureaus, components, and offices in the collective pursuit of environmental justice.  These efforts will promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for all District residents by working to ensure that they live and work in environmentally safe conditions and enjoy their full panoply of civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. 

The Office’s Civil Division welcomes information from the public regarding possible civil rights violations and concerns related to environmental, health, and climate impacts on individuals and communities in the district. You may submit information or concerns to [email protected], and learn more at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/affirmative-civil-rights-and-environmental-justice.

WASHINGTON – Donte Johnson, 38 years old, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on March 1, 2024, to 60 months in prison on one count of kidnapping, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to the evidence, on May 20, 2023, outside of the Deanwood Metro Center located in the 4700 block of Minnesota Ave, Northeast, the female victim (then 17 years of age) was commuting home from work and traveled by train to the metro station where her mother and sisters were going to pick her up in their car. The victim was crossing the street to go to her mother’s car when the defendant came from behind her and wrapped his arm around her neck. The victim attempted to fight the defendant off of her, but he pulled her to the ground and then pressed his body on her. The defendant then tried to pull the victim’s pants down. The victim was not able to break free of the defendant until two eyewitness strangers came to her rescue and were able to pull the defendant off of the victim. Shortly after the incident officers arrived and witnesses identified the defendant, who was still on scene, as the individual who assaulted the victim. He was placed under arrest. On September 26, 2023, the defendant plead guilty to one count of kidnapping, without any caps or other restrictions on the government’s recommendation at sentencing.

            The Honorable Marisa J. Demeo sentenced Johnson to 60 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after his released.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Marquette Jordan, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the April 2018 fatal stabbing of 48-year-old Ivan Lynch in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A jury returned guilty verdicts, in December 2023, on charges of second-degree murder while armed, carrying a dangerous weapon, and assault.   

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 30, 2018, the victim, Ivan Lynch, who had just attended a birthday celebration for himself, left the party and was going to meet up with a friend at his apartment. On the way to the friend’s apartment, Mr. Lynch picked up the defendant Marquette Jordan, the defendant’s girlfriend, the girlfriend’s two young children, and a childhood friend of the defendant.

            Once inside the apartment, a verbal altercation occurred between Jordan and his girlfriend in front of her two young children. Mr. Lynch intervened and reportedly told the defendant that that is not how we treat women. Jordan and Mr. Lynch then engaged in a verbal dispute resulting in a physical fight between the two men inside the apartment. During the fight, Jordan grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and stabbed Mr. Lynch once in the shoulder, twice in the heart, and three times in the back. After stabbing Mr. Lynch, Jordan then continued to physically assault his girlfriend, threatened to kill her, and charged at her with a knife. The girlfriend grabbed a pillow and fled the apartment without her shoes, and leaving behind her minor children until she returned later that day.

            The defendant went through the victim’s pockets before leaving the apartment. School surveillance captured Jordan walking with the two children after the homicide. He was stopped outside by MPD officers shortly after leaving the apartment and law enforcement officers found Mr. Lynch’s keys and his blood on Jordan’s pants and shirt. The murder weapon, the butcher knife, was never recovered. Officers also found Mr. Lynch’s cell phone discarded in an area where the defendant was observed walking, according to surveillance footage in the area. Mr. Lynch’s wallet was mailed from a nearby school to the address on his driver’s license.  

             In sentencing the defendant, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt agreed with the government that the circumstances warranted a departure above the D.C. Superior Court Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalie M. Hynum and Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur, Marybeth Manfreda, and Richard Barker as well as Grazy Rivera, Kelly Blakeney, Meridith McGarrity, Charlie Bruce, Tracy Owusu, Zachary McMenamin, Karina Hernandez, Katina Adams Washington, Maenylie Watson, and Robert Cephas.

WASHINGTON – Mark Lamont Clark, 57, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, was sentenced today to six months in prison for two counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Clark was convicted in May of 2023.

            According to evidence presented in court, on July 13, 2018, while acting under color of law and fully dressed in his MPD uniform, Clark applied a prohibited chokehold to victim D.T., causing bodily injury through an unlawful use of excessive force, outside a McDonald’s restaurant, following a confrontation Clark had with a friend of D.T.  Just five days later, on July 18, 2018, while acting under color of law and again fully dressed in his MPD uniform, Clark similarly escalated a verbal confrontation with a McDonald’s patron, victim K.C., and then applied a prohibited chokehold and a prohibited carotid artery hold to K.C., causing bodily injury. Both offenses were captured on Clark’s MPD body-worn camera (BWC).

            U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, who presided over Clark’s trial, also ordered the defendant to serve two years of supervised release.

           This case was investigated by the Internal Affairs Division of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Truscott and George Eliopoulos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Tyrone Hawkins, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for shooting a man outside of the man’s home in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.

            Hawkins pleaded guilty in September, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with intent to kill and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentencing guidelines called for a range of five to nine years, and the Honorable Michael O’Keefe sentenced Hawkins to the maximum of nine years on March 1, 2024. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 23, 2021, Hawkins’ co-defendant, Clint Broadus, was driving a car that belonged to Hawkins’s mother, and pulled up beside the victim, who was speaking on a cellphone outside of his home. Hawkins was riding as a passenger in the front seat of the car. Hawkins asked the victim, “where's the weed at?” The victim replied that he didn't have any marijuana, and Broadus drove the vehicle down the street and parked. Hawkins and Broadus exited the vehicle, had a conversation over the hood of the car, and then approached the victim from different directions. Broadus ran across the street towards the victim, reaching for a firearm in his waistband, while Hawkins approached the victim from the same side of the road as where the victim was standing. The victim saw Broadus running towards him, produced a personal pepper spray container and sprayed Broadus with it. Broadus ducked and ran away from the scene. At nearly the same time that the victim deployed pepper spray, Hawkins, who was standing to the victim’s left, pointed a silver-barreled pistol at him and fired multiple times.  The victim attempted to flee behind vehicles parked on the street in front of his home, while the defendant fired at him 7 to 11 times. The victim sustained an injury to his upper arm from bullet fragments; multiple vehicles parked along the street were damaged as a result of the gunfire.

