District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder While Armed for 2022 Memorial Day MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON- James Jackson, 30, of Silver Spring, MD, pleaded guilty, on February 14, 2024, to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Christian Monje, 29, of Fairfax, VA, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 31, 2024. Jackson faces a sentencing range of 19 to 23 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 30, 2022, at approximately 4:30 a.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District responded to the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave, NW, in response to the sounds of gunshots. Officers located Mr. Monje on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to the hospital and died from his injuries a few weeks later.
Detectives recovered surveillance footage from nearby cameras which showed an individual approaching Mr. Monje while he sat on the steps of the church. Cameras also captured the individual fleeing down a nearby alley and ducking behind a dumpster. Detectives searched the area around the dumpster and located a 9mm Polymer80 “ghost gun” that was later determined to be the murder weapon.
The case remained unsolved for months until law enforcement received notice of a CODIS link between a DNA profile obtained from the magazine of the murder weapon and Jackson’s reference DNA profile. CODIS, or the Combined DNA Index System, is a web of federal, state, and local indexes that allows laboratories to exchange DNA profiles electronically, linking crimes to each other and known offenders. With this valuable investigative lead, and other evidence obtained in the case, detectives confirmed the defendant’s identity as the murderer.
The case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles Janssen.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from a Residence and a Church in DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Sterling McLaughlin, 30, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on Wednesday, February 14, 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 October 20, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Sterling is to be arraigned on February 22, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on October 20, 2023, and January 3, 2024, Sterling took packages from two locations in the Capitol Hill area, one from a residential home and the other from church. Sterling was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sterling 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 24 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 Chorong Song.
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.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Glock That Was Discovered After He Crashed a Stolen CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jordan Tyler Alexander, 20, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to illegal possession of a firearm, a charge that resulted after police discovered a Glock 27 in a stolen car that had crashed following a high-speed chase in a vehicle that the defendant was driving. The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Alexander, a previously convicted felon, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of over one year. The sentencing date is pending. Alexander also faces trial for armed robbery and weapons counts in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
According to court documents, a Prince George’s County police officer was on patrol at 2 a.m. on August 9, 2023, when he watched a white Honda Accord pull into the parking lot of a convenience store in Suitland, MD, and then immediately leave. The officer suspected that the vehicle drove away after spotting his marked police cruiser. The police officer later saw the Honda pull into the parking lot of a tobacco store. The officer ran the vehicle’s license plate number and learned the car had been stolen in an armed robbery on July 24, 2023, in Southeast Washington, D.C.
The officer followed the white Honda and witnessed it run a red light. The officer switched on his flashers and siren. The white Honda sped off. The officer received authorization to pursue the Honda and followed it into the District at speeds that reached 100 m.p.h. before the white Honda crashed into a guardrail at I-295 Northbound near the exit for Minnesota Ave., NE.
Alexander jumped out of the driver’s side door and began running down I-295 as cars drove past him. A second individual, who was sitting in the front passenger side of the vehicle jumped out as well and ran away from the highway and into the grass. The officer exited the vehicle and began chasing the defendant. As the defendant was running, he ran towards a vehicle on I-295 and attempted to enter the vehicle. The operator of that vehicle was an off-duty law enforcement agent who was still in uniform. The defendant then continued running down the street. As the police officer ran past the agent’s vehicle, the agent offered to help and the officer jumped into the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The agent caught up to the fleeing Alexander and maneuvered in front of him. The officer exited the vehicle and Alexander subsequently gave up and was arrested.
Inside the crashed white Honda, investigators discovered, in plain view, a Glock 27, 40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine on the driver’s side floorboard. Next to the firearm was a cell phone. On the front passenger seat, there was an additional black Glock 22, 47 caliber handgun lying in plain view. The Glock on the floorboard was loaded with 17 bullets and had one in the chamber.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Alexander has been held since Aug. 10, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhood
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable help provided by paralegal Karla Nunez.
Former Iranian-Owned Boeing Aircraft Successfully Returned to the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today completed enforcement of a final order for forfeiture of a U.S.-manufactured Boeing 747 cargo plane, previously owned by Mahan Air, a sanctioned Iranian airline affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
On February 11, 2024, the government of Argentina transferred physical custody of the aircraft to the United States pursuant to the final order of forfeiture, which was issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on May 3, 2023, which rests all right, title, and interest in the aircraft in the United States of America. The Boeing 747 cargo plane arrived in the Southern District of Florida where it will be prepared for disposition.
“Using a whole-of-government approach, we have worked with our international partners to forfeit a plane transferred by Iranian entities in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Foreign adversaries - seeking to illegally use American-made products to further their endeavors - need to know that the United States government will work with the international community to hold them accountable for their illegal conduct. The United States appreciates the collaboration with our Argentinian law enforcement and judicial partners.”
“The United States’ forfeiture of the Boeing 747 cargo plane culminates over 18 months of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government and our Argentine counterparts,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Bad actors – both near and far – are on alert that the United States will use all its tools to hold those who violate our laws to account. The successful seizure of the Boeing 747 underscores our commitment to prevent the illegal exportation of U.S. technologies and enforce U.S. export control laws.”
“The seized American-built aircraft was transferred by a sanctioned Iranian airline in a transaction that violated U.S. export control laws and directly benefited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is a designated terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security.”
“Mahan Air – known to ferry weapons and fighters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hizballah – violated our export restrictions by selling this airplane to a Venezuelan cargo airline. Now, it’s property of the United States government,” said Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement’s Matthew S. Axelrod. “This seized airplane’s arrival in the United States is a powerful example of our unceasing efforts to prevent Iran and its proxies from leveraging and profiting from U.S. technology.”
The plane was previously detained by Argentine law enforcement. On July 19, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a seizure warrant for the aircraft, which Argentine authorities promptly enforced. On Oct. 20, 2022, in support of its ongoing criminal investigation, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the aircraft’s transfer from Mahan Air to Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo del Sur, S.A. (EMTRASUR), a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, S.A (CONVIASA), a Venezuelan state-owned company, violated U.S. export control laws. As alleged, Mahan Air was subject to a Department of Commerce Temporary Denial Order, which prohibited, among other things, Mahan Air from engaging in any transactions involving any commodity exported from the United States that is subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The complaint further alleged that the unauthorized transfer of this aircraft directly benefited the IRGC-QF.
According to court documents, the registered captain of the aircraft was an ex-commander for the IRGC and a shareholder and member of the board of a second sanctioned Iranian airline, Qeshm Fars Air, affiliated with the IRGC-QF. Argentinian law enforcement also recovered a Mahan Air flight log documenting the aircraft’s flights after the unlawful transfer to EMTRASUR and confirmed additional violations of U.S. export control laws between February and May 2022 when EMTRASUR reexported the aircraft between Caracas, Venezuela; Tehran, Iran; and Moscow, Russia, without U.S. Government authorization.
This matter is being investigated by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security’s Miami Field Office and the FBI Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajbir Datta for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy R. Camacho for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the seizure and investigation, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Senior Trial Attorney John Beasley and Trial Attorney Jesse Ormsby of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Special Agent Adam Mastriani and Task Force Officer Robert Cunniff of the FBI Miami Field Office; and Ricardo Hernandez of the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Buenos Aires provided significant assistance in working with the Argentine authorities, led by Argentine Federal Judge Federico Villena and the U.S. Marshals Service to manage the difficult logistics and coordination of the physical transfer of the Boeing aircraft from Argentina to the United States.
Former Iranian-Owned Boeing Aircraft Successfully Returned to the United StatesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today completed enforcement of a final order for forfeiture of a U.S.-manufactured Boeing 747 cargo plane, previously owned by Mahan Air, a sanctioned Iranian airline affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
On Feb. 11, the government of Argentina transferred physical custody of the aircraft to the United States pursuant to the final order of forfeiture, which was issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on May 3, 2023, which rests all right, title, and interest in the aircraft in the United States of America. The Boeing 747 cargo plane arrived in the Southern District of Florida where it will be prepared for disposition.
“The seized American-built aircraft was transferred by a sanctioned Iranian airline in a transaction that violated U.S. export control laws and directly benefited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is a designated terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security.”
“Mahan Air – known to ferry weapons and fighters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hizballah – violated our export restrictions by selling this airplane to a Venezuelan cargo airline. Now, it’s property of the United States government,” said Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement’s Matthew S. Axelrod. “This seized airplane’s arrival in the United States is a powerful example of our unceasing efforts to prevent Iran and its proxies from leveraging and profiting from U.S. technology.”
“The United States’ forfeiture of the Boeing 747 cargo plane culminates over 18 months of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government and our Argentine counterparts,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Bad actors – both near and far – are on alert that the United States will use all its tools to hold those who violate our laws to account. The successful seizure of the Boeing 747 underscores our commitment to prevent the illegal exportation of U.S. technologies and enforce U.S. export control laws.”
“Using a whole-of-government approach, we have worked with our international partners to forfeit a plane transferred by Iranian entities in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Foreign adversaries – seeking to illegally use American-made products to further their endeavors – need to know that the United States government will work with the international community to hold them accountable for their illegal conduct. The United States appreciates the collaboration with our Argentinian law enforcement and judicial partners.”
“The transfer of this plane to U.S. custody is the final step in the long process to bring this case to its rightful conclusion,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch “The FBI, along with our federal government and international partners, used every tool under our authorities to hold the Iranian government and their affiliates accountable for violating U.S. laws.”
The plane was previously detained by Argentine law enforcement. On July 19, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a seizure warrant for the aircraft, which Argentine authorities promptly enforced. On Oct. 20, 2022, in support of its ongoing criminal investigation, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the aircraft’s transfer from Mahan Air to Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo del Sur, S.A. (EMTRASUR), a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, S.A (CONVIASA), a Venezuelan state-owned company, violated U.S. export control laws. As alleged, Mahan Air was subject to a Department of Commerce Temporary Denial Order, which prohibited, among other things, Mahan Air from engaging in any transactions involving any commodity exported from the United States that is subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The complaint further alleged that the unauthorized transfer of this aircraft directly benefited the IRGC-QF.
According to court documents, the registered captain of the aircraft was an ex-commander for the IRGC and a shareholder and member of the board of a second sanctioned Iranian airline, Qeshm Fars Air, affiliated with the IRGC-QF. Argentinian law enforcement also recovered a Mahan Air flight log documenting the aircraft’s flights after the unlawful transfer to EMTRASUR and confirmed additional violations of U.S. export control laws between February and May 2022 when EMTRASUR reexported the aircraft between Caracas, Venezuela; Tehran, Iran; and Moscow, Russia, without U.S. Government authorization.
This matter is being investigated by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security’s Miami Field Office and the FBI Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajbir Datta for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy R. Camacho for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the seizure and investigation, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Senior Trial Attorney John Beasley and Trial Attorney Jesse Ormsby of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Special Agent Adam Mastriani and Task Force Officer Robert Cunniff of the FBI Miami Field Office; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Ricardo Hernandez of the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Buenos Aires provided significant assistance in working with the Argentine authorities, led by Argentine Federal Judge Federico Villena and the U.S. Marshals Service to manage the difficult logistics and coordination of the physical transfer of the Boeing aircraft from Argentina to the United States.
District Man Found Guilty by Jury in Scheme to Steal Residential Real Estate Using Fraudulent DeedsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jeffrey M. Young-Bey, 67, of Washington, D.C was found guilty today on twelve federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he used a fake notary stamp, forged signatures, and fraudulent property deeds to steal residential real estate property. The scheme generated more than $850,000 in fraudulent loans obtained through mortgages taken out against the value of the stolen real estate.
The jury verdict, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Young-Bey was found guilty before the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of money laundering, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date is pending. Young-Bey’s conspiracy and fraud convictions carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The money laundering counts carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. The aggravated identity theft charges call for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in November 2019, Young-Bey conspired to steal a residential townhome located in LeDroit Park in order to obtain mortgage financing against the stolen property. Specifically, Young-Bey identified a target property owned free and clear by an elderly homeowner located in the District. Young-Bey then prepared a fraudulent property deed, including forged signatures of the true owners and used a fake notary stamp to make the deed appear legitimate. Young-Bey filed the deed with the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds, transferring the title from the true owners to a corporate entity. Young-Bey passed a check to the D.C. Recorder of Deeds to pay for the transfer taxes but put a stop payment order on the check before the D.C. government could cash the check. Young-Bey caused the fake deed to be recorded with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds and then falsely told a mortgage services business that another individual had inherited the property and wanted to take a large loan against the value of the home. Young-Bey created a fake rental lease on Rocketlawyer.com and sent the lease to the mortgage company to convince them that his associate owned the home and rented the property for profit. The mortgage company was deceived into loaning Young-Bey’s associate approximately $360,000 against the value of the home they did not own, which was split evenly between the two. Young-Bey used his half of the proceeds to buy a BMW 3-Series valued at approximately $23,000.
