District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Beating Ex-Girlfriend with 15-Pound DumbbellRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicholas Batts, 33, of Georgetown, Texas, was sentenced on November 9, 2023 to a ten-year prison term for beating his ex-girlfriend in the face and head with a 15-pound dumbbell, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Batts pleaded guilty in September 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of Aggravated Assault While Armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 7.5 years and 10 years of incarceration. The Honorable Rainey Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 10 years of incarceration, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 9, 2022, at approximately 5:00 AM, Batts bludgeoned his ex-girlfriend in the face with a 15-pound metal dumbbell. When officers arrived on scene, the defendant stated that he “snapped” and hit her with the weight. The victim was found in the defendant’s bedroom, lying unconscious on the floor suffering from multiple blunt force trauma wounds.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges Connected to Fentanyl Distribution RingRead the Press Release
Collin Edwards, 29, of Largo, Maryland, pleaded guilty for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring and a separate charge of identity theft in a scheme involving false unemployment insurance claims that illegally netted more than $250,000, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, Troy W. Springer, of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Edwards, also known as “Chills,” pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to a felony charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 or more grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
In today’s plea agreement, Edwards admitted that he was accountable for producing at least 1.2 kilograms of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Edwards also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.
Edwards faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 5, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. Edwards also has agreed to forfeit $100,000.
According to court documents, in August 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking group running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in and around Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Law enforcement learned that the group was in possession of at least three pill presses and used them to press fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills. The group then distributed the pills throughout Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Edwards and six others were identified as participants in the drug trafficking operation.
As part of the conspiracy, Edwards distributed the counterfeit pills in a coordinated manner with co-conspirators, including to other co-conspirators and to other distributors and/or users. On Mar. 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Southeast Washington, D.C., a stash house used by the conspiracy to run the pill press operation. During the search on the 1300 block of 4th Street, 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.
During the search of the apartment, authorities seized Edwards’ cellphone. A review of its contents revealed evidence of a conspiracy to defraud multiple states of unemployment insurance. Edwards admitted that he and other co-conspirators illegally netted at least $250,000 through the scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General.. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, prosecuted the case.
Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand.
U.S. Attorney's Office Testifies Before D.C. Council in Support of the ("ACTIVE") Amendment Act of 2023Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will testify today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, Bill 25-0479, the “Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement (“ACTIVE”) Amendment Act of 2023.”
USAO-DC strongly supports Bill 25-0479, the “Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement (“ACTIVE”) Amendment Act of 2023.” Our Office is using every available tool to combat the violent crime crisis we are experiencing in the District. This bill provides critical additional tools to hold violent offenders and gun offenders accountable and enable our Office to prosecute cases that are harming our communities, filling legal gaps that will make our residents safer.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, provided written remarks, available in the accompanying attachment.
The testimony is available in the attachment below.
Serbian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Running Monopoly Drug Market on the DarknetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Milomir Desnica, 33, a national of Serbia and Croatia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Desnica, of Smederevska Palanka, Serbia, entered into a conspiracy in 2019 to develop and operate a website to sell narcotics that became Monopoly Market. According to the indictment, Monopoly grew into a vast marketplace for the sale of illicit narcotics including opioids, stimulants, psychedelics, and prescription medications, among other drugs.
In 2021, law enforcement within the United States placed and received numerous orders for narcotics on Monopoly from various vendors. Authorities ordered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine on Monopoly. Through its investigation, the FBI determined that Monopoly facilitated over $18 million in narcotics sales around the world, including the sale of over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine to customers in the United States.
In December 2021, in coordination with foreign law enforcement partners in Germany and Finland, law enforcement seized the computer server hosting Monopoly and took it offline. Through analysis of the seized server, law enforcement identified records of the narcotics sales, financial records documenting cryptocurrency payments on Monopoly, an online forum associated with Monopoly, communications from the Monopoly operator to vendors, commission payment invoices, and more. Through extensive analysis of these records, Desnica was identified as an operator of Monopoly.
In November 2022, in coordination with the Austrian Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) and the Public Prosecutors Office Vienna, Desnica was located and arrested in Austria. Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence and vehicle, seizing electronics and cash.
On June 23, 2023, Desnica was extradited from Austria to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force and Germany’s Zentrale Kriminalinspektion (ZKI) Oldenburg Cybercrime Unit. The Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force is composed of FBI agents, analysts, and task force partners, including special agents and officers of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious darknet marketplaces and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other opioids.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked to secure the arrest and extradition from Austria of Desnica and also provided significant assistance. Valuable assistance was also provided by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation; Europol; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt; Austria’s Bundeskriminalamt Cybercrime Competency Center, FAST team, and Public Prosecutors Office Vienna; and the Republic of Serbia High-Tech Crimes Special Prosecutor. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy Wang and Nihar Mohanty of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Puerto Rico Man Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking and MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A jury today found Jann Jousten Aponte-Rivera, 27, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, guilty of participating in the drug-related murder of Shantay Myisha Butler, 42, of Frederick, MD. Specifically, Aponte-Rivers was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of continuing criminal enterprise – causing the intentional death of Shantay Butler – and one count of causing the death of Shantay Butler through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking offense.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG, the Puerto Rico Police Department (Bayamon Homicide Division), and the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico.
According to the government’s evidence, Aponte-Rivera was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in San Juan that was sending kilogram quantities of cocaine to the mainland United States, including the Washington D.C. region, via the U.S. Postal Service. Law enforcement identified over 50 parcels of cocaine shipped by the organization from Puerto Rico to the Washington, D.C. area with a wholesale street value of at least $2 million. Once the drugs arrived in the metropolitan area, a local drug trafficking organization distributed the cocaine to mainland dealers.
Additionally, the Puerto Rico organization’s members allegedly traveled from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area to collect drug proceeds, and then surreptitiously traveled on commercial airliners to return the proceeds to the conspiracy’s leader, Rey “Gordo” Rivera Ruiz, 40, and others.
According to the government’s evidence, during the life of the drug conspiracy Rivera Ruiz and his associates shipped between 50 kilograms and 150 kilograms of cocaine to the local drug trafficking organization. The charged drug trafficking conspiracy began around October 2019 and ended in April 2021, when Aponte-Rivera was indicted with co-defendants Rivera Ruiz, Nomar Medina Diaz and Michael Gabriel Rivera Hernandez . The four men have remained in custody since their April 2021 arrests.
The leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization owed several thousand dollars to the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization and had been ordered to pay for several kilograms of cocaine which did not arrive in the Washington, D.C. area.
On Oct. 14, 2020, Aponte-Rivera and Rivera Hernandez lured the leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization and Shantay Butler to a desolate part of Toa Baja in Puerto Rico. When the leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization arrived with Ms. Butler in a car, Aponte-Rivera and Rivera Hernandez ambushed them. They both pulled out firearms and opened fire on the vehicle. The leader of the Washington, D.C.-area drug trafficking organization was shot five times, remained in a coma for several weeks, but survived. His girlfriend, Ms. Butler, died of her wounds.
The FBI arrested Aponte-Rivera on Apr. 15, 2021, in Allentown, Pa.
Rivera Ruiz pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022, before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Judge Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023. In total, 10 individuals have been convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking conspiracy, and murder.
Aponte-Rivera remains held pending his sentencing by Judge Boasberg, who scheduled sentencing for February 8, 2024. The charges require a mandatory 30-year prison term with a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG and the Puerto Rico Police Department Homicide.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Fletcher and Dineen Baker assisted in the investigation and charging of this case.
District Man Indicted for Premeditated Murder and Arson Following Multiple-Hour Barricade and Police Standoff in Southeast, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sherman Holley, 46, of Washington, D.C., was charged by indictment today for the January 2023 murder of James Brooks, Jr. and subsequent arson of a residence following a barricade and standoff, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment charges Holley with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, arson, resisting arrest, and related offenses, all committed while Holley was on pretrial release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the evening on January 15, 2023, Holley stabbed Brooks, Jr. multiple times in the torso while the men were walking together through an alleyway near the Southeast, Washington, D.C. home where Holley had been residing. Brooks, Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Holley fled the scene but returned to the residence the next day. When law enforcement responded, Holley barricaded himself inside the home and, after a multiple-hour standoff with police, set the residence on fire before surrendering.
Holley was arrested for the murder on January 16, 2023, and has been detained pending trial since his arrest. At the time of these events, Holley was on release pending trial in another felony case in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by members of MPD’s Homicide Branch. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Indicted for Premeditated Double Murder Inside Home in Southeast, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James P. Jones, 42, of Washington, D.C., was charged by indictment today, for the February 2023 murders of David Wright and Nathaniel Howard, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment charges Jones with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed committed with aggravating circumstances, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon on February 26, 2023, Jones shot Howard three times and Wright at least six times inside Howard’s home in Southeast, Washington, D.C., where Jones had been residing. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Jones, who at the time was on supervised release and GPS monitoring related to previous felony convictions in Washington, D.C., was located and arrested within approximately one hour of the murders. A firearm was recovered from his person and has been ballistically linked to the murders. Jones has been detained pending trial since his arrest.
This case is being investigated by members of MPD’s Homicide Branch. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DC Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm in Relation to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ahmad Robertson, 32, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on November 7, 2023 to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Robertson entered the guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 16, 2024. Robertson has been in custody since June 1, 2023.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2023, officers from the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), HSI, MPD and other law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant on Robertson’s home and vehicle located in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement officers identified themselves and ordered the occupants to come out of the residence. After fifteen minutes, Robertson exited the premises and was taken into custody. Officers searched the defendant and discovered two baggies of white powder in his pants pockets, which was later determined to be cocaine. Officers then searched Robertson’s vehicle and discovered a digital scale and a privately manufactured AR-style pistol with no serial number, loaded with one 5.56 caliber rounds in the chamber and 28 such rounds in the magazine. The entire magazine of the pistol had a total capacity of 30 rounds.