            Hawkins was arrested the same day and has been in custody ever since. The co-defendant, Clint Broadus, was sentenced on February 16, 2024, to a five-year prison sentence for assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence pursuant to a plea agreement that was accepted by the Court.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Abubaker Alaway, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Folse, who investigated and prosecuted the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of others who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin DeRiso and Jessica Ans, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington.

WASHINGTON – Daniel Jahleel Thomas, aka “Dandue,” 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison today, for conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, as well as a detectable amount of oxycodone, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  

            In addition to the 10-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Thomas to serve four years of supervised release.

            Thomas pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  According to court documents, Thomas – who used the nickname “Dandue” in rap videos published on YouTube – advertised marijuana and oxycodone for sale on his social media accounts, and published pictures of himself in holding firearms, including fully automatic machine guns.

            February 25, 2022, MPD officers saw Thomas’ Instagram story advertising that he had marijuana for sale at the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments in Northeast D.C., and knew that Thomas  had a court-ordered stay-away from the complex as a condition of a prior gun arrest. The officers found Thomas standing outside the apartments and, as they approached him, Thomas jumped into the back seat of a parked vehicle. When officers ordered Thomas out of the vehicle to speak with him about the stay-away order, he resisted and pulled away. During the subsequent struggle, officers discovered a firearm in Thomas’ waistband. The firearm was later determined to be a Glock, Model 19, 9mm handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine. The handgun was also fitted with a “giggle switch,” which made the handgun capable of fully automatic fire. After placing Thomas under arrest, officers recovered a duffel bag from inside the vehicle and subsequently recovered four one-pound bags of marijuana as well as 81 pills, each of which contained 30mg of oxycodone. Thomas has been detained without bond since his arrest.

            At the time of his arrest, Thomas was under investigation by the FBI for his role in a variety of federal offenses related to firearms and narcotic trafficking. Coordination between the FBI and MPD led to an indictment charging Thomas and two of his co-conspirators with numerous federal offenses. Five days before his arrest, Thomas exchanged text messages with a co-conspirator about Thomas’ plan to carry out a drive-by shooting in retaliation for a perceived slight.

            In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Scott, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI Washington Field Office, and MPD.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson with valuable help from Paralegal Specialist Genevieve de Guzman.

WASHINGTON – Donald Zepeda, 35, of Maryland, and Jackson Green, 27, of Utah, were charged in a superseding indictment, unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court, with the February 14, 2024, attack on the U.S. Constitution housed at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

            Zepeda and Green are charged with felony destruction of government property for dumping a fine red powder over the document’s display case in the Rotunda of the Archives building. The cost of cleaning up after the stunt, which was intended to draw attention to Climate Change, has already exceeded $50,000. In addition, the act closed the Rotunda for four days.

            Green previously was charged in a separate act of vandalism at the National Gallery of Art that occurred on November 14, 2023. Green was charged with one count of destruction of National Gallery of Art property for that offense. As a result of that offense, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson had ordered Green to stay away from the District of Columbia and stay away from all museums or public monuments. On February 22, Judge Berman Jackson ordered that Green be held in the D.C. jail for violating the conditions of his release. 

            Both incidents were videotaped by supporters of Green and released online. 

            When he was arrested on February 28, 2024, Zepeda was headed to Raleigh, North Carolina, to meet up with another environmental protestor.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, and the National Archives Records Administration OIG, with assistance from the National Gallery of Art Police and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – Christopher Richardson, 37, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to falsifying a report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and credit card fraud, both felony offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) – Cybercrime Investigations Division.

            According to court documents, in March of 2020, Richardson created an independent expenditure-only political action committee, or “SuperPAC,” named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) using fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the SuperPAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the United States Senate.  AFPA’s quick fundraising and spending attracted media scrutiny, questioning the veracity of the FEC reports. Richardson then filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA has refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. For his knowing falsification of the FEC report claiming to make $1.5 million in expenditures, Richardson pleaded guilty to making a false entry in a record. He, separately, pleaded guilty to credit card fraud for the falsification of a credit card application using a stolen social security number. 

            U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2024. Richardson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the false entry count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the credit card fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to filing documents with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that contained false and fictitious information about a political action committee, or Super PAC, and credit card fraud.

According to court documents, in March 2020, Christopher Richardson, 37, of Langhorne, created an independent, expenditure-only Super PAC named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) that used fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million from several fictitious individuals. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the Super PAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the U.S. Senate. Richardson filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. 

Richardson also used the alias of one of the fictitious donors to AFPA to obtain a credit card, and then used that card to conduct approximately 200 transactions.

Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of making a false entry in a record and one count of access device fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the false entry count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the access device fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Cybercrime Investigations Division made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office and TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON- Antron Belk, 19, of the District of Columbia, was indicted February 28, 2024, by a Superior Court grand jury, on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges arising from the shooting of a man riding a scooter in the 4400 block of Quarles Street NE.

            The eight-count indictment charges Belk with one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with intent to murder while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Judge Marisa Demeo ordered that Belk be held without bond pending trial.

            On February 25, 2023, Belk was driving a black Kia Optima with two other passengers and pulled up next to the victim who was riding a scooter on Quarles Street NE. The defendant exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the victim before driving away.  Surveillance video captured the defendant’s travel until the defendant and the two other passengers were seen exiting the vehicle and eventually entering a residential building. There were approximately 30 shell casings found on scene. The victim survived the shooting but sustained at least eight gunshot wounds, including two in the face area. The black Kia Optima had previously been reported stolen.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie.