After succeeding on the first scam, Young-Bey executed a second fraudulent scheme on a Shephard Park property in the District, forging the names of the two owners, using the fake notary stamp, and recording the deed at the D.C. Recorder of Deeds Office. Young-Bey again put a stop payment order on the transfer tax check before it could be cashed. Young-Bey used the recorded deed to obtain a construction loan in excess of $500,000 against the value of the house. Young-Bey took a portion of the loan and purchased a BMW 7-Series worth approximately $120,000. He promptly sold the home to a legitimate real estate company for an additional $42,000 in profit. The fraud was discovered when the real estate company began performing renovations on the home and the rightful owners were alerted to the construction and demolition by their neighbors.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu, and Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe who investigated the case. The prosecution team was also assisted by Tonya Jones from the Victim Witness Assistance Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz from the Appellate Section.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault While Armed for Shooting Two Minor Victims in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Lemus, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in shooting two minor victims on March 22, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
U.S. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set a sentencing date of June 7, 2024. Lemus faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years for assault with intent to kill while armed, and up to 15 years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The prison term will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2023 at approximately 5:00 p.m., Lemus encountered the two minor victims, ages 15 and 17, at Park Road Park in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest D.C. Lemus then produced a handgun and opened fire on the two victims, who were both struck and later treated for gunshot wounds. After firing multiple rounds at the two victims until the magazine was empty, Lemus attempted to flee the scene but was immediately apprehended by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department. The handgun that Lemus used to commit the shooting was located inside of his sweatshirt pocket when he was stopped, and the crime was captured on video by a bystander who had witnessed the incident.
Lemus has been in custody since March 22, 2023, where he will remain until sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Coates Huether and Carlos A. Valdivia.
District Man Indicted on Three Counts of Armed Carjacking and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON- Dallas McKinney, 19, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned yesterday on an indictment returned by a Superior Court grand jury that charged him with armed carjacking, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and other charges arising from a series of armed carjackings through several neighborhoods in Southeast DC, committed in just 35 minutes. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The 11-count indictment charges McKinney with three counts of armed carjacking; four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon; two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence; and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Judge Jason Park ordered that McKinney be held without bond pending trial.
On September 29, 2023, McKinney carjacked an Uber driver at gunpoint in the Eastern Market neighborhood, threatening both the Uber driver and his passenger. About 20 minutes later, McKinney and a co-conspirator used the stolen Uber to try to commit another armed carjacking near Branch and Pennsylvania Avenues SE. Fifteen minutes later, McKinney and his co-conspirator then committed a third armed carjacking at the corner of Alabama and Massachusetts Avenues SE. Police arrested McKinney that afternoon in the 1300 block of Congress Street SE, not far from the two stolen vehicles. At the time, McKinney had a tan Glock 19X 9mm pistol loaded with an extended magazine and equipped with a “giggle switch” or “auto sear,” a device used to make a semi-automatic weapon automatic.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Lawrence and Erica Rudolf.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from Macy’sRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, January 31, Antoine Harvell, 36, 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 and unlawful entry stemming from events occurring on January 24, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Harvell is to be arraigned on February 15, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 24, 2024, Harvell went into Macy’s—having previously been barred from the store—and concealed store merchandise before walking out of the store past all points of sale without paying. Harvell was then arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Harvell has more than two 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 the 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 21 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 was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey.
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.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Retail TheftRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – This week, Leon Johnson, 50, 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 6, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Johnson is to be arraigned on February 15, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 6, 2024, Johnson went into a CVS in Northwest Washington, D.C., took merchandise from the store shelves, and walked out of the store past all points of sale without paying. Johnson was arrested soon thereafter by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Johnson 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 the 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 21 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 was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey.
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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District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Series of Package Thefts Near Adams MorganRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, January 31, Rodrigo Miranda, 43, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on 35 counts of felony second-degree theft, seven counts of unlawful entry, and one count of destruction of property stemming from events occurring between July 19, 2022, and April 4, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Miranda was arraigned on, February 8, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, between July 19, 2022, and April 4, 2023, Miranda took packages from several locations in the Adams Morgan area. In doing so, Miranda unlawfully entered areas he was not legally allowed to be in and destroyed property to gain access. Miranda was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Miranda has more than two 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 21 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 was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey.
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.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Retail TheftRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – This week, Miguel Demonis, 30, 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 February 1, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Demonis is to be arraigned on February 20, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 1, 2024, Demonis went into a CVS in Northwest Washington, D.C., took merchandise from the store shelves, and walked out of the store past all points of sale without paying. Demonis was arrested minutes after walking out of the store by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 21 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
Demonis 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 the count of theft for which he is indicted.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rana Wahdan.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to 30 Months on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Pernell Hedrick, a four-time convicted felon, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for carrying a Springfield Armory model 1911 semi-automatic handgun, one of the most powerful handguns on the market, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hedrick, 33, pleaded guilty April 6, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to the 30 month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Hendrick to serve 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, Hedrick was on active supervised release when police attempted to question him on October 15, 2022, at a supermarket parking lot on the 1500 block of Alabama Ave., Southeast. Officers noticed an L-shaped protrusion from an object tucked in Hendrick’s black satchel. Hedrick became wide-eyed, wiped sweat from his forehead, then tore off in a sprint. Police chased after Hendrick on foot and caught him in 20 seconds. Inside the satchel was the semi-automatic military-grade handgun loaded with nine rounds. Also in the satchel were two additional magazines with another 13 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Hedrick told officers he kept the gun for “protection.”
On Oct. 17, 2022, Hedrick was indicted on a charge of felon in possession. On April 6, 2023, Hedrick pleaded guilty to the sole count in the indictment.
Hedrick’s record includes two 2018 convictions in the District for assault with significant bodily injury; a 2012 conviction in Maryland for conspiracy to commit carjacking, and a 2011 District conviction for robbery. A Superior Court jury acquitted Hendrick in 2018 on a first degree murder charge.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English, Emory V. Cole, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mullin.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Child Cruelty and Felony StrangulationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keenan Smith, 42, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of second-degree cruelty to children and one count of felony strangulation for an assault on a child which took place in Washington, D.C., on November 17, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.
U.S. Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz set a sentencing date of April 5, 2024. Smith faces a sentence of up to five years for felony strangulation and up to 10 years for second-degree child cruelty to children. The prison term will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 17, 2023, Smith grabbed the child by his throat, using both of his hands, and slammed the child to the floor, causing the child to hit the back of his head. The defendant strangled the child by squeezing the child’s throat with both of his hands, restricting the normal circulation of blood, and breathing of the child. Smith strangled the child until he lost hearing and vision and blacked out.
Smith fled the scene and was arrested the next month pursuant to an arrest warrant. He has been in custody since January 23, 2024, where he will remain until sentencing.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly K. Smith of the Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Mysire Poge, 23, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today 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, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Poge entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Carl Nichols. Judge Nichols scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024. The defendant has been detained since November 9, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers were on the 300 block of 51st Street, NW when Poge rode by on a moped. Poge spotted the officers heading in his direction. He stopped, turned around, and jumped a sidewalk curb to flee southbound down a walkway on the 200 block of 51st St. NE. The defendant pulled into an alleyway and jumped off his moped. On the sidewalk on Division Avenue, Poge saw a uniformed police officer who was following him and again, ran towards an alley. Poge darted between two houses on Division Avenue and jumped over a chain-link fence. As Poge ran he threw a firearm that landed in a backyard. He continued to run in a circle before officers arrested him. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 27, 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the backyard with a 22-round capacity magazine.
The case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
Canadian National Indicted in Washington D.C. on Charges of Distributing of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 31, of Saskatchewan, Canada, was taken into custody today following an indictment charging him 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).
According to the indictment, unsealed today, on January 23, 2024, Ballek distributed three video files depicting adult males engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors via a social media communication application.
On January 23, 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 Ballek, who sent a message believing he was communicating with a pedophile. Ballek later sent the undercover agent three video files depicting adult males sexually abusing minor children. On February 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ballek with one count of distribution of child pornography. The case is assigned to the U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton.
Earlier today, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ballek’s residence in the District of Columbia and took him into custody. Ballek will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Monday, February 12, 2024.
Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. 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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Shinskie and Paul V. Courtney.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Utah Man Charged in Attack on Memorial to African American Civil War Soldiers at the National Gallery of ArtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jackson Green, 27, of Sandy, Utah, was taken into custody today following an indictment charging him with Damage to National Gallery of Art Property for his attack on the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial in the National Gallery of Art’s West Wing.
According to the indictment, unsealed today, on November 14, 2023, Green, a member of the Declare Emergency climate group, entered the National Gallery of Art, carrying red paint. He then proceeded to smear the words “Honor Them” in red paint on the wall next to the patinated plaster work. The attack was videotaped by supporters of Declare Emergency and released online. Green caused more than $700 in damages.
The oversized piece, created by American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the late 1880s, commemorates one of the first Civil War regiments of African Americans enlisted in the North, which drew recruits from many states and included Frederick Douglass’ own sons.
This is the third member of Declare Emergency charged in relation to attacks on the National Gallery of Art. In April 2023, Joanna Smith, 54, and her alleged co-conspirator, Timothy Martin, 54, of North Carolina, smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post, and two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense. Following the action, the National Gallery was required to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days. Gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage to the Degas sculpture.
In December, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit in the April 27, 2023, defacement of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen. U.S. District Court Judge Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2024. A trial for Ms. Smith’s co-conspirator Timothy Martin is scheduled for August 26, 2024.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from 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.
‘MLK Crew’ Member Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corenzo Mobery, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 180 months in prison for his participation in a drug trafficking network (the “MLK Crew”) based in Southeast Washington that sold cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, PCP, and marijuana, 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).
In addition to 15 years in prison, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Mobery to serve three years of supervised release. Mobery, aka “Snowman,” pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on October 16, 2023, to five counts that included conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine; unlawful possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Mobery was sentenced January 31, 2024.
“Targeting the limited number of people driving violence in our community—either because they are directly using violence or engaging in criminal conduct that is a magnet violence—is a tried-and-true, evidence-based strategy for combatting violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The defendants operated a drug trafficking network that preyed upon the neighborhood where it operated. Immediately after these defendants were arrested, this neighborhood saw a substantial reduction in instances of violent crime. And, more than two years after their arrest, the neighborhood is still experiencing less violent crime than it was experiencing before their arrest. Those driving violence in other neighborhoods in our community need to know that we are currently working with federal law enforcement partners and MPD to ensure they are brought to justice, just as these defendants were.”
“The defendants in this case turned to gun violence to control the neighborhood where they trafficked illegal drugs,” said FBI SAC Scott, “but as this investigation demonstrates, dismantling street crews disrupts the cycle of violence. Through collaboration with our partners and help from public tips, the FBI will continue to target and fracture groups driving violent crime in the nation's capital.”
“Criminal networks thrive in the shadows of our communities, preying on the vulnerable and perpetuating violence. The successful prosecution of Corenzo Mobery and his associates underscores the vital importance of safeguarding our neighborhoods,” said Chief Smith. “By dismantling such networks, we create safer spaces where families can thrive, and children can grow without fear. Let this be a testament to the power of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the community in creating a brighter, safer future for all.”
The investigation into the MLK Crew began in response to numerous citizen complaints about rampant drug trafficking and accompanying incidents of violence in and around the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, Washington D.C. In addition to numerous citizen complaints, MPD targeted this area as one of the most notorious in the city in terms of recent shootings and shots fired, as well as for the area’s high numbers of arrests—particularly offenses involving drugs and firearms. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI began conducting surveillance, obtaining search warrants, and making controlled buys of narcotics from suspected members of the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that MLK Crew members openly engaged in the sale of various drugs (including PCP, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana) and took over the area and, effectively, some of the neighborhood’s businesses. MLK Crew members would often go into the neighborhood businesses to complete sales and constantly loitered outside of these businesses to engage in sales. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI obtained video of defendants openly conducting narcotics transactions in these businesses and even displaying firearms. Throughout the case, law enforcement seized at least 10 firearms (many of which were privately manufactured firearms or “ghost guns”) from MLK crew members and/or stash houses and a sizeable quantity of various narcotics.