When officers searched Robertson’s home, they recovered two additional firearms, extended magazines, assorted rounds of ammunition of various calibers, drug paraphernalia including additional digital scales, a blender with fentanyl residue, and fentanyl.
This case was investigated by HSI and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Leiter.
All Members of LA Dank DMV Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Related Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Federal law enforcement has successfully prosecuted eight members of a marijuana distribution conspiracy, responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to the DMV area and possessing nineteen firearms, including machineguns, as part of their distribution scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs.
Abubakr Banire, Christopher Akinduro, Kavon Duncan, Joe Blyther, Isaac Akinduro, Avery Bost, Omar Butler, and Randall Lance, all members of the “LA Dank DMV” crew, have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The guilty pleas follow a lengthy investigation led by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, between May of 2021 and December of 2021, crew members operated a sophisticated conspiracy to traffic large amounts of high-grade marijuana from California to the DMV area for distribution to customers. As part of their distribution scheme, members of the crew relied heavily on mass marketing through three dedicated LA Dank websites, as well as social media platforms like Instagram where individual crew members would advertise the LA Dank brand and LA Dank branded marijuana for sale. Crew members also used rental properties to set up stash houses or points of sale that were used to conduct drug distribution operations for a short period of time before moving on to different locations.
The crew is known - and was found to possess - numerous firearms, including semi-automatic and fully automatic machineguns, and devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Certain members of the crew also pleaded guilty to the possession of firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking operations. In total, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, 19 firearms, and 10 machinegun conversion devices were recovered. Three of these 19 firearms were discovered to be operational machineguns that had been modified with machinegun conversion devices. Seven of these machinegun conversion devices were found in an “LA Dank” branded bag. Two of these firearms were privately made AR-pistol style machineguns, sometimes referred to as “ghost guns.”
Ledgers and receipts show that the crew trafficked well over 100 kilograms of marijuana into the DMV area for distribution.
A list of the named defendants, date of their pleas and charges are below.
DEFENDANT NAME
DATE OF PLEA
CHARGES PLEAD TO
DATE OF SENTENCING
Abubakr Banire
9/29/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense
4/16/2024
Christopher Akinduro
10/3/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Over 100 Kilograms of Marijuana
1/17/2024
Kavon Duncan
10/5/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Over 100 Kilograms of Marijuana
Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
1/26/2024
Joe Blyther
11/8/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense
4/22/2024
Isaac Akinduro
10/11/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
3/15/2024
Avery Bost
10/27/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
3/6/2024
Omar Butler
11/3/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
3/1/2024
Randall Lance
5/23/2023
Conspiracy to Distribute Over 100 Kilograms of Marijuana
Sentenced on 10/10/2023 to 63 months of incarceration.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin F. Song, Meredith E. Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Justin Lee Snowden, 33, of Pasadena, Md., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison on one count of distribution of child pornography for sending videos, over the internet, of children being sexually abused.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Snowden pleaded guilty to the charge on July 7, 2023, in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced today by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras, who also ordered Snowden to serve 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in August and September of 2022, Snowden joined and participated in an online chat platform devoted to the sexual exploitation of children. Beginning on Aug. 19, 2022, Snowden communicated with an undercover officer, based in San Francisco, and offered a female child – whom he claimed was his daughter – to someone he believed had a sexual interest in children. On Sept. 17, Snowden had a similar conversation with an undercover agent in Tampa, Fla., regarding the abuse of girls who Snowden purported to be his daughters. The next day, he began an online chat with an undercover officer in Washington D.C., who was a member of the joint Metropolitan Police Department - FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.
During the chat, Snowden offered his purported 5- and 7-year-old daughters for sex with members of the group. In actuality, Snowden did not have any children. He also sent others non-explicit pictures of two minor females. During the chat, Snowden claimed that he had sexually abused the girls. Later, Snowden sent an image to the undercover agent of a nude toddler lying on her back with her legs spread, and a video depicting an adult man sexually abusing a prepubescent child. Snowden asked the undercover agent for sexually explicit images of the agent’s purported daughter.
On each occasion, Snowden had every reason to believe that he was chatting with someone who intended to sexually abuse a child or who was actively abusing one. Because law enforcement intervened, Snowden’s actions did not lead to the hands-on sexual abuse of an actual child.
Snowden was arrested on Sept. 26, 2022, in Washington D.C. He has been detained ever since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, including the Metropolitan Police Department. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
Former U.S. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexual OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 47, a former U.S. Government employee, pleaded guilty today to drugging and sexually abusing numerous women in multiple countries, including photographing and video recording dozens of nude and partially nude women without their consent while they were unconscious and incapable of consenting.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Director Carlos F. Matus, of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to court documents, Raymond, of La Mesa, California, was most recently employed by the U.S. government at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Raymond admitted to drugging and sexually assaulting several women in his embassy-leased housing and elsewhere between 2006 and 2020. Additionally, Raymond admitted other offenses that occurred over this 14-year period and involved a total of 28 women he photographed or video recorded nude or partially nude. Many of the recordings show Raymond touching the women’s bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent. Raymond attempted to delete the explicit photographs and videos depicting the victims after learning about the criminal investigation.
Raymond will be sentenced on Sept. 19, 2024. Under the plea agreement, Raymond will face between 24 and 30 years in prison, supervised release for life, and mandatory restitution to the victims of his criminal offenses. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the DSS Office of Special Investigations and the FBI Washington Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance, along with the FBI’s Legal Attache office in Mexico City.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Angela Buckner and Katharine Wagner, of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the Government of Mexico, to include the Fiscalía General de la República and the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, for their extraordinary efforts, support and cooperation during the investigation.
Former U.S. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
A former U.S. government employee pleaded guilty today to drugging and sexually abusing numerous women in multiple countries, including photographing and video recording more than two dozen nude and partially nude women without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting.
According to court documents, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 47, of La Mesa, California, was employed by the U.S. government at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Raymond admitted to drugging and sexually assaulting several women in his embassy-leased housing and elsewhere between 2006 and 2020. Additionally, Raymond admitted that, over 14 years, he photographed or video recorded 28 victims while they were nude or partially nude. Many of the recordings show Raymond touching and manipulating the victim’s bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent. Raymond attempted to delete the explicit photographs and videos depicting the victims after learning about the criminal investigation.
Under the plea agreement, Raymond will face between 24 and 30 years in prison and supervised release for life. He will also have to pay mandatory restitution to the victims of his criminal offenses. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Sept. 18 and 19, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Deputy Assistant Director William Ferrari of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Office of Special Investigations; and Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The DSS Office of Special Investigations and FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division provided valuable assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City also provided especially valuable assistance.
Trial Attorneys Angela Buckner and Katharine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department gratefully acknowledges the government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República, Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, and Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation.
District Woman Guilty of Aggravated Assault While Armed and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following a four-day trial, on November 6, 2023, a Superior Court jury found Tiaquana Chandler, 42, of Washington, D.C., guilty of conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On or about March 28, 2023, the victim was in an apartment on 13th Place SE, Washington, D.C., when he got into a disagreement with Chandler. Chandler left the apartment, but returned a short time later with her son, Donnell E. Tucker, who was armed with a firearm. Together, they assaulted the victim, causing severe lacerations that required 14 staples and stiches to close. After Tucker allegedly pistol whipped the victim, he shot him in the leg, causing a fracture that required surgery. Tucker’s trial is scheduled for January 2024.
The Honorable Sean Staples ordered the defendant be released pending sentencing scheduled for January 12, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saman Danai and Nathaniel Brower.
Former D.C. Government Employee Sentenced for Role in Bribery SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dawne Dorsey, 40, a former employee of the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development, was sentenced today for accepting bribes in return for giving out confidential information held by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Dorsey pleaded guilty to bribery in June 2019 and agreed to cooperate with the Government’s investigation. She was sentenced to 36 months’ probation by United States District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
According to court documents, Dorsey, former a program specialist with DHCD, accepted bribes in exchange for giving real estate developers Frederick Silvers and Brian Bailey confidential, un-redacted Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) offer of sale notices, which included the names of tenants holding TOPA rights.
TOPA provides tenants living in the District of Columbia with the right to purchase their residence should the owner decide to sell the property. Under TOPA, tenants can re-assign their right to purchase to a third party. TOPA requires the owner (seller) to provide the DHCD with offer of sale notices before the proposed real estate transaction. The offer of sale notices include - among other things - information not released to the public, such as the names of tenants residing at the property. Bailey and Silvers paid bribes to obtain the tenant names so they could attempt to buy the tenants’ TOPA rights, and in turn, put the property up for sale, at an advantageous price.
In a related part of the scheme, former FBI Agent David Paitsel and Bailey were both found guilty of one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy because Bailey paid Paitsel bribes to look up the contact information of the tenants holding TOPA rights, which he did using a database he had special access to as an FBI Agent.
This is the fourth and final sentencing relating to Dorsey’s corrupt conduct. Last month, Paitsel, 42, a resident of North Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in prison; and Bailey, 53, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced to 48 months in prison. A jury convicted both defendants of bribery, and conspiracy charges on October 7, 2022. In a related case, Frederick Silvers, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to five months in prison for bribes paid to Dorsey.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General.
If you have information about fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in District government programs and operations, please call the D.C. OIG at 202-724-TIPS [202-724-8477].
