District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
D.C. Man Charged with Killing Two BrothersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronzoni Allen Jackson Jr., 24, of the Washington, D.C. area, was arrested yesterday on charges of first degree murder while armed stemming from the shooting homicides of two brothers - 28-year-old Octavio and 35-year-old Osmine Quintano - just after midnight, on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, near The Pollo Company at 2314 4th Street NE,
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Defendant Jackson was arraigned on two counts of premeditated first degree murder while armed in D.C. Superior Court, Courtroom C-10, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The Honorable Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe found probable cause that the defendant committed the two murders and held him without bond pending his preliminary hearing on January 2, 2024 at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Epstein in Courtroom 233.
An arrest on a complaint 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.
In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Santiago for her efforts in prosecuting this case.
Georgetown Restauranteurs Sentenced to Prison for Tax Offenses and Theft of COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gholam “Tony” Kowkabi, 63, and Karen Kowkabi, 64, of Vienna, Va., were sentenced in federal court today to 57 months in prison and 24 months of probation, respectively, for tax offenses relating to their failure to pay more than $1.35 million of taxes arising from their operation of several restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area. Gholam Kowkabi was also sentenced for stealing more than $738,000 from the emergency small business relief funds his Georgetown restaurant—Ristorante Piccolo—received during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of his guilty plea, Mr. Kowkabi acknowledged having spent money intended to help his business on a waterfront condo in Ocean City, Md., as well as personal investments, vacations for his family, and college tuition for his adult children.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Gholam Kowkabi pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to wire fraud and tax evasion. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Gholam Kowkabi will be placed on three years of supervised release. Gholam Kowkabi must pay $1,351,038.51 in restitution to the IRS and $738,657.18 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. In addition, the judge ordered the forfeiture of the Ocean City condominium, interest in multiple joint ventures, and a money judgment in the amount of $738,657.18.
Karen Kowkabi pleaded guilty on Aug.14, 2023, in the U.S. District Court to five counts of willfully failing to pay taxes. She also was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton who ordered her to pay $1,351,038.51 in restitution to the IRS, owed jointly with Gholam Kowkabi.
The Tax Evasion Scheme
According to the statements of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Gholam Kowkabi and Karen Kowkabi, the Kowkabis have owned and operated Ristorante Piccolo in Georgetown since 1986. The Kowkabis also owned and operated restaurants Catch 15 and Tuscana West in Washington, D.C. From 1998 to 2018, the Kowkabis amassed an unpaid tax balance of $1,351,038.51, including federal income and employment taxes and Trust Fund Recovery Penalties. Gholam Kowkabi admitted to willfully attempting to evade payment of those taxes by concealing assets and obscuring the large sums of money he took from the businesses by, among other means, purchasing property in the name of a nominee entity and causing false entries in the businesses’ books and records to hide personal purchases using business bank accounts. Karen Kowkabi also admitted that she willfully failed to pay these taxes owed to the IRS.
The Scheme to Steal COVID-19 Relief Funds
Further, from May 13, 2020, to July 27, 2021, Gholam Kowkabi obtained more than $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds, including $474,000 from first draw and second draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for $499,900 and a Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) grant for $631,823.28.
First Draw PPP loans were to be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits, and could also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations. Second Draw PPP loans were to be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits. Second Draw PPP loan funds could also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations. EIDL loan proceeds could be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt. Restaurant Revitalization Funds could be used for specific expenses including business payroll costs (including sick leave), payments on any business mortgage obligation, business rent payments (not including prepayment), business debt service (not including prepayment), both principal and interest, business utility payments, business maintenance expenses, construction of outdoor seating, business supplies, business food and beverage expenses, covered supplier costs, business operating expenses.
In these applications and loan agreements, Gholam Kowkabi fraudulently and falsely promised that the PPP, EIDL, and RRF proceeds would be used solely for business-related and eligible purposes as specified in the applications. Instead, Gholam Kowkabi used a portion of the PPP funds, EIDL funds, and RRF funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of a waterfront condo in Ocean City, Md., for more than $500,000, two joint venture investments totaling more than $250,000 for the construction of homes in Great Falls, Va., and more than $78,500 to open Divan Restaurant in McLean, Va. Gholam Kowkabi further spent more than $11,000 of COVID-19 relief funds on his home mortgage, more than $14,000 on vacations, more than $62,000 on personal legal expenses, more than $20,000 on home improvements, and more than $5,500 on college tuition payments.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg, and Special Agent in Charge Carter commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI. They expressed thanks for the assistance provided by the SBA Office of Inspector General during the investigation of this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Goemaat of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.
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On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
District Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Robbing One Man and Attempting to Rob Another in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Diaz, 19, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for the April 2023 robbery and assault of two men behind a Northwest Washington restaurant, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Diaz was found guilty at trial on October 5, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of robbery, assault with intent to commit robbery, and two counts of felony threats. According to the government’s evidence at trial, on April 25, 2023, at approximately 8:00 a.m., a construction worker and a roofer arrived near the 1600 block of Lamont Street NW to begin remodeling and repair work on a local business. As the construction worker waited in the alley near Lamont Street, Diaz approached him, brandishing an ice pick. Diaz claimed to be a member of the 18th Street gang, demanded money, and threatened to kill the worker if he did not comply. That worker did not give Diaz any money, so Diaz turned his attention to the roofer, who had arrived in his truck minutes after the construction worker. Diaz again brandished the ice pick, demanded money, claimed membership in a gang, and threatened to kill the roofer. The roofer, who was scared for his life, went to his truck, pulled out $20, and gave it to Diaz; Diaz took the money and left.
The workers called police. MPD officers investigated, uncovered surveillance footage that showed Diaz wearing the distinctive haircut and outfit as described by the two victims and witness, and located Diaz within the hour. Diaz was identified and taken into custody, and has remained held since these offenses.
At the December 15, 2023, sentencing hearing, consistent with the Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, the government asked that the Court impose a total sentence of 96 months’ incarceration — 48 months’ incarceration for robbery and for assault with intent to commit robbery, to be run consecutively to each other, given that each crime of violence was committed against a different victim. The government also sought 24 months’ incarceration for each count of felony threats, to run concurrently with those sentences. The Honorable Michael Ryan sentenced the defendant to a total of 30 months’ incarceration — 30 months for robbery, 18 months for assault with intent to commit robbery, and 14 months for each count of felony threats, all to run concurrently, despite the Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines requirement that the Court impose consecutive sentences when there are multiple victims. The Court also ordered Diaz to serve three years’ supervised release following his sentence.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel White and Kraig Ahalt, Lead Paralegal Specialists Reather Prather and Tameka Garcia, and Victim/Witness Advocate Paola Molina.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Yarbro and William Lawrence, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Fentanyl Conspiracy and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyronn Waters, 32, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation in the metropolitan region, announced U.S. Attorney Graves; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Waters pleaded guilty on July 13, 2023, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the government’s evidence, law enforcement launched an investigation in August 2021 into a suspected drug trafficking ring that was running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in the District and Maryland. According to court documents, Waters admitted he played a part in the ring, and conspired to possess with intent to distribute various narcotics. Those narcotics included counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, produced using the ring’s three pill presses that pressed fentanyl mixes into what appeared to be genuine prescription pills. Waters admitted he purchased wholesale quantities of the counterfeit prescription pills and redistributed them for profit. Waters also admitted to possessing a firearm in connection with the offense.
On March 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment on the 1300 block of 4th St. SE, a stash house used by the conspiracy to house its pill pressing operation. During the search, law enforcement seized baggies of pills and loose powder, together amounting to more than 516 pills and more than 76 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
Waters also was sentenced in connection with a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Waters and his co-conspirators obtained stolen personal identifiable information (PII) from numerous unwitting victims and used this PII to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in victim names from Maryland, North Carolina, California, and elsewhere. Waters and his co-conspirators used the unemployment insurance benefits to obtain pre-loaded debit cards used to make purchases throughout the District and Maryland. At times they wore masks and wigs to make cash withdrawals from the accounts of victims at ATMs throughout the region. Waters admitted he is accountable for losses of more than $250,000 but less than $550,000,
U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Waters to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence and to forfeit $100,000.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Geist, Special Agent in Charge Springer, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Montgomery County Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg who investigated and prosecuted the case along with former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Rasalam and Marnee Rand.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Felony Second Degree Theft for Stealing from CVS after Multiple Prior Theft ConvictionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Calloway, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to sixteen months incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release for felony second degree theft by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 21, 2023, around 9:00 p.m., Jamal Calloway entered the CVS located at 2129 14th Street, NW, picked up store merchandise, and left the store without paying for the items. About an hour later, Calloway went back into that same CVS and was arrested while inside.
On September 20, 2023, a grand jury indicted Jamal Calloway on one count of felony second degree theft pursuant to DC Code § 22–3212(c); Calloway had multiple prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion, and was therefore subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year of incarceration.
On October 18, 2023, Calloway pleaded guilty to that offense. At sentencing on December 15, 2023, Judge Leibovitz heard a victim impact statement from a representative of CVS. The CVS representative explained that “Mr. Calloway’s theft has not only harmed the stores’ performance, but also created an atmosphere of insecurity and demotivation among the hardworking employees by affecting their morale and overall well-being.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustin Horner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Convicted of Assault, Threatening to Injure or Kidnap a Person, and Intimidating, Impeding, Interfering with and Retaliating Against a Government OfficialRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antoine Nicholson, 34, of Washington, D.C., was convicted at trial of intimidating, impeding, interfering with and retaliating against a government official, among other charges, for a firearm-related assault against a parking enforcement officer that took place in the U Street corridor on Aug. 12, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Nicholson was also found guilty of assault and threatening to injure or kidnap a person. The verdict was returned on Dec. 15, 2023, following a four-day jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 12, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Nicholson was illegally parked in a no-parking zone in the 2100 block of 10th Street N.W. His vehicle also had over $3,000 in unpaid parking tickets and had expired tags. The victim and his partner, both Department of Public Works parking enforcement officers, were patrolling the area. Due to the defendant’s parking violations, they began to impound the defendant’s vehicle, during which Nicholson approached the officers and cursed at them. In response, the victim explained to Nicholson why his car was being towed. Nicholson then went inside the driver’s side compartment of the vehicle, retrieved a handgun from the compartment, and threatened to “bust” the victim.