The MLK Crew’s drug trafficking contributed to numerous incidents of drug-related violence in and around the 2900 Block of MLK Ave., including multiple assaults, shootings, robberies, and murders—most notably, the murder of a six-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the co-defendants in this case. In July 2021, a few months after opening the investigation, MPD and FBI arrested 11 initial defendants and seized 10 firearms, along with PCP, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and over $2,500 in cash. The additional six defendants were charged in September 2021 and were arrested shortly thereafter.
Mobery was indicted with 16 co-defendants (listed below), who have all pleaded guilty and received prison sentences ranging from 24 months to 180 months based on their criminal conduct and criminal histories. The violent crime landscape around the 2900 Block of MLK Avenue improved immediately after these 17 defendants were taken off our streets. MPD has documented a 63% reduction in violent crime when comparing the six months after these defendants’ arrest to the six months prior. Similarly, nearly a year later, there was a 60% reduction in violent crime. And, even at the two-year mark, there was a 23% decrease in overall violent crime, which included a 56% decrease in homicides specifically, when comparing this period to the two years prior.
DEFENDANT
STATUS
Ricky ‘Fatz’ Lyles,
Accokeek, MDSentenced to 114 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm
Nico ‘Cheese’ Griffin,
Washington, DCSentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dandre ‘Freckles’ Shorter,
Washington, DCSentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Wesley ‘E-Bug’ Leake,
Washington, DCSentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Leon ‘L’ Lindsay,
Washington, DCSentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dezmond ‘Juice’ Cunningham,
Washington, DCSentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Divine ‘Newcomb’ Chappell,
Washington, DCSentenced to 76 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shawn ‘Black’ Wooden,
Washington, DCSentenced to 92 months for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Barry ‘B-Dot’ Tyson,
Washington, DCSentenced to 73 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Delonta ‘Meathead’ Chappell,
Washington, DCSentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Anthony ‘Ant’ Graves,
Washington, DCSentenced to 27 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Deshawn ‘Dey Dey’ Loggins,
Temple Hills, MDSentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Kevonte ‘Key Tay’ Randall,
Washington, DCSentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm
Corenzo ‘Snowman’ Mobery,
Washington, DCSentenced to 180 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offense, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Rico ‘Ric’ Griffin,
Washington, DCSentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shahborne ‘Shyboon’ Scales,
Washington, DCSentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Luther ‘Tank’ McDuffie,
Washington, DCSentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
The case stems from a joint investigation by the MPD Violent Crime Suppression Division’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force. This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This case is also 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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek and Matthew W. Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang provided valuable assistance.
United States Unseals Civil Forfeiture Complaint for Seizure of Iranian OilRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A civil forfeiture complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel oil valued at over $25 million previously onboard the Oil Tanker “Abyss” is forfeitable under the terrorism financing statutes as property of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
The document alleges a scheme to facilitate the shipment and sale of Iranian fuel oil for the benefit of the IRGC and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). The IRGC and its facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the oil as Iraqi, including manipulating the vessel’s automatic identification system reporting and presenting falsified documents.
“The complaint unsealed today is the latest in a series of actions our Office has taken to seize and to forfeit oil that Iran has attempted to illegally sell,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Forfeiture actions like this one disrupt Iran’s efforts to illegally sell oil. The proceeds from these illegal sales are the lifeblood of the Iranian’s efforts to sew war and terror around the globe, disrupting these sales is critical to our national security.”
“Today’s civil forfeiture action exemplifies our unwavering dedication to advancing our shared goal of protecting the homeland from terrorist organizations attempting to circumvent U.S. sanctions,” said Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New York. “HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to utilizing its full authority to disrupt the efforts of hostile countries seeking to profit from illicit oil sales used to support terrorism and the proliferation and delivery of weapons of mass destruction. Today’s action underscores our message that HSI and our partners will not stand by idly as Iran and the terrorist groups it supports use unlawful means to threaten our national security.”
"Today’s civil forfeiture demonstrates our commitment to protecting the U.S. from organizations seeking to evade U.S. sanctions," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI remains dedicated to working with our partners to protect the sanctity of our financial infrastructure and disrupt the attempts of hostile regimes to generate profits from oil sales used to support terrorism."
The civil forfeiture action further alleges that the fuel oil constitutes the property of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which has provided material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
This enforcement action is the most recent in a series of efforts made by the Justice Department to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil in violation of U.S. law. On September 8, 2023, the Department announced a seizure of oil onboard the tanker Suez Rajan, a criminal plea by its ownership company, and a deferred prosecution agreement by its operating company, all arising out of the tanker’s transport of illicit Iranian oil. The oil was sold for $74 million and the proceeds of the sale are now subject to the civil forfeiture process.
These recent actions build on prior enforcement cases the Department of Justice has brought in the District of Columbia related to seizures of illicit Iranian oil since 2019. For example, on July 1, 2020, the Department filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against all the petroleum seized onboard the four oil tankers, the Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna, which were carrying Iranian petroleum to Venezuela. The petroleum onboard these four tankers was sold for approximately $45 million.
Similarly, on February 2, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a civil asset forfeiture against all petroleum seized onboard the oil tanker Achilleas, which was transporting NIOC petroleum. The petroleum on the Achilleas was sold for approximately $111 million.
During October and November 2021, the Department of Justice filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against all the petroleum seized onboard the tankers Arina and Nostos, which was of Iranian origin. The petroleum onboard was sold for approximately $51 million.
All the above matters were handled by the Threat Finance Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. These oil seizure actions are in addition to multiple seizures and criminal forfeiture actions for funds associated with the transfer of illicit Iranian oil and the laundering of U.S. dollar payments. All told, these actions have deprived Iran of more than 5,300,000 barrels of petroleum products and $294 million attributable to IRGC.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York are investigating the Abyss case related to Iranian fuel oil, and other cases were investigated by these offices as well as the HSI Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, Brian Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Erika Oblea for the District of Columbia are litigating the case related to Iranian fuel oil aboard the Abyss, with support from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. They received assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this matter.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Two Individuals Charged in Trafficking Illicit Iranian Oil Using U.S. Financial System to Fund Terrorist Group in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two foreign nationals are charged in a scheme to export Iranian petroleum to China and use the proceeds to benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated terrorist organization. Shaoyun Wang, 54, of China, and Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, 39, of Oman, are charged in a 12-count indictment unsealed today, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the Minneapolis Field Office, and HSI Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Also unsealed today was a warrant for a related seizure of approximately $8.5 million.
Wang and Al Habsi are charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, conspiring to commit money laundering, and money laundering stemming from an alleged scheme to export Iranian petroleum to Chinese government-owned refineries. The indictment alleges that Wang and Al Habsi, together with their co-conspirators, illegally used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the sale of over a hundred million dollars’ worth of oil to benefit the IRGC-QF, Iran’s primary conduit for providing lethal support to terrorist organizations abroad.
“The only way that Iran can illegally sell oil is if people and business organizations outside Iran help it to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The indictment unsealed today demonstrates that the U.S. government will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly help Iran sell oil illegally —wherever in the world they are located.”
“Shaoyun Wang and Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi defrauded the U.S. financial system to facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars in oil sales in order to support terrorists,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Their actions aided a foreign terrorist organization, which uses such proceeds to fund their malicious activities abroad, including actions against U.S. military personnel. HSI Washington, D.C. will continue our efforts to dismantle such networks that support the heinous actions of Iran and their Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
“Those who choose to conspire with terrorist organizations will face the full force of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI remains committed to disrupting financial networks that fund and support terrorism. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to prevent the exploitation of legitimate industries for unlawful purposes, protecting global security and stability."
According to the indictment, between December 2019 and July 2021, Wang, Al Habsi, and unnamed co-conspirators negotiated and completed sales of sanctioned oil from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the People’s Republic of China utilizing the services and funds of U.S. persons and financial institutions, without prior authorization or a license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. They allegedly obtained the oil from Iran using surreptitious means, which included AIS spoofing and engaging in multiple transfers between tankers. The alleged scheme relied on the use of the U.S. financial system and was facilitated by Turkish, Omani, and U.S. persons and entities, all in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The indictment further alleges that Wang and Al Habsi used fraudulent documents to mask that the oil originated from Iran, used electronic communications to arrange the sales, utilized shell corporations to launder the proceeds through the U.S. financial system, and misled U.S. financial institutions about the source of the money generated by the transactions. In addition, the scheme allegedly used U.S. companies as a “trust” to hold the profits for the IRGC-QF.
The indictment also alleges that Al Habsi, acting through one of his companies, procured a $16.5 million loan in June 2020 from U.S. financial companies to purchase an oil tanker, later named M/T Oman Pride. Beginning in July 2020, M/T Oman Pride transferred Iranian oil to third-party vessels for sale to Chinese government-owned refineries and companies in China.
Wang allegedly used a U.S. front company, a U.S. facilitator, and U.S. financial institutions to facilitate the sale of Iranian oil to China. Wang, who served as a director of a Chinese oil refinery, was also the chair of a U.S. company in Las Vegas, Nevada, and general manager of the U.S. company’s Hong Kong-based parent company, which allegedly acted as a front for oil transactions. Wang allegedly engaged with senior IRGC officials to affect the purchases. The alleged scheme resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions that were processed by U.S. banks and facilitated by U.S. persons.
This case is being investigated by the HSI Washington D.C. and FBI Minneapolis field offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert, Maeghan Mikorski, Rajbir Datta, and Prava Palacharla, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Chris Magnani of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the United States Department of Justice.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Individuals Indicted on Murder, Conspiracy, and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men from the District and Maryland -- Derrico Johnson, 19, Ronald Henderson, 18, and Daveon Robinson, 17 -- were arraigned today on first-degree murder, conspiracy, and other charges in connection with two murders and a drive-by shooting, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Johnson and Robinson are residents of D.C.; Henderson is a resident of Maryland. Henderson and Robinson were charged under Title 16.
The 26-count indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy. Derrico Johnson was charged with two counts of first degree murder while armed and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed stemming from the April 12, 2022 murder of 32-year old Clayton Marshall and May 26, 2022 murder of 16-year old Justin Johnson; Ronald Henderson was charged with one count of first degree murder while armed and four counts of assault with intent to kill stemming from the May 26, 2022 murder of Justin Johnson and a January 2, 2023 drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store that injured two bystanders; and Daveon Robinson was charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed stemming from the January 2, 2023 drive-by shooting at Alabama Convenience Store. Ronald Henderson and Derrico Johnson were also indicted for firearms-related offenses from March and April of 2023, respectively. All three defendants were ordered held without bond. A trial date is scheduled for August 18, 2025.
According to the indictment, the three defendants are members of a crew called “Get Back Gang,” which is associated with the Henson Ridge neighborhood in 7D and a broader group driving violence in DC known as “Fox 5 Gang.” Over the past two years, the defendants and others participated in several homicides and non-fatal shootings, including:
- On April 12, 2022, Derrico Johnson was picked up in a stolen vehicle and driven to the 2200 block of Savannah Street SE. At about 12:20 p.m., Derrico Johnson briefly exited the vehicle and fired several rounds in the direction of Shipley Market. Clayton Marshall, who does not appear to have been the intended target, was shot and killed and another individual was injured.
- On May 26, 2022, Derrico Johnson, Ronald Henderson, and another individual walked to the Savannah Terrace Circle, where16-year-old Justin Johnson (aka “23 Rackz”), the victim, had posted as his location to Instagram earlier that morning. About 11:20 a.m., Derrico Johnson and Ronald Henderson fired several shots from 200 feet away in the direction of Justin Johnson, who was shot and killed while standing feet away from an infant child on a scooter.
- On January 2, 2023, Ronald Henderson and Daveon Robinson were riding in the back seat of a vehicle. At about 4:48pm, as the vehicle approached the Alabama Convenience Store, Henderson and Robinson fired several rifle and handgun rounds in the direction of the store, wounding two people. Armed Special Police Officers in the area witnessed the shooting and pursued the suspects through the Henson Ridge neighborhood to a home, where Henderson and Robinson were subsequently arrested.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger and Jessica Keefer.