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

WASHINGTON – Zhong Jie Chen, 47, formerly of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to misappropriating $354,520 of COVID-19 relief funds that he was supposed to use to operate his restaurants. Chen used the misappropriated funds to engage in day trading. 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’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Chen, who now lives in New Jersey, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which has a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Chen must pay restitution and be liable for a forfeiture money judgment. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who accepted Chen’s guilty plea in the District of Columbia, scheduled sentencing for July 2, 2024.

            In court documents, Chen admitted that, while he was a Maryland resident, he was the sole owner of two restaurants, one in Washington, D.C., 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 restaurants.

            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 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.

            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.

WASHINGTON – Jocelyn Dor, 31, a Haitian citizen who resided in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for participating in a sophisticated smuggling scheme that exported or attempted to export at least 24 firearms from the United States to Haiti, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Dor to serve three years of supervised release. Dor pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2023, to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and laundering money with the purpose of promoting a specified unlawful activity.

            Dor originally was charged in a May 2022 indictment that named co-defendants Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 31, a Haitian national and Eliande Tunis, 45, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida.

           According to government documents, 400 Mawozo is a notoriously violent Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. Germine served as the “King” of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones. Now in U.S. custody, Germine pleaded guilty on January 31, 2024, to his role in the gunrunning conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, and the laundering of ransoms paid for U.S. hostages to the gang in 2021. Germine faces life in prison when he is sentenced May 15, 2024. Co-defendant and Germine’s former girlfriend Tunis pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on January 17, 2024.  Tunis, who styled herself as the “Queen” of 400 Mawozo, also faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on May 8, 2024.

            Dor operated as a straw purchaser for 400 Mawozo. Between September 18, 2021 and October 17, 2021, he purchased 10 semiautomatic high-power rifles at gun shops in the Orlando area at Germine’s direction for the express purpose of shipping the weapons to 400 Mawozo gang leaders in Haiti. The rifles were intended for combat. One of the weapons, a Barrett .50 caliber rifle, is primarily used by militaries against equipment. Dor falsely stated to the gun vendors that he was the “actual buyer” of the firearms. He also received multiple transfers of thousands of U.S. dollars from his co-conspirators to pay for them.

            The FBI attempted to arrest Dor on October 31, 2021, but was unable to find either Dor or the high-powered rifles. Dor stopped using his cell phones, showing that he was aware that law enforcement was looking for him. The search expanded to the Midwest where Dor was nearly captured at a trucker rest stop. On November 5, 2021, Dor rented a storage unit in Orlando.  On November 8, 2021, Dor had his attorney contact the FBI to turn himself in. The FBI arrested Dor that day and recovered the guns at the Orlando storage unit. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

            In October 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince. The gang demanded a ransom of $l million for each hostage. The hostages escaped on or about December 16, 2021. Earlier that year in June, the gang took two U.S. citizens hostage and released them only after receiving $25,000 ransom. In August, the gang took another U.S. citizen hostage and released her after receiving $50,000.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police, the government of Haiti, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kimberly Paschall and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division.

WASHINGTON - Andre Hicks, 40, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Daniel Adams, 34, of Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.  Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 3, 2024. 

            According to the government’s evidence, around 9:10 p.m. on November 25, 2023, Hicks approached 1705 Benning Road Northeast, Washington, D.C., on foot. Several people were standing inside and immediately out front of that address. The victim, Daniel Adams, was one of the people standing out front. After walking up to the address and going up its front stairs, the defendant stood for a moment by the front door, looking back in the direction of Mr. Adams.  The defendant then pulled a gun out of his pants and held it to his side, away from and out of view of the victim. With the gun out, the defendant started to slowly walk back down the steps in front of that building toward where the victim was standing. Once the defendant had come within a few feet of the victim, he drew his gun up, pointed it at the victim, and started firing repeatedly.  Hicks continued to fire at Mr. Adams as Mr. Adams ran away. Hicks then fled the scene. Mr. Adams was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died the next day.  

            This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Levy.

WASHINGTON – Clarence Faulkner, 42, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal firearms and drug charges, 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).

            Faulkner pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession with intent to distribute (phencyclidine) before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Sentencing is set for May 31, 2024.

            According to court documents, on November 4, 2023, MPD officers were patrolling on the 300 block of 61st Street, NE. They spotted a running unoccupied red sedan parked on the side of the street. Officers got out of their patrol car to investigate. They were able to contact the owner and advise him not to leave his vehicle running and unattended.

            Parked in front of the red sedan was a gray Acura. Officers approached the Acura to make sure it had not been tampered with. In plain view, on the rear passenger floorboard, officers saw a clear plastic bag filled with a green leafy substance that officers recognized was a large quantity of marijuana. Officers then opened and searched the vehicle. Inside they recovered more than two pounds of marijuana, 108 grams of cocaine base, six fluid ounces of liquid phencyclidine (PCP), and a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol that had been modified into a short-barreled rifle. The short-barreled rifle was loaded with 28 rounds in a 31-capacity feeding device. Officers also found $38,891 in cash, a wallet with an ID for Clarence Faulkner, mail addressed to Faulkner, and Faulkner’s vehicle registration for the gray Acura in the vehicle. Police stopped and arrested Faulkner, who had been standing on a sidewalk nearby.

            Federal law prohibits Faulkner from possessing a firearm because he has multiple prior felony convictions, to include prior convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm.

            Faulkner faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is 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 U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Faulkner has been held since his arrest.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and ATF’s Washington Field Division.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and Special U.S. Attorney Katherine Toth.