Nicholson fled the scene and was apprehended by police approximately a half-mile from the location of the offense. Nicholson is scheduled to be sentenced by D.C. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on March 8, 2024. For being convicted of Intimidating, impeding, interfering with and retaliating against a government official, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $12,500 fine. For being convicted of threatening to injure or kidnap a person, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Kraig Ahalt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Convicted by a Federal Jury of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roy Tatum, 47, of Washington, DC, was convicted by a federal jury of unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, both felony offenses. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 22, 2024.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the evidence presented to the jury, on October 27, 2021, at approximately 6:04 a.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department executed a D.C. Superior Court search warrant at 238 35th Street Northeast in Washington D.C. Officers banged loudly on the front door prior to making entry into the apartment. When there was no answer at the front door, officers forced entry. As they entered, they observed Tatum walk out of the bathroom, wearing only shorts and slippers. In that bathroom, officers found numerous packets of narcotics, including fentanyl on the floor and inside the toilet bowl and tank, which Tatum admitted at trial that he was trying to destroy to prevent recovery by police. Additional packets of Fentanyl were recovered from Tatum’s vehicle, which was parked outside the apartment. Moreover, during the search of the apartment, officers recovered from inside Tatum’s pant pocket a .45 caliber Glock magazine containing six rounds of ammunition.
Tatum was previously released from incarceration under the D.C. Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) after serving more than 25 years following previous first-degree murder convictions. Less than two years after he was released, MPD was executing a warrant in an unrelated homicide case and arrested Tatum for possession of firearms, ammunition, and drugs.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Ariel L. Dean.
Activist Pleads Guilty to Defacing a Degas Exhibit at the National Gallery of ArtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A New York woman pleaded guilty today to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit in the May 26, 2023, defacement of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen.
Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to the government’s evidence, Smith, along with other co-conspirators, traveled to Washington D.C., to smear red and black paint on the National Gallery of Art permanent exhibition of Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, a sculpture created by Degas in 1881. Smith and a co-conspirator previously had conducted research on the piece and specifically targeted it. Before entering the National Gallery, the duo recorded video statements explaining their intent. Smith and the co-conspirator passed through security undetected with paint secreted inside water bottles.
The duo approached the exhibit, removed the bottles from their bags, and began smearing paint on the case and base surrounding Little Dancer, Age Fourteen. Smith delivered statements telling onlookers why she was undertaking the action as paint dripped from the exhibit onto the surrounding floor.
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.
Judge Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for Apr. 3, 2024. The charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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.
Venezuelan Citizen Found Guilty of Three Separate Hostage-Takings of American Citizens in the Dominican RepublicRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 29, a Venezuelan national, was found guilty on December 11 in the District of Columbia for the 2022 hostage-takings of three U.S. Citizens in the Dominican Republic at knifepoint.
The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.
A jury in U.S. District Court convicted Delgado of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and three counts of hostage-taking. Chief U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Apr. 12, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Delgado, also known as “Sebastian,” kidnapped the men in separate instances between July 5 and July 30, 2022. In all three instances, Delgado lured his victim online with the promise of a friendly “date,” and picked the victim up in his car. After driving a short distance, Delgado stopped suddenly to let an accomplice into the backseat, at which point Delgado and his accomplice held the victim at knifepoint and demanded ransom for their release. Delgado demanded ransom from each of the three men and asked for it to be paid to various online banking accounts, including the same CashApp account.
All three victims were forced at knifepoint to call their friends and family and ask for money to secure their release. The victims were held in captivity by Delgado and his accomplices for extended periods of time and were only released after Delgado believed a ransom payment had been made by their friends and family. In all three hostage takings, the victims were also robbed of their personal belongings before being released on the streets of the Dominican Republic.
Following victim reports and a request from the FBI to act on the hostage takings, Dominican authorities began an investigation in August 2022. Local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic traced a vehicle used in one of the hostage takings to Delgado and arrested him on Sept. 10, 2022. During a search of the vehicle, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes, similar to those used in the hostage takings. On Oct. 4, 2022, Dominican authorities transferred Delgado to U.S. custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Korba and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder While Armed for the Deadly Shooting of a 19-Year OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Botchway, 20, of Gwynn Oak, MD, pleaded guilty, on December 13, 2023, to second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Andre Baker, of Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 8, 2024. Botchway faces a sentencing range of 16 to 20 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the night of August 5, 2023, Mr. Baker and two friends were hanging out in front of a bus stop in the 1200 block of U Street Northwest after enjoying a night out in the U Street neighborhood. At around 5:01 a.m., Botchway approached the group and without warning or any provocation, pointed the gun at Mr. Baker and shot him multiple times in the head and torso. Mr. Baker died a short time later. One of the bullets also grazed one of the victim’s friends. Botchway fled on foot until officers, who were on routine patrol and heard the gunshots, observed the defendant fleeing on foot. After a short foot chase, officers apprehended Botchway at the corner of 12th and T Streets, Northwest. A .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun with an extended magazine was found on the defendant at the time of his arrest. The murder was also captured on several surveillance cameras in the area.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke of the Homicide section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
85-Year Old D.C. Man Charged with Killing His 81-Year-Old WifeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Schwartz, 85, of Washington, D.C., was arrested earlier today on the charge of second-degree murder while armed in the stabbing death of his 81-year-old wife, Sharron Schwartz, on December 10, 2023, at their D.C. home, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Defendant Schwartz was arraigned today in D.C. Superior Court, via video appearance, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The Honorable Magistrate Judge Sherry Trafford found probable cause that the defendant committed the murder and held him without bond pending his preliminary hearing on January 2, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Demeo in Courtroom 303.
In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Assistant United States Attorney Nebiyu Feleke for his efforts in prosecuting this case.
An arrest on a complaint 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.
Indictment Charges Eight Men in an Interstate Fentanyl and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 19-count indictment charges eight men from the metropolitan Washington D.C. area with participating in an interstate fentanyl and cocaine conspiracy believed responsible for distributing multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics in the region.
The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, FBI Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Tremblay, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Charged are Samuel Braxton, 55, formerly of Washington, D.C., Ronnie Rogers, 68, of Washington D.C., Wayne Glymph, 57, of Port Tobacco, MD, Ricky Jackson, 65, of Washington, D.C., Kevin Quattlebaum, 57, of Upper Marlboro, MD, Michael Owens, 36, of St. Charles, MD, and Michael Stewart, 59, of Washington, D.C. As of November 29, 2023, seven of the eight defendants are in custody. The indictment alleges overlapping conspiracies to possess and distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. DEA chemists determined that a portion of the fentanyl powder contained carfentanil, an animal tranquilizer 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
“This group of defendants was allegedly supplying deadly fentanyl and carfentanil - a fentanyl analogue that is 100 times more potent than regular fentanyl - across multiple states in kilogram quantities,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “As I have said before, anyone selling this poison on our streets or funneling these drugs to our community will find themselves on the wrong end of a criminal investigation. With the dedicated legion of law enforcement partners, we will pursue those people regardless of where - in the United States or the world - they may be.”
“Fatal drug poisonings caused by deadly drugs like fentanyl are the most significant threats throughout the United States and in our area, in particular,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Forget. “These poisonings are driven by drug traffickers and local gangs involved in violent crimes. Thanks to the investigation by DEA and local, state, and federal partners, the indictments mentioned today led to dismantling a multi-state drug trafficking organization that was involved in distributing unprecedented amounts of fentanyl within and beyond the Nation's Capital.”
According to the indictment, the fentanyl distribution conspiracy and the cocaine distribution conspiracy ran from at least July 2021 and August 2022, respectively, until November 2023, when arrests were executed.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than eight kilograms of high potency fentanyl, some of which was at least 65% pure; more than 6,000 fake pills containing fentanyl produced to resemble OxyContin; and more than six kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement also seized eight firearms, of which at least one had armor-piercing capabilities nicknamed “the cop killer;” and more than $70,000 in cash and money orders, including money intercepted that was intended for the purchase of kilogram quantities of fentanyl.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in its collaboration with law enforcement partners, standing side by side to relentlessly pursue individuals infiltrating our communities with this deadly drug,” Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge – Washington Division. We remain committed in eradicating these illicit substances from the U.S. mail and consequently safeguarding our customers and employees.”
“The amount of Fentanyl on our streets is disturbing. It is constantly ripping apart families and loved ones and having a profound impact on our communities,” Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said. “Our detectives investigate each overdose case to get to the root of where illegal drugs are entering our community and work with our federal partners to hold people responsible accountable.”
CHARGES
DEFENDANT
AGE
ADDRESS
CHARGES
Samuel Braxton
55
FCI Fort Dix, NJ (formerly D.C. Metro)
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin
Ronnie Rogers (10 total charges)
68
Washington, D.C.
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin;
(2) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Cocaine, and a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base;
(10) (13) Unlawful Distribution of Forty Grams or More of Fentanyl (two charges);
(12) (16) (18) (19) Attempted Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl (four charges);
(15) Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl;
(17) Attempted Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin;
Wayne Glymph
57
Port Tobacco, MD
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin
Ricky Jackson
65
Washington, D.C.