The trial of the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and John Borchert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Quiana Dunn-Gordon of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to Four-Year Prison Term for a February Knifepoint Robbery on the MetroRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nwabueze Igwe, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to four years in prison for robbing a man at knifepoint on the Metro, in February of 2023, in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metropolitan Transit Police Department (MTPD).
Igwe was found guilty on June 7, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Honorable Jason Park ordered Igwe to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Feb. 13, 2023, Igwe approached a stranger on the Metro, and yelled at him multiple times as the pair were travelling in the same car on the Green Line. As the train stopped at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station, Igwe entered the stranger’s personal space and took his North Face backpack. When the victim asked Igwe to return the backpack, Igwe opened a switchblade and warned the victim to back away.
Igwe and the victim both exited at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. The victim ran for help and found nearby MTPD officers. Igwe looked in both directions before jumping back on the train as the doors were closing. After reboarding the train, Igwe hid the backpack in a translucent trash bag. An hour later, Igwe returned to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station, still carrying the victim’s pack. Metro surveillance footage captured Igwe in the immediate moments after the robbery and confirmed his flight path. MTPD officers apprehended Igwe at Gallery Place-Chinatown that night and charged him with armed robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. It was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed A. Assefi and Sabena Auyeung, of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Carolyn Carter-McKinley, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MTPD.
Two Juveniles Charged as Adults for Murdering High School Student During Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marlan Smith, Jr., 16, and Anthony Monroe, 17, of Washington, D.C., were presented in Superior Court and charged as adults today on the charge of first degree felony murder while armed, stemming from the homicide of 17-year-old A.C., on September 11, 2023, in front of Jersey Mike’s, in the 2300 Block of Washington Place, N.E. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Monroe and Smith were arraigned before Magistrate Judge Eric Glover, today, where they entered pleas of not guilty. The defendants are accused of committing five separate armed robberies beginning at approximately 5:49 a.m., prior to the sixth armed robbery that resulted in A.C.’s death by shooting him in the head. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendants committed first degree felony murder while armed. The court held the defendants without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 4, 2023, before Judge Robert Okun.
An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin DeRiso.
Part-Owner of Internet Provider for U.S. Troops at Kandahar Airfield Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A U.S. businessman pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2007, Robert N. Dooner has lived outside the United States, intermittently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ibiza, Spain. Starting in approximately 2007, Dooner worked as a business associate of Individual-1, an American living abroad. Together with others, including Individual-1, Dooner formed a joint venture incorporated in the UAE to provide internet services to U.S. military personnel at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Individual-1 helped fund the joint venture with proceeds from Company-1 – a business providing commodities to the U.S. Department of Defense in Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
For 2015 through 2019, Dooner evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the profits he earned from his ownership interest in the joint venture, as well as other compensation he received through his work for Individual-1. Dooner diverted his distributions to UAE bank accounts in the name of a Dubai-based shell company and then tried to conceal the foreign bank account records when they were specifically requested by U.S. authorities. In total, Dooner concealed approximately $2 million he earned from 2015 through 2019, causing a tax loss to the IRS of more than $744,977.
Dooner is the fifth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022, Ronald “Ron” Thomas pleaded guilty to tax evasion in April 2022, and Zachary “Zack” Friedman pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022.
Dooner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office thank His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom for their extensive assistance in this matter.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Sarah Ranney and Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
District Man and Maryland Man Sentenced for a Series of Armed Robberies Targeting Area BusinessesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quaysa Flumo, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 234 months in prison and Emmanuel Sumo, 29, of Takoma Park, Md., was sentenced to 214 months for a string of armed robberies that struck a series of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, all within a four-week period in 2018.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Antonio DeVaul, of the Takoma Park, Md., Police Department.
According to the government’s evidence, Flumo and Sumo were members of a trio - which included Enyinna “Reggie” Onyewu, 31, of Silver Spring, Md. – and were found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court on March 28, 2022, of federal conspiracy, robbery, and (for Flumo and Sumo) related weapons charges. The government’s evidence showed that Onyewu took part in five of the robberies; Sumo in seven of the robberies; and Flumo in all 10 of the robberies.
Throughout January 2018, the defendants, working together, robbed a series of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In each of the robberies, the defendants were armed with a .45 caliber handgun. They wore masks and gloves to avoid being identified. During several robberies, they physically assaulted store employees and put the gun directly to the heads of their victims. The robberies took place at various hours, including some in broad daylight. The victims were left shaken and shocked by the incidents. Fortunately, none of them sustained serious physical injuries.
At trial, the government presented testimony from nearly 30 witnesses. The first robbery took place on Jan. 2, 2018, at a gas station in Silver Spring. Other targets were in Takoma Park, Md., Silver Spring, Md., Northwest Washington, and Arlington, Va. On Jan. 10, 2018, two robberies took place within a 45-minute period. The final robbery in the series took place on Jan. 29, 2018, at another gas station in Silver Spring.
Onyewu was arrested on Oct. 22, 2020; Sumo on Nov. 23, 2020, and Flumo on Apr. 27, 2021. Onyewu was sentenced Aug. 18, 2023, to 166 months in federal prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg.
Flumo and Sumo were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta who also ordered three years of supervised release for each defendant.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Chief Jones, and Chief DeVaul commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the Montgomery Co. Police Department, the Takoma Park Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s Co. Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department.
They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Mary Downing, and Kim Hall, Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Candice Wong of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO), who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault While Armed Following Near Fatal Car CrashRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shaquille Taylor, 27, of Washington D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of the May 2022 aggravated assault of a man at the intersection of 12th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Michael Buck of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. The verdict was returned late today. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2024.
Taylor was found guilty at trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and malicious destruction of property. The defendant was acquitted of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser firearms offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:00 AM on May 6, 2022, a United States Secret Service police officer attempted a traffic stop on a black Nissan Altima driven by the defendant in the area of Massachusetts Avenue and 17th Street NW. After partially exiting the vehicle, the defendant got back in the car and fled at a high rate of speed. At the intersection of 12th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, the defendant ran the red light and crashed the Altima into a green Jaguar being operated by another motorist, causing near fatal injuries. An analysis of computer equipment from the Altima showed that the vehicle was traveling just under 100 MPH in the seconds before the crash. A firearm was recovered from the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle driven by the defendant.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by AUSAs Kathryn Bartz and Benjamin Helfand of the Major Crimes Unit of the USAO.
Former Employee of Care Facility Sentenced for Criminal Negligence of a Vulnerable AdultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kelly Barry, 25, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in Superior Court for one count of criminal negligence of a vulnerable adult, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, made the announcement.
Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow accepted Barry’s guilty plea today and ordered 180 days in jail, with a portion of that time suspended, 14 months of supervised probation, 90 hours of community service, and ordered that Barry be prohibited from working with anyone who cannot care for themselves.
According to court documents, Barry, was a former Direct Support Professional for Community Options, Inc., a residential facility for persons with disabilities, located in Rockville, Maryland. Barry’s job duties included taking individuals on outings in the local community, such as bowling, etc. for approximately three to four hours a day, five times per week. Between June and October 2022, Barry provided care to a vulnerable adult, who is non-verbal, autistic, and unable to care for himself. Instead of going to various community outings, Barry used the Community Options van to make food deliveries with the vulnerable adult.
On October 19, 2022, Barry utilized the Community Options van to pick up the vulnerable adult. That day, Barry drove to Washington, D.C., and made a total of five food deliveries. While making the final delivery, Barry exited the vehicle and left the vulnerable adult unattended. After the delivery was completed, Barry observed a masked individual steal the vehicle while the vulnerable adult was still inside the van. During his initial call to 911, Barry failed to mention that the vulnerable adult was in the stolen vehicle and subsequently failed to notify the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer who arrived on scene of the same. After, Barry informed his employer that he did not notify police that the vulnerable adult was still in the vehicle, and the company advised him to provide that information to the authorities. However, Barry did not provide this information during his subsequent notification. Approximately three and a half hours after the theft of the van, the vulnerable adult was found by the Prince George’s County Police Department, barefoot and wandering in the middle of traffic on the I-495 Capital Beltway. The Prince George’s County Police Department transported the vulnerable adult to a local hospital for treatment.
This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (D.C. OIG) to protect vulnerable adults. The D.C. OIG operates the District’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which is statutorily responsible for investigating and prosecuting District Medicaid provider fraud as well as abuse or neglect of residents in health care facilities and board and care facilities and of beneficiaries in noninstitutional or other settings. The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud and abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. If you have information about individuals committing these types of offenses, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS [202-724-8477].
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. OIG MFCU. They also acknowledged the efforts of both the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and Prince George’s County Police Department for their initial response. They commended the work of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the D.C. OIG, who prosecuted the case.
Visiting Brazilian Attorney Pleads Guilty to Insider TradingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Brazilian national, previously working in the U.S. as a visiting international attorney, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to a charge of insider trading charges for trading based on material, nonpublic information, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto (Costa), 33, of Rio de Janeiro, had been residing and working as a visiting attorney in Washington D.C., on a one-year J-1 Visa, at a global U.S. law firm (the Law Firm). Costa was arrested on Aug. 22, 2023, by agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
“This attorney stole material non-public information, betrayed his law firm, victimized its client companies, and monetized those insider secrets to gain an illegal advantage on other investors,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The FBI and the Department of Justice will move quickly to arrest and prosecute those who game the system to enrich themselves while, in the process, undermining the investing public’s confidence in the securities markets.”
Costa pleaded before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023
According to court documents, Costa began working in the U.S. for the Law Firm in September 2022. Until the FBI arrested him in August, Costa executed multiple stock trades in companies represented by the Law Firm. As confirmed by the Law Firm records, Costa accessed internal Law Firm files in advance of public market-moving announcement.