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WASHINGTON – Gregory Bournes Jr., 31, of Lancaster, Va., and Dream Jackson, 30, of Riverdale, Ga., were sentenced today in connection with trafficking more than 80 firearms into the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

            Bournes and Jackson each pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. They were sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. Based on the applicable federal sentencing guidelines, Judge Lamberth sentenced Bournes to 30 months in prison and Jackson to 27 months in prison. Following their prison terms, Bournes and Jackson will each serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court papers, from February 2021 through February 2022, Bournes and Jackson—who were in a romantic relationship at the time—conspired to purchase firearms from licensed dealers in the States of Georgia and Texas and to transport and transfer the firearms to the District of Columbia and elsewhere, for the purpose of unlawfully reselling the firearms for profit. In total, Bournes and Jackson purchased more than 80 pistols, which they then sold to others. As part of their guilty pleas, Bournes and Jackson each admitted that they knew or had to reason to believe that their conduct would result in prohibited persons receiving firearms.

            In March 2023, following their indictment by a federal grand jury, Bournes and Jackson were arrested in Georgia—where they both resided at the time—pursuant to warrants issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They have remained in custody since the time of their guilty pleas.

            Most of the firearms trafficked by Bournes and Jackson remain unaccounted for, and law enforcement in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area continue to recover the trafficked firearms in connection with criminal activity. To date, 34 firearms have been recovered by law enforcement.  Several of those firearms had been used in furtherance of criminal activity, including an armed carjacking in the District of Columbia and an attempted murder in Prince George’s County.

            The case was investigated by the ATF with valuable assistance from the ATF’s Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Pattison, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong.

WASHINGTON – Maurice Devonte Beckham, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Beckham pleaded guilty on November 20, 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 person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton.  Following his prison term, Beckham will serve three years of supervised release. 

            According to court documents, shortly after 2 a.m. on January 30, 2023, MPD officers were on patrol in the 1100 block of Raum St. Northeast when they observed Beckham walk quickly toward a running Honda CR-V and enter its driver’s seat. The officers recognized Beckham from prior interactions and knew him to have outstanding arrest warrants.

            An officer approached the Honda—which was later determined to have been stolen—and Beckham accelerated, nearly striking the officer, and crashed into an occupied, marked police cruiser and a citizen’s parked vehicle. Officers opened the driver’s door and removed Beckham. Beckham attempted to flee on foot. Officers apprehended Beckham and placed him in handcuffs. They then observed in plain view on the driver’s seat floorboard—the same area from which they had just removed Beckham—a semi-automatic firearm. The recovered weapon was a Micro Draco 7.62x39mm caliber firearm, with one round in the chamber and 20 rounds in its 30-round capacity magazine.

            Beckham has remained in custody since his arrest.

            At the time of the offense, Beckham was on probation in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for unauthorized use of a vehicle, failure to appear in court, and other charges. As a result of his arrest in this case, Superior Court judge Heidi Pasichow revoked Beckham’s probation on June 23, 2023, and sentenced him to a 15-month prison term. The 37-month sentence imposed today will run consecutively to the Superior Court sentence, for a total term of 52 months’ imprisonment.

            Federal law prohibits Beckham from possessing a firearm because of his prior conviction for unauthorized use of a vehicle, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

            The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Merritt, 48, was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for facilitating bribes to a District tax official from business owners who wanted to evade tax obligations, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and the D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee.

            Merritt, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, played key roles in at least two sophisticated and long-term bribery conspiracies. For Vincent Slater, who formerly served in the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, Merritt handled communications with business owners and allowed Slater to maintain apparent distance from them as he fraudulently reduced their liabilities or intervened on their behalf within OTR. For business owners, Merritt ferried cash bribe payments to Slater. And for himself, Merritt took a cut—or sometimes times, all—of the bribe payments that drove the scheme. Through his actions, Merritt deprived the District of Columbia of at least $2.3 million.

            Merritt was charged in two separate indictments, one for each of the separate conspiracies.  In June 2023, a jury convicted Merritt of the bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud charges from the first indictment. In September 2023, Merritt pleaded guilty to the bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud offenses charged in the second indictment.

            In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Merritt to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $736,536.52 (of at least $200 per month), and to forfeit $581,378.77.

            Slater pleaded guilty on bribery counts in June 2020 and admitted to causing a total loss of more than $3 million to the District. In addition, Slater admitted that typically, he and Merritt agreed to solicit bribe payments equaling approximately half of the amount the taxpayer sought to evade paying, and then to split the bribe proceeds between themselves. Slater resigned from OTR in December 2017, concluding both schemes, each of which had lasted over five years.

            A former employee of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Merritt held himself out as a permit and licensing expediter and introduced the business owners to the scheme.

            Judge Walton sentenced two business owners on January 25, 2024, for their respective roles in the separate but concurrent multiyear schemes. Andre De Moya, 51, of Temple Hills, Maryland, received 30 months in prison. Davoud Jafari, 72, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

            The businesses that benefited from De Moya’s participation in the scheme included concert venue Echostage as well as downtown bars and nightclubs such as Eyebar (later renamed Eden), Ultrabar, L8 Lounge, and Barcode. Evidence at trial showed that De Moya also introduced additional business owners to Merritt, leading to parallel schemes involving restaurants Café Asia and Umaya and nightclub Muse Lounge. Jafari owned and operated Zeba Bar in Columbia Heights through a company called Gevani, Inc.

            In announcing Merritt’s sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, with substantial assistance by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight. U.S. Attorney Graves also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Liliana Villamizar, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former paralegal specialists Aisha Keys and Michon Tart.

            Finally, Graves acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey, Emily Miller, and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted these cases through trial, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who participated in the underlying investigations and earlier court proceedings.

WASHINGTON – Enis Jevric, 42, a Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), pleaded guilty today in federal court to violating the constitutional rights of 27-year old An’Twan Gilmore by using excessive force, on August 25, 2021, in a police shooting that killed Mr. Gilmore. Jevric also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter under D.C. law. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the Washington Field Office. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 1, 2024. 