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin
Kevin Quattlebaum
57
Upper Marlboro, MD
(2) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Cocaine, and a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base
Michael Owens
36
St. Charles, MD
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin;
(2) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Cocaine, and a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base
Michael Stewart (11 total charges)
59
Washington, D.C.
(1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of Fentanyl and One Hundred Grams or More of Heroin;
(2) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Cocaine, and a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base;
(3) (4) (6) (8) (9) Unlawful Distribution of a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl (five charges);
(5) Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Forty Grams or More of Fentanyl;
(7) (11) (14) Unlawful Distribution of Forty Grams or More of Fentanyl (three charges)
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Washington Field Division, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Interdiction Unit, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police, Virginia State Police, Loudoun County Sherriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos, William Hart, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel, all of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Woman Indicted for Defrauding the D.C. Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Bridgette White-Chase, 61, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned today on a 20-count indictment with felony fraud and first-degree theft related to claims submitted to the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on December 6, 2023. According to court documents, White-Chase operated Chase Counseling and Consulting Services LLC, and was licensed by D.C. Department of Health to provide professional counseling services. Between September 2020 and continuing through January 2023, White-Chase submitted claims to the D.C. Medicaid program for psychiatric services allegedly provided to District Medicaid beneficiaries. The indictment alleges that through these schemes, White-Chase caused the D.C. Medicaid program to pay over $263,000 for services she did not render and overpayment for services she did allegedly provide.
White-Chase was arrested and arraigned today, and subsequently released pending trial. She is scheduled to appear before the Honorable Erik P. Christian on January 9, 2024.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas acknowledged the work of those who are investigating and prosecuting the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). They commended the efforts of Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the D.C. OIG MFCU, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Sentenced to 60 Month Prison Term for Burglary and Sexual Assaults Committed in Northwest and Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darren West, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for burglarizing a home in Northwest Washington, D.C., and for sexually assaulting two women in Northwest and Southeast Washington, D.C. respectively, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
West pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count of second degree burglary and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on December 11, 2023 by the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
According to the Government’s evidence, on June 11, 2023, West entered the victims’ home through an unlocked rear door and cornered one of the victims in her bedroom. When the victim called out to her roommate for help, the victim’s roommate confronted West with pepper spray and told West to leave the home. The defendant returned to the rear of the victims’ home and stole an iPhone before fleeing from the residence.
In a separate incident on March 9, 2023, West approached the victim at her workplace and propositioned the victim for oral sex. When the victim declined, West grabbed the victim’s buttocks. In another incident on June 8, 2023, West approached the victim, asked the victim how she was doing, and then grabbed her buttocks. When the victim pushed the defendant away from her, He threatened the victim with physical harm.
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.
The Case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Helfand of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Dunlap of the Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
District Man Pleads Guilty in a Spree of Six Armed Robberies Targeting Small Businesses in the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District man pleaded guilty today to a string of armed robberies occurring in early 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Michael Daniels, 36, of Washington D.C., pleaded to interference with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as a Hobbs Act robbery).
Beginning in late January 2022, an armed robber held up a half-dozen small commercial establishments in the District of Columbia. At a dry cleaner on Capitol Hill on Jan. 28, 2022, a man wearing a distinctive sweatshirt with an image of the Pink Panther and Inspector Clouseau approached the cash register with a dollar bill and asked for change. The cashier opened the register. The man pulled out a weapon, demanded “all the money,” and then ordered the cashier to lie down on the floor and count down from 100.
Five similar robberies followed. On Jan. 30, 2022, a man entered a liquor store shortly before 2:30 p.m. on the 1900 block of 9th St., NW. He asked for a bottle of cognac and a pack of rolling papers. Then he pulled out a black handgun. On Jan. 31, 2022, at a mobile phone store on the 1700 block of Columbia Rd., NW, a man wearing a mask asked an employee for change for a dollar. Flashing a black handgun, he demanded money from the register. He fled after ordering the employee to lie down on the floor and count down from 100. On the way out he dropped a mask. The ATF determined that the DNA recovered from the mask originated from Michael Daniels.
On Feb. 7, 2022, a man wearing a mask walked into a mobile phone store on the 3100 block of Mt. Pleasant St. NW. He lingered for a few minutes, asked about various items for sale, and inquired about a job. He next handed a dollar bill the cashier and asked for change. When the cashier opened the register, the man flashed a handgun and began counting down from five. The cashier handed over cash. The man fled. The cashier noted that the robber had tattoos of numbers near his eyes that were visible despite the suspect’s mask. Michael Daniels has tattoos of numbers near his eyes.
On Feb. 10, 2022, a man walked into a vape shop on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE. He asked for a pack of rolling papers, flashed a handgun, and demanded money from the cashier. On Feb. 13, a man wearing a black mask entered a mobile phone store on the 3700 block of Georgia Ave, NW. He requested change for a $10 bill, asked about a job, then brandished a gun and demanded money. He fled with cash and a cell phone.
Daniels was arrested on Apr. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Apr. 5, 2024. Daniels faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Ranjan Mohanty and Madhu Chugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Candace Battle and Kim Hall provided valuable assistance.
District Man Found Guilty After Trial on Enhanced Simple Assault for October 6, 2020 Assault at Fort Totten Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Brown, 39, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of bias enhanced simple assault stemming from the October 6, 2020, attack at the Fort Totten Metro Station, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Brown is to be sentenced on December 13, 2023, at a hearing before Superior Court Judge Jason Park. Brown faces a maximum of 270 days in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on October 6, 2020, Brown approached the victim, who was with his husband and twelve-year-old nephew, on the Fort Totten Metro Station. Brown, never having met the victim before, inquired if the victim was homosexual and followed the victim and his family for several minutes while making homophobic slurs. Brown accused the victim of being a pedophile and having sex with his twelve-year-old nephew before asking the victim’s nephew if “these gays were hurting him.” Brown called the victim and his husband fa****s multiple times before striking the victim about the face with a closed fist three times. The defendant then fled on a southbound red-line metro towards Brookland Station where he was apprehended by Metro Transit Police.
Brown was convicted by a jury after a four-day trial. Brown is subject to enhanced penalties based on the bias related nature of the assault.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department (MTPD).
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dal Lago, Luke Albi, Samuel Ison.
UPDATE: On December 13, 2023, Judge Park sentenced Brown to 270 days in prison after remarking that the government's evidence was overwhelming.
Separate Indictments Charge Multiple Defendants in Armed Carjacking ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 19-count indictment filed in Superior Court in the District of Columbia and a 33-count superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court charge a total of 10 people as members of separate alleged carjacking rings that held victims, in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, at gunpoint, stole their vehicles and then sold them. The defendants are believed responsible for at least a dozen incidents involving carjacking or attempted carjacking in the District and parts of Maryland.
The charges and arrests were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to documents filed in Superior Court, seven defendants, five of whom were juveniles at the time of the alleged crimes, conspired to steal cars at gunpoint and sell some of the stolen vehicles.
Cedae Hardy, the lead defendant in the federal indictment, who was indicted in August 2023 on 18 counts, is charged in 11 additional counts, including an attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury for allegedly shooting a rideshare driver multiple times. The superseding indictment also adds two defendants.
“Carjackings are among the most violent crimes we prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The overwhelming majority arrested for carjacking are juveniles and many of the adults are themselves teenagers. To the teenagers fueling these crimes, know that there is no such thing as a “free ride.” Masks will not protect you. We will track you down and aggressively pursue the charges that fit the crime in our continuing effort to make the community safe - including charging juveniles as adults where appropriate - and bringing federal charges.”
“The number of armed carjackings Cedae Hardy and his co-conspirators are alleged to have committed is truly astonishing,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s indictment illustrates the ruthlessness with which these carjackers selected vulnerable targets of opportunity as their victims, including a dentist on her way to work; a mother buckling her young children into her vehicle in front of an elementary school; an elderly couple pulling into the driveway of their home; and a rideshare driver who was allegedly shot by Hardy. The FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department, and our other law enforcement partners who jointly investigated these crimes will continue to use all of our authorities to bring these and other carjackers to justice so they can no longer terrorize our communities.”
“These cases are an example of what we can accomplish through hard work by our detectives, community cooperation, and by bringing together our local, regional, and federal law enforcement partners,” said Chief Pamela A. Smith.
U.S. v Jordan, et al
View the press release for the Superior Court Indictment: Jordan et alJaelen Jordan, 18, and Warren Montgomery, 19, both of Washington, D.C., along with Byron Gillum, also known as Bryon Gillum, 18, Isaiah Flowers, 18, Jahkai Goff, 19, Taj Giles, 18, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 18, all of Prince George’s County, MD, are charged in a 19-count indictment arising from a conspiracy to commit armed carjackings in an around the District of Columbia between February and May 2023.
The conspiracy charges 90 overt acts, including multiple armed carjackings and robberies in the Maryland and Washington DC areas. Jordan, Montgomery, Gillum, Flowers, Goff, Giles, and Ellis-Bey were also charged with the armed carjackings committed in the District, and trafficking stolen property. Jordan was arrested on May 17, 2023, following an investigation. Montgomery and Gillum were arrested on warrants on October 10, 2023, and Goff, Giles, and Ellis-Bey were arrested on December 7, 2023. All defendants have been detained since their arrest. The seventh defendant, Isaiah Flowers, is detained in Prince George’s County on separate charges.
The defendants will be arraigned on December 14, 2023, before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily R. Kubo and Gregory J. Evans.