According to the plea agreement, one of these trades involved Company B, a Seattle-based biotech company represented by the Law Firm. In or around April of 2023, Company C, a Swedish international biopharmaceutical company, began negotiations to acquire Company B. Both Company B and C were public companies. Company B’s Board of Directors held several meetings throughout April and into early May discussing transaction prices and terms of the sale. Representatives of the Law Firm attended these meetings and prepared documents relating to these meetings.
In early May 2023, Company B, whose stock was trading at around $4.80, informed Company C that they would sell to Company C for a price above $9.00 per share. On May 9, 2023, Company C relayed an offer to buy all outstanding common stock in Company B for $9.10 per share. The stock was trading at $4.82 on May 9, 2023. The Board of Directors approved the sale at $9.10 and both Company B and C announced the $1.7 billion transaction in the early morning hours of May 10, 2023. Trading in Company B opened at $8.91 per share on May 10, 2023.
According to public documents, Costa used two online trading firms to purchase 10,400 shares in Company B on May 9, 2023, for $49,976. Costa then sold his holdings in Company B on May 10, 2023, for $92,635.24, resulting in a one-day investment profit of $42,649.13.
According to the complaint, Costa improperly accessed Law Firm files related to Company B in the lead up to this merger. Costa was not assigned to this transaction and had no legitimate reason to access and view these files related to this matter. Costa accessed files over 100 times in advance of the sale.
The complaint further alleged that on June 2, 2023, Costa purchased stock in Company E – another company that was represented by the Law Firm – one day before Company E went public with information about drug treatment for patients with a specific cancer. The stock rose following the announcement. Costa sold his position on June 5, 2023.
On June 6, 2023, the Law Firm issued an opinion related to a secondary stock offering on behalf of Company E. The opinion had the effect of driving down the value of the stock. Costa was able to purchase shares of Company E immediately before a positive market event and then quickly sell before the subsequent negative market event, profiting by approximately $1,000 from these transactions. According to the complaint, Costa improperly accessed Law Firm files related to this matter in the lead up to the announcements. Costa was not assigned to this matter and had no legitimate reason for accessing these files.
In another instance, Costa allegedly improperly accessed Law Firm documents and files related to Company F, another firm client. On June 15, 2023, Company F and Company G announced a merger in an all-stock deal to create a $5.4 billion oilfield services firm. Between June 8, 2023, and June 12, 2023, Costa purchased approximately 7,000 shares of Company G in advance of this merger announcement. He subsequently sold the shares and profited approximately $8,500 from the transactions. Costa was not assigned to this matter and had no legitimate reason to access these files.
Insider trading carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge also carries potential financial penalties. 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.
Costa also faces additional charges of securities violations in a parallel civil complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office.
The SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges Costa with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.
The SEC case originated from the SEC's Market Abuse Unit's Analysis and Detection Center, which uses data analysis tools to detect suspicious trading patterns. The SEC referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Indicted on First Degree Murder and Other Charges for a Shooting Rampage on WMATA SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Trotman, 32 of Washington, D.C., was indicted on October 25, 2023, on 52 charges, including first degree murder while armed, for a fatal shooting rampage on February 1, 2023, that claimed the life of 63-year old Robert Cunningham and left two other people injured, at and inside the Potomac Avenue Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment charges Trotman with multiple counts, each, of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping while armed, destroying property, and carrying a pistol without a license.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Branch and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jackson.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Armed Bank Robberies and ThreatsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Stubblefield, 66, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison in connection with two armed bank robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Honorable Jason Park of the D.C. Superior Court sentenced Stubblefield to 15 years in prison for each bank robbery and 22 months in prison for felony threats, with each of those sentences to run concurrently. As part of the sentence, Judge Park ordered five years of supervised release and a $300 payment to the fund established by the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation Act.
According to the government’s evidence, Stubblefield threatened to blow up bank tellers at a Truist Bank branch located at Dupont Circle and escaped with $10,000. On August 3, 2023, a jury found Stubblefield guilty of robbery while armed and felony threats in connection with a bank robbery he committed on October 20, 2022. Following that conviction, Stubblefield pleaded guilty to robbery for a second bank robbery. In that offense, on November 15, 2022, Stubblefield robbed the Peoples Bank located north of Dupont Circle. He entered the Peoples Bank around noon disguised with a hat, mask, sunglasses, and dark clothing. He threatened to shoot the bank tellers, putting them in fear for their lives, and demanded money. He left moments later with $7,370 in cash.
Stubblefield was arrested on November 15, 2022, and remains in custody.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team. They thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Laboratory for providing valuable assistance. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce, and Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Antoinette Sakamsa, with valuable assistance from AUSAs Paul Courtney and Jessica Ans.
Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced for the June Killing of a 62-year-Old ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarcus Barnett, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on October 27, 2023, to eight and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release for voluntary manslaughter while armed. The charge stems from the shooting of 62-year-old Lasanta Qumar McGill, on June 8, 2023, in the Westminster neighborhood.
Barnett pleaded guilty to the offense on August 27, 2023, admitting that after being robbed by two individuals, he chased after them and fired wildly down the sidewalk. In doing so, he struck and killed Mr. McGill, an innocent bystander. The government requested a sentence of 15 years, the top of the range provided by the Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, given Barnett’s criminal history.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Gibbons.
Two District Men Plead Guilty to 2021 Murder of Kerry Odoms in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Andre Smith, 27, and Malachi McFarland, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second degree murder while armed in the April 2021 shooting death of Kerry Odoms, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2024, before the Honorable Robert Okun.
According to the government’s evidence, just prior to the homicide, Kerry Odoms, 29, of Washington, D.C., was socializing on Apr. 15, 2021 with a group of people that included McFarland, in the parking lot of 3319 10th Place SE, in the Congress Heights neighborhood.
Smith approached the group and moments later, at 9:54 p.m., lunged toward Odoms while firing multiple gunshots. As Smith began shooting at Odoms, McFarland ran a short distance away, returned, and fired a second round of gunshots directly at Odoms. The gunfire from both defendants killed Odoms, who suffered eight gunshot wounds.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting 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 Andrea Antonelli, Jin Park, and former AUSA Steven Rickard, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds Metro Attacker Guilty of Assault with Significant Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A jury, today, found Neal Pitt, 36, of Washington, D.C., guilty of assault with significant bodily injury in an attack that took place on the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station platform on March 9, 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD).
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Erik Christian scheduled sentencing for February 14, 2024. Holman faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for the crimes.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:45 a.m. on March 9, 2021, Daniel Olsen was traveling to work when, without provocation, the defendant followed Olsen on the Branch Avenue-bound platform, grabbed Olsen by the throat, and slammed Olsen to the ground. Mr. Olsen landed on his right shoulder, resulting in a broken humerus that required surgery and months of physical therapy to repair. Pitt fled the scene but was identified based on CCTV footage, SmarTrip records, and his own statements that placed him at the scene of the crime.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Coates Huether, Travis Wolf, Bonnie Lindemann, Sandra Braschi, and Benjamin Bleiberg, who initially investigated the case. Finally, they commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kraig Ahalt and Shaniqua Butler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Aggravated Assault and Other Charges for Disfiguring Woman with Boiling LiquidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tesfay Teshale, 51, of Springfield, Virginia, was sentenced on October 27, 2023 to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for aggravated assault while armed, malicious disfigurement while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon for an assault that included pouring boiling liquid on the female victim, resulting in second-degree burns on her body, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Pamela Smith, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Teshale was found guilty on August 16, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Jason Park.
The defendant and the victim had dated. According to the government’s evidence, when the victim decided to break off the relationship, the defendant stalked, harassed, and assaulted her because he could not handle the rejection. On June 14, 2019, the defendant cornered the victim, punched her multiple times in the face, knocked her down, and, while she was down, poured an urn of boiling liquid onto her. The defendant then left her there, bleeding, badly burned, and in extreme pain. The victim managed to call for help and District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported her to the hospital where she was treated for contusions, abrasions, and bruises to her face, as well as second-degree burns.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting 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 Brian Yang, Zachary Horton, Cara Gardner, Emma McArthur, Chimnomnso Kalu, Nick Coleman, and Dan Lenerz, Paralegal Specialists ReShawn Johnson, Arielle Okpara, and Veronica Yale, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad, Victim/Witness Advocate Rodgers Dickerson, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington, Tonya Jones, and Basizette Stribling, and interns Adam Russell, Izzy Metee, and Louis Villacci.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shakinah Douglas and Richard Kelley, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault and Related Firearms Offenses in July 2020 ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vincent James, 39, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury on felony assault charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
James was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) following a three-day trial in D.C. Superior Court. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe detained James pending sentencing scheduled for January 12, 2024.
On July 30, 2020, at approximately 2:00 a.m., James shot the complaining witness multiple times in the torso while in the parking lot of Spar Liquors, located at 3916 South Capitol Street, SE. The victim collapsed at a nearby bus stop before being transported to Washington Hospital Center where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds. James was identified from surveillance footage from a nearby AutoZone where he made a purchase using his loyalty account earlier in the day.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Forgie and Ron Chester.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Armed Robberies of Businesses in the Adams Morgan NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tarik Laghrib, 44, of Northwest Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to multiple violent crime offenses arising from a series of armed and unarmed robberies and burglaries that targeted small businesses in the District’s Adams Morgan neighborhood in January and February of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, MPD officers arrested Laghrib in the early hours of Feb. 19, 2023, hours after he assaulted and robbed a clerk at Metro Wine & Spirits on the 1700 block of Columbia Rd. Police tracked Laghrib to a nearby apartment building. Officers apprehended Laghrib when he later emerged with a bottle of stolen liquor. Police had been investigating several other burglaries and robberies in the community that had begun in January 2023. As a result of the investigation, police and prosecutors linked Laghrib to that crime spree, which ended with Laghrib’s arrest and pre-trial detention.