            According to documents filed with the court, the defendant willfully used unconstitutionally excessive and unreasonable force by shooting Mr. Gilmore. Specifically, shortly before 3:00 am on August 25, 2021, the defendant and other MPD officers were dispatched to respond to a call for an armed man—later identified as Mr. Gilmore—who was either asleep or unconscious in the driver’s seat of a car that was stopped at the intersection of New York Avenue and Florida Avenue, N.E.  The defendant approached the car and directed another officer to knock on its windows to rouse Mr. Gilmore.  When Mr. Gilmore awoke, the car moved forward several feet, stopped briefly, and then moved forward again. As it did so, the defendant fired his MPD-issued firearm at the car four times. The car rolled down New York Avenue, and the defendant fired at it six more times. Three of the defendant’s shots struck Mr. Gilmore, who died a short time later from his wounds. No other officer fired at Mr. Gilmore. 

            “Police officers are sworn to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the community, and we are grateful for the overwhelming majority of Metropolitan Police Department officers who do their difficult and dangerous jobs honorably,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “But Officer Jevric violated the Constitution and abused his position by recklessly using deadly force where none was necessary, resulting in the tragic and unjustified loss of Mr. Gilmore’s life—a tragedy that has permanently changed the lives of Mr. Gilmore’s family and friends. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the civil rights of everyone within the District and to holding accountable all who violate those rights.”

            “As a sworn police officer, Jevric knew the acceptable boundaries in which he was authorized to use deadly force,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “His willful disregard of these rules resulted in Mr. Gilmore’s tragic and untimely death. While no judicial process will adequately address the loss that the Gilmore family has suffered in this situation, we are committed to ensuring the fullest administration of justice on behalf of the victim and his family.”

            As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that his conduct constituted unconstitutional, unreasonable force, and that he acted willfully, in reckless disregard of Mr. Gilmore’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force by police. He also admitted that his conduct created an extreme risk of death to Mr. Gilmore and was a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with extensive assistance from the FBI Laboratory including the Laboratory Shooting Reconstruction Team. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            WASHINGTON –Ernest Persha, 62, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on February 21, 2024, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 12, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Persha is to be arraigned on March 5, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 12, 2023, Persha took a package from the front porch of a residence in Northeast, Washington, D.C. Persha was immediately stopped and arrested by officers in the crime suppression unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, who were surveilling the property at the time of the crime.    

            Persha has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika Norman.

            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. 

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, Eugene Fleet, 61, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 12, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Fleet is to be arraigned on March 13, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 12, 2024, Fleet took a package containing a baby blanket from a resident’s porch in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Fleet was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.    

            Fleet has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Limb.

            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. 

WASHINGTON – Peter Harshaw (aka Peter Allen), 64, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on February 21, 2024, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 19, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.

            Harshaw is to be arraigned on February 26, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 19, 2024, Harshaw took store merchandise without paying from the CVS store in Northwest Washington, D.C. Harshaw was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.    

            Harshaw has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

            Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 27 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Naveed Amalfard.

            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. 

WASHINGTON – A superseding indictment adds 22 new charges – including armed carjacking, armed robberies, and weapons offenses involving machineguns –against the alleged core members of the violent Kennedy Street drug trafficking organization. The superseding indictment also names a 17th co-defendant, Adebayo Adediji Green, 29, of Hyattsville, MD., who was arrested on February 22, 2024.

            The superseding indictment charges defendants Keion Michael Brown, 20, and Jovan “Chewy” Williams, 19, in a November 17, 2023, spree of armed carjackings and robberies; defendants Tristan Ware and Keion Brown with illegal possession of a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking; defendants Khali Brown, Aaron Mercer, Angel Suncar, and David Penn with illegal possession of firearms; defendants Brown, Ware, and David Penn with possession with intent to deliver marijuana; defendants Penn, Aaron Mercer, and Angel Suncar with possession with intent to deliver cocaine; and defendant Adebayo Adediji Green with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, and illegal possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.     

            Defendants Warren Fields and Antonio Reginald Bailey previously pleaded guilty. A chart of the remaining defendants and their charges can be found below.

            According to the original indictment, KDY members operated open-air drug markets in the 100-1200 blocks of Kennedy Street in Northwest, as well as surrounding streets. The organization’s members are charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, oxycodone, cocaine base, and marijuana, and using firearms, including fully automatic weapons, to enforce and protect the crew’s territory, including through intimidation and acts of violence.

            The original indictment further alleges that KDY crew members conspired to establish shell companies to launder their illegal proceeds. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 40 firearms (including eight suspected machineguns).

            The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.

KDY DEFENDANTS

NAME

AGE

CHARGES

Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga

27

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute One Hundred Kilograms or More of Marijuana, Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base, and Detectable Oxycodone

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (2 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment Exceeding One Year (2 Counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (2 Counts)

Khali Ahmed Brown, AKA
“Migo Lee”

22

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and Detectable Oxycodone

Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Aiding and Abetting (1 Count)

Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl (2 Counts)

Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (3 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun and Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense (3 Counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun (2 Counts)

Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number (2 Counts)

Keion Michael Brown

20

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base, and Detectable Oxycodone

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense (4 Counts)

Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (2 Counts)

Armed Robbery, Aiding and Abetting

Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence (2 Counts)

Carjacking while Armed and Aiding and Abetting

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by an Individual Under Felony Indictment

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

Miasiah Jamal Brown, AKA “Michael Jamal Crawford”

21

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of Marijuana, 400 Grams of Fentanyl, a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base, and Detectable Oxycodone

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense

Tristan Miles Ware, AKA “Greedy”

23

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of Marijuana, 400 Grams of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (3 Counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment Exceeding One Year (2 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense (2 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

Jovan Williams, AKA “Choo Choo” and “Chewy”

19

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of Marijuana, 400 Grams of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (2 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun and Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun (2 Counts)