U.S. v Cedae Hardy, et al
View the press release for the District Court Indictment: Hardy et alThe superseding indictment charges two additional defendants - Landrell Jordan III and Malik Norman, both 19 of Washington, D.C. – for conspiring with Hardy and for their role in multiple carjackings in May and June 2023. The initial 18-count indictment charged Cedae Hardy, also 19, of Washington, D.C., in six separate carjackings throughout Washington, D.C., and Maryland, between April and June of 2023. The 33-count superseding indictment adds charges against Hardy in connection with five more carjackings between January and May of 2023, including an attempted carjacking in which he allegedly shot the victim multiple times. All of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking. Hardy is charged in 29 of the 33 counts, including four counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and three counts of sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle. Norman is charged in 13 counts, including four counts of carjacking, four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, and two counts of sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle. Jordan is charged in five counts, including two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Hardy drove the carjacked vehicles to a garage adjoining an apartment complex located at 1326 Florida Avenue Northeast, Washington, D.C. (the “Florida Avenue Garage”). A co-conspirator would contact potential buyers, who in these instances were undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The co-conspirator would arrange a time to meet the undercover officers at a predetermined location - usually the Florida Avenue Garage – and complete the sale of the carjacked vehicles. The co-conspirators and Hardy would then split the proceeds. For example, on April 8, 2023, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in a victim’s stolen Mercedes. Co‑Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 opened the door to the Florida Avenue Garage for Hardy. The victim’s Mercedes was sold on April 10, 2023, by Co-Conspirator 1 to MPD undercover officers for $1,200.
It is further alleged that in May and June 2023, Norman contacted Hardy on multiple occasions to request that he obtain vehicles. In response to these requests, Hardy committed armed carjackings and transferred the carjacked vehicles to Norman in exchange for money. Landrell Jordan is charged for his direct participation, alongside Hardy, in two such armed carjackings committed in May 2023; following both offenses, the carjacked vehicle was then transferred to Norman.
It is also alleged that on June 13, 2023, Norman sent a text message to Hardy requesting two vehicles. A day later, Hardy carjacked a woman in Southeast Washington as she was putting her children into her car, picked up Norman in the carjacked vehicle and, after driving at a high rate of speed, crashed into another motorist.
All of the defendants are in custody. Following the execution of search warrants, law enforcement recovered multiple guns and proceeds from carjacking victims.
In federal court, the statutory maximum sentence for carjacking is 15 years in prison, or up to 25 years in prison if serious bodily injury occurs; the mandatory minimum sentence for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is seven years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The sentence imposed will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County, Hyattsville, and Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Paul V. Courtney, and Jared English, of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the District Court Superseding Indictment
View the Superior Court IndictmentDistrict Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Repeated Acts of Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Johnson, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 years in prison on multiple counts of first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, multiple counts of first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, second degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, attempted first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and assault. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the sentence. Johnson was convicted in July 2023 after a five-day trial in Superior Court in the District of Columbia.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on multiple occasions between November 2019 and September 2021, Johnson sexually abused a child who was nine- and 10-years-old at the time of the assaults. Johnson subjected the child to sexual acts and repeatedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him. Johnson, who was an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, resided in the home with the victim and took advantage of occasions when he was left in a position of supervision and care over her.
The Honorable Michael O’Keefe sentenced Johnson to a total of 384 months across multiple counts, to be followed by a period of supervised release. Upon his release, Johnson will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Kathleen Houck, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Notice to Victims in United States v. Charles Edwards, Sonal Patel, and Murali VenkataRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Edwards and Murali Venkata are charged in United States District Court for the District of Columbia case number 20-cr-66 and Sonal Patel is charged in case number 19-cr-81. Charles Edwards, Sonal Patel, and Murali Venkata, who were then employed at the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, engaged in an unlawful scheme to convert government property for private gain between October 2014 and April 2017. They stole valuable code and databases belonging to the government. Their plan was to use the stolen property to develop a commercial software product, which they intended to sell back to the government at a profit. They hired a software development company in India to build the purported commercial product. To facilitate the Indian developers’ work, they gave the developers access to vast amounts of sensitive information contained within the stolen databases, including law-enforcement records, information regarding witnesses and confidential informants, and the Personally Identifying Information (“PII”) of hundreds of thousands of government employees. Upon learning that he was under investigation, Venkata deleted incriminating text messages, call records, and emails in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
Sonal Patel and Charles Edwards both pled guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government. On April 4, 2019, Sonal Patel pled guilty pre-indictment to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. On March 5, 2020, a grand jury returned Indictment charging defendants Charles Edwards and Murali Venkata with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (count one); theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2 (count two); wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 & 2 (counts three through eleven); and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A & 2 (counts twelve through fifteen). The Indictment also charged Venkata with destruction of records, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519 (count sixteen). On January 14, 2022, Charles Edwards pled guilty to count one and count two. Murali Venkata decided to go to trial, which began on March 28, 2022. On April 11, 2022, the jury returned a verdict finding Venkata guilty of all counts on which they deliberated: Counts one, two, eleven, thirteen, and sixteen. The Court subsequently dismissed counts twelve through fifteen.
Sentencing dates have now been scheduled for all three defendants. The sentencing for Murali Venkata is currently scheduled for January 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The sentencing for Charles Edwards is currently scheduled for January 12, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EST. The sentencing for Sonal Patel is currently scheduled for January 26, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EST. All of the sentencings will be held before Judge Randolph D. Moss in Courtroom 8 of the U.S. District Courthouse. The courthouse address is 333 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20001.
If you believe you were a victim of Edwards, Patel, and Venkata’s unauthorized disclosure of PII, please find more information here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/us-v-edwardspatelvenkata.
16-year-old Virginian charged as an Adult for October 21, 2023, murder of 24-year-old D.C. ResidentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ashton Inabinet, 16, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested yesterday on Second Degree Murder While Armed charges stemming from the homicide of 24-year-old Diamonte Lewis on October 21, 2023, in front of Nellies Bar at 9th and U Streets NW, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Inabinet, who was a student at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia, was arraigned on a charge of second degree murder while armed in D.C. Superior Court, Courtroom C-10, earlier today, where he entered a plea of not guilty. Judge Nolan found probable cause that the defendant committed the murder and held him without bond pending a preliminary hearing on December 13, 2023 before Judge Robert Okun.
An arrest on a complaint 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.
In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Assistant United States Attorney Erin DeRiso for her efforts in prosecuting this case.
New York City Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison in a Family-Run $4 Million Extortion ScamRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corry Blue Evans, 31, of New York, N.Y. was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for his role in an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which involved one of his brothers pretending to be a New York mobster to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer. Evans is the fifth defendant to be sentenced in the case.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Evans pleaded guilty in January 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Evans to serve three years of supervised release. Consistent with his plea agreement, Evans also must pay $4,217,542.86 in restitution and $772,500 in a forfeiture money judgment.
In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Evans and his older brothers Tony John Evans and Robert Evans, their parents Archie Kaslov and Candy Evans, and Robert Evans’ common-law ex-wife, Gina Rita Russell, on various charges.
According to the government’s evidence, a New York woman conspired with the Evans brothers, Kaslov, and Russell to extort money and gold bars from a Maryland man. The scheme caused the Maryland man to embezzle funds from his employer between January and March 2017. The Maryland man converted embezzled funds to cash and gold bars which he delivered to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters to whom the New York woman owed money. At one point during the scheme, Tony John Evans spoke to the man on the phone and threatened him by asking if he needed to remind the man where his kids went to school and where the man lived.
In reality, all of the funds the man embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Evans-Kaslov family. Among other things, in January 2017, Corry Evans helped facilitate the cashing of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cashier’s checks obtained with stolen funds. He admitted that he called a check cashing store employee multiple times for the purpose of convincing him that the New York woman, who was attempting to cash the checks, wanted money for her own purposes even though Corry Evans knew that was false and that he and his family members would ultimately take the cash. Indeed, after the New York woman successfully cashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks at the check cashing store, she provided all of the money to the Evans brothers. Archie Kaslov then drove the brothers to the New York diamond district where Kaslov and others used criminal proceeds to purchase luxury watches.
In late January 2017, the Maryland man traveled to New York to deliver approximately $500,000 in cash. In conjunction with that delivery, members of the Evans/Kaslov family briefly followed the Maryland man’s vehicle and took a photo of it, which was then shared with the Maryland man to terrify him into believing he was being actively surveilled by the mafia. After the Maryland man delivered the $500,000 in cash to a hotel room, some of the money ended up being transported to Corry Evans’ residence.
Towards the end of March 2017, the Maryland man delivered well over $1 million in gold bars to a hotel room in New York. Corry Evans, his brothers, and father all discussed the need to sell the gold. Corry Evans subsequently went to a jewelry store in New York with a sample of the gold, trying to sell it. Later, his brothers, father, and he all sold gold to that jeweler.
In May 2017, Corry Evans and his father traveled to Texas, where Kaslov used proceeds from the crime to pay $315,000 in cash for a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead.
Corry Evans is the latest Evans/Kaslov family member to be sentenced. Gina Russell, Tony John Evans, and Robert Evans all pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, who presided over this case before it was transferred to Judge Chutkan, sentenced Tony John Evans, 35, and Robert Evans, 36, to five years in prison. Russell, 35, has not yet been sentenced.
Archie Kaslov, 57, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Sullivan sentenced him to 30 months in prison.
Candy Evans, 54, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct. Judge Sullivan sentenced her to one year and a day in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Arvind Lal and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jordan Jones, 23, of Silver Spring, Maryland,, pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to voluntary manslaughter while armed for the fatal shooting of Noel Nicol on October 11, 2021 in the 2000 block of Savannah Place Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The plea was entered before Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe who scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2024.
According to court documents, Jones arranged to meet Nicol on October 11, 2021, the day after he purchased a 9mm handgun (the same caliber as murder weapon). Detectives obtained surveillance video footage from the date and time when Mr. Nicol was last seen by family and friends until October 14, 2021, when his body was found by the police in the driver’s seat of his car which was parked on Savannah Place. Jones admitted to the police in his post-arrest interview that he was in the car during the shooting. The medical examiner’s findings and the physical evidence recovered by the police were consistent with the shots being fired from the passenger side of the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division / Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.