Sentencings Announced of Three Individuals for Homicide and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Brown, 34, was sentenced today for second degree murder while armed, and Rondell McLeod, 30, was sentenced for voluntary manslaughter while armed in the shooting death of 21-year-old Amari Jenkins, on August 18, 2015, in front of St. Luke’s Catholic Church, located at 4925 East Capitol Street, N.E. The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants, both of Washington, D.C., admitted that on the day of the murder, they emerged from a blue van that pulled in front of the church, and fired 28 rounds at Mr. Jenkins, before reentering the van and making their escape.
In a separate case, Joseph Brown was sentenced for voluntary manslaughter while armed for the shooting of 29-year-old Antwan Baker, on November 12, 2015, in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace, N.E. In that homicide, Brown admitted he emerged from a vehicle and shot Mr. Baker six times in the back of the head and neck before fleeing the scene.
Judge Marisa J. Demeo sentenced Brown to 25 years of incarceration for his role in both homicides. She sentenced McLeod to 10 years of incarceration to run consecutively to an 11-year sentence for federal robbery charges brought in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Finally, Judge Demeo sentenced Alicia N. McCoy, 28, to two years of incarceration for lying in the grand jury during its investigation of the murder of Amari Jenkins. Her sentence will run consecutively to a number of felony sentences McCoy is serving in Maryland for violent crimes committed there.
In announcing the sentencings, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Spence and Andrea Coronado and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gilead I. Light, who prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen and former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Justice Department Announces Terrorism and Sanctions-Evasion Charges and Seizures Linked to Illicit, Billion-Dollar Global Oil Trafficking Network That Finances Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Its Malign ActivitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of three federal cases, across two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, as the most recent in a series of efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and providing lethal support to terrorist organizations abroad.
In the Southern District of New York, seven defendants, including a leader within Iran’s IRGC and officers of a Turkish energy group, are charged with terrorism, sanctions-evasion, fraud, and money laundering offenses in connection with their trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, Russia, and Syria, in order to finance the IRGC-QF. Additionally, the United States seized $108 million used as part of these defendants’ scheme to fund the IRGC-QF.
In a related action, in the District of Columbia, a Chinese woman and Omani man are charged with sanctions-evasion and money laundering offenses in connection with the trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to Chinese government-owned refineries. Additionally, in the District of Columbia, a forfeiture complaint for the seizure of illicit Iranian oil was unsealed, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funding to the IRGC and IRGC-QF.
“Iran utilizes the proceeds of its black-market oil sales to fund its criminal activities, including its support of the IRGC, Hamas, Hizballah, and other Iranian aligned terrorist groups,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is targeting this funding source by seizing over $108 million and 500,000 barrels of fuel that would otherwise have enabled Iran to further its destabilizing activities that threaten our national security. In addition to disrupting Iran’s unlawful funding streams, the Justice Department has also charged nine individuals for their roles in supporting Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department will continue to use every authority we have to cut off the illegal financing and enabling of Iran’s malicious activities, which have become even more evident in recent months.”
“While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force are the regime’s terrorist strongarms, oil is its lifeblood,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s enforcement actions show that the Justice Department is committed to using every tool – from criminal prosecutions to the lawful seizures of Iranian oil and oil profits – to shut down Iran’s pipeline of petroleum and profits. The charges and seizures announced today strike at the core of the global oil smuggling network that Iran has built to fund its regime of terror and repression, and deny the regime millions of dollars in proceeds to further its nefarious agenda.”
“Iran presents a constant threat to the United States – trying to murder Americans right here within our borders, conducting a cyber-attack on a children’s hospital, supporting terrorists around the world, and more,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “All of Iran’s crimes cost money. And the FBI will remain committed to enforcing U.S. sanctions that keep money out of its coffers.”
“Today’s cases are part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to cut off the flow of black-market Iranian oil that funds the regime’s malign activity, threatening the United States and our interests around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We remain focused on holding accountable those involved in these smuggling schemes, from the officials who oversee the laundering operations, to the network of shadowy businesses that enable them, to the brokers who help facilitate these unlawful transactions.”
United States v. Shahriyari et al. (SDNY)
Note: view the indictment hereSeven defendants – including a senior IRGC-QF official, the son of Rostam Ghasemi, a former IRGC Commander and Iranian Minister of Petroleum, an Iranian shipping official, an agent of the IRGC-QF – are charged in a five-count indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. In connection with these charges, the United States has seized $108 million that China Oil & Petrolium Company Limited, an IRGC front company, attempted to launder through correspondent transaction accounts at U.S. financial institutions in furtherance of the scheme to fund the IRGC-QF’s malign activities through the illicit sale of Iranian oil. In addition, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) announced today that it has sanctioned China Oil & Petroleum Company Limited for its role in the oil trafficking network.
“For years, the IRGC and its Qods Force have been instrumental in the Iranian regime’s violent suppression of political dissent, targeting of Iranian dissidents living abroad, and support of international terrorism — including groups like Hamas, Hizballah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Today’s charges show how, as alleged, the IRGC’s Qods force built a sprawling international network of front companies to launder sanctioned Iranian oil using lies, forgery, and threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “This alleged scheme to finance the Qods Force succeeds through the complicity of wealthy businessmen in countries like Turkey who are eager to turn a corrupt profit from supporting terror groups. The Qods Force oil-laundering network allegedly delivered millions of barrels of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, China, and Syria, and transferred billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system. This office has long served at the forefront of law enforcement efforts to fight terrorism and terror finance and to protect the integrity of the U.S. banking system. I commend the tireless and outstanding efforts of our law enforcement partners in unraveling and disrupting the IRGC’s scheme.”
The indictment charges:
- Behnam Shahriyari, 58, an Iranian national, is a publicly identified IRGC-QF senior official. In 2011, OFAC designated Shahriyari as a Specially Designated National (SDN).
- Morteza Rostam Ghasemi, 32, an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is the son of IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi.
- Mohammadreza Aliakbari, an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is a senior officer with Safiran Payam Darya Shipping Company, which acts on behalf of the Government of Iran.
- Mohammad Sadegh Karimianl, 36, an Iranian national and SDN since 2022, acts as an IRGC-QF agent.
- Sitki Ayan, 61, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, is the chairman of the ASB Group of companies, which includes Som Petrol Ticaret A.S., Baslam Petrol Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., and Baslam Nakliyat Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd. Sirketi, all of which have been designated by OFAC as SDNs since December 2022.
- Bahaddin Ayan, 35, a Turkish national, is the son of Sitki Ayan and a vice president of the ASB Group of companies and SDN since December 2022.
- Kasim Oztas, 41, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, has been managing director of the ASB Group of companies.
According to the indictment, following the imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran’s petroleum sector in 2018, the Government of Iran’s ability to finance itself through sales of crude oil and petroleum products – Iran’s most important economic sector – was severely diminished. In response, the IRGC-QF built a large-scale global oil laundering network to give Iran’s government-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) illicit access to global markets to sell crude oil and petroleum products and to use the proceeds to finance the IRGC-QF.
To sell NIOC crude oil to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the network used an intermediary company in Lebanon to conceal the Government of Iran’s involvement in the oil sales and a ship management company based in India to buy, lease, and manage oil tankers to use in the scheme. The oil tanker fleet was supervised by Aliakbari, and the key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners were authorized and approved by IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi, who previously served as Iran’s Minister of Oil, Minister of Transportation and Urban Development, and the Iranian chair of the Iranian-Syrian Economic Relations Development Committee.
To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, the network used the ASB Group of companies in Turkey, owned by Sitki Ayan, as well as intermediary companies in Oman, Greece, and elsewhere. Commander Ghasemi again authorized and approved key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners and resolved financial disputes that arose among the participants in the scheme. Companies in the ASB Group acted as intermediaries in the oil sales to conceal the Government of Iran’s role and the Iranian origin of the oil and leased oil tankers that were operated by co-conspirators. Sitki Ayan’s son and senior ASB Group officer, Bahaddin Ayan, assisted Sitki Ayan in the scheme and caused millions of dollars of wire transfers through the U.S. banking system for the leasing and operation of oil tankers. Oztas, who was a manager of the ASB Group of companies, also assisted Sitki Ayan in carrying out the scheme and finalizing agreements with ASB Group’s partners. Shahriyari, Karimian, and Aliakbari participated in negotiations among the participants and monitored the progress of the oil sales, oil shipments, and the IRGC-QF’s receipt of the oil proceeds.
To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, the network again used the ASB Group of companies, along with other companies in the United Arab Emirites, Cyprus, Russia, and Turkey. Shahriyari and Karimian organized a complex web of companies, with Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies at the center, to launder NIOC oil and the proceeds through layered transactions with a Cypriot company and to launder the oil sales through bulk cash smuggling and trade-based money laundering involving Russian agricultural products. Commander Ghasemi and his co-conspirators, including Karimian, controlled the proceeds of the oil sales, which were collected in Russia and transferred through cash couriers, Sitki Ayan’s companies, or the Iranian Embassy in Moscow.
In furtherance of the oil-laundering scheme, the defendants used a myriad of deceptive techniques including: 1) the use of front companies and intermediaries in countries outside of Iran to disguise the IRGC’s role in the oil transactions and the Iranian source of the oil; 2) the use of falsified documentation to misrepresent the source of the oil and deceive unwitting companies and banks and cause them to provide services in furtherance of the scheme; and 3) the use of ship-to-ship transfers and the manipulation of location and shipping data for vessels used in furtherance of the scheme in order to obscure the loading and unloading of their Iranian oil cargoes and avoid the identification of the vessels used to facilitate the oil laundering.
One of the key IRGC-QF front companies involved in the scheme was China Oil and Petroleum Company Limited (China Oil and Petroleum), which, despite its name, was controlled from Iran by Commander Ghasemi and his associates, including Karimian. China Oil and Petroleum acted as an intermediary in sales of NIOC oil, including deals involving Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies, in order to facilitate the ultimate delivery to government-affiliated buyers in China. Between at least 2019 and the present, China Oil and Petroleum has been involved in the transfer of more than $2 billion through the U.S. financial system in furtherance of the scheme to finance the IRGC-QF.
Each of the defendants is charged with: (i) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Governments of Iran and Syria, global terrorists and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; (iv) conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (v) conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, David W. Denton Jr., and Nicholas S. Bradley are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
United States v. Wang et al. (DDC)
Note: View the indictment here.Two defendants – Shaoyun Wang, 54, of China, and Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, 39, of Muscat, Oman – are charged in a 12-count indictment that was unsealed today in the District of Colombia. The indictment charges the defendants with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against Iran; conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering stemming from their scheme to sell Iranian petroleum to Chinese government-owned refineries and illegally use the U.S. financial system to facilitate the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of oil to benefit the IRGC. Also unsealed today was a warrant for a related seizure of $8.5 million connected to this network.
“The only way that Iran can illegally sell oil is if people and business organizations outside Iran help it to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The indictment unsealed today demonstrates that the U.S. government will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly help Iran illegally sell oil – wherever in the world they are located.”
According to the indictment, between December 2019 and July 2021, Wang, Al Habsi, and other co-conspirators negotiated the sale of and sold illicit Iranian oil to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They allegedly obtained the oil from Iran using surreptitious means which included AIS spoofing and multiple transfers between ocean-going tankers. The scheme relied on the use of the U.S. financial system and was facilitated by Turkish, Omani, and U.S. persons and entities, all in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The indictment further alleges that Wang and Al Habsi created fraudulent documents to mask that the oil originated from Iran, used electronic communications to arrange for Chinese buyers of the Iranian oil, used shell corporations to launder the proceeds through the U.S. financial system and provided false information to the U.S. companies about the source of the money generated by the transactions. In addition, the defendants used U.S. companies as a “trust” to hold the profits for the IRGC.
Al Habsi, acting through one of his companies, procured a $16.5 million loan in June 2020 from U.S. financial companies to purchase an oil tanker, later named M/T Oman Pride. Beginning in July 2020, the Oman Pride transported Iranian oil, which was ultimately transferred to third-party vessels for sale to Chinese government-owned refineries and companies in China.
As alleged, Wang used a U.S. front company, worked with a U.S. person, and relied on U.S. financial institutions to facilitate the sale of the Iranian oil to China. Wang – who served as a director of a Chinese oil refinery – was also the chair of a U.S. company in Las Vegas, Nevada, and general manager of the U.S. company’s Hong Kong-based parent company. The Hong Kong company acted as a front for transactions. Wang engaged with senior IRGC officials to effect the purchases. The scheme resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions that were processed by U.S. banks and facilitated by U.S. persons.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. and the FBI Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert, Maeghan Mikorski, Rajbir Datta, and Prava Palacharla for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
U.S. v. Approximately 523,507 Barrels Aboard Crude Oil Tanker Abyss (DDC)
A civil forfeiture complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel oil valued at over $25 million previously onboard M/T Abyss is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funds to the IRGC and IRGC-QF.