As part of his plea agreement, Laghrib admitted in D.C. Superior Court to the armed robbery of the liquor store and also admitted to an assault and second-degree theft at the Chocolate House on 18th Street on Feb. 2, 2023. In addition, he admitted that he returned to the Chocolate House the next day and robbed its owner. Minutes after that robbery, Laghrib proceeded to the Cosmo Nail Bar where he committed another robbery.
Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2024. Laghrib faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $75,000 for the armed robbery count, and an additional 15 years in prison and $37,500 fine for each of the additional robbery counts.
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Third District Detectives Unit and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Faulkner, Jr. and Joshua Hall.
D.C. Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Lonnell Hart, 50, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, in U.S. District Court, to 132 months in prison for multiple armed robberies committed in 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”).
Hart pleaded guilty on July 8, 2022, to four counts of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery, also known as Hobbs Act robbery. As part of the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered 36 months of supervised release and $14,050 in restitution.
According to court documents, between August 15, 2017, and October 25, 2017, Hart robbed four Washington, D.C. CVS pharmacies. During each of those robberies, Hart brandished a loaded firearm and pointed it at employees in order to gain their compliance with his demands. Hart then ordered the employees to provide him with cash from the pharmacies’ safes, as well as the registers. During one robbery, Hart pointed a loaded firearm at the belly of a pregnant woman when his demands were not immediately met.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory P. Rosen and James B. Nelson.
D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a HandgunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Michael Stewart, 29, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute N, N-Dimethylpentylone, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Stewart entered the guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 25, 2024. Stewart has been detained since Jan. 8, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 8, 2023, at about 2:35 a.m., officers observed Stewart in the area of 7th and T Streets, Northwest. As officers approached him, Stewart ran diagonally through an intersection with oncoming traffic from at least one direction. Stewart subsequently was apprehended. Officers recovered a black Ruger SR9C firearm from his person. The gun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 15 rounds in the magazine. The extended magazine in the Ruger had a total capacity of 17 rounds. A records check revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen in Atlanta. Officers also recovered two folded $1 bills with white power inside, a scale, $435 in small denomination bills, and 61.8 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a designer drug.
This case was investigated by the MPD and the ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud.
Yon chèf gang ayisyen akize pou zak kidnaping ki lakòz lanmò yon sitwayen ameriken nan peyi Dayiti nan mwa oktòb 2022Read the Press Release
Yon ak akizasyon ki te depoze nan distri Columbia epi ki pibliye jodi a akize sitwayen ayisyen Vitel’homme Innocent, chèf gang Kraze Baryè a, pou wòl li ta sanse jwe nan pran de sitwayen ameriken kòm otaj avèk zam nan peyi Dayiti nan mwa oktòb 2022. Pandan zak sa, youn nan sitwayen yo te rive mouri.
Se pwokirè Ameriken Matye M. Graves ak Ajan espesyal ki responsab biwo FBI nan Miami, Jeffrey B. Veltri, ki anonse ak akizasyon sa.
Daprè ak akizasyon an, Vitel’homme Innocent ak gang Krazye Barye ap opere nan depatman Lwès nan peyi Dayiti, ki gen ladann zòn Dèlma, Tòsèl, ak Taba. Gang sa a patisipe nan kidnape moun pou lajan, vòlè ak vòlè machin.
Vitel’homme Innocent te bay manm nan gang nan lòd pou yo kidnape Jean Franklin ak Marie Odette Franklin lakay yo nan peyi Dayiti 7 oktòb 2022. Nan dat sa a, manm gang yo ki te gen zam nan men yo te antre nan kay Franklin yo epi eseye kidnape koup lan. Pandan kidnaping la, Marie Odette Franklin te rive pèdi lavi li. Yo te kidnape mari an epi kenbe misye nan yon kote yo sekrè nan peyi Dayiti. Pandan Jean Franklin te nan men kidnapè yo, Vitel’homme Innocent te patisipe nan negosyasyon pou lajan an echanj pou liberasyon Jean Franklin. Jean Franklin te jwenn liberasyon li nan dat 28 oktòb 2022, aprè yo te fin peye gang nan lajan nan non fanmi Franklin.
Pwokirè Ameriken Graves fè konnen : « Nou rete fèm nan misyon nou pou kenbe moun k ap komèt krim vyolan kont sitwayen ameriken nan peyi Dayiti yo responsab pou zak yo ». « Gang yo ak chèf gang nan peyi Dayiti yo dwe peye pou zak atwosite yo ap fè kont sivil inosan. Nou pral sèvi ak tout metòd nou genyen nan dispozisyon nou yo pou arete ak trennen devan lajistis moun ki fè vye zak sa yo ».
Ajan espesyal Veltri deklare : « Ak akizasyon ki pibliye jodi a montre angajman FBI pou li swiv prèv yo nenpòt kote yo mennen, epi jwenn [chache] chimen ki mennen li kote chèf konplo kriminèl yo nenpòt kote yo ye a ». « Ni tan, ni distans pap fè volonte nou febli. Nou pral sèvi ak tout zouti ki disponib epi nou prale nan tout kwen latè pou nou jwenn epi mennen devan lajistis sila kap chache fè Ameriken mal yo».
Vitel’homme Innocent toujou nan kouri. Li ta dwe ap viv nan zòn Taba, nan peyi Dayiti. Gen chans pou Vitel’homme Innocent akize de lòt move zak toujou nan distri Columbia pou sa ki gen rapò ak wòl li nan kidnape 16 sitwayen ameriken nan otòn nan 2021. Dosye sa a nan egzamen.
Si yo ta rekonèt li koupab, Vitel’homme Innocent riske jwenn yon kondanasyon pou prizon avi oswa pèn lanmò.
Biwo lokal FBI nan Miami ap mennen ankèt sou dosye sa, avèk èd biwo Atache jiridik FBI nan peyi Dayiti, ak èd Sèvis Sekirite Diplomatik nan Depatman Deta. Se pwokirè federal adjwen Jack F. Korba ki responsab Dosye a.
Akizasyon ki nan ak akizasyon sa a se jis akizasyon. Tout moun yo akize prezime inosan jiskaske yon tribinal pwouve ke li koupab san kite plas pou tout dout rezonab.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing and Discharging Firearms in Relation to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trenton Robinson, 28, of District Heights, Maryland pleaded guilty today to brandishing and discharging firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2024.
The announcement was made 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 Craig B. Kailimai, of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Interim Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Robinson is one of more than two dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 49 pounds of marijuana, 61 grams of crack cocaine, 23 firearms including three fully automatic machineguns, and more than $497,000 in cash.
Robinson, who utilized the street nickname “Zulu,” pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, and one count of discharging a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Robinson and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Robinson distributed marijuana in bulk quantities and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory.
As part of his plea agreement, Robinson admitted that he conspired with others to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. Robinson also admitted that he conspired with others to use, carry, and possess firearms in relation to drug trafficking. Finally, Robinson admitted to carrying and brandishing firearms on multiple occasions between January 2, 2020, and May 30, 2020, when necessary to defend the co-conspirators, their drugs, or their cash. Robinson also admitted that, on April 12, 2020, he brandished and discharged a fully automatic .223 caliber AR-Pistol at the driver of a passing vehicle in the co-conspirators’ drug-dealing territory. Robinson faces a mandatory-minimum sentence of 17 years in prison.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Interim Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI, ATF, and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Two People with a KnifeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lawrence Twisdale, 50, pleaded guilty today to assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her son in 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Lawrence Twisdale pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (a knife). Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2024, before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 29, 2021, Twisdale went to 411 P Street NW at some point in the morning. This location was the residence of his ex-girlfriend, who had broken up with him a few weeks before. The victim allowed him in but quickly realized Twisdale was under the influence of PCP. An argument ensued regarding Twisdale’s drug use, at which point Twisdale pulled a black folding knife from his pocket and attacked the victim with it by swinging it at her and knocking her over. He struck her in the face, the back, and the left arm with the knife, causing multiple lacerations. When the victim’s son entered the room to intervene, Twisdale started swinging the knife and eventually stabbed the second victim in the chest. Twisdale left the victims’ residence as the ambulance was arriving. He was apprehended by MPD on that same day.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde, who prosecuted the case, and AUSA Sara Hanson, who investigated and indicted the case.
Líder de pandilla haitiana acusado de delitos de toma de rehenes que resultaron en la muerte de un ciudadano estadounidense en Haití en octubre de 2022Read the Press Release
Note: View the indictment, the wanted poster, and the reward poster here.
Una acusación, presentada en el Distrito de Columbia y revelada hoy, acusa a Vitel'homme Innocent, ciudadano haitiano y líder de la pandilla Kraze Barye, por su presunto rol en la retención armada de dos ciudadanos estadounidenses, uno de los cuales fue asesinado durante el evento en octubre de 2002 en Haití.
La acusación fue anunciada por el fiscal federal Matthew M. Graves y el Agente Especial a Cargo del FBI, Jeffrey B. Veltri, de la oficina regional de Miami.
Según la acusación, Vitel'homme Innocent y la pandilla Krazye Barye operan en el área de Ouest de Haití, que incluye Delmas, Torcelle y Tabarre. La pandilla participa activamente en secuestros para exigir rescate, extorsión y robo de automóviles.