District Man Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Hakeem Remy, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 64 months in prison term on Nov. 30, 2023, for unlawfully possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Remy to serve three years of supervised release.
On Mar. 6, 2023, Remy escaped from a halfway house while serving a sentence for gun possession and drug distribution convictions. There was a warrant out for his arrest. Remy previously had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term exceeding one year in Superior Court the District of Columbia.
On Apr. 24, 2023, MPD officers were patrolling the 1900 block of 19th Place, SE. Remy spotted the police and fled on foot, eventually throwing a firearm into the woods before being arrested. Police recovered a Glock 9mm semi-automatic gun that was armed with one round in the chamber and 17 bullets in a high-capacity magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen in 2021 out of Fairfax Co., Va.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and MPD.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault of a Senior CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexander Adams, 35, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty December 4, 2023, to aggravated assault of a senior citizen, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2024, before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 23, 2022, around 11:10 p.m., the defendant randomly approached then 78-year-old John Hopkins and then 79-year-old Claudia Hopkins outside of the Giant located at 3700 Newark Street NW, Washington, D.C., and asked them for five dollars. When Mr. Hopkins gave the defendant one dollar, the defendant declared, “That is not enough!” and began attacking Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins. Defendant first struck Mr. Hopkins with his fist, causing Mr. Hopkins to fall. Then, the defendant took Mr. Hopkins’ wooden cane and began beating Mrs. Hopkins with it about her head and body, causing her to fall backward and hit her head on the concrete. Fortunately, two District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel were sitting at a red light near the Giant and saw the attack. They immediately took action and transported Mrs. Hopkins to the hospital. Metropolitan Police Department officers apprehended Adams around the corner from the Giant.
As a result of the attack, Mrs. Hopkins suffered numerous injuries including a concussion, a brain bleed, swelling on the brain, altered mental state and cognitive deficits. In fact, to this day, Mrs. Hopkins suffers from severe cognitive decline and will likely never recover.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakinah Douglas with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Simmons.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years for Scheme that Bilked Benevolent Donors of Charitable ContributionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Trankle, 55, previously of Churchton, Maryland, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and five additional counts of bank fraud. The charges all stemmed from a scheme in which Trankle created fake charities, solicited donations, and then stole the identities of the donors he tricked into giving funds. Many of the victims were older adults.
The sentence, in posted on December 1, 2023, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector-in-Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered five years of supervised release, restitution of $204,561, and forfeiture of $135,327.
Trankle was found guilty on May 15, 2023, following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to evidence presented in court, from 2013 to 2018 Trankle and his co-defendant, Stephen Sibert, created fake charities, registered those entities with the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), and then presented them as legitimate charities. Among the examples included the bogus “Disabled and Paralyzed Veterans Fund,” the “National Breast Cancer Awareness Fund,” and the “Children’s Leukemia of America Fund.”
Trankle used a post office box address in Washington, D.C., as the official mailing address for the fake charities. He opened numerous bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent charities. And he sent solicitations via U.S. mail to thousands of potential donors—his targeted victims—nationwide, asking the recipients to send personal checks as donations. Through the scheme, Trankle obtained over 1,600 personal checks from victims who thought they were making charitable gifts. Trankle then deposited those checks into bank accounts that he and Sibert controlled. The government’s analysis of those accounts showed that the conspirators obtained more than $45,000 from their victims who falsely believed that they were giving money to legitimate organizations.
In addition, using the bank account and routing information from the victims’ checks, the conspirators printed additional unauthorized counterfeit checks payable to their fraudulent charities that were then drawn against the victims’ personal checking accounts. The conspirators deposited those unauthorized counterfeit checks into the bank accounts they controlled, and then later withdrew the money and spent the funds on personal expenses. In total, Trankle and Sibert deposited more than 700 counterfeit checks with a total value of more than $150,000.
The fraudulent charities did not perform any of the charitable work described in their solicitations, nor did the fraudulent charities provide any significant funds to other charities that did so. Trankle concealed his scheme under the guise of operating a church from his office in Maryland.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Borchert and Brian Kelly, and Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres Trujillo.
District Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Shooting Two Men in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Avon Burke, 52, of Washington D.C., was sentenced on December 1, 2023 to a 90 month prison term for shooting two men in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Burke pleaded guilty in August 2023 to two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.
According to the Government’s evidence, Burke was present in the alleyway in the rear of 1355 New York Avenue NE, when a fight broke out between a group of men. Burke was not physically involved in this fight. While this group of men were fighting, Burke walked towards the group of men, raised both arms and extended them forward while holding a silver in color revolver, and fired two rounds in the direction of the two victims. One victim was struck in the chest and the other victim was struck in the leg. The Defendant then left the alleyway.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Helfand of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
District Man Sentenced to 36-Month Prison Term for BurglaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathan Robinson-Gripper, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 36-month prison term for burglarizing a home near Observatory Circle, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Robinson-Gripper pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of second-degree burglary in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and, today, the Honorable Jason Park sentenced Robinson-Gripper to 36 months in prison. Following his prison term, Robinson-Gripper will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 19, 2022, Robinson-Gripper was canvassing the Observatory Circle neighborhood on behalf of a non-profit organization. He broke into one of the homes he visited while the homeowner slept inside. Robinson-Gripper stole some money and left the house. His actions were recorded by the home’s surveillance system and the nonprofit organization cooperated with MPD’s investigation, providing evidence that led to Robinson-Gripper’s arrest.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. Valdivia.
District Man Sentenced to Sixteen Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking at Gas StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andrew Patrick, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years of incarceration for the September 2022 armed carjacking at a southeast gas station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Patrick was found guilty at trial on September 27, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of armed carjacking, and related firearm offenses. According to that evidence, on September 22, 2022, the victim had driven her 2005 Chevy Suburban to the Good Hope Road gas station in Washington, DC when the defendant approached her and demanded her car keys at gunpoint. The victim begged Patrick not to hurt her. In response, Patrick pushed the victim into her vehicle, grabbed her keys, and drove off in her car. The victim called 911 and immediately reported the crime. Police apprehended Patrick in the victim’s car later that day, after a license plate reader detected the victim’s tags when he drove it through Northeast DC. Police officers also found a black and grey Glock 37 inside the vehicle.
At the sentencing hearing, the victim gave a powerful and moving statement to the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz in which she explained how the defendant’s crimes had impacted her life, hurt her deep “in her soul,” and made her fear for her life. The victim specifically thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Evans and Omeed A. Assefi and Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth for their hard work and continued support throughout the investigation and trial process.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Leibovitz sentenced the defendant to 16 years’ incarceration for the armed carjacking offense, which carries a 15-year mandatory-minimum sentence. Patrick was also sentenced to five years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, three years for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fourteen months for carrying a pistol without a license, one year for possession of an unregistered firearm, and one year for unlawful possession of ammunition. The judge also ordered that defendant serve five years of supervised release after he completes his sentence.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah N. Simmons, Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather, Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Evans and Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated, prosecuted, and tried the case.
D.C. Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Carrying Out Conspiracy to Impersonate Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arian Taherzadeh was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for pretending to be a federal law enforcement officer to curry favor with members of the U.S. Secret Service, and to lease several luxury apartments for which he then failed to pay rent.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Inspector General Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
On Aug. 1, 2022, Taherzadeh, 41, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy, a federal offense, and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism, both District of Columbia offenses, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered 36 months of supervised release and restitution of $706,218.
According to court documents, Taherzadeh and a co-conspirator, Haider Ali, 36, of Springfield, Va., operated a business called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington, D.C. The two men represented themselves to law enforcement as investigators and/or special agents and claimed that their unit was part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The company was not associated in any way with the U.S. government or the District of Columbia and had never done business with the federal or D.C. governments.
As the scheme unfolded, Taherzadeh falsely claimed at various times to be, among other things, a Special Agent with the DHS, a member of a multi-jurisdictional federal task force, a former U.S. Air Marshal, and a former U.S. Army Ranger. He used these false claims to recruit others to USSP, under the guise that it was part of a covert federal law enforcement task force, to defraud owners of three apartment complexes into providing him with multiple apartments and parking spaces for his supposed law enforcement operations, and to ingratiate himself with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community. Both Taherzadeh and Ali used these false claims to recruit others to join their “task force” or “unit,” which these individuals believed to be part of DHS and federal law enforcement.
In furtherance of the scheme, Taherzadeh and Ali ingratiated themselves with employees of the U.S. Secret Service because it provided them with cover and aided in their scheme. Beginning as early as the spring of 2020, Taherzadeh began falsely identifying himself as a Special Agent to employees of the United States Secret Service. In one instance, he falsely claimed to two Secret Service employees that he was in a gang unit. He told another that he was part of a covert task force. Taherzadeh also provided these Secret Service employees with tangible and intangible gifts. For instance, Taherzadeh provided one employee and his wife with a generator and a doomsday/survival backpack. He provided another employee with a rent-free penthouse apartment for approximately one year, worth approximately $40,200. He provided a third employee with a rent-free apartment for approximately one year, worth an estimated $48,240, as well as a drone, a gun locker, and a Pelican case.
Taherzadeh and others used assumed law enforcement personas and the business to maintain leases for multiple apartments and parking spaces for supposed law enforcement operation at three luxury apartment complexes in the District of Columbia. At one luxury apartment complex in Southeast D.C., Taherzadeh and Ali maintained several units including a penthouse where Taherzadeh and Ali possessed, among other things, a Glock handgun registered to Ali that was loaded with a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, surveillance equipment, law enforcement tactical gear and a machine capable of programming Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards used to create false credentials. Within his own apartment, Taherzadeh possessed a Sig Sauer P229 handgun with five, fully loaded large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, containing 61 rounds of ammunition. They also used their false identification with law enforcement to obtain security footage in the building as well as a list of the building’s residents as well as their apartment numbers and contact information.