Unlawful Shipment, Transportation, and/or Receipt of a Firearm and Ammunition to Commit a Felony Offense

Armed Robbery and Aiding and Abetting (2 Counts)

Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence

Carjacking while Armed and Aiding and Abetting

Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence

Juwan Demetrius Clark, AKA “Squirrel” and “Juan Clark”

23

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (2 Counts)

Aaron Deandre Mercer, AKA “Curby,”

27

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense

David Penn, AKA “Turtle”

30

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense (2 Counts)

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms without a License (2 Counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by Imprisonment for a Term Exceeding One Year (2 Counts)

Angel Enrique Suncar, AKA Coqui”

29

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base

Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime Punishable by a Term Exceeding One Year

Carrying and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense

Adebayo Adediji Green

29

Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense

            Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; and defendant Green is from Hyattsville, MD. The 15 remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

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

From the outset of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the Department of Justice has prioritized enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed alongside our global partners. Today, the Department continues that work through significant enforcement actions in five separate federal cases against sanctioned oligarchs and facilitator networks supporting the Russian regime.

Today’s actions coincide with the approaching two-year mark of Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. Read more about the Justice Department’s efforts to hold Russia accountable here.

“The Justice Department is more committed than ever to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that are fueling Putin’s war and to holding accountable those who continue to enable it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why today we are announcing several additional enforcement actions that the Justice Department has taken to bring prosecutions against and seize assets of sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military.”

“Since the onset of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department has used every tool in our arsenal – including our international partnerships – to target the criminal actors and activity propping up Vladimir Putin, his henchmen, and his illegal war,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Over the last two years, our Task Force KleptoCapture has restrained, seized, and obtained judgments to forfeit nearly $700 million in assets from Russian enablers and charged more than 70 individuals for violating international sanctions and export controls levied against Russia. The charges we announce today against oligarchs, facilitators, and money launderers are the next chapter: so long as Russia's aggression continues, so too will our resolve to hold its enablers accountable. We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine.”

“It has been two years since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the FBI continues to go after the Russian criminals who finance and enable Russia’s war,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To the people of Ukraine fighting for their freedom: The FBI remains steadfast in our efforts to disrupt and hold accountable the criminals supporting the Russian War, and we will continue to stand with you to fend off Russian aggression for as long as it takes.”

In the Southern District of New York, the Department unsealed charges against three people, including sanctioned oligarch Andrey Kostin and two of his U.S.-based facilitators. The facilitators, Vadim Wolfson, aka Vadim Belyaev and Gannon Bond, were arrested today.

In the Middle District of Florida, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Sergey Vitalievich Kurchenko, a sanctioned pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch, in a years-long scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions by receiving funds from and doing approximately $330 million in business with U.S. persons.

In the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta-based dual national Feliks Medvedev pleaded guilty to his role in laundering over $150 million through bank accounts and shell companies on behalf of Russian clients. Separately, on Feb. 13, KSK Group – a sanctioned Russian company which assists Russian citizens with international money movements – and two overseas Russian nationals, including one sanctioned individual, were indicted for money laundering.

In the Southern District of Florida, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint against two Miami luxury condominium properties owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Perevalov. The properties are allegedly connected to a conspiracy to maintain and transfer real estate for the benefit of Perevalov. Located at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour, the properties are valued at approximately $2.5 million.

Lastly, in the District of Columbia, a superseding indictment was unsealed today charging Vladislav Osipov with bank fraud in connection with a criminal scheme to facilitate the operation of the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango, a 255-foot luxury yacht that the Justice Department has previously stated is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. 

United States v. Kostin et al., Southern District of New York

Today, the United States unsealed an indictment charging Andrey Kostin, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and the President and Chairman of a Russian state-owned bank with participating in two schemes to violate U.S. sanctions and arrested two U.S.-based co-conspirators for their role in facilitating one of the schemes.

As alleged in the indictment, Kostin participated in a scheme to evade sanctions and launder funds to support two superyachts, collectively worth over $135 million. Kostin and two U.S. persons also allegedly engaged in a scheme to evade sanctions related to a luxury home in Aspen, Colorado. Facilitators Vadim Wolfson, aka Vadim Belyaev, 56, of Austin, Texas, and a legal permanent resident of the United States, and Gannon Bond, 49, a U.S. citizen of Edgewater, New Jersey, were arrested earlier today.

Kostin is a Russian oligarch who was sanctioned by OFAC on April 6, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13661 for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation. From at least on or about April 6, 2018, through at least on or about March 2, 2022, Kostin and others, including at times Wolfson and Bond, allegedly participated in schemes to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), through the provision of funds, goods, and services, including U.S. financial services and U.S. dollar transactions, to and for Kostin’s benefit. The indictment alleges that Kostin also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering to promote IEEPA violations.

According to the indictment, before and after OFAC sanctioned Kostin, he beneficially owned and controlled, through various shell companies, several assets worth tens of millions of dollars, including two superyachts identified as the Sea Rhapsody and Sea & Us, valued at over $135 million. Kostin and others allegedly violated IEEPA on numerous occasions, including by causing U.S. dollar payments to be made for the maintenance, operation, and improvement of the Sea Rhapsody and Sea & Us for the benefit of Kostin and without an OFAC license, which is required for U.S. persons to transact with a sanctioned person. In causing these U.S. dollar payments to be made, Kostin and others also allegedly committed international money laundering.