“The complaint unsealed today is the latest in a series of actions our Office has taken to seize and to forfeit oil that Iran has attempted to illegally sell,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Forfeiture actions like this one disrupt Iran’s efforts to illegally sell oil. The proceeds from these illegal sales are the lifeblood of the Iranian’s efforts to sew war and terror around the globe, disrupting these sales is critical to our national security.”
The document alleges a scheme to facilitate the shipment and sale of Iranian fuel oil for the benefit of the IRGC and the IRGC-QF. The IRGC and its facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the oil as Iraqi, including manipulating the vessel’s automatic identification system reporting and presenting falsified documents.
The civil forfeiture action further alleges that the fuel oil constitutes the property of the NIOC, which has provided material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York are investigating the Abyss case related to Iranian fuel oil, and other cases were investigated by these offices as well as HSI’s Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, Brian Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Erika Oblea for the District of Columbia are litigating the case related to Iranian fuel oil aboard the Abyss, with support from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. They received assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this matter.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
***
These enforcement actions are the latest in Justice Department efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil in violation of U.S. law. On Sept. 8, 2023, the Department announced a seizure of oil onboard the tanker Suez Rajan, a criminal plea by its ownership company, and a deferred prosecution agreement by its operating company, all arising out of the tanker’s transport of illicit Iranian oil. The oil was sold for $74 million, and the proceeds of the sale are now subject to the civil forfeiture process.
These recent actions build on prior enforcement cases the Department of Justice has brought in the District of Columbia related to seizures of illicit Iranian oil since 2019. For example, on July 1, 2020, the Department filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against all the petroleum seized onboard the four oil tankers, the Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna, which were carrying Iranian petroleum to Venezuela. The petroleum onboard these four tankers was sold for approximately $45 million.
Similarly, on Feb. 2, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a civil asset forfeiture against all petroleum seized onboard the oil tanker Achilleas, which was transporting NIOC petroleum. The petroleum on the Achilleas was sold for approximately $111 million.
***
In December 2023, the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, State, and Treasury to issue a joint “Know Your Cargo” compliance note highlighting common tactics deployed by malign actors in the maritime and other transportation industries as well as recent enforcement actions taken in response to alleged violations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Finds Two District Men Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Killing of Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonte Stevenson, 28, and Vorreze Thomas Jr., 26, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed, and related charges in the January 2021 shooting of Terrance Allen, 32, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stevenson and Thomas were also found guilty yesterday of conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and various firearms related charges. The jury returned a verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a 13-day trial before the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on the morning of January 18, 2021, Stevenson and Thomas’ vehicle intercepted a vehicle driven by Allen as it was leaving the Stanton Glen Apartments. Stevenson fired thirty-four shots with a rifle, while sitting in the front passenger’s seat, into the back of Allen’s vehicle. As a result, Allen was killed and two other passengers in Allen’s car were wounded. Allen was not the intended target; rather, Stevenson and Thomas were attempting to kill one of the other men in the car with Allen with whom they had a dispute.
Following the shooting Stevenson and Thomas attempted to flee the scene. A nearby MPD officer heard the shooting, observed Stevenson and Thomas fleeing the scene and was given authorization to pursue. Stevenson and Thomas eventually crashed their vehicle at the intersection of 29th and Erie Street SE and successfully fled on foot. However, officers later located the murder weapon in the flight path. Police also recovered a cell phone belonging to Thomas from the crashed vehicle.
Both men were arrested on February 17, 2021, and have been in custody since that time. The government’s evidence at trial included video surveillance, cell site records, ShotSpotter audio, body worn camera footage, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence.
This case is being investigated by Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Korba, Miles Janssen and Zach Horton.
Foreign National Convicted of Advance Fee and Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted a Kenyan national yesterday for perpetrating an advance fee and investment fraud scheme that defrauded numerous victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Paul Maucha, 58, who resides in Washington, D.C., along with a co‑conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital.
In particular, Maucha — through AESG — promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans, so long as victims first provided AESG with an advanced fee while misrepresenting the purpose of that fee. AESG also told victims falsely that these advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded.
The jury convicted Maucha of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. 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, and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Brutal Stabbing of Defenseless D.C. Resident in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Dorsey, 29, a D.C. resident, was sentenced today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to 96 months of incarceration, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Pamela A. Smith.
Dorsey was convicted of one count of aggravated assault while armed following his guilty plea on November 17, 2023, before the Honorable Anthony J. Epstein.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 26, 2023, the defendant approached the victim near the intersection of MLK Jr. Avenue Southeast and Good Hope Road Southeast and immediately began striking the victim with his fists. The defendant then took out a knife and began stabbing the victim eight to nine times in the chest and back, causing the victim to suffer from a collapsed lung. The defendant also stabbed the victim in the right eye. It is unclear whether the victim will ever be able to see again. Following the completion of his term of incarceration, the defendant will serve five years of supervised release.
On March 1, 2024, the defendant will be sentenced in a separate case in Superior Court following his convictions of second-degree cruelty and attempted strangulation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith acknowledged the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Two CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwon Haynie, 26, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 15 years of incarceration after pleading guilty to crimes related to two armed carjackings committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On July 26, 2023, Haynie approached a parked vehicle at a gas station and began to enter the driver’s side. When he noticed a passenger seated in the backseat of the car, Haynie pointed a firearm at him and ordered him to exit. The passenger complied and when the vehicle’s owner attempted to stop Haynie, Haynie fought him off, got in the car, and drove away. Haynie was not immediately identified as the suspect following the incident.
Approximately two weeks later, on August 10, 2023, Haynie, while working with an accomplice, committed another armed carjacking. A family of four were seated in their vehicle eating ice cream, when Haynie approached and opened the driver’s side door while brandishing a firearm. Haynie ordered the driver to exit the vehicle while his accomplice opened the passenger side door, pointed a firearm at the passenger, and ordered the passenger to exit the vehicle. The two remaining family members also exited.
MPD officers quickly responded to the scene and mobilized a helicopter to locate the car, which they successfully tracked until they observed Haynie and his accomplice flee from the vehicle. More officers responded to the flight location, and they were able to successfully apprehend both men. Following the August arrest, MPD’s continued investigation confirmed that Haynie had committed the July 26, 2023, carjacking as well.
During the sentencing for Haynie, the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz commented on his complete disregard for the victims and the lasting impact his conduct had on their lives. She then sentenced Haynie to eight years in prison for the August 10, 2023, carjacking, and seven years in prison for crimes related to the July 26, 2023, carjacking. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of 15 years of incarceration.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Kenneth Hart, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024, 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, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Hart entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 17, 2024. The defendant has been detained since November 1, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 1, 2023, at approximately 5:30 p.m. law enforcement were at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. and Mellon Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant, Kenneth Hart was inside a restaurant, exited and started walking towards Malcolm X Ave., Southeast. Law enforcement followed behind and the defendant then turned a corner and entered into a liquor store. Law enforcement entered the store saw the defendant at the rear in front of a refrigerator with the door open. The defendant’s hand were inside the refrigerator as he was placing a firearm on the left side of the refrigerator. The defendant was placed under arrest and officers recovered a Springfield Armory XDS-9 firearm that was loaded with 9 millimeter ammunition. There was one round in the chamber and there were six bullets in the magazine.
The case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
District Man Gets 26 Years for Shooting of a Pregnant Woman inside ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Hemphill, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 26 years in prison today for two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other charges, in an early morning shooting that took place in Southeast Washington on September 21, 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A jury found Hemphill guilty on June 7, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 21, 2018, Hemphill went to the home where his former romantic partner was staying with her friend. In a fit of rage, he fired one round into the door and made his way inside the apartment. He then chased the two women into a small closet where he fired two rounds from approximately three feet away. The first round hit the friend in the left hand and the second hit her in the back of her head. The friend was 24 weeks pregnant at the time she was shot. The victim received emergency neurosurgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and both she and her child survived.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Loeb and Angela Buckner, current Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bonnie Thompson, Dana Joseph, Ryan Sellinger, and Jodi Lazarus, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Bryan Han, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle, Garcia Clarke, Lynda Randolph, and Tijuana McPhail, Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Linda McDonald and RaeShawn Johnson, Supervisory Victim Services Advocate Roderick Johnson, Victim/Witness Advocates Lu Lan and Rogers Dickerson, Witness Security Specialists Orlando Teel and Lesley Slade, and Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaVater Massie-Banks and Brian Yang, from the Domestic Violence Unit who investigated and prosecuted the case.
‘King’ of Violent Haitian Gang Pleads Guilty to Gun Smuggling and Money Laundering After Government’s CaseRead the Press Release
Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, the self-described “King” of a notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a 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.
The conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least 24 firearms, including AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle, described by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a military weapon, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti for their criminal activities. Co-defendant Eliande Tunis, 45, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to the same offenses.
“Mr. Germine, a leader of a notorious Haitian gang, admitted to an illegal gun-running scheme to arm fellow gang members with U.S. firearms in support of the group’s violent crime spree across Haiti, including the alleged 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors and their criminal enterprises.”
“Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led.”
“Violent, well-armed gangs pose an ongoing threat to U.S. Citizens who live in or travel to Haiti,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “As Joly Germine and Eliande Tunis have just learned, the FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs who undertake hostage-taking of U.S. Citizens anywhere. This includes taking away their ability to wreak violence on the innocent using smuggled firearms.”
The plea came at the end of the government’s case during trial, after the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence. Germine, a Haitian national, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge John D. Bates to the 48-count second superseding indictment. The indictment charged Germine with conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 15.
Germine’s co-defendant and former girlfriend, Tunis, who styled herself as his “wife” and was described at trial as the “Queen”, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on Jan. 17, to the same 48-count indictment. She also faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on May 8. Another co-defendant, Jocelyn Dor, 31, who acted as a straw gun purchaser for Germine and Tunis, previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2023, and will be sentenced on Feb. 28.
According to evidence presented at trial, from at least March through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Germine directed the gang’s operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang. Germine then provided Tunis and the two other U.S.-based co-defendants, all Florida residents, specifications for firearms and ammunition that Germine and other gang leaders wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis and the two co-defendants then purchased at least 24 rifles, handguns, and a shotgun at Florida gun shops while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms, when they were in fact acting as straw purchasers for Germine. In approximately May 2021, Tunis smuggled firearms and ammunition to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods. In October 2021, Tunis shipped additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, again by smuggling the firearms, but those firearms were seized by the FBI before they left the United States.
400 Mawozo is a violent Haitian gang that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. From at least Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed hostage takings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. The victims have generally been forced from their vehicles at gunpoint and kept in various locations by armed gang members while their relatives and colleagues negotiate payment for their release. At trial, the government presented evidence that the gang received ransom payments from the hostage taking of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021, who testified at trial, and the cash ransom proceeds were commingled with the gang’s funds and transferred via MoneyGram and Western Union from the United States to Haiti to buy more firearms.
In the fall of 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for taking 16 U.S. citizens hostage, 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 were all released or had escaped by on or about Dec. 16, 2021. This case does not address those hostage taking charges, for which Germine has been separately indicted in case number 22-cr-161 (DDC).
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, particularly the Haitian National Police, the Justice Department’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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kimberly Paschall and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
U.K. Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Attempting to Export U.S. Technology to IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saber Fakih, 48, of the United Kingdom, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison for violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
The announcement was issued by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Dugan of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement; FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski, of the Baltimore Field Office; and FBI Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division; and Homeland Security and Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI’s Baltimore Field Office.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Saber Fakih to serve three years of supervised release.
According to his plea agreement, Saber Fakih conspired with Bader Fakih, 43, of Canada, Altaf Faquih, 72, of the United Arab Emirates, and Alireza Taghavi, 48, of Iran, to export and attempt to export an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) and counter-drone system from the United States to Iran, without first obtaining the requisite license from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Saber Fakih’s co-conspirators held themselves out as procurement agents of Rayan Roshd, which has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Government for its procurement activities related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Another co-conspirator, Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad, 46, has also been charged with smuggling, wire fraud and related offenses arising from the same scheme. Rohollahnejad previously was added to the Department of Commerce’s, Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in March 2020, for acting contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests by procuring goods on behalf of a Specially Designated National (SDN).