Throughout their tenancies at the three luxury apartment complexes, no rent was paid on the leased apartments or parking garage spaces. This resulted in a loss to the buildings of $698,363 and to the garage of $7,854.
Finally, Taherzadeh installed surveillance cameras outside and inside his apartment in one of the complexes. Among other places, he installed, maintained, and utilized cameras in his bedroom. He used these cameras to record women engaged in sexual activity. Taherzadeh then showed these explicit videos to third parties.
Taherzadeh and Ali, were arrested on Apr. 6, 2022. Ali pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2022, to a conspiracy and bank fraud, both federal offenses, and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, a District of Columbia Offense. On Aug. 8, 2023, Ali was sentenced to 68 months of incarceration followed by 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua S. Rothstein of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice and Paralegal Specialists Quiana Dunn-Gordon, and Lisa Abbe and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Kathleen Campbell and Evan Turgeon of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
President of Auto Parts Distributor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner, president, and chief executive officer of an automotive parts distributor pleaded guilty today in Washington, D.C., to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act.
Aaron Rudolf, 36, of Burlington, North Carolina, pleaded guilty, November 29, 2023, and agreed to pay a fine of $600,000 for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with a monitoring device on diesel trucks. According to court documents, Rudolf founded Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. in 2009. Rudy’s is a distributor and seller of aftermarket automotive and truck parts.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance made the announcement.
According to court documents, Rudolf and others agreed to have Rudy’s employees disable or remove emissions control components and tamper with on-board diagnostic systems (OBDs) on approximately 300 diesel trucks between 2015 and 2017. As part of the process, Rudy’s sold, and its employees installed, “defeat devices” known as “tuners.” The tuners plugged into the vehicle’s OBD port to reprogram the electronic control unit and tamper with the OBDs, impairing its ability to monitor the operation of the vehicle’s emission control system. Rudolf and certain Rudy’s employees knew that using the tuners in this manner would tamper with the OBDs on vehicles that were not used exclusively for competition purposes. The removal of emission control components resulted in additional diesel exhaust emissions, which include multiple hazardous compounds that negatively impact human health and the environment.
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for on April 12, 2024.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case.
Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to 42-Month Prison Term for BurglaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Hawkins, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 42-month prison term for burglarizing a home located in the 400 block of Florida Avenue, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hawkins pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count of second-degree burglary in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Erik Christian. Following his prison term, Hawkins will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Hawkins broke into the Florida Avenue residence around midnight on June 15, 2023. He stole several items from the home, including Sony over-ear headphones, a debit card, and a computer backpack. He used the debit card in a nearby convenience store then returned to the same residence, entered a bedroom where a resident was sleeping, and fled from the home only after the victim woke up and shouted at Hawkins. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department used footage from the convenience store to identify the suspect, and a patrol officer spotted Hawkins two days later wearing the stolen backpack.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. Valdivia.
D.C. Man Sentenced to 30-Year Prison Term for the Brutal Slaying of a Local Married CoupleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alonzo Lewis, 38, of Washington, D.C. has been sentenced to a 30-year prison term for two counts of second-degree murder while armed stemming from the brutal shooting of a local married couple, Venius Badgett – a school bus aide and Jaquan Helm – a youth football coach, which took place over Memorial Day weekend in 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lewis pleaded guilty in October 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s, approval calls for an agreed upon 30-year prison term. Today, the Honorable Rainey Brandt approved the agreement and sentenced Lewis accordingly. Following his prison term, Lewis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at approximately 10:10 p.m., Ms. Badgett and her husband, Mr. Helm, encountered Lewis’s young son riding his bike in a dark parking lot. Fearful that the child might get hit, Ms. Badgett told Lewis’s son not to ride his bike in the parking lot at night. Lewis’s son then told his mother, Lewis’s wife, about the incident, and Lewis’s wife engaged Ms. Badgett in a physical altercation. Mr. Helm was able to break up the altercation, and as he and Ms. Badgett returned home on foot, Lewis’s son called Lewis to the scene. Lewis arrived on scene and fatally shot the couple in front of a number of children who were outside playing over the holiday weekend. The couple leaves behind a number of children, some of whom were on scene that day and who witnessed the murders.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Emma McArthur.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Second Degree Murder While Armed in 2020 Shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darquise Montgomery, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for the September 2020 shooting death of Anthony Lee, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He was sentenced by the Honorable Rainey Brandt of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Montgomery is the second of three defendants in this case. He pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on October 3, 2023. Co-defendant Kyrie Wells, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 3, 2023, and was sentenced, on April 13, 2023, to 14 years in prison. A third and final defendant in the case, Niko Hall, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, Anthony Lee, 25, of Washington, D.C., was walking south on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. with a companion. The three defendants lined up across the sidewalk behind him. As Mr. Lee crossed Malcolm X Avenue, Hall, Wells, and Montgomery drew their handguns and opened fire, hitting Mr. Lee once in the back, and killing him.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter V. Roman and Jessica Keefer and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Utah Man Charged for Violent Threats Against Members of a Palestinian Rights OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Utah man was arrested on Friday and charged for threatening a Palestinian rights organization.
According to publicly filed court documents, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, Kevin Brent Buchanan, of Tooele, called the organization and left at least five voice messages stating, in part, “You’re the enemy,” “You’re being catalogued,” “You’re gonna die” and “You’re dead people walking.”
Buchanan is charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, Buchanan faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with significant assistance from the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Utah Man Arrested on Charges of Interstate Death ThreatsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Brent Buchanan, 62, of Tooele, Utah, was charged by complaint, unsealed today, with threatening a Palestinian rights organization. According to publicly filed court documents, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, Buchanan called the organization and left at least five voice messages stating, in part, “You’re the enemy,” “You’re being catalogued,” “You’re gonna die,” and “You’re dead people walking.”
Buchanan is charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with significant assistance from the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower, of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A Complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Devonte Beckham, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on Jan. 30, 2023, while driving a stolen vehicle in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Beckham pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2024.
According to plea documents, shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 30, 2023, MPD officers were on patrol in the 1100 block of Raum St. Northeast when they observed Beckham walk quickly toward a running Honda CR-V and enter its driver’s seat. The officers recognized Beckham from prior interactions and knew him to have outstanding arrest warrants.
An officer approached the Honda—which was later determined to have been stolen—and Beckham accelerated, nearly striking the officer, and crashing into an occupied, marked police cruiser and a citizen’s parked vehicle. Officers opened the driver’s door and removed Beckham. Beckham attempted to flee on foot. Officers apprehended Beckham and detained him in handcuffs. They then observed in plain view on the driver’s seat floorboard—the same area from which they had just removed Beckham—a semi-automatic firearm. The recovered weapon was a Micro Draco 7.62x39mm caliber firearm, with one round in the chamber and 20 rounds in its 30-round capacity magazine.
Beckham was arrested on Jan. 30, 2023, and has remained in custody since.
Federal law prohibits Beckham from possessing a firearm because he has a prior conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for unauthorized use of a vehicle, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Beckham faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Reginald Johnson, 31, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 12 years to serve with four years suspended and three years of supervised probation on charges of involuntary manslaughter (criminal negligence) of Carlos Christian and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a vehicle involved homicide. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023 around 6:10 p.m., Reginald Johnson drove his Jeep eastbound into the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest and 15th Street, N.W crashing into a Toyota Corolla as it was turning left across eastbound traffic lanes onto 15th Street, NW. Johnson reached a speed of 61 miles per hour shortly before the crash, more than twice the 25 miles per hour speed limit. Johnson told an officer that he saw the car turning but thought it was stopping, sped up, and struck the car towards its tail end.
Reginald Johnson had been drinking alcoholic beverages at Mission Bar from approximately 1:24 p.m. to 5:46 p.m. before choosing to get behind the wheel. His breath alcohol content at 9:20 p.m. was 0.10 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. D.C. Code § 50–2206.01 defines intoxicated as “An alcohol concentration at the time of testing of 0.08 grams or more … per 210 liters of the person’s breath…”
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Major Crash Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter.
Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Multiple Sex Offenses Near School and Threatening NeighborsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrick Jones, 54, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months imprisonment for his criminal conduct in two separate cases for masturbating in public, near Bancroft Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, and then threatening neighbors who asked him to stop. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to eight separate counts in two cases: two counts of attempted threats, one count of threats, two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of lewd, indecent, or obscene acts before U.S. Superior Court Judge Sean Staples.
According to court documents, in the afternoon of April 3, 2023, Jones was observed by a neighbor masturbating outside of the neighbor’s apartment building, which is located less than a block away from Bancroft Elementary School. The neighbor, who was with her 11-year-old son, was trying to record Jones’s behavior since, according to the neighbor, this was a routine occurrence during the hours when children were walking to and from school. When Jones observed his neighbor trying to record him on that day, Jones crossed the street in an aggressive manner and made threats to kill the neighbor’s family and their dog.
On April 6, 2023, a woman was returning home after dropping her nephew off at Bancroft Elementary when she observed Jones outside an apartment masturbating. Jones made eye contact with the woman and continued his behavior. Additional incidents took place on the morning of April 12, 2023, when Jones again masturbated outside of the apartment building as children were being dropped off at the Bancroft Elementary School, and on April 13, 2023, when Jones exposed himself and masturbated outside of his building as children were walking to school. During that incident, a Bancroft Elementary school crossing guard observed Jones’s behavior, and while another colleague ushered kids to the opposite side of the street out of view, the crossing guard approached Jones and asked him to stop. Jones responded by loudly threatening to “blow y’all up” before going inside an apartment building and returning with a black duffel bag. Not knowing what was in the bag, the crossing guard became even more alarmed and flagged down law enforcement.