The indictment alleges that Kostin also owned a luxury home in Aspen, Colorado, that he purchased for $13.5 million in 2010. From at least on or about April 6, 2018, through at least in or about September 2019, Kostin, Wolfson, Bond, and others participated in a scheme to violate the IEEPA by providing funds, goods, and services for the benefit of Kostin, whose property and interests in property, including the Aspen home, were blocked as a result of the OFAC sanctions against him. Specifically, notwithstanding having been sanctioned by OFAC, Kostin and his conspirators allegedly schemed to operate, maintain, and improve Kostin’s Aspen residence in a manner designed to conceal Kostin’s continued ownership of this luxury asset. In addition, in or about September 2019, Kostin, Wolfson, Bond, and others allegedly committed additional sanctions violations by dealing in and transferring Kostin’s blocked property. Specifically, the conspirators allegedly arranged to sell the Aspen home and provide Kostin with approximately $12 million resulting from the sale.

Kostin, 67, of Russia, remains at large and is believed to be in Russia. KOSTIN is charged with two counts of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, two counts of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, all of which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Wolfson is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA and two counts of violating IEEPA, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Bond is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA and two counts of violating IEEPA, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and David Felton for the Southern District of New York’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit, and Trial Attorneys Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Oleksandra Johnson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Kurchenko, Middle District of Florida

Pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Sergey Vitalievich Kurchenko, 38, currently believed to be living in Moscow, Russia, is charged with violating the IEEPA and U.S. sanctions on Russia in connection with a years-long scheme to do business in the United States, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Kurchenko was sanctioned by OFAC in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine.

As alleged, between in or about July 2017 through in or about February 2022, Kurchenko and others used a network of shell companies that Kurchenko owned and controlled to sell metal products – including pig iron, wire rods, and steel billets – to individuals and entities in the United States, including a U.S. company identified as Company A in court documents. The metal products included items produced in factories in the Donbas region of Ukraine that were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. As alleged, Kurchenko committed money laundering by transferring funds into and out of the United States in connection with the scheme and his IEEPA violations.

To facilitate the unlawful transactions described above, Kurchenko allegedly met with U.S.-based purchasers in Moscow to negotiate metal transactions between entities that he owned and controlled and U.S. persons, including Company A and its representatives. As alleged, Kurchenko willfully engaged in transactions involving the sale and shipment of products valued at more than $330 million to individuals and companies in the United States.

Kurchenko is charged with conspiracy to violate the IEEPA and U.S. sanctions against Russia, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The FBI Tampa Field Office, Orlando Resident Agency, and Washington Field Office, International Corruption Unit, are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey Bratt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Feliks Medvedev and United States v. KSK Group et al., Northern District of Georgia

On Feb. 7, Feliks Medvedev, 42, a Russian citizen residing in Buford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with using shell companies to make more than 1,300 financial transfers totaling over $150 million into bank accounts controlled by the defendant.

According to court documents, Medvedev registered eight shell companies in the state of Georgia between July 2019 and July 2020, for which he was the sole agent and signatory on relevant bank accounts. Medvedev’s purported business purposes for these companies included, among others, “computer software wholesaler,” “professional equipment,” and “coal / mineral wholesaler.” Court documents note that these companies did not have any employees, or expenditures for payroll, rent, equipment, or other business-related costs.

As stated in documents filed with the court, throughout the scheme, there were over 1,200 transfers totaling over $150 million into the bank accounts for these companies, which were controlled by Medvedev. Over $150 million was then transferred out of these accounts in over 1,300 transactions. Medvedev retained over $500,000 from the funds transferred into accounts he controlled.

Medvedev pleaded guilty to one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Medvedev is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7.

Relatedly, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment on Feb. 13, alleging that Alexey Chubarov, 42, of Russia, and Lev Solyannikov, 31, of Russia, and their company KSK Group, conspired with Medvedev in the transfer of these funds and then laundered the illegal proceeds.

According to the indictment, KSK Group is a business consulting firm in Moscow, Russia, and Chubarov and Solyannikov both worked for KSK Group. Chubarov and Solyannikov allegedly informed Medvedev about incoming wires and then directed Medvedev concerning the outgoing transfers he should make, including transferring certain funds to the Singapore Precious Metal Exchange (Exchange) to purchase gold bullion. According to the indictment, Medvedev’s companies transmitted at least $65 million to purchase gold from the Exchange.

On Sept.14, 2023, OFAC added Chubarov and KSK Group to the list of Specially Designated Nationalss and Blocked Persons, pursuant to Executive Order 14024, for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Chubarev and Solyannikov are charged with conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each count; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and money laundering which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.

The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber, Norman L. Barnett, and Sekret T. Sneed for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

Forfeiture of Real Properties Belonging to Viktor Perevalov, Southern District of Florida

Today, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida alleging that two Bal Harbour condominiums are subject to forfeiture based on violations of IEEPA, OFAC sanctions, and federal money laundering statutes.

As alleged in the complaint, Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov were co-founders of VAD, AO, a Russia-based construction company responsible for constructing the Tavrida Highway in the Russian-occupied Crimea region of Ukraine. On Jan. 26, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13685, OFAC sanctioned Victor Perevalov, Valeri Abramov, VAD, AO, and others following the Russian invasion of Crimea, effectively blocking all of their property or interests in property in the United States from being transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

According to the complaint, soon after the sanctions, R.S., a Miami real estate agent retained to manage the properties, worked to transfer the two condominiums owned by Perevalov, Units 1616 and 1617 located at 10295 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, Florida, 33154 (the Defendant Properties) to an LLC in violation of the sanctions. The Defendant Properties have a combined value of approximately $2.5 million. On April 10, 2018, R.S. and others, including a law firm, formed 1616 Collins LLC., and named R.P., a Perevalov family member who was a minor at the time, the entity’s purported sole beneficial owner. On June 14, 2018, the title of the Defendant Properties was transferred to 1616 Collins LLC in violation of the sanctions. R.S. served as Perevalov’s power of attorney for the transfer. After the transfer, R.S. continued to lease the Defendant Properties, collected proceeds derived from the Defendant Properties, and used those proceeds to maintain the Defendant Properties including by making property tax payments.

FBI’s Miami Field Office is investigating the case with support from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón and Eli Rubin for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Gorman of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua E. Kurland of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this civil action.

United States v. Osipov, District of Columbia

A superseding indictment, unsealed today, charges Vladislav Osipov, 52, a Russian national who resides in Switzerland, with five new counts of bank fraud in connection with the operation of a 255-foot luxury superyacht that the Department has stated is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.

The indictment states that Vekselberg’s luxury superyacht is the Tango, which was registered in the Cook Islands. The Tango was the first superyacht belonging to a sanctioned individual with close ties to the Russian regime to be seized at the request of the U.S. government following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Osipov remains at large. Today, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Previously indicted in November 2022, Osipov is now charged with 17 counts for crimes including bank fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison; violating U.S. sanctions punishable by up to 20 years in prison; conspiring to defraud the United States, punishable by up to five years in prison; and money laundering, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Spanish Ministry of Justice and the Spanish Guardia Civil.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Chris M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Paralegals Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.

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The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in all of these cases.

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

An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards a judgment in favor of the United States.

WASHINGTON – Rey Rivera Ruiz, 40, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for managing a Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization responsible for shipping dozens of kilograms of cocaine to the Washington D.C. metro area.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Acting Inspector in Charge Ajay Lall, of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division.

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Rivera Ruiz to serve five years of supervised release.

            Rivera Ruiz, aka “Gordo,” pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. As part of his plea agreement, Rivera Ruiz admitted he was responsible for distributing between 50 and 150 kilos of cocaine as part of the conspiracy. He also admitted he managed or supervised the criminal activity, which involved at least five co-conspirators.

            According to the government’s evidence, beginning in October 2019, Rivera Ruiz, assisted by several other individuals, shipped multiple kilograms of cocaine every month from post offices in San Juan to the mainland U.S., including addresses in the Washington, D.C. area, via the U.S. Postal Service. Investigators estimated that the members of the conspiracy shipped at least 65 parcels containing up to two kilograms of cocaine each. Once the cocaine arrived in the Washington, D.C. area, local drug dealers broke up the bricks into smaller portions and distributed the drug. 

            Additionally, the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization’s members allegedly traveled from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area to collect drug sales proceeds, and then surreptitiously traveled on commercial airliners to return the money to Ruiz Rivera and others. 

            On April 15, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the home of Ruiz Rivera and found a USPS receipt for a parcel which had been mailed April 9. Law enforcement then seized the parcel while it was still in the mail stream and found it contained a kilo of cocaine.

            In total, 10 individuals have been convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking conspiracy.

            On November 8, 2023, co-conspirator Jann Jousten Aponte-Rivera, 27, of San Juan, was found guilty in the District of Columbia of participating in the drug-related murder of Shantay Myisha Butler, 42, of Frederick, Maryland. Specifically, Aponte-Rivera was found guilty in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of causing the intentional death of Ms. Butler while engaged in drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilos of cocaine, and one count of causing the death of Ms. Butler through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking offense.

            Aponte-Rivera, 27 was sentenced yesterday, February 21, 2024, to 50 years in prison.

            The murder took place October 14, 2020. At that time, a D.C.-area drug dealer owed thousands of dollars to the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization.  In October 2020, after first meeting with Rivera-Ruiz and supplying him with some of the proceeds believed to be owed, the D.C.-area dealer was then lured by Aponte-Rivera and co-conspirator Michael Gabriel Hernandez Rivera, 21, to a desolate part of Levittown, Puerto Rico, under the guise that they would be fishing. When they arrived, Ms. Butler was in the passenger seat of the vehicle driven by the local drug trafficker. Then, both Aponte-Rivera and Hernandez Rivera opened fired on the vehicle. The D.C.-are drug dealer was able to drive off as the shots were fired, while sustaining gunshot wounds, but Ms. Butler sustained a gunshot wound to the head and appears to have died instantly. Miraculously, the D.C.-area dealer managed to escape and survived after months in a coma and medical treatment.  The D.C.-area dealer has since pleaded guilty to his involvement in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

            The charged drug trafficking conspiracy ended in April 2021 when law enforcement arrested Rivera, Aponte-Rivera, and Hernandez-Rivera. The three men have remained in custody since. Aponte-Rivera is scheduled for sentencing on February 8, 2024

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s SAC Scott commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG, the Puerto Rico Police Department (Bayamon Homicide Division), the Police of Rico San Juan Homicide Division, and the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Fletcher and Dineen Baker assisted in the investigation and charging of this case.

WASHINGTON – Two former store managers and two accomplices were charged today in a 15-count indictment in connection with a series of inside-job robberies at the Walgreen’s in Chinatown, announced 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.

            Michael Robinson, 33, of Maryland, Kamanye Williams, 24, London Teeter, 20, and Gianni Robinson, 26, all of Washington D.C., are charged with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). Other charges include brandishing a firearm during the commission of an act of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and aiding and abetting.

            Michael Robinson and Teeter were employed as store managers at the Walgreens, located at 801 7th Street Northwest. Michael Robinson has consented to pretrial detention. Teeter was arrested this morning. Gianni Robinson is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 23, 2024. Williams had his initial appearance on February 21, 2024 and is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 28, 2024

            According to court documents, the Robinsons, Teeter, and Williams devised a plan to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either Michael Robinson or London Teeter were working. As store managers, Michael Robinson and Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Michael Robinson and Teeter. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance. During the September 2, 2023 robbery, Michael Robinson asked Williams to hit him with a firearm in order to make the robbery seem more believable.

            It is further alleged that other robberies of the store were planned but not carried out. Messages between Gianni Robinson, Michael Robinson, and Kamanye Williams show the co-conspirators constantly surveilled the Walgreens to see the amount of cash in the manager’s office and the location of armed security guards, in order to determine the best times to rob the store.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistance is being provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song with the Federal Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.