According to the government’s evidence, in 2017 and 2018, Fakih and his co-conspirators attempted to export to Iran items that had potential civil and military uses. Potential military uses of the industrial microwave system (IMS) (with some modification) include high-power microwave-based Directed-Energy Weapon systems. The counter-drone system, which has both commercial and military uses, can be used to stop, identify, redirect, land or take total control of a target unmanned aerial vehicle.
Saber Fakih admitted in his statement of offense that he was the primary liaison between the Iranian purchaser and the U.S.-based seller of the IMS. He placed a bid with the Massachusetts vendor, coordinated an inspection of the machine, and generally corresponded with the vendor on Taghavi’s behalf, knowing it was ultimately destined for Iran.
Rohollahnejad caused the equivalent of $450,000 to be sent from Iran to the UAE, where Altaf Faquih picked it up and converted it from Emirati currency to U.S. dollars. Faquih then transferred the money to Bader Fakih in Canada via three separate wire transfers. Bader Fakih then transferred the money to the U.S. company for the purchase of the IMS.
In addition to the IMS, Saber Fakih and Bader Fakih conspired to purchase two counter-drone systems worth nearly $1 million from a Maryland-based company on behalf of Taghavi.
Saber Fakih was arrested in the United Kingdom pursuant to a U.S. Extradition Request on or about February 10, 2021. On January 25, 2022, he entered a plea of guilty to count two of the indictment in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, HSI’s Baltimore Field Office, and the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterespionage and Export Control Section.
Kenyan Citizen Found Guilty of Advance Fee and Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paul Maucha, 58, a Kenyan national, was found guilty today of perpetrating an advance fee and investment scheme that defrauded numerous victims.
The jury verdict, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maucha, along with a co-conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital.
In particular, Maucha—through AESG—promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans, so long as victims first provided AESG with an advanced fee while misrepresenting the purpose of that fee. AESG also told victims falsely that these advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded.
The jury convicted Maucha of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years in prison for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. 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, and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Former Employee at Skilled Nursing Facility Sentenced for Criminal Abuse of a Vulnerable AdultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Thomas, 57, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for one count of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult or elderly person, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Superior Court Judge Deborah J. Israel accepted Thomas’ guilty plea today and ordered 180 days in jail, suspended, 18 months of supervised probation, mental health and drug treatment services as deemed necessary, and ordered that Thomas make a $50 payment to the Victims of Violent Crimes Fund.
According to court documents, Thomas was employed as a customer service representative and smoking aide at Capital City Skilled Nursing Facility (CCSNF), a residential rehabilitation and healthcare center, located in Southeast Washington. Thomas’ job duties included taking individuals outside of the facility to their designated smoking area.
On November 29, 2021, a resident of the facility reported that a staff member pushed him from his wheelchair while he was attempting to enter CCSNF’s smoking area. The victim has physical and psychological disabilities that would classify him as a “vulnerable adult” under D.C. Code § 22-932. During a subsequent interview, the victim stated that the staff member, identified as Thomas, pushed him and he fell out of his wheelchair and onto the ground, where he laid for several minutes without assistance from the defendant. After reviewing video of the incident, Thomas was immediately suspended from CCSNF, who then reported the abuse to the District’s Department of Health.
This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (D.C. OIG) to protect vulnerable adults. The D.C. OIG operates the District’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which is statutorily responsible for investigating and prosecuting District Medicaid provider fraud as well as abuse or neglect of residents in health care facilities and board and care facilities and of beneficiaries in noninstitutional or other settings. The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud and abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. If you have information about individuals committing these types of offenses, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS [202-724-8477].
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. OIG MFCU. They also acknowledged the efforts of the D.C. Department of Health for their initial response. They commended the work of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the D.C. OIG, who prosecuted the case.
“King” of Violent Haitian Gang Pleads Guilty to Gun Smuggling and Money Laundering After Government’s CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, the self-described “King” of a notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, pleaded guilty today to his role in a 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. The conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least twenty-four firearms, including AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle, described by the ATF as a military weapon, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti for their criminal activities. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. Co-defendant Eliande Tunis, 45, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pled guilty on January 17, 2024, to the same offenses.
The plea came at the end of the government’s case during trial, after the twenty-four witnesses and two weeks of evidence. Germine, a Haitian national, pled guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Judge John D. Bates to the 48-count second superseding indictment. The indictment charged Germine with conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 15, 2024.
Germine’s co-defendant and former girlfriend Tunis, who styled herself as his “wife” and was described at trial as the “Queen”, pled guilty on the eve of trial on January 17, 2024, to the same 48-count indictment. She also faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on May 8, 2024. Another co-defendant, Jocelyn Dor, age 31, who acted as a straw gun purchaser for Germine and Tunis, previously pled guilty on October 30, 2023, and will be sentenced on February 28, 2024.
“Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and, all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led.”
“Violent, well-armed gangs pose an ongoing threat to U.S. Citizens who live in or travel to Haiti,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, of the Miami Field Office. “As Joly Germine and Eliande Tunis have just learned, the FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs who undertake hostage-taking of U.S. Citizens anywhere. This includes taking away their ability to wreak violence on the innocent using smuggled firearms.”
According to the evidence the government presented at trial, from at least March through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Germine directed the gang’s operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang. Germine then provided Tunis and the two other U.S.-based co-defendants, all Florida residents, specifications for firearms and ammunition that Germine and other gang leaders wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis and the two co-defendants then purchased at least 24 rifles, handguns, and a shotgun at Florida gun shops while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms, when they were in fact acting as straw purchasers for Germine. In approximately May 2021, Tunis smuggled firearms and ammunition to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods. In October 2021, Tunis shipped additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, again by smuggling the firearms, but those firearms were seized by the FBI before they left the United States.
400 Mawozo is a violent Haitian gang that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. From at least January 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed hostage takings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. The victims have generally been forced from their vehicles at gunpoint and kept in various locations by armed gang members while their relatives and colleagues negotiate payment for their release. At trial, the government presented evidence that the gang received ransom payments from the hostage taking of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021, who testified at trial, and the cash ransom proceeds were commingled with the gangs’ funds and transferred via MoneyGram and Western Union from the United States to Haiti to buy more firearms. In the fall of 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for taking 16 U.S. citizens hostage, 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. This case does not address those hostage taking charges, for which Germine has been separately indicted in Case No. 22-cr-161 (DDC).
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office, with assistance 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.
Former D.C. Metro Transit Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation in Beating of Unarmed Transit RiderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andra Vance, 49, a former Metro Transit Police (MTPD) officer, was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison for unlawfully beating an unarmed transit rider with a metal baton on Feb. 16, 2018.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo.
“This violent, brutal beating of a citizen by someone cloaked in police powers deserves significant punishment and condemnation,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The vast majority of officers in the District execute their duties in an exemplary manner. Their jobs only get harder when officers like this one betray their position and damage the trust the community should have in these public servants.”
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Vance to serve 12 months of supervised release.
“This sentencing should make clear that officers who abuse their authority will be held accountable, regardless of whether their actions occur on public streets or inside public transit systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Clark. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute law enforcement officers who willfully violate the civil rights of our community members.”
The Metro Transit Police Department conducted a routine review of Vance’s use of force within hours of the incident. Based on the review, the department immediately suspended Vance’s police powers, launched an internal investigation, and notified federal authorities.
“MTPD strongly condemns the actions of any officer who abuses their authority in the use of excessive force. This case is an aberration against the good MTPD officers who keep the system safe for our customers and employees every day,” said MTPD Chief Anzallo. “What happened is disgraceful, which is why we immediately relieved the former officer of his duties and investigated. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney in the District and investigators with the Office of Professional Responsibility and Inspections for their part in bringing justice for this criminal act. No law enforcement officer is above the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, the victim -- identified as D.C. -- attempted to use an invalid Metro card to board a train at the Anacostia Metro station. The card was confiscated by Metro Transit personnel and D.C. became angry. D.C. complained to Vance and briefly walked away from the fare gate. When D.C. returned to the fare gate, Vance used his metal baton to hit D.C. in the head without legal justification. When D.C. fled, Vance chased him and continued to swing the baton at D.C.’s head and neck.
A fellow officer who witnessed the assault and who helped handcuff D.C. testified that D.C. was not a threat to Vance or anyone else at the station at the time that Vance struck D.C. in the head. D.C. was taken to Howard University Hospital where he was treated for head injuries.
The Metro Transit Authority investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Maura White.
Former D.C. Metro Transit Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation in Beating of Unarmed Transit RiderRead the Press Release
Former Washington, D.C., Metro Transit Police (MTPD) Officer Andra Vance was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release for unlawfully beating an unarmed transit rider with a metal baton on Feb. 16, 2018.
“This sentencing should make clear that officers who abuse their authority will be held accountable, regardless of whether their actions occur on public streets or inside public transit systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute law enforcement officers who willfully violate the civil rights of our community members.”
“This violent, brutal beating of a citizen by someone cloaked in police powers deserves significant punishment and condemnation,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The vast majority of officers in the District execute their duties in an exemplary manner. Their jobs only get harder when officers like this one betray their position and damage the trust the community should have in these public servants.”
“MTPD strongly condemns the actions of any officer who abuses their authority in the use of excessive force. This case is an aberration against the good MTPD officers who keep the system safe for our customers and employees every day,” said MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo. “What happened is disgraceful, which is why we immediately relieved the former officer of his duties and investigated. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney in the District and investigators with the Office of Professional Responsibility and Inspections for their part in bringing justice for this criminal act. No law enforcement officer is above the law.”
During Vance’s trial in November 2022, evidence showed that the victim, identified as D.C., attempted to use an invalid Metro card to board a train at the Anacostia Metro station. When the card was confiscated by Metro Transit personnel, D.C. became angry. D.C. complained to Vance and briefly walked away from the fare gate. When D.C. returned to the fare gate, Vance used his metal baton to hit D.C. in the head without legal justification. When D.C. fled from the fare gate, Vance chased him and continued to swing the baton at D.C.’s head and neck.
A fellow officer who witnessed the assault and who helped handcuff D.C. testified that D.C. was not a threat to Vance or anyone else at the Anacostia Metro Station at the time that Vance struck D.C. in the head. D.C. was taken to Howard University Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his head.
The Metro Transit Authority investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Maura White of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Chinese Nationals Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S.-Origin Electronic Components to Iran and Iranian Military AffiliatesRead the Press Release
Four Chinese nationals are charged in an indictment in the District of Columbia with various federal crimes related to a years-long conspiracy to unlawfully export and smuggle U.S.-origin electronic components from the United States to Iran.
According to court documents, Baoxia Liu, aka Emily Liu; Yiu Wa Yung, aka Stephen Yung; Yongxin Li, aka Emma Lee; and Yanlai Zhong, aka Sydney Chung, unlawfully exported and smuggled U.S. export controlled items through China and Hong Kong ultimately for the benefit of entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which supervises Iran’s development and production of missiles, weapons, and military aerial equipment to include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
“For more than a decade, the defendants allegedly orchestrated a scheme to smuggle U.S. manufactured parts to the IRGC and the Iranian agency charged with developing ballistic missiles and UAVs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Such efforts to unlawfully obtain U.S. technology directly threaten our national security, and we will use every tool at our disposal to sever the illicit supply chains that fuel the Iranian regime’s malign activity.”
“Aggressively combating illicit procurement networks that support Iranian military systems like radars and UAVs is essential to U.S. national security,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce. “Today’s indictment, tied to the work of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, reaffirms that proliferators cannot hide behind front companies in third countries to funnel technology to our adversaries.”
“Our indictment alleges a years-long, complex conspiracy to violate U.S. laws by procuring U.S. technology with military uses for entities in Iran who would do us harm – a serious offense that endangers our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, will continue to turn over every stone to find those who break our laws and put us at risk. We are committed to making sure that U.S. technology is kept out of the hands of those taking aim at the United States and its citizens through robust enforcement of U.S. sanctions.”
“Our foreign adversaries use many tactics to gain access to critical U.S. technologies and innovation,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “In this instance, it is alleged that U.S.-origin equipment was smuggled by front companies to the benefit of end users in Iran. Any circumvention of U.S. export control law is simply unacceptable – the FBI will work diligently with its partners across the globe to hold all accountable who jeopardize our national security.”