In addition to these incidents, after the defendant’s arrest on April 13, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department further investigated and located additional victims. In pleading guilty, Jones also admitted that between April 1 and April 13, 2023, he exposed himself and masturbated in front of an 11-year-old girl who lived in a neighboring apartment. He has been detained since his arrest on April 13, 2023. Jones will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, who assisted in the defendant’s apprehension. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jae Friedman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wash.
District Man Sentenced to Twelve Years for Assault with the Intent to Kill While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy Farrow, 65, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to twelve years in prison for a brutal stabbing which took place on May 6, 2023 by Superior Court Judge Michael O'Keefe. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Farrow pled guilty to assault with the intent to kill while armed on September 15, 2023 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term Judge O’Keefe sentenced him to five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence and Farrow’s plea, Farrow approached the victim in the 3000 block of Minnesota Ave. in Washington, DC on May 6, 2023, at approximately 9:14 PM. Farrow then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim on his inner thigh, left shoulder, and across his face. The victim suffered extensive life-threatening injuries as a result of that assault.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Kubo.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Armed Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tramayne Moore, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison for the brazen mid-afternoon robbery of a District man in Southeast Washington DC by Superior Court Judge Jason Park. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moore pleaded guilty, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in August of 2023, to one count of armed robbery. During that plea hearing, Moore admitted that he approached the victim in the 800 block of Ridge Road Southeast at approximately 3:00 p.m. on May 25, 2023, armed with what appeared to be a handgun. Moore pointed the weapon at the victim and ordered him out of the car. The victim obeyed that command, leaving his wallet and cell phone as well. Moore then took the car and drove off. Within two hours, however, with the aid of information supplied by eyewitnesses to the offense, police were able to locate and apprehend Moore. Police recovered the victim’s car, which had sustained minor damage, and property, but were unable to locate a weapon.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randle Wilson.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Year Prison Term for Sexually Abusing Multiple Child VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Geddie, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Thursday, November 16, 2023, to 19 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender for life for his repeated sexual abuse of multiple children in Washington DC. He was sentenced by the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Geddie pled guilty to one count of First Degree Child Sexual Abuse, one count of Second Degree Child Sexual Abuse, and one count of Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse in March 2023
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the government’s evidence, over the course of several months in 2021, the defendant acted as a babysitter for three child victims, ages 11, 6 and 6. During that time, the defendant forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on him and forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on each other. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted to sexually abusing the child victims, and admitted that he filmed the abuse.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Tiffany Jones, and Victim Assistance Specialist Maria Sanchez Garcia.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Ninth Defendant Convicted of Federal Conspiracy Against Rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) Offenses for 2020 Washington, D.C., Clinic Invasion and BlockadeRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts woman was found guilty today of federal civil rights conspiracy and violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).
Paula “Paulette” Harlow, 75, of Kingston, was convicted following a bench trial. All nine defendants have been convicted of federal conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses following three separate trials in connection with an Oct. 22, 2020, blockade of a Washington, D.C., area reproductive health clinic. On Aug. 29, a jury convicted defendants Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Herb Geraghty. On Sept. 15, a separate jury convicted defendants Jonathan Darnel, Jean Marshall and Joan Bell. On March 1, a tenth defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty to a felony FACE Act offense.
“Violence and physical obstructions that interfere with access to reproductive health clinics violate the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The convictions in this case send a strong message that such criminal conduct against reproductive health care providers and patients will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be held accountable. The Justice Department stands ready to protect both those who provide and those who seek access to safe and legal reproductive health care.”
“Our Constitution and laws protect many rights – to protest, to debate, to advocate for different laws. But no one is entitled to deprive other people of their civil rights. That’s a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “With locks, with chains, with violence, these defendants conspired to prevent fellow citizens from exercising their rights to receive and to provide reproductive health care. As these verdicts show, our city will not tolerate that, and our department will ensure justice is done.”
“FACE Act violations such as this one are not taken lightly – these are serious crimes that endanger people’s physical safety and can be traumatizing for patients and staff,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will always work to protect every American’s access to reproductive health care services.”
“The First Amendment protects Americans’ right to peacefully express their opinions — not intimidate, threaten or interfere with those who are exercising their civil rights,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate FACE Act violations to ensure that patients and providers can receive or provide lawful reproductive health care without the threat of violence or intimidation.”
Evidence presented at trial established that the defendants executed a clinic blockade planned by the group’s leaders, Handy and Darnel. The defendants used social media, text messages and telephone calls to organize the blockade, and several defendants traveled from northeast and midwestern states to participate in the clinic invasion. Prior to the blockade, the defendants met with other co-conspirators to formulate their tactics, which included making a fake patient appointment to ensure the group’s entry into the clinic, using chains and locks to barricade the facility and passively resisting arrest to prolong the obstruction. The clinic invasion was advertised on social media as an “historic” event and was livestreamed on Facebook.
At the outset of the invasion, the defendants forced their way into the clinic, injuring a clinic nurse. The blockade forced one patient to climb through a receptionist window to access the clinic, while another was denied entry as she lay in physical distress in the hallway outside the clinic.
On Aug. 7, Smith was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release following his guilty plea. The remaining defendants, including Harlow, who were convicted following the three trials face up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000 each. Those sentencing dates are yet to be determined.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Attorneys from the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Ninth Defendant Convicted of Federal Conspiracy Against Rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) Offenses for 2020 Washington, D.C., Clinic Invasion and BlockadeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Massachusetts woman was found guilty today of federal civil rights conspiracy and violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).
Paula “Paulette” Harlow, 75, of Kingston, was convicted following a bench trial. All nine defendants have been convicted of federal conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses following three separate trials in connection with an Oct. 22, 2020, blockade of a Washington, D.C., area reproductive health clinic. On Aug. 29, a jury convicted defendants Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Herb Geraghty. On Sept. 15, a separate jury convicted defendants Jonathan Darnel, Jean Marshall and Joan Bell. On March 1, a tenth defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty to a felony FACE Act offense.
“Violence and physical obstructions that interfere with access to reproductive health clinics violate the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The convictions in this case send a strong message that such criminal conduct against reproductive health care providers and patients will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be held accountable. The Justice Department stands ready to protect both those who provide and those who seek access to safe and legal reproductive health care.”
“Our Constitution and laws protect many rights – to protest, to debate, to advocate for different laws. But no one is entitled to deprive other people of their civil rights. That’s a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “With locks, with chains, with violence, these defendants conspired to prevent fellow citizens from exercising their rights to receive and to provide reproductive health care. As these verdicts show, our city will not tolerate that, and our department will ensure justice is done.”
“FACE Act violations such as this one are not taken lightly – these are serious crimes that endanger people’s physical safety and can be traumatizing for patients and staff,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will always work to protect every American’s access to reproductive health care services.”
“The First Amendment protects Americans’ right to peacefully express their opinions — not intimidate, threaten or interfere with those who are exercising their civil rights,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate FACE Act violations to ensure that patients and providers can receive or provide lawful reproductive health care without the threat of violence or intimidation.”
Evidence presented at trial established that the defendants executed a clinic blockade planned by the group’s leaders, Handy and Darnel. The defendants used social media, text messages and telephone calls to organize the blockade, and several defendants traveled from northeast and midwestern states to participate in the clinic invasion. Prior to the blockade, the defendants met with other co-conspirators to formulate their tactics, which included making a fake patient appointment to ensure the group’s entry into the clinic, using chains and locks to barricade the facility and passively resisting arrest to prolong the obstruction. The clinic invasion was advertised on social media as an “historic” event and was livestreamed on Facebook.
At the outset of the invasion, the defendants forced their way into the clinic, injuring a clinic nurse. The blockade forced one patient to climb through a receptionist window to access the clinic, while another was denied entry as she lay in physical distress in the hallway outside the clinic.
On Aug. 7, Smith was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release following his guilty plea. The remaining defendants, including Harlow, who were convicted following the three trials face up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000 each. Those sentencing dates are yet to be determined.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Attorneys from the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Pittsburgh, Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 9 Months in Prison for Attempted Witness Tampering in Relation to Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Atawan Mundu John, a.k.a., John Mundu Atawan, 46, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine months in prison for attempting to tamper with a witness more than nine years ago during a federal healthcare fraud investigation.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
In February 2014, a federal grand jury charged Florence Bikundi, who owned and operated a home health care agency, with various offenses related to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program. The defendant was employed by Bikundi’s agency as a personal care aide. After Bikundi was arrested, the investigation into her and others continued. As part of its investigation, law enforcement agents interviewed the defendant multiple times.
On June 12, 2014, a Medicaid beneficiary who received kickbacks from the defendant to help facilitate Medicaid fraud placed a recorded call to the defendant that lasted approximately 18 minutes. During that call, the defendant – fully aware of the active federal investigation – instructed the beneficiary to lie to the FBI about ever receiving money or kickbacks. The defendant admitted on the call that paying money to beneficiaries was fraud. Law enforcement agents confronted the defendant with the recorded call five days later. Before formal charges were brought against him, the defendant fled the area.
In December 2014, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Florence Bikundi, her husband Michael Bikundi, Christian Asongcha, five other individuals, and the defendant with various offenses related to the scheme to defraud Medicaid. The defendant was charged with one count of attempted witness tampering. Five of the individuals pleaded guilty to health care fraud, and in November 2015, a jury convicted Florence and Michael Bikundi of multiple offenses after a trial. By June 2016, the Bikundis and five other individuals all had been sentenced while Asongcha, who has never been apprehended, and the defendant remained fugitives. Florence Bikundi was sentenced to ten years in prison; her husband Michael Bikundi received a seven-year sentence. The co-defendants received sentences ranging from probation with home confinement to three months in prison.