Vitel'homme Innocent dio la orden a los pandilleros de secuestrar a Jean Franklin y Marie Odette Franklin de su casa en Haití el 7 de octubre de 2022. En esa fecha, pandilleros armados forzaron la entrada a la residencia de Franklin e intentaron secuestrar a la pareja a la fuerza. Durante el secuestro, Marie Odette Franklin fue asesinada a tiros por los pandilleros. Su esposo fue llevado en cautiverio y retenido en un lugar no revelado en Haití. Mientras Jean Franklin estaba en cautiverio, Vitel'homme Innocent participó en las negociaciones de rescate a cambio de la liberación de Jean Franklin. Jean Franklin fue liberado de su cautiverio el 28 de octubre de 2022, luego de los pagos de rescate realizados por su familia a la pandilla.
"Nos mantenemos firmes en nuestra misión de procesar a los responsables de crímenes violentos cometidos contra ciudadanos estadounidenses en Haití", dijo el fiscal federal Graves. "Las pandillas y los líderes de las pandillas en Haití deben rendir cuentas por las atrocidades cometidas contra la población civil. Utilizaremos todos los medios a nuestra disposición para detener y enjuiciar a quienes cometan actos tan atroces".
"La acusación revelada hoy demuestra el compromiso del FBI de seguir la evidencia dondequiera que nos lleve y de perseverar hasta dar con los líderes de los complots criminales donde sea que estén", dijo el Agente Especial a Cargo Veltri. "Ni el tiempo ni la distancia debilitarán nuestra determinación. Utilizaremos todas las herramientas disponibles e iremos a los confines del mundo para llevar ante la justicia a aquellos que buscan hacerle daño a los estadounidenses".
Vitel'homme Innocent sigue prófugo y se cree que reside en Tabarre, Haití. Vitel'homme Innocent enfrenta cargos adicionales en el Distrito de Columbia relacionados con su rol en el secuestro de 16 ciudadanos estadounidenses en el otoño de 2021, por el cual fue acusado. En el otoño de 2022, el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos anunció una recompensa hasta de $1 millón de dólares por información llevando a arresto y/o conviccion de Vitel'homme Innocent. La recompensa se ofrece bajo el Programa de Recompensas contra el Crimen Organizado Transnacional.
Si es declarado culpable, Vitel'homme Innocent se enfrenta a una pena máxima de cadena perpetua o podría enfrentar la pena de muerte.
Este caso está siendo investigado por la oficina regional del FBI en Miami, con la asistencia de la oficina del Agregado Jurídico del FBI en Haití y con la valiosa asistencia del Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado. El caso está siendo procesado por el fiscal federal adjunto Jack F. Korba.
Los cargos en una acusación son meramente acusaciones, y cada acusado se presume inocente a menos y hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
Haitian Gang Leader Charged with Hostage Taking Offenses that Resulted in the Death of a U.S. Citizen in Haiti in October 2022Read the Press Release
Note: View the indictment, the wanted poster, and the reward poster here.
An indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, was unsealed today charging Vitel’homme Innocent, a Haitian national and leader of the Kraze Barye gang, for his alleged role in the October 2022 armed hostage taking, in Haiti, of two U.S. citizens, one of whom was killed during the event.
According to the indictment, Innocent and the Kraze Barye gang operate in the Ouest department of Haiti to include Delmas, Torcelle, and Tabarre. The gang actively participates in kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and car thefts.
Innocent ordered gang members to kidnap Jean Franklin and Marie Odette Franklin from their home in Haiti on Oct. 7, 2022. On that date, armed gang members forced entry into the Franklin residence and attempted to kidnap the couple by force. During the kidnapping, Marie Odette Franklin was shot and killed by the gang members. Her husband was taken into captivity and held at an undisclosed location in Haiti. While Jean Franklin was in captivity, Innocent participated in ransom negotiations in exchange for Jean Franklin’s release. Jean Franklin was released from captivity on Oct. 28, 2022, following ransom payments made to the gang on behalf of his family.
“As alleged in the indictment, Vitel’homme Innocent, a leader of the Kraze Barye gang in Haiti, directed gang members to kidnap two American citizens for ransom, ultimately resulting in the death of one of the victims,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is vigorously pursuing those who harm or endanger Americans living in Haiti.”
“We remain steadfast in our mission to hold those responsible for violent crimes committed against U.S. citizens in Haiti,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “The gangs and gang leaders in Haiti must be held accountable for their atrocities committed against innocent civilians. We will utilize all methods at our disposal to apprehend and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts.”
“The indictment unsealed today demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use all tools available and go to the farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who seek to harm Americans.”
Innocent remains at large and is believed to reside in Tabarre, Haiti. Innocent faces additional charges in the District of Columbia related to his role in the kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in the Fall of 2021, for which he was indicted. In the fall of 2022, the U.S. State Department announced a reward offer of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Vitel’homme Innocent. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
If convicted, Innocent faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or could face the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance fromthe FBI Legal Attaché Office in Haiti and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michael Watts for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendant are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Haitian Gang Leader Charged with Hostage Taking Offenses that Resulted in the Death of a U.S. Citizen in Haiti in October 2022Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment, filed in the District of Columbia and unsealed today, charges Vitel’homme Innocent, a Haitian national and leader of the Kraze Barye gang, for his alleged role in the October 2022 armed hostage taking, in Haiti, of two U.S. citizens, one of whom was killed during the event.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, of the Miami Field Office.
According to the indictment, Vitel’homme Innocent and the Kraze Barye gang operate in the Ouest department of Haiti to include Delmas, Torcelle, and Tabarre. The gang actively participates in kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and car thefts.
Vitel’homme Innocent ordered gang members to kidnap Jean Franklin and Marie Odette Franklin from their home in Haiti on October 7, 2022. On that date, armed gang members forced entry into the Franklin residence and attempted to kidnap the couple by force. During the kidnapping, Marie Odette Franklin was shot and killed by the gang members. Her husband was taken into captivity and held at an undisclosed location in Haiti. While Jean Franklin was in captivity, Vitel’homme Innocent participated in ransom negotiations in exchange for Jean Franklin’s release. Jean Franklin was released from captivity on October 28, 2022, following ransom payments made to the gang on behalf of his family.
“As alleged in the indictment, Vitel’homme Innocent, a leader of the Kraze Barye gang in Haiti, directed gang members to kidnap two American citizens for ransom, ultimately resulting in the death of one of the victims,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is vigorously pursuing those who harm or endanger Americans living in Haiti.”
“We remain steadfast in our mission to hold those responsible for violent crimes committed against U.S. citizens in Haiti,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The gangs and gang leaders in Haiti must be held accountable for their atrocities committed against innocent civilians. We will utilize all methods at our disposal to apprehend and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts."
“The indictment unsealed today demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are,” said Special Agent in Charge Veltri. “Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use all tools available and go to the farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who seek to harm Americans.”
Vitel’homme Innocent remains at large and is believed to reside in Tabarre, Haiti. Vitel’homme Innocent faces additional charges in the District of Columbia related to his role in the kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in the Fall of 2021, for which he was indicted. In the Fall of 2022, the U.S. State Department announced a reward offer of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Vitel’homme Innocent. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
If convicted, Vitel’homme Innocent faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or could face the death penalty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Haiti and with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michael Watts for the District of Columbia.
Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Julian Wesley Gentry, 33, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on May 1, 2022, in the 600 block of H Street Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gentry pleaded guilty in the United States 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. Judge Timothy J. Kelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 12, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 1, 2022, shortly after 1:00 a.m., a security guard who was working at a bar in the 600 block of H Street Northwest, in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood, called 911 to report that a man wearing a white dress shirt—later identified as Gentry—had displayed a firearm that he was carrying in his underwear. The 911 caller provided a detailed description of armed suspect and his two companions, and he stated that the suspect was sitting on the steps of a closed restaurant just across the street. Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department located and approached Gentry, who ran into the middle of the street, where he was stopped seconds later. During a protective pat down, officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm from the Gentry’s waistband, consistent with the 911 caller’s report. During a search of Gentry’s person following his arrest, an additional, loose round of ammunition was found in his pants pocket.
Gentry was arrested on May 1, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since.
Federal law prohibits Gentry from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2019 conviction for reckless endangerment in Montgomery County, Maryland, for which he was on probation at the time of this offense.
Gentry faces a maximum sentence of 10 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 United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who prosecuted the case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Attacking Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Clifford Mackrell, 22, of Wellington, Ohio, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that he forcibly assaulted a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 5, 2023.
According to court documents, Mackrell traveled from his home in Ohio to Washington, D.C., to participate in the January 6 political rally at the Ellipse. At the rally, Mackrell wore a red shirt covered by a heavy blue-toned, striped jacket and heavy tan-colored gloves. He also carried a black backpack and donned a gas mask. Following the speeches, he marched to the Capitol.
Around 2:30 p.m., Mackrell positioned himself on the front line of rioters on the west front of the U.S. Capitol building. While on the front line of rioters, he engaged with and assaulted law enforcement officers from both the USCP and the Metropolitan Police Department who were on a line attempting to hold back the mob.
At 2:30 p.m., Mackrell pushed back barricades with other rioters, forcing law enforcement to abandon their line and retreat closer to the Capitol building to form a new protective line without the use of barricades.
While there, between 2:28 p.m. and 2:35 p.m., Mackrell engaged in multiple assaults and unlawful conduct, which included striking and pushing officers who were engaged in and assisting officers of the United States in the performance of official duties. Specifically, Mackrell attempted to push an MPD officer, then successfully struck and pulled down the officer’s gas mask as the officer tried to help hold a line against rioters. In his plea agreement, Mackrell admitted that when he struck the officer and pulled down the officer’s gas mask, he knew the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
In another instance, Mackrell helped push a piece of what appeared to be plywood into a line of officers, pushing them off the protective line. When the plywood fell, another rioter pushed an officer to the ground. Mackrell then physically confronted other law enforcement officers on the front line by pushing them.