According to the indictment, beginning as early as May 2007 and continuing until at least July 2020, the defendants utilized an array of front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to funnel dual-use U.S.-origin items, including electronics and components that could be utilized in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses, to sanctioned Iranian entities with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) such as Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI), Rayan Roshd Afzar, and their affiliates.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, the defendants concealed the fact that the goods were destined for Iran and Iranian entities and made material misrepresentations to U.S. companies regarding the end destination and end users. These deceptive practices caused the U.S. companies to export goods to the defendants’ PRC-based front companies under false pretenses and under the guise that the ultimate destination of these products was China as opposed to Iran. As a result, a vast amount of dual-use U.S.-origin commodities with military capabilities were exported from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and regulations.
The defendants are charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), violating IEEPA, smuggling goods from the United States, and one count of submitting false or misleading export information. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the IEEPA; up to 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the United States; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and submitting false or misleading export information. Arrest warrants have been issued for Liu, Yung, Li and Zhong who all remain fugitives.
The FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement Chicago Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Heather Schmidt and Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
In June 2023, the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury to issue an advisory to share information about the threat posed by Iran’s procurement, development, and proliferation of UAVs. Four months later, in October 2023, the department joined with the same interagency partners to issue an advisory describing the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile procurement activities. The advisories gave an overview of the key components sought by Iran, the regime’s use of deceptive practices to acquire certain types of technologies, and recommendations for implementing effective compliance controls to minimize sanctions and export control risk.
Today’s action was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward Steven Monge, 22, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to participating in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Monge pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes set a sentencing date for May 29. Monge faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, but the plea agreement calls for a sentence of 87 to 108 months. The prison term will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the government’s evidence, between February and August 2023 Monge sold more than 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring, MD. Echeverria Flores then sold the pills to a DEA undercover agent on five separate occasions between February 17 and July 19, 2023, in the District and Maryland and the District of Columbia. The pills were blue, marked “M” on one side, and “30” on the other. The total approximate weight of the pills was 479 grams. These pills are designed to look like authentic oxycodone “M30” pills, but instead contain fentanyl.
Echeverria Flores was arrested on July 31, 2023. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement arrested Monge in Hyattsville, MD, and found him carrying about 1,102 pills, which field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. As part of the Plea Agreement, Monge also admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with his unlawful distribution of fentanyl.
Echeverria Flores pleaded guilty in December to the drug conspiracy charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced March 19.
This case was investigated by the DEA – Washington Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Leiter.
District Man Found Guilty of Armed Carjacking of Handyman’s Car, Which He Crashed During A Police ChaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gianni Saunders, 21, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today of the May 24, 2023, armed carjacking of a handyman as the victim exited his car in the 2800 block of Denver Street SE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.
Following a week-long trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the jury found Saunders guilty of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2024. At sentencing, Saunders faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:24 pm on May 24, 2023, the victim pulled up to the 2800 block of Denver Street SE to make repairs inside a residential building. Saunders, armed with a handgun with an extended magazine, demanded the victim’s car keys. Saunders then drove off in the victim’s black Honda Civic. Police apprehended Saunders two days later when Forest Heights, Maryland, police officers attempted a traffic stop of the stolen car. Saunders led police on a high-speed chase before causing a multi-car crash. Police pulled Saunders from the driver’s seat after the crash and recovered a handgun with an extended magazine from the car, along with the victim’s identification documents. The police investigation uncovered surveillance video that showed Saunders parking the stolen car at his residence hours after the carjacking; Saunders’ appearance and clothing were consistent with the victim’s description of the carjacker. The government also introduced DNA evidence, which linked Saunders to the handgun.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. Invaluable assistance was provided by the Forest Heights Police Department from the inception of the case through trial. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Gimenez and Iris McCranie of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Chinese Nationals Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S-Origin Electronic Components to Iran and Iranian Military AffiliatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, charges Chinese nationals Baoxia Liu a/k/a Emily Liu, 42, Yiu Wa Yung a/k/a Stephen Yung, 63, Yongxin Li a/k/a Emma Lee, 36, and Yanlai Zhong a/k/a Sydney Chung, 40, with various federal crimes related to a years-long conspiracy to unlawfully export and smuggle U.S.-origin electronic components from the United States to Iran. According to court documents, Baoxia Liu aka Emily Liu; Yiu Wa Yung aka Stephen Yung; Yongxin Li aka Emma Lee; and Yanlai Zhong aka Sydney Chung unlawfully exported and smuggled U.S. export controlled items through China and Hong Kong ultimately for the benefit of entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which supervises Iran’s development and production of missiles, weapons, and military aerial equipment to include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the Department of Commerce’s Chicago Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement.
According to the indictment, beginning as early as May 2007 and continuing until at least July 2020, the defendants utilized an array of front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to funnel dual-use U.S.-origin items, including electronics and components that could be utilized in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses, to sanctioned Iranian entities with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) such as Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI), Rayan Roshd Afzar, and their affiliates.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, the defendants concealed the fact that the goods were destined for Iran and Iranian entities and made material misrepresentations to U.S. companies regarding the end destination and end users. These deceptive practices caused the U.S. companies to export goods to the defendants’ PRC-based front companies under false pretenses and under the guise that the ultimate destination of these products was China as opposed to Iran. As a result, a vast amount of dual-use U.S.-origin commodities with military capabilities were exported from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and regulations.
“Our indictment alleges a years-long, complex conspiracy to violate U.S. laws by procuring U.S. technology with military uses for entities in Iran who would do us harm – a serious offense that endangers our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, will continue to turn over every stone to find those who break our laws and put us at risk. We are committed to making sure that U.S. technology is kept out of the hands of those taking aim at the U.S. and its citizens through robust enforcement of U.S. sanctions.”
“For more than a decade, the defendants allegedly orchestrated a scheme to smuggle U.S. manufactured parts to the IRGC and the Iranian agency charged with developing ballistic missiles and UAVs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Such efforts to unlawfully obtain U.S. technology directly threaten our national security, and we will use every tool at our disposal to sever the illicit supply chains that fuel the Iranian regime's malign activity.”
“Aggressively combatting illicit procurement networks that support Iranian miliary systems like radars and UAVs is essential to U.S. national security,” said Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. “Today’s indictment, tied to the work of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, reaffirms that proliferators cannot hide behind front companies in third countries to funnel technology to our adversaries.”
“The theft of technology from the U.S. to Iran and Iranian military affiliates is a threat to our economic and national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to combating the illegal transfer of technology and export fraud. We will continue to work with our national security partners to investigate anyone who seeks to weaponize U.S. technology or commodities.”
“This multi-year investigation is the product of vigorous, cooperative law enforcement focused on denying the diversion and export of sensitive U.S.-origin items to Iran that endanger our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini, of the Office of Export Enforcement’s Chicago Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement, working with our interagency law enforcement partners, is committed to investigating violations of BIS export control rules and prosecuting the individuals involved, as appropriate, whether in the U.S. or abroad.”
The defendants are charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), violating IEEPA, smuggling goods from the United States, and one count of submitting false or misleading export information. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the IEEPA; up to 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the United States; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and submitting false or misleading export information. Arrest warrants have been issued for Liu, Yung, Li and Zhong who all remain fugitives.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and the Chicago Field Office of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba for the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Heather Schmidt and Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
In June 2023, the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury to issue an advisory to share information about the threat posed by Iran’s procurement, development, and proliferation of UAVs. Four months later, in October 2023, the Department joined with the same interagency partners to issue an advisory describing the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile procurement activities. The advisories gave an overview of the key components sought by Iran, the regime’s use of deceptive practices to acquire certain types of technologies, and recommendations for implementing effective compliance controls to minimize sanctions and export control risk.
Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Resident Indicted for Multiple Robberies of Georgetown BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 30, a Maryland resident, has been arrested on felony charges after robbing the same business in Georgetown multiple times while using a firearm. McBean is charged in an indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, with four felony counts of violating the Hobbs Act, which prohibits individuals from actual or attempted robbery which affects interstate commerce.
As detailed in the indictment, from November 23, 2023 to January 8, 2024, McBean robbed the Glover Park Market located at 2411 37th Street NW. During this timeframe, McBean robbed the market of over $1000, often using a handgun and ordering the store employee to give him the money from the register.
Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on Friday, January 26, 2024, following his indictment. He made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Monday, January 29, 2024, before the Honorable Judge G. Michael Harvey. A detention hearing is currently set for Thursday, February 1, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Lipes and Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
District Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Michael Wilcox, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a Ruger Archangel rifle and a .32 caliber pistol when his SUV was stopped by police near Nationals Park, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor of the United States Park Police.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Wilcox to serve three years of supervised release.
Wilcox pleaded guilty September 26, 2023, 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.
According to the government’s evidence, when Wilcox was stopped by U.S. Park Police officers on July 12, 2022, he was operating a black SUV with an illegally covered Florida dealer tag. As officers approached the vehicle, he held a military identification card out of the driver’s side window that did not belong to him. While interacting with Wilcox, an officer observed a clear plastic bag containing multiple-colored zip lock bags partially bulging from the defendant’s front shorts pocket. The officer directed Wilcox out of the vehicle and toward the rear of the car. Wilcox was forcibly placed in handcuffs following his initial refusal to comply.
Officers recovered 19 small plastic bags which each contained fentanyl. Officers also recovered a clear plastic bag containing cocaine base. Officers then removed a female passenger and child from the vehicle. Police searched the SUV and discovered a .32 caliber pistol in the glove compartment with three rounds. They found a Ruger Archangel, 5.56 caliber rifle with the serial number obliterated, located in the trunk.
During the search, Wilcox stated multiple times that everything in the car belonged to him. Federal law prohibits Wilcox from possessing a firearm because he has multiple convictions from the Commonwealth of Virginia for which he was sentenced to terms of imprisonment exceeding one year.
On May 17, 2023, following his indictment by a federal grand jury, Wilcox was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the United States Park Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Alexander Schneider and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Firing 14 Rounds at MPD OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saeve Edward Evans, 37, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to firing 14 rounds at a Metropolitan Police Department officer. The shooting, in the early morning of August 1, 2023, occurred on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The officer was not injured. Evans pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to assault on a police officer while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of over one year.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton set a sentencing date for May 22, 2024.
“Every day, our officers risk their own well-being to fight crime in our city,” said Chief Smith. “In firing those 14 rounds, Mr. Evans displayed a reprehensible disregard for the safety of both our officer and our community. I’m relieved that no one was hurt, and I’m pleased that Mr. Evans has taken some accountability for his actions by pleading guilty.”
According to court documents, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at about 5:25 a.m., Evans was walking a dog outside on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. When an unknown individual walked in front of the building, Evans pulled out a gun, pointed the gun towards the sky, and fired three times in the air. The unknown individual ran away.
At 5:28 a.m., an MPD officer was dispatched to the location to investigate the gunfire. The officer, who was wearing a full police uniform and driving a marked MPD cruiser, spotted Evans on the sidewalk adjacent to a three-story apartment building. Evans aimed at the officer, fired the gun three times, then moved towards the apartment entrance. Moving up a ramp, Evans pointed his gun at the officer again and fired nine more live rounds. The officer returned fire before taking cover behind his police cruiser. Inside the building, Evans climbed the stairs to the third-floor landing and fired two more shots at the officer through large windows. In total, Evans fired 14 rounds at the officer.
Additional MPD officers from the Fifth District responded to assist and entered the building on Benning Road. Officers located Evans on the third-floor landing of the apartment building. Before officers placed Evans under arrest, Evans said, “Ain’t no gun, I took it off me.” Officers recovered the firearm on the third floor landing. DNA evidence further linked the firearm -- a black Springfield XD 9x19 pistol with an empty 16 round magazine -- to Evans. DNA evidence linked Evans to the gun, which was stolen on March 9, 2023, from the state of Texas.
Evans faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the charge of assault on a police officer while armed. 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 detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cloherty and Justin Song, the Records Department of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and MPD Detectives.
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Three Former Department of Homeland Security Employees Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three former federal employees were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to steal proprietary software and sensitive law-enforcement databases from the U.S. government for use in a commercial venture.
The sentencings were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG); and Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG).
Murali Y. Venkata, 58, of Aldie, Va., is a former Acting Branch Chief of the Information Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG). Venkata was convicted on Apr. 11, 2023, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, theft of government property, wire fraud, and obstruction. Venkata was sentenced to four months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, who also ordered Venkata to serve two years of supervised release with eight months of home incarceration, and to serve 60 hours of community service.