The defendant remained a fugitive until July 13, 2023, when he was arrested in Maryland. He has been held without bond since his arrest.
On August 4, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to attempted tampering with a witness before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell.
Today, Judge Howell sentenced him to nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She also ordered that he pay $80,493 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program, an amount equal to what Medicaid paid home health agencies for false claims associated with three Medicaid beneficiaries to whom the defendant paid kickbacks.
The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, including the whereabouts of Christian Asongcha, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at 800-HHS‑TIPS (800 447-8477) or the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS (202 724-8477).
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Multiple people from the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked on the case, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lionel A. André, Anthony Saler, and Michelle Bradford, who tried Florence and Michael Bikundi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman prosecuted Atawan Mundu John from the time of his arrest through today’s sentencing.
District Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Member of Congress and Two Police OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 27 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for an assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer stemming from a series of incidents on Feb. 9, 2023, in the District of Columbia.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capitol Police.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:10 a.m., on Feb. 9, a United States Congressperson was in the lobby of an apartment complex in Washington, D.C., when they were assaulted by an individual, later identified as Hamlin. As a result of the assault, the Congressperson sustained personal injuries.
Authorities later located Hamlin, and as they attempted an arrest, Hamlin also assaulted the officers. Hamlin has remained in custody since the arrest.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider.
Notorious Hacker Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Thomas Kennedy McCormick, aka “fubar,” of Cambridge, Mass., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in the racketeering conspiracy to develop and distribute malicious software (malware) through an international computer hacking forum known as Darkode.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ordered 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, McCormick, 30, was an administrator of Darkode, a criminal organization centered around an online, password-protected criminal forum where high-level international hackers and other cyber-criminals convened to develop, buy, sell, trade, and share hacking tools, information, and ideas. Before becoming a member of Darkode, prospective members were vetted through a process in which an existing member invited a prospective member to the forum to present the skills or products that he or she could bring to the group. Darkode members allegedly used each other’s skills and products to infect computers and electronic devices of victims around the world with malware and, thereby gain access to, and control over, those devices.
McCormick was a long-term member of Darkode, eventually rising to the level of administrator. McCormick made and sold malicious software that stole users’ personal identifying information, banking account login in information, and credit card information. He also sold and brokered the sale of stolen credit cards and other financial account information. When his residence was searched, he had the stolen credit card information of almost 30,000 people in his possession along with numerous copies of malware. As part of McCormick’s guilty plea, he admitted his involvement in causing about $679,000 in financial losses through these offenses.
McCormick was indicted on racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud charges. The racketeering conspiracy charge included conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and access device fraud, identity theft, hacking, and extortion. McCormick was also charged with five counts of aggravated identity theft.
He was arrested on Dec. 10, 2018, at the FBI’s Washington Field Office in Washington, D.C. On March 3, 2020, McCormick pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering influenced corrupt organization and aggravated identity theft. Today, he was sentenced to 12 months for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering influenced corrupt organization followed by 6 months for aggravated identity theft.
McCormick’s sentencing is the latest in this wide-ranging investigation. In July 2015, the Department of Justice originally announced the dismantling of Darkode, with charges filed against 12 individuals associated with the forum. The charges were part of a coordinated effort by a coalition of law enforcement authorities from 20 nations to charge, arrest, or search 70 Darkode members and associates around the world.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from Europol and their European Cyber Crime Center (EC3) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police Service (Scotland Yard).
Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Corbin A. Weiss and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman, working with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, prosecuted the case. The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder in 2014 Christmas Eve Killing of Waitress on 14th St. NWRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Marvin Lopez, 44, of El Salvador, was found guilty by a jury on November 14, 2023, of first-degree murder while armed for the 2014 Christmas Eve slaying of his ex-girlfriend, Evelyn Yamileth Arroyo Guerra, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The slaying took place in front of the El Sabor Latino Restaurant on the 3900 block of 14th St., NW, where Yamileth worked as a waitress.
Lopez was also found guilty of a related gun offense. The verdict followed an eight-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for January 26, 2024. Lopez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes.
According to the government’s evidence, a pair of MPD Lieutenants were driving south on 14th Street on Dec. 24, 2014, when they heard two gunshots. Citizens on the 3900 block of 14th Street pointed in the direction the gunman had run. One of the Lieutenants gave chase on foot but lost the shooter in a wooded area at the end of Shepherd St, NW. The other Lieutenant found Yamileth on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant at 3910 14th Street NW, suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest and a graze wound to her head. Yamileth had been shot as she was arriving for work at El Sabor Latino, where she was a waitress.
Two witnesses who knew Yamileth told police that they had seen Lopez—the victim’s recent ex—approaching her outside of the restaurant moments before the killing. One of the witnesses showed police Facebook messages between Lopez and Yamileth from days before the murder in which he threatened to kill her. Although an arrest warrant was obtained the next day, Christmas Day, Lopez was not located by police before he fled to El Salvador. He was extradited back to the United States and arrested in March of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Natiello and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian Hinson and Sarah Prins.
U.S. Army Maintenance Worker Pleads Guilty to Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Norman Dais, 54, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to one count of First-Degree Theft for using a federal government fuel credit card to make more than $33,000 worth of unauthorized private gasoline purchases. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Acting Inspector General Robert C. Erickson Jr. for the General Services Administration made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dais, who was employed by the United States Army as a civilian maintenance worker at the Fort Lesley J. McNair Department of Public Works, repeatedly purchased gasoline for private vehicles using a General Services Administration fuel credit card meant solely for a designated maintenance van on the Fort McNair grounds. Investigators found that from April to October of 2023, Dais frequently arranged to meet private vehicles at area gas stations and used his General Services Administration credit card to purchase their gas. In total, Dais made more than 400 unauthorized purchases totaling at least $33,868.21. As part of the plea agreement, Dais agreed to pay full restitution.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted Dais’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2024.
This case was investigated by the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Suicide Committed by Person Evading PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were present for the February 2023 death of S.P., a 40-year-old District resident who died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, security camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from MPD.
According to the evidence, at about 12:18 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2023, officers with the MPD were called to the 1400 block of Park Road, N.W. for a report of sounds of gunshots. As the police were conducting their initial investigation, including a review of security camera footage depicting an altercation between S.P. and another person, S.P. returned to the scene. Because S.P. matched the image in the footage, officers attempted to make contact with S.P. S.P. initially ran from the police. At one point, S.P. turned around, brandished a handgun and fired multiple shots at the police. The police returned fire. However, all of the shots by S.P. and the police missed their intended targets. S.P. then ran into an alley located in the 1400 block of Meridian Place, N.W. As two officers waited for assistance at the entrance to the alley, S.P. committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any officer on the scene used excessive force under the circumstances or otherwise willfully violated S.P.’s rights.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Felony Bail Reform Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ranjith Keerikkattil, 35, formerly of Catonsville, Md., was found guilty by a jury for committing two felony violations of the Bail Reform Act by failing to appear in court on two occasions following a 2018 guilty jury verdict for stalking a co-worker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Keerikkattil was found guilty of the stalking charge on July 9, 2018, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno released Keerikkattil following the verdict, pending sentencing. The judge ordered him to appear the next morning to have a GPS monitoring device installed. However, he failed to appear, and fled the United States, instead, ending up in Australia where he remained a fugitive for over four years. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on July 11, 2018, for a felony charge of violating the Bail Reform Act. The grand jury returned a superseding indictment on March 1, 2023, charging an additional violation of the Bail Reform Act for failing to return as ordered for his sentencing on September 14, 2018.
The Honorable Heidi Pasichow continued to hold Keerikkattil without bail pending his sentencing hearing on January 3, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the criminal conduct began in May 2015, while Keerikkattil was a senior consultant at a consulting firm in Rosslyn, Va. The victim, who resided at the time in the District of Columbia, had begun her first job out of college in 2015, as a business technology analyst for the firm. Keerikkattil was her first mentor on her first project. After the victim performed countless evening and weekend hours on the project, Keerikkattil told her that he only brought her onto the project to get close to her and that he was merely giving her busy work. He ignored her wishes to keep their relationship strictly professional and continued to pursue her. After she repeatedly tried to resolve the matter herself, she reported Keerikkattil on June 1, 2015, to her human resources counselor.
Keerikkattil was fired on June 19, 2015, for not being forthcoming about his conduct, which was captured on texts between the two, during the firm’s internal investigation of the matter. He blamed the victim for his termination and then began a stalking campaign in retaliation. His stalking acts included publishing false allegations about the victim on the internet and through mass e-mails to the victim and former company employees in order to seriously frighten and defame her. When ignored, he escalated his actions. Almost two months after being fired, he sat in a café that was frequented by company employees, including the victim. He was able to obtain eye contact with the victim on one occasion inside this café, frightening her even more. The victim’s attorney notified Keerikkattil, instructing him not to have any further contact with her, but he continued to text her statements like, “Every morning I wake up thinking about you and go to bed thinking about you.”
With the victim continuing to ignore him, Keerikkattil decided to take a plane almost 3,000 miles to Seattle and then rent a car and travel an additional three hours to pay an unannounced visit to the victim’s parents in a remote suburb of Portland, Ore. On Oct. 24, 2015, he knocked on the door to the victim’s childhood home, which was at the bottom of a long driveway, and asked her father for directions to the nearby parks. It took a moment for the father to piece things together. Once he was able to figure out whom the defendant was, he slammed and locked the door and called 911. Keerikkattil texted the victim shortly thereafter, “Was nice meeting your dad today.” An arrest warrant was obtained shortly thereafter, and Keerikkattil was arrested on Dec. 19, 2015, and charged with stalking.
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 John G. Giovannelli and Rashmika Nedungadi.