The FBI arrested Mackrell in Wellington on Mar. 17, 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Field Office, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Four Gang Members Sentenced in the Murder of 10-year old Makiyah WilsonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Four members of the Wellington Park Crew were sentenced today for the murder of 10-year old Makiyah Wilson, an innocent bystander gunned down on July 16, 2018, in the courtyard of a Washington, D.C. apartment complex. The shooting also left multiple people wounded.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Qujuan Thomas, 24, was sentenced to 68 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.
Darrise Jeffers, 23, was sentenced to 35 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. Mr. Jeffers was found guilty under an aiding and abetting theory and was not identified as an actual shooter in this case.
Quentin Michals, 25, was sentenced to 40 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Mr. Michals was found guilty under an aiding and abetting theory and was not identified as an actual shooter in this case.
Gregory Taylor, 27, was sentenced to 65 years in prison today by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun after being found guilty on June 13 of first degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses.
Two other defendants - Isaiah Murchison and Marquell Cobbs - were sentenced on October 6, 2023 to 60 years and 72 month in prison, respectively.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 16, 2018, defendants Isaiah Murchison, Gregory Taylor, Qujuan Thomas, and two other individuals drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately. Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded. Defendants Quentin Michals and Darrise Jeffers assisted the shooters by obtaining the weapons and vehicle used in the shooting. Despite having witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Branch, especially Detective Konstantinos (Gus) Giannakoulias, who investigated the case, and members of the prosecution team, including Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, IT Specialist Charlie Bruce, IT Project Manager Deon Williams, Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, USAO Criminal Investigator Neil D’Cunha, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Melissa Jackson, along with former AUSA John Timmer, who investigated the case. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces 60 Percent Increase in Day-of-Arrest Prosecution RatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced an increase of over 60 percent in the percent of cases charged by the Office in D.C. Superior Court at the time of arrest. This increase occurred after the District secured a contract that provided sufficient drug testing capacity in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced a 58 percent increase in federal prosecutions targeting individuals responsible for violence in the community. These cases included charges for kidnapping, carjacking, robberies of commercial establishments, firearms, and murder.
“Our top priority has been to prosecute the drivers of violence in both District Court and Superior Court, to remove the threat posed by those individuals, and to give the neighborhoods they terrorize time to heal,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Currently, approximately 60 percent of arrests for D.C. Code offenses are charged immediately after arrest by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Superior Court, or transferred for prosecution to U.S. District Court or the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. The Office continues to charge 90 percent of the most serious violent crimes (homicide, carjacking, assault with intent to kill, and first-degree sexual abuse) at the time of arrest.
The overall day-of-arrest charging rate for Fiscal Year 2023 prosecutions in Superior Court increased to 44 percent. During the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023, the District secured additional drug testing capacity to address the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences’ loss of accreditation in April 2021. Thereafter, in the final quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 (July – September 2023), the Office charged 53 percent of arrests in Superior Court at the time of arrest, and transferred 5 percent of arrests for prosecution by the Office in U.S. District Court or by the District’s Office of the Attorney General.
Of the remaining approximately 40 percent of D.C. arrests, roughly half were arrests where the victim did not want to participate or proceed and the Office respected their wishes. Nearly all of these cases involved misdemeanor charges. In approximately 13 percent of arrests, the Office lacked sufficient evidence to charge the case at the time of arrest, and in about three percent of arrests, the Office determined that the arrested individual had a valid affirmative defense, such as self-defense. In the remaining seven percent of cases, the Office exercised its prosecutorial discretion not to charge an arrest, typically in low-level misdemeanors committed by individuals with no or limited criminal history.
“We will continue to use every available tool in combatting the violent crime crisis we are experiencing in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This includes prosecuting - as adults - those 16- and 17-year olds who are committing pattern or spree armed robberies and carjackings. This includes bringing federal charges against those individuals responsible for gun violence, and coordinating with our federal law enforcement partners in conducting large-scale take-downs in communities being ravaged by violence. We will do everything we can to relentlessly attack them from our lane, using the full force of federal law. One shooting is one too many. One carjacking is one too many. One robbery is one too many.”
Watch this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBK9zF7I_YY
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced today on nine total felony and misdemeanor charges for her actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Rachel Marie Powell, 43, of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth. Judge Lamberth also ordered Powell to pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines, and fees.
Powell was found guilty on July 18, 2023, following a bench trial before Judge Lamberth of civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; destruction of government property; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Powell was one of the first rioters to break through onto Capitol grounds near the Peace Circle. At the West Plaza, Powell pushed against barricades and encouraged other rioters to attack the police line. After the West Plaza was breached, Powell climbed up to the Lower West Terrace (LWT), and eventually entered the Capitol itself through a broken window. Powell later used an ice axe and a battering ram to break through a different window and breach the Capitol at a different location, encouraging other rioters to enter the Capitol. After the riot, instead of remorse, Powell continued to call for political violence.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Powell first attended former President Trump’s rally before joining rioters at the Capitol building and grounds. She was wearing a pink hat, black jacket, and carried a bullhorn. She ignored numerous police orders to leave the grounds. Instead, she repeatedly pushed against the barricades using her hands, shoulders, and back. At approximately 2:28 p.m., rioters breached the police line at the West Plaza and pushed forward toward the Capitol, violently assaulting law enforcement officers along the way. Powell participated in this breach by shoving a barricade against an officer as the police line broke.
Powell is seen in multiple videos and photographs using the bullhorn to further instruct others on how to gain control of the Capitol. One video of Powell depicts a group of individuals inside a room of the Capitol discussing how to penetrate the building further. One individual is heard asking, “What’s the floor plan?” Another shouts, “We just need a plan. We need enough people. We need to push forward.”
Shortly after, Powell is clearly seen speaking through the bullhorn and giving very detailed instructions about the layout of the building to others in the room. Powell can be heard stating that she had just been inside an adjacent room and that they should “coordinate together if you are going to take this building.” Powell also notes that they “have another window to break.”
Law enforcement authorities identified multiple images and videos of Powell during the day’s events, including instances of her using an ice axe to breach windows of the Capitol. Video footage from inside the Capitol building shows Powell entering the building at 2:41 p.m. through the West Lower Terrace exterior door along with a large crowd of rioters. At 5:01 p.m., Powell returned to the left side of the tunnel as part of an effort to coordinate a breakthrough into the Capitol building. That attempt failed when officers emerged from the tunnel and successfully dispersed Powell and the rioters from the area at 5:05 p.m.
On January 7, she posted on social media: “we have given you all a chance to help us settle this peacefully. We have been patient. The time is up.”
In the following days, Powell repeatedly bragged about the aggressive behavior of rioters, their violence towards law enforcement, and the eventual retreat of officers. For example, on January 7, Powell wrote: “IT WAS F--ING WAR TO GET IN. IF YOU WERE NOT HERE THEN STFU.” In another post, she wrote: “There were lots of security. They had to retreat into the building and fight back because patriots were relentless.” In another, Powell replied, “They didn’t open the gates. The people trampled them. It was war.”
The FBI arrested Powell on Feb. 4, 2021, in Pennsylvania. On Apr. 5, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Powell with nine counts.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Pittsburgh and Washington Office, which identified Powell as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #110 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Indictment Charges District Man with First Degree Murder in Killing at the Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment, filed today in Superior Court in the District of Columbia, charges Tyriq Jamal Williams, 32, of Northwest Washington D.C, with first degree murder while armed in the Jan. 7, 2023, shooting death of 20-year-old Terry Clark, of Southeast Washington D.C., outside the entrance to the Navy Yard Metro Station. The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the indictment, Williams and a female companion exited a Green Line Metro train at the Navy Yard Station in Southeast, where they encountered Clark on the escalator leading to the station on Half Street. Clark was bouncing on the stairs and made a fist-pumping gesture with his right hand. Williams separated from his companion at the station exit and waited next to a cement column until Clark walked by him. Williams approached Clark and shot him once in the head. Then Williams turned and walked away in the direction of his companion. He returned to the Metro alone and boarded it again at the station, leaving the area on the Green Line train.
Police responded at 7:55 p.m. and found Clark lying on the sidewalk unconscious and unresponsive in front of the Metro station entrance. A single 9 mm casing was found a few feet south of the victim’s body. Clark was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Williams on Jan. 20, 2023.
A conviction of first-degree murder while armed carries a statutory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life.
This case is being investigated by the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante, 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.
Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating an Individual’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Former United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer Thomas Smith, 46, pleaded guilty today to violating an individual’s civil rights by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit and being deliberately indifferent to the danger he created. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Smith pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. Though USCP policies prohibit vehicular pursuits outside of the Capitol grounds, except in emergencies and upon supervisory approval, Smith conducted the pursuit without seeking such approval.
While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway. As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Contrary to USCP policies, Smith did not notify anyone of the incident, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records in an attempt to cover up the events related to the incident.
“Like all of our law enforcement partners, we know that the overwhelming majority of U.S. Capitol Police officers do their difficult and dangerous jobs honorably and lawfully,” said U.S. Attorney Mathew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “But former officer Smith violated the Constitution and abused his position by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit that resulted in an unnecessary collision that could have had devastating results. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the civil rights of all District residents and to holding accountable individuals who violate those rights.”