Charles K. Edwards, 63, of Sandy Spring, Md, was the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). In January 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to theft of government property, and conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States. Edwards was sentenced by Judge Moss today to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Sonal Patel, 49, of Sterling, Va., had been employed in DHS-OIG’s information technology department. Patel was sentenced by Judge Moss today to two years probation with one year of home incarceration, and a fine of $40,000. In April 2019, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Venkata, Edwards, and Patel were all previously employed at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). The trio conspired to steal proprietary U.S. software and databases containing sensitive law-enforcement information and the personally identifying information (PII) of over 200,000 federal employees from DHS-OIG and USPS OIG. They planned to use the stolen software and databases to create a commercial software product to be offered for sale to government agencies. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators disclosed the stolen software and databases containing PII to software developers located in India. After Venkata learned of the investigation, he deleted incriminating text messages and other communications in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
DHS-OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey for the District of Columbia. Significant assistance was provided by former PIN Senior Litigation Counsel Victor Salgado, former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kent, and Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Second KDY Crew Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Crime Spree of Multiple Carjackings and Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Azriel Ethan Echavarria, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to committing a string of armed carjackings and violent armed robberies with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during 2022.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.
Echavarria pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery.
According to the plea paperwork, Echavarria admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings.
The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled Echavarria’s sentencing for May 10, 2024.
One of Echavarria’s co-conspirators, Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 12, 2024, after pleading guilty in the same spree of carjackings and violent armed robberies.
Had the case gone to trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Echavarria conspired his two charged co-defendants to commit a spree of robberies and carjackings of individuals and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Specifically, Echavarria and his two co-defendants committed five commercial robberies, two armed carjackings, and at least 12 armed robberies over the course of their conspiracy.
According to the government’s evidence, Echavarria and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in the District based on both territory and its vast membership.
The trio’s violent spree occurred during the first three months of 2022. The men typically planned their robberies the night before and executed early in the morning. To avoid detection from law enforcement, the trio typically began a day’s robberies by stealing a vehicle to use in their subsequent robberies. If the vehicle was occupied or if the owner was close by, the men used firearms, force, and intimidation to carjack it. After the sprees, the men sold the vehicles for added profit. A hallmark of the defendants’ robberies was the use of force and/or violence against their victims.
On February 8, 2022, for instance, Echavarria and his co-defendants traveled from Northeast Washington to Chevy Chase, Md., to steal a Toyota Rav4. After stealing the SUV, the trio traveled to a convenience store on the 8100 block of Fenton St., in Silver Spring.
At the store, Echavarria approached a delivery man making a scheduled drop off while armed with a handgun. As a co-defendant waited in the Rav4 as the getaway driver, Echavarria and his other co-defendant punched the delivery man and then pistol whipped them with his weapon. A co-defendant then took the delivery man’s wallet and cases of product from the delivery truck. After completing the robbery, the trio fled the scene.
On February 20, 2022, Echavarria and his co-defendants stole a Honda Ridgeline truck in Silver Spring, Md., shortly before 6 a.m. Less than an hour later, police received multiple reports of suspects in a black Ridgeline truck who were attempting to break into other vehicles. That same morning, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers responded to a convenience store on the 3500 block of University Boulevard West, in Kensington, Md. Victims reported that three armed men had entered the store and robbed the cashier of currency and a cell phone. While a co-defendant robbed the register, Echavarria placed a customer in a chokehold. When the customer resisted, the co-defendant fired a round to intimidate the customer into complying with their demands.
On the way out, Echavarria stopped another customer, held a pistol to the customer’s right temple, then grabbed the customer’s car keys from his left pants pocket. The three armed men fled in the customer’s Lexus SUV.
That same morning, MCPD officers separately responded to an armed robbery of a mini market on the 4800 block of Boiling Brook Parkway, in Rockville, Md. Again, a co-defendant discharged his firearm to intimidate the cashier into complying with his demands. All three armed men fled the store in what appeared to be the same stolen Ridgeline used earlier.
At 7:25 a.m., an MCPD officer spotted the stolen Ridgeline and stolen Lexus SUV and pursued the vehicles southbound on 16th Street towards the District at speeds topping 100 m.p.h. The MCPD officer ultimately lost sight of both vehicles. That same morning, Echavarria and his co-defendants committed an armed robbery of someone waiting at a bus stop in the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, one block from the D.C./Maryland line. One of the armed men placed the victim in a chokehold. The other pistol-whipped the victim in the face. The two stole the victim’s wallet and fled.
Additional carjackings and violent robberies followed. Early on the morning of March 2, Echavarria and his co-conspirators drove a black Dodge Charger with stolen plates from Northeast Washington to Maryland. On the 6000 block of 64th Ave., Riverdale, the conspirators spotted a driver inside of a black Audi A6 sedan in a commercial parking lot and boxed the Audi in with the Charger. Two of the gunmen exited the Charger with firearms pointed at the driver. The driver handed over their keys and their wallet. The gunmen fled in the stolen Audi back towards the District.
Soon thereafter, Echavarria and his co-defendants entered a convenience store on the 11000 block of Georgia Ave., in Silver Spring, and robbed the counter clerk at gunpoint of $500 and lottery tickets.
Echavarria was arrested February 6, 2023, in Washington D.C.
The prosecution of Echavarria, along with his two codefendants, are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
The above efforts are 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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and ATF’s Washington Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.
Justice Department Announces Surge of Resources to Fight Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will surge additional law enforcement tools and resources to target those most responsible for violent crime and carjackings in Washington, D.C.
“Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime.”
“We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The surge of resources to these efforts will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and to take even more drivers of violence off our streets.”
The additional resources include a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC), which is led by the FBI with partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Using data analytics, GVAC will identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to combat violent crime and carjackings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has already charged hundreds of such cases in recent years, including a case announced this week against five alleged fentanyl traffickers, three of whom were charged with firearms violations in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The case was a result of a year-long multiagency investigation into narcotics distribution points in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C.
To increase the capacity to prosecute the additional investigations generated from GVAC and other efforts, the initiative will also detail federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to work violent crime cases in D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is moving additional prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases.
This announcement builds on similar prosecutorial and investigative resource surges throughout the country as part of the Department’s strategy to combat violent crime in targeted communities. In November 2023, the Justice Department announced a significant increase in prosecutorial resources in Memphis, Tennessee, and in September 2022, the Justice Department similarly announced additional prosecutors detailed to fight target gangs in Houston.
These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy announced by Attorney General Garland in May 2021, aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic. Since then, every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. In addition, the Department has also focused on strengthening its national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, as well as the National Public Safety Partnership, which makes Department tools and expertise available to more than 50 specific local law enforcement agencies.
All of these efforts are emblematic of the Department’s recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.
Former Federal Employees Sentenced for Conspiracy to Steal Proprietary U.S. Government Software and DatabasesRead the Press Release
Three former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees were sentenced today in the District of Columbia for a conspiracy to steal proprietary software and sensitive law-enforcement databases from the U.S. government for use in a commercial venture.
Charles K. Edwards, 63, of Sandy Spring, Maryland, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. In January 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States and theft of government property.
Sonal Patel, 49, of Sterling, Virginia, was sentenced to two years of probation. In April 2019, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property.
Murali Y. Venkata, 58, of Aldie, Virginia, was sentenced to four months in prison. In April 2022, a jury convicted Venkata of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States, theft of government property, wire fraud, and destruction of records.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edwards was the former Acting Inspector General of the DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). Patel and Venkata were employed in DHS-OIG’s information technology department. Edwards, Patel, and Venkata were all previously employed at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). Edwards, Patel, and Venkata conspired to steal proprietary U.S. software and databases containing sensitive law-enforcement information and the personally identifiable information (PII) of over 200,000 federal employees from DHS-OIG and USPS-OIG. They planned to use the stolen software and databases to create a commercial software product to be offered for sale to government agencies. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators disclosed the stolen software and databases containing PII to software developers located in India. After Venkata learned of the investigation, he deleted incriminating text messages and other communications in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
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, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of DHS-OIG, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Michael Ray of USPS-OIG made the announcement.
DHS-OIG and USPS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, with significant assistance from former PIN Senior Litigation Counsel Victor Salgado and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kent.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Aggravated Assault of a Senior CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexander Adams, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to two counts of aggravated assault of a senior citizen, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Adams was sentenced to 96 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. Adams pled guilty on December 4, 2023. He has been in custody since February 24, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, around 11:10 p.m. on February 23, 2022, two senior citizens, then 78-year-old victim #1 and then 79-year-old victim #2, were randomly approached by Adams outside of the Giant located in the 3700 block of Newark Street in Northwest D.C., who asked them for five dollars. When victim #1 gave the defendant one dollar, the defendant declared, “That is not enough!” and began attacking victim #1 and victim #2. Adams first struck victim #1 with his fist, causing victim #1 to fall and then began beating victim #2 with victim #1’s wooden cane about her head and body. His attack caused her to fall backward and hit her head on the concrete. District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel, who were nearby saw the attack and were able to act immediately and transport victim #2 to the hospital. As a result of the attack, victim #2 suffered numerous injuries including a concussion, a brain bleed, swelling on the brain, altered mental state and cognitive deficits. Victim #2 suffers from severe cognitive decline to this day and will likely never recover.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Simmons, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark and Paralegal Specialists Cynthia Muhammad, ReShawn Johnson, Tiffany Jones, and Richard Cheatham.
Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Stabbing Homicide in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Caldwell, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 12 years of incarceration today for the June 4, 2023, stabbing of a man on the sidewalk in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Caldwell pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed on August 14, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Caldwell to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 4, 2023, Caldwell was in the 4300 block of Halley Terrace SE, around 11:30 p.m. The victim, Damien Thompson, 44, and Caldwell got into a verbal dispute on the street. Mr. Thompson threw a bottle at Caldwell, and the two continued to argue. At one point, Mr. Thompson grabbed a plastic chair to throw at Caldwell, but before he could do so, Caldwell lunged at Mr. Thompson, and stabbed him in the face. Mr. Thompson fell to the ground unconscious. Caldwell then proceeded to stab Mr. Thompson eight more times in the chest as he laid helpless and defenseless on the ground. Mr. Thompson died from his injuries a short time later.
In announcing today’s 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 those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hall, who prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Minott and Victim Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez.
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Contempt for Violating Protective OrderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Kenner, 82, of Encino, California, pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor criminal contempt and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $5,000 fine in connection with his failure to abide by the terms of a protective order in case for which he was counsel of record.
Kenner was counsel of record for the defendant in United States v. Prakazrel Michel, Case No. 19-cr-148, a criminal case pending before the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. On March 3, 2023, the attorneys representing the Government in that matter filed a motion for order to show cause, asking the Court to bring contempt charges. The motion was referred to the Honorable Amit P. Mehta for consideration and granted following an investigation. Kenner pleaded guilty to one count of contempt before Judge Mehta after entering into a plea agreement with the United States.
According to Court documents, as counsel of record, Kenner was provided discovery materials by the United States subject to a Protective Order which the limited disclosure and use of the discovery material. The Order required that, “[b]efore first disclosing discovery material or its contents [to any individual] … the defendant or his attorneys of record must give to the individual… a copy of this Order, and maintain a copy signed and dated by the individual … until such time as all appeals in this matter (if any) are concluded.”
In late November 2022, the Defendant was introduced to two members of the news media from Bloomberg Media. In early December 2022, the Defendant agreed to share discovery materials with the two members of the news media and asked them to sign a copy of the Protective Order, which they did. Shortly thereafter, the members of the news media ripped Protective Order, in the presence of the Defendant, and expressed concerns with having signed it.
Contemporaneous with this conversation an individual acting with the Defendant’s authorization arranged for the members of the news media to be given access to the database procured by the defense team to hold the discovery materials. The Defendant did not take any proactive steps to prevent them from obtaining access or to withdraw his authorization.
On March 2, 2023, the members of the news media published multiple articles containing information derived from the discovery materials and reflecting the discovery materials’ content. The next day, the Defendant admitted to the Court in United States v. Prakazrel Michel, 19-cr-148, that information had been shared with the members of the news media, but did not disclose to the Court that the members of the news media had destroyed their copies of the Protective Order before being given access to the discovery materials, in contravention of the Protective Order’s requirements.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Hooks and Elizabeth Aloi of the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Unit.