“A federal law enforcement officer who abuses his authority by engaging in reckless and obstructive conduct not only violates the law, but also public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “All police officials who deprive citizens of their civil rights will be held accountable. We will aggressively prosecute any law enforcement officer who violates the most basic constitutional rights of our citizens.”
“Contrary to the oath he took as a law enforcement officer and a government employee, Smith endangered and showed disregard for others’ lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “His guilty plea today demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of the American people."
Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs, previously investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charge Related to Hit-And-Run Traffic CrashRead the Press Release
A former United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer pleaded guilty today to violating an individual’s civil rights by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit and being deliberately indifferent to the danger he created.
Thomas Smith, 46, pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. Though USCP policies prohibit vehicular pursuits outside of the Capitol grounds, except in emergencies and upon supervisory approval, Smith conducted the pursuit without seeking such approval.
While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway. As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Contrary to USCP policies, Smith did not notify anyone of the collision, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records related to the incident.
“A federal law enforcement officer who abuses his authority by engaging in reckless and obstructive conduct not only violates the law, but also public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute any law enforcement officer, including those who serve within the ranks of federal law enforcement, when they violate the most basic constitutional rights of our citizens.”
“Like all of our law enforcement partners, we know that the overwhelming majority of U.S. Capitol Police officers do their difficult and dangerous jobs honorably and lawfully,” said U.S. Attorney Mathew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “But former officer Smith violated the Constitution and abused his position by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit that resulted in an unnecessary collision that could have had devastating results. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the civil rights of all District residents and to holding accountable individuals who violate those rights.”
“Contrary to the oath he took as a law enforcement officer and a government employee, Smith endangered and showed disregard for others’ lives,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “His guilty plea today demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of the American people."
Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former FBI Special Agent and D.C. Real Estate Developer Sentenced for Role in Bribery SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Paitsel, 42, a former FBI agent, and Brian Bailey, 53, a D.C. real estate developer were sentenced today on bribery and conspiracy charges for their role in schemes involving confidential information held by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Paitsel, a resident of North Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for each count to run concurrently, 24 months of supervised release, $100 special assessment, and ordered to pay a $10,600 forfeiture money judgment. Bailey, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for each count to run concurrently, 24 months of supervised release, $100 special assessment, and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. A jury convicted both defendants of bribery and conspiracy charges on October 7, 2022.
Bailey was found guilty of giving thousands of dollars in bribes to Dawne Dorsey, a program specialist with the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in exchange for confidential, un-redacted Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) offer of sale notices, which included the names of tenants holding TOPA rights.
TOPA provides tenants living in the District of Columbia with the right to purchase their residence should the owner decide to sell the property. Under TOPA, tenants can re-assign their right to purchase to a third party. TOPA requires the owner (seller) to provide the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development with offer of sale notices before the proposed real estate transaction. The offer of sale notices include, among other things, information not released to the public, such as the names of tenants residing at the property
In a second part of the scheme, Paitsel and Bailey were both found guilty of one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy. Specifically, Bailey paid Paitsel bribes to look up the contact information of the tenants holding TOPA rights, which he did using a database he had special access to as an FBI Agent.
The District of Columbia government employee, Dawne Dorsey, 40, pleaded guilty to bribery in June 2019. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2023. In a related case, Frederick Silvers of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to 5 months’ incarceration for bribes paid to Dorsey.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General.
The trial of the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and John Borchert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Quiana Dunn-Gordon of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Soliciting and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant Belonged to Groups that Discussed the Sexual Abuse of Very Young Children
WASHINGTON – Raymond Glover, 43, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 97 months imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years supervised release, for his criminal conduct which included the distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.
Glover pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, to one felony count of receiving child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.
According to court documents, on or about Sept. 21, 2021, HSI agents searched Glover’s home. During the search, a child pornography video was playing on Glover’s laptop inside his living room, using an application that allowed Glover to share his video screen with other likeminded offenders. The video depicted an infant being sexually abused by an adult man. Agents observed adult men, on another screen, who appeared to be watching the video, and masturbating, while the infant was being sexually assaulted.
Glover stated that some of the child pornography videos posted in the application chat groups depicted children as young as 5 or 6 years of age being abused. Glover stated that members in these chat groups posted links to cloud storage sites which allowed him to gain access to child pornography. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized 13 electronic devices, including two phones and the laptop. Glover’s devices contained over 60 videos and 60 images that depict the sexual abuse of children. The videos and images were downloaded by Glover between the dates of Sept. 27, 2019, and Sept. 21, 2021. Glover was arrested and charged with child exploitation offenses on the date that law enforcement searched his home. He has remained in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the Washington, D.C. field office of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
Last of 17 Defendants Pleads Guilty in Southeast Washington Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corenzo Mobery, 40, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to participating in a drug trafficking network based in Southeast Washington that sold cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, PCP, and marijuana, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mobery, aka “Snowman,” pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to five counts of a superseding indictment that included unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Mobery was indicted with 16 co-defendants (listed below) who all have pleaded guilty. Nearly all have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 months to 114 months based on their criminal conduct and criminal histories. Mobery is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.
The case stems from an investigation by the MPD Violent Crime Suppression Division’s Violence Reduction Unit and the FBI into the “MLK Crew” — a group of individuals who were operating an open-air drug market in and around the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, Washington D.C.
The investigation began in response to numerous citizen complaints about rampant drug trafficking and accompanying incidents of violence in the area. In addition to numerous citizen complaints, MPD targeted this area as one of the most notorious in the city in terms of recent shootings and shots fired, as well as for the area’s high numbers of arrests—particularly offenses involving drugs and firearms.
As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI began conducting surveillance, obtaining search warrants, and making controlled buys of narcotics from suspected members of the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that MLK Crew members openly engaged in the sale of various drugs (including PCP, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana) and took over the area and, effectively, some of the neighborhood’s businesses. MLK Crew members would often go into the neighborhood businesses to complete sales and constantly loitered outside of these businesses to engage in sales. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI obtained video of defendants openly conducting narcotics transactions in these businesses and even displaying firearms. Throughout the case, law enforcement seized at least 10 firearms (many of which were privately manufactured firearms or “ghost guns”) from MLK crew members and/or stash houses and a sizeable quantity of various narcotics.
The MLK Crew’s drug trafficking contributed to numerous incidents of drug-related violence in and around the 2900 Block of MLK Ave., including multiple assaults, shootings, robberies, and murders—most notably, the murder of a six-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the co-defendants in this case.
In July 2021, a few months after opening the investigation, MPD and FBI arrested 11 initial defendants and seized 10 firearms, along with PCP, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and over $2,500 in cash. The additional six defendants were charged in September 2021 and were arrested shortly thereafter.
DEFENDANT
STATUS
Ricky Lyles, Accokeek, MD
Sentenced to 114 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm
Nico Griffin, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dandre Shorter, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Wesley Leake, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Leon Lindsay, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Dezmond Cunningham, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distributecocaine
Divine Chappell, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 76 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shawn Wooden, Washington, DC
Pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
To be sentenced on Nov. 28, 2023Barry Tyson, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 73 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Delonta Chappell, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Anthony Graves, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 27 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Deshawn Loggins, Temple Hills, MD
Sentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Kevonte Randall, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to distribute 2 cocaine and possessing a firearm
Corenzo Mobery, Washington, DC
Pleaded guilty October 16th.
To be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2024Rico Griffin, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Shahborne Scales, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
Luther McDuffie, Washington, DC
Sentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force in partnership with MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Henek, Andy Wang, and Matthew W. Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 67 ½ Years for First Degree Murder and Assault in Deadly D.C. ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jalen Browne, 22, of Upper Marlboro, MD, was sentenced today to 810 months (67.5 years) in prison for the murders of Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley, in July of 2021, in Northwest D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Browne was convicted on July 21, 2023, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was found guilty of and sentenced for two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
According to the government’s evidence, shortly after 3:38pm on July 25, 2021, the defendant disguised himself and walked around the 100 block of Q Street, NW, eventually lying in wait to shoot young men enjoying the hot summer day. The defendant, using a backpack to catch his shell casings, fired 12 shots in succession at six young men. Narrowly missing three of his targets, the defendant hit 22-year old Jovan Hill, 19-year old Tariq Riley, and another man in the back. First responders found Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley on the ground. Both men were transported to nearby hospitals, but all life-saving efforts failed; both men died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the back. No witnesses provided information regarding the identity of the shooter. The government presented forensic, video surveillance, circumstantial, and motive evidence in securing a conviction on all counts.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the members and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. They also recognized the members of the prosecution team, including: Charlie Bruce, Zachary McMenamin, Victim Advocates Christie Bloodworth and Deidria Ellis, and Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarity, Lauren Douglas, and Tasha Harris. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Wojcik and Lauren Galloway who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced on Charges Connected to Fentanyl Distribution RingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Garnell Lucas, 33, of Upper Marlboro, MD, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered 60 months of supervised release. Lucas pleaded guilty on May 15, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. He admitted he is accountable for more than 1.2 kilograms of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents, in August 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking group running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in and around Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Law enforcement learned that the group was in possession of at least three pill presses, used to press fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills which the group then distributed throughout Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Lucas and others were identified as participants in the drug trafficking operation. Between May 2020 and late-September 2022, the conspiracy utilized at least three pill presses, including one industrial pill press, to press mixed fentanyl.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendant distributed the counterfeit pills in a coordinated manner with co-conspirators, including to other co-conspirators and to other distributors and/or users. The co-conspirators would coordinate their distribution, including resupplying or helping each other fill orders, if necessary, to further the object of selling narcotics, and referring customers to each other. On March 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Southeast Washington, DC, a stash house used by the conspiracy to run the pill press 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, prosecuted the case. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand.