District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Guilty Pleas Entered in Two Homicide Cases in the DistrictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Brown, 33, pleaded guilty today to second degree murder while armed, and Rondell McLeod, 30, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the shooting death of 21-year-old Amari Jenkins, on Aug. 18, 2015, in front of St. Luke’s Catholic Church, located at 4925 East Capitol Street, N.E. The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants, both of Washington, D.C., admitted that on the day of the murder, they emerged from a blue van that pulled in front of the church, and fired 28 rounds at Jenkins, before reentering the van and making their escape.
In a separate case, Joseph Brown pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for the shooting of 29-year-old Antwan Baker, on Nov. 12, 2015, in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace, N.E. In that homicide, Brown admitted he emerged from a vehicle and shot Baker six times in the back of the head and neck before fleeing the scene.
Both defendants will be sentenced on Dec. 4, 2023, by D.C. Superior Court Judge Marisa J. Demeo. McLeod is currently serving an 11-year sentence for federal robbery charges brought in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the government will argue at sentencing that McLeod’s voluntary manslaughter sentence should run consecutive to the federal robbery sentence.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Spence and Andrea Coronado, who prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding D.C. Mortgage Assistance and Foreclosure Prevention ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maron Moss, Jr., 49, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to one count of first-degree fraud for a scheme in which he stole more than $31,920 from the District of Columbia’s HomeSaver program, a foreclosure prevention program administered by the D.C. Housing Finance Agency and funded by the U.S. Department of Treasury. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Inspector General Melissa Bruce, of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas made the announcement.
According to the government’s evidence, Moss, a former DC resident, applied for mortgage assistance for his Washington, D.C. home in 2018, and then submitted recertifications for continued program eligibility on six separate occasions between 2018 and 2019. Moss represented that he was suffering from financial hardship, was unemployed, and that his only source of income was unemployment benefits. Based on these representations, the D.C. Housing Finance Agency made more than $31,920 in monthly mortgage payments directly to Moss’s mortgage service companies. But Moss was, in fact, employed when he applied for the program, as well as during the entire period that he recertified his program eligibility, earning approximately $239,743 in income from at least five different employers during the relevant 20-month period.
The Honorable Heidi Pasichow accepted Moss’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2023. As part of the plea agreement, Moss agreed to pay full restitution.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Principal Deputy Inspector General Bruce, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from SIGTARP and the Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Brian P. Kelly who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to 2021 Homicide of 30-Year-Old WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christian Monge, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on September 13, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old Brittanie Clark, mother of three children, on August 31, 2021, in the Fort Totten neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
As part of his plea, Monge admitted that his girlfriend accused Ms. Clark of inquiring about the defendant in a romantic way. Mr. Monge’s girlfriend assaulted Ms. Clark in front of bystanders, including several children. After the assault ended between the two women, Mr. Monge stabbed Ms. Clark 13 times in front of two children, including Ms. Clark’s young daughter. Mr. Monge will be sentenced on November 20, 2023, by Judge Robert Okun.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Three Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury today convicted three defendants of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with the October 22, 2020, invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C. The defendants – Jonathan Darnel, 41, of Arlington, Va.; Jean Marshall, 73, of Kingston, Mass.; Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, NJ – were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Director David Sundberg, of the FBI Washington Field Office.
The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Marshall and Bell traveled to the Washington, D.C. area to meet with Darnel and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed another co-conspirator and was broadcast on Facebook.
According to the evidence, Marshall, and Bell were among a group that forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel – who remained outside the clinic -- live-streamed their activities on social media. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
Five co-conspirators in the action were convicted in August 2023 on the same counts. Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Va.; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, NY; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Mich.; William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, NY; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., also were convicted of felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. One co-defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh and New York City Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
Quantico, Virginia Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for 2019 Murder in Upper NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Collin Potter, 30, of Quantico, Va., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for fatally stabbing Vongell Lugo, of Washington, D.C., in Lugo’s apartment in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On February 3, 2023, Potter pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., after meeting at a bar, Potter and Lugo were alone together in Lugo’s apartment on Wisconsin Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. The defendant, unprovoked, attacked Lugo after grabbing one of Lugo’s kitchen knives. He stabbed and cut Lugo 42 times in the head, neck, and torso. Lugo yelled for help and his cries woke two of his neighbors, both of whom called 911 around 4:14 a.m. Potter then attempted to clean the knife in the kitchen sink. Around 4:20 a.m., the defendant, an active duty Navy sailor, pulled Lugo’s naked body out into the hallway. MPD officers discovered Lugo’s body and the defendant, who was standing naked, uninjured, and covered in Lugo’s blood. They arrested Potter and he has been in custody ever since.
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 also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke, Christian Natiello, and Peter V. Roman, and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Indictment in Nine Year Old Cold CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 37, of Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2014 cold case involving a stranger sexual assault, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on July 6, 2014, Spriggs encountered the victim near the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 1 a.m. He followed her and physically and sexually assaulted her in an alley. After the assault was over, the victim reported the offense to police and obtained a sexual assault examination, including a rape kit. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2014 and was entered into a national database. In 2016, the database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits.
On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in the D.C. cold case with two counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse and two counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse. If convicted, Spriggs faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of $125,000, followed by not less than five years’ supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime. Trial is scheduled to begin on October 12, 2023, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.
The defendant is also currently charged by criminal complaint in Anne Arundel County for unrelated offenses reported in Maryland in 2013.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.
This case is being investigated by the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Amy Zubrensky.
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 Ambassador and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan for Violating Federal Disclosure Laws and Unlawfully Aiding and Advising Foreign Government After RetirementRead the Press Release
Defendant Admitted Violating “Revolving Door” Prohibitions
WASHINGTON – Richard Gustave Olson, Jr., 63, of Algodones, New Mexico, a former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and a former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was sentenced today to 36 months’ probation and a fine of $93,350 for two separate courses of conduct, both of which involved misconduct relating to his public office. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada of the Central District of California, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Olson pleaded guilty on June 3, 2022, in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of making a false writing and one count of aiding and advising a foreign government with the intent to influence decisions of United States officers.
Olson served as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan from October 31, 2012, through November 17, 2015, and as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from November 17, 2015, through his retirement from government service on November 30, 2016. According to court documents, the defendant intentionally submitted a false ethics form that failed to disclose thousands of dollars of benefits he received from a businessman (“Person 1”) while the defendant was serving in government. When later questioned by the FBI concerning some of these benefits, the defendant falsely claimed that he did not know Person 1 paid for them. After the defendant retired from government service, Person 1 began paying him a consulting fee of $20,000 per month. While receiving these payments, the defendant illegally helped the government of Qatar influence U.S. policymakers in violation of laws meant to prevent recent retirees from leveraging their high-level U.S. government service to further foreign interests.
Given his high-level position in the U.S. government, the defendant was subject to the “revolving door” prohibitions in 18 U.S.C. § 207(f) for one year after leaving government service. Congress enacted these prohibitions to prevent public officials from unfairly profiting from the contacts, associations, and special knowledge that they gained during their tenure as public servants. The phrase “revolving door” describes the practice of public officials abandoning public service for lobbying positions. Prohibitions on this practice, often referred to as mandatory “cooling-off” or “waiting” periods, forbid individuals from engaging in lobbying activities for a period of time after leaving public service. U.S. law prohibits senior officials—like the defendant—from representing a foreign government before any federal agency or from aiding or advising a foreign entity with the intent to influence the U.S. government for one year after leaving their positions. The defendant knowingly violated these prohibitions by providing aid and advice in furtherance of two Qatari goals: (1) convincing U.S. policymakers to establish U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facilities at Doha International Airport, and (2) convincing U.S. policymakers to support Qatar, rather than its regional rivals, during the 2017 Gulf Diplomatic Crisis. After learning that the government was investigating his activities on behalf of Qatar, the defendant obstructed the government’s investigation by deleting relevant emails.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. O’Brien of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Deputy Chief Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
District Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter and Related Charges in Killing of Cousin at 29th and S Streets SoutheastRead the Press Release
Defendant Shot Victim Following a Series of Arguments Started by an Instagram Post
WASHINGTON – Lewkus Turner, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 8.5 years in prison for shooting and killing his cousin in Southeast Washington, D.C., on December 11, 2020. The government sought a 16-year sentence.
On June 9, 2023, a jury sitting in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia found Turner guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, just before 4:00 p.m. on December 11, 2020, the victim, Vincent Gyamfi, drove to the 1600 block of 29th Street SE to speak to Turner, his first-cousin, regarding an Instagram post Turner had made earlier in the week. Shortly after arriving in the area, an argument broke out and Turner left the scene. A short time later, Turner returned armed with a gun and the two men began to argue again before leaving in separate directions.
Mr. Gyamfi subsequently parked his vehicle near the intersection of 29th and S Streets SE. At 4:07 p.m. Turner drove by the same intersection and confronted his cousin for a final time. As a result, Mr. Gyamfi ran at Turner’s car, and Turner shot Mr. Gyamfi three times with a large caliber weapon. Turner then dragged Mr. Gyamfi’s body out from underneath Turner’s vehicle, re-entered the car, and fled the scene without calling for aid. Turner was arrested on December 29, 2020, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Dan Lenerz and Bryan Han of the Appellate Section; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez; Special Agents Mark Crawford and Durand Odom of the Criminal Investigations Unit; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Tonya Jones and Maenylie Watson; Supervisory Budget Analyst Nikiya Burnette and Accounting Technician Evelyn Miles; Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Christopher Carson, and Gauri Gopal, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
District Man Convicted of Murdering Woman Who Went Missing in 2010 and Has Never Been FoundRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaac Moye, 46, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today by Judge Anthony Epstein to 35 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the second-degree murder of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old woman who went missing from her home in October 2010 and whose body has never been found. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Moye was convicted at trial on June 23, 2023. According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 9, 2010, Unique Harris hosted a sleepover for her young children and their nine-year-old cousin at her home in Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that night, Harris put the children to bed. At 10:39 p.m., Isaac Moye, a man she had known for only two months, arrived at her home, calling her on her cell phone just moments before entering her building. The next morning, the three children awoke to find their mother gone. Her cell phone and keys were also missing. Her purse and all its contents, including her identification and credit cards were left behind. The eyeglasses she never left home without were also there in the home. Her sofa had been mutilated, a hole cut in the fabric, a section of foam removed. There was no blood, no sign of struggle. And she was never seen or heard from again.
Over the course of the next few years, Isaac Moye was interviewed multiple times by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. He changed his story between interviews – denying, then admitting, then denying that he and Unique Harris had ever been intimate, denying that he had ever been in her home overnight, and denying that he had seen her the day that she went missing. Eventually, Moye’s semen was identified on the mutilated sofa cushion and his GPS records placed him at the decedent’s home for the entire night. Moye also made statements to another person, who testified that Moye said there was a missing girl, but that police were “never going to find her” because he “did it, but did it the right way.” Ms. Harris was reported missing on Oct. 10, 2010. Moye was arrested and charged with the murder on Dec. 19, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Vinét Bryant and Erin DeRiso.
District Man Sentenced to 35 Years for 2017 Murder and Participation in a Criminal Street GangRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Saquan Williams, 22, Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, participation in a criminal street gang, and other charges for his role in a 2017 brazen shooting into a courtyard in the Potomac Gardens area of Southeast Washington. A jury found Williams guilty on July 18, 2022.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and October 2017, the defendant and others were members of a criminal street gang operating in the area of Wellington Park, within Washington, D.C. Williams, and others, were involved in a number of “beefs” with individuals from other areas of the city, many of which started as the result of petty feuds among local rival rap groups.
On Sept. 10, 2017, at approximately 6 p.m., as victim Carl Hardy was standing outside in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood, Williams and three others circled the neighborhood three times looking for individuals to target. On the fourth trip around the block, the vehicle stopped, and the driver paused to allow Williams and two other men to exit the vehicle armed with multiple weapons, to include an assault rifle. Williams and the two other shooters opened fire on the crowded courtyard, firing over 30 rounds and striking Mr. Hardy. The group then fled the scene.
Mr. Hardy, 24, was transported to the hospital where doctors operated multiple times in their efforts to save him. Ultimately, on Oct. 1, 2017, Mr. Hardy succumbed to his injuries. Shortly after Mr. Hardy’s death, an arrest warrant was obtained for Williams charging him with the murder. A second shooter, Quincy Garvin, also was arrested and convicted at trial. Garvin’s sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2023.
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 also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Daniel Lenerz, and Sharon Donovan; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Lead Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Meridith McGarrity; Former Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas who prosecuted the case.
Arrest and Arraignment in 10-Year Old Cold CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Samuel Sampson Peaks, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2013 cold case involving an armed sexual assault of a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim, who was a stranger to him, at the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 6:00 a.m. He followed her and eventually brandished a handgun and forced her to perform a sexual act. After the assault was over, the victim immediately called police, who responded and recovered evidence. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. In 2020, the defendant was arrested for an unrelated crime in Prince George’s County, Maryland, at which time his DNA was collected and entered into CODIS, ultimately matching the DNA profile obtained from the evidence in the armed sexual assault case.
On March 10, 2022, a District of Columbia Superior Court Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Peaks in the cold case with one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances. On February 17, 2023, the defendant was sentenced to a period of incarceration after conviction in the Prince George’s County case. Peaks was brought to D.C. and arraigned on the sexual assault indictment on September 14, 2023.
If convicted of the D.C. sexual assault, Peaks faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a possible fine of up to $125,000, no less than five years of supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for life.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indictment Charges Maryland Pair in Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An arraignment was held today for Edward Steven Monge, 22, of Beltsville, Maryland, on charges connected to his alleged role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Monge and his co-conspirator, Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland, are named in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Echeverria Flores is further charged with unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to the charging documents, on five different occasions between February 17, 2023 and July 19, 2023, Echeverria Flores — who allegedly used Monge as her source of supply — sold a total of approximately 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to undercover agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. The pills are blue, marked “M” on one side, and “30” on the other side. DEA laboratory testing has confirmed that the pills contain fentanyl.
Echeverria Flores was arrested on July 31, 2023, and has been ordered held without bond pending trial. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Monge in Hyattsville, MD, pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant for him from Fairfax County, VA. Upon a search of Monge, officers found approximately 1,102 pills on his person, which field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Monge was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on September 11, 2023.
The conspiracy charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The distribution charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of five years in prison with a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The minimum and maximum statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Repeat Child Predator Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Otis-Currie, 27, of Adelanto, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 121 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for accessing and viewing child pornography, 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 Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Otis-Currie pleaded guilty on September 11, 2022. According to court documents, on October 1, 2020, an undercover law enforcement officer (“UC”) entered the “you.ngshare” KIK group, a group that was designed for members to discuss the sexual abuse of children, and to trade child pornography. The UC continued to monitor activity in the group over the next several days. Between October 1, 2020 and November 17, 2020, approximately 400 users joined the “you.ngshare” group. On October 18, 2020, a user later identified as the defendant posted a link to the group that contained approximately 2,250 image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of children. Many of these videos depicted the rape and physical torture of several young children. The folder shared by the defendant also contained a subfolder entitled “Incest,” which contained approximately 250 additional videos and images depicting child erotica and child pornography.
Otis-Currie was previously convicted in California in 2019 of possession or control of child pornography and was on supervised probation when he committed the instant offense. A law enforcement search of the defendant’s phone revealed additional saved video and image files depicting the sexual abuse of children. The defendant admitted that he was a member of different online groups in which child pornography was discussed and shared.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This investigation also received valuable assistance from Los Angeles Field Office – Victorville Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Forman, of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Two District Men Charged for September 6, 2023, Murder in Southwest Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keshawn Lavender, 22, and Deandre Sams, 27, both of Washington, D.C., were presented in Superior Court yesterday on first degree felony murder while armed charges stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller on September 6, 2023, in the Wharf neighborhood, in Southwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Lavender and Sams were arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe on the charges in Courtroom C-10, D.C. Superior Court, where both entered pleas of not guilty. 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 to be held on September 27, 2023, before Judge Anthony Epstein.
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.
In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Third Defendant Charged in September 6th Murder in Southwest Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Mathis, 36, of Washington, D.C., was presented in Superior Court today on charges of first degree felony murder while armed stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller, on September 6, 2023, in the city's Wharf neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Mathis is the third defendant charged in the case. He was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe and entered a plea of not guilty. The court found probable cause to believe that the defendant committed first degree felony murder while armed. Mathis is being held without bond pending a September 27 preliminary hearing before Judge Anthony Epstein.
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.
In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing a Man During a Visit to Washington DCRead the Press Release
Incident Occurred in January 2023
WASHINGTON – Cynthia Battle, 54, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to stabbing a man to death on January 16, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Battle pleaded in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023, Cynthia Battle and two friends drove from their homes in North Carolina to visit a friend in Washington DC. The following day, the decedent, Raymond Johnson, joined them all at the friend’s house. At approximately 11:45 pm on January 16, 2023, Battle, Johnson, and a witness walked together down Minnesota Ave. Southeast, to purchase crack cocaine. While outside on the street, and in the midst of this drug transaction, Battle was captured on surveillance camera lunging towards Johnson. Battle, Johnson, and the witness then quickly separated, walking in opposite directions. Minutes later, a 911 caller found Johnson further down the street. Johnson was laying face down and unconscious, bleeding from a single stab wound to his chest.
The sole eyewitness to the stabbing immediately drove back to North Carolina, leaving Battle behind. Battle caught her own ride back to North Carolina the next day, after which she absconded. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) worked with members of the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office to locate and interview the witness within days of the stabbing. The witness initially claimed not to have seen anything, but later admitted to seeing a flash of silver in Battle’s hand as Battle struck Johnson in the chest. Law enforcement from these two jurisdictions also worked together to search Battle’s home, where they found the clothing she wore on the night of the murder. Battle was arrested in March 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
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 acknowledged the cooperation from the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office, and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Lauren Douglas. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States.
The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes. The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents, and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil.
The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
HSI Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil.
According to court documents, on April 19, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States.
The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes.
The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil.
The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Jamaican National Charged with Debt Relief ScamRead the Press Release
Defendant Extradited from Jamaica to Answer Eight-Count Indictment
WASHINGTON – Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, 36, of Jamaica, appeared in U.S. federal court today and was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information, sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Sally Luttrell Assistant Inspector General for Investigations U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General
On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Savariau with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Savariau conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies. The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public. Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U.S. government. Through their false representations, Savariau and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the United States to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees to Savariau and her co-conspirators via Western Union, Money Gram, PayPal, and other payment mechanisms.
Savariau arrived in the D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica. At today’s initial appearance, the Honorable Zia M. Faruqui ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for September 20, 2023.
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 was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.
District Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Maurice West, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to serve 57 months in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on June 27, 2022, aboard a Metrorail train and in the 1700 block of 8th Street NW.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
West pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023, 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. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jia M. Cobb. Following his prison term, West will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, on June 27, 2022, West threatened another man with a gun while aboard a Metrorail train at the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro Station. The victim disembarked at the next station and reported the offense. Surveillance footage revealed that West exited the Metro at the Shaw–Howard University station and ran into the 1700 block of 8th Street NW, in the District’s Shaw neighborhood. Surveillance footage also depicted West in and around the entryway of an apartment building in that block moments before his arrest. Police canvassed the area and found a loaded, semi-automatic handgun concealed in a drainage pipe. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked both the handgun and its magazine to West.
Federal law prohibits West from possessing a firearm because, in 2014, he was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed with a firearm.
West was arrested on June 27, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Anzallo, and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit and Metropolitan Police Departments. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Thomas G. Strong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendant in Cold Case Arrested on Charges of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Baltazar Gutierrez Carrillo, 50, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, was arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from a 2017 sexual assault of a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, in 2017, the 30-year old victim was visiting D.C. and socializing with friends. At some point, the victim parted ways with his friends and began walking to where he was staying. The defendant, Gutierrez Carrillo, who was a stranger to the victim, encountered him and sexually assaulted him in an alley. When the victim was able to get away, he reported immediately and obtained a sexual assault examination including a rape kit. The rape kit was tested and a foreign male profile was entered in CODIS with no results.
In 2023, MPD received notice of a DNA hit in a database linking defendant Gutierrez Carrillo to the 2017 rape kit. On July 12, 2023, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant with one count of First Degree Sexual Abuse and one count of Second Degree Sexual Abuse. The defendant was brought to D.C. by the U.S. Marshals Service and, on September 6, 2023, was booked by MPD on the charges. On September 7, 2023, Gutierrez Carrillo was arraigned before the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein. A detention hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2023.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky.
Former White House Advisor Convicted of Contempt of CongressRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Former White House advisor Peter K. Navarro, 72, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a U.S. District Court jury of two counts of contempt of Congress stemming from his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 9, 2022, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Navarro. The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Feb. 23, 2022, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on March 2, 2022. Navarro refused to appear to give testimony as required by subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena.
In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that Navarro had information relevant to its investigation. Navarro, formerly an advisor to the President on various trade and manufacturing policies, has been a private citizen since departing the White House on Jan. 20, 2021. He was indicted June 2, 2022.
Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and John Crabb Jr., supported by Paralegal Specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi.
District Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Year Prison Term for Assaulting Homeless Man with a Tire Iron and Assaulting Elderly Tourist on the MetroRead the Press Release
Defendant Committed a String of Crimes in One Day
WASHINGTON – Roscoe Rosborough, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for two separate assaults that took place on the same day in Northeast and Northwest DC, in February of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Rosborough pleaded guilty in June 9, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault with significant bodily injury.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 17, 2023, at approximately 4:55 a.m., the defendant entered a homeless shelter, though he was not a resident, and demanded to use the bathroom. After being refused, he continued into the shelter and ran into a resident walking to the cafeteria for breakfast. The defendant pulled out a tire iron from inside his clothing and struck the resident multiple times to the head, causing a laceration to the head that required nine staples.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. that same day, the defendant was on a metro train headed for the Gallery Place – Chinatown station. He approached an elderly couple with their three minor grandchildren visiting from out of town. He got into their faces, unprovoked, and began yelling profanities at them. The 78-year-old grandfather put his hand on the defendant’s arm and said, “back off pal.” The defendant then assaulted the man, punching him, pulling him to the floor, and kicking him. This assault caused the victim to require multiple knee-drains and eventually surgery to his knee.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, SAC Jacobs, and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, specifically Special Agent Deborah Frye, Special Agent John Perren, and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal and Victim/Witness Advocates Lakeisha McFall, Jennifer Clark, and Paola Molina.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Sessa and Katrenia Shelly, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Indicted on Armed Carjacking and Other Charges in String of Armed Robberies at Convenience Stores and Gas StationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An 18-count indictment, filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, charges Shamell Naquan Joyner, 35, of the District of Columbia, with offenses arising out of an armed carjacking and six armed Hobbs Act robberies allegedly committed between April 12 and May 2, 2023. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the indictment, on April 12, 2023, Joyner committed an armed Hobbs Act robbery at the Falcon Fuel gas station and convenience store, located at 1301 13th Street Northwest, stealing money and personal property from the business and two employees while holding them at gunpoint. Joyner also is alleged to have discharged his firearm at two store employees during this robbery, neither of whom was wounded. (The government’s evidence connects this armed robbery to an April 17 armed robbery of an Alexandria, Virginia, 7-Eleven, in which Joyner is also alleged to have discharged his firearm. A store employee working at the time of the Alexandria robbery sustained a non–life threatening gunshot wound to his leg.)
One day after the Falcon Fuel robbery, on April 13, Joyner is alleged to have carjacked a man at gunpoint in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Joyner allegedly stole the man’s Honda HR-V and drove it across state lines into Virginia. The government’s evidence shows that Joyner used that car to commit subsequent armed robbery offenses, including an April 15, 2023, armed robbery of the 7-Eleven store at 1100 Vermont Avenue Northwest, in which an employee was held at gunpoint.
On April 30, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the 7-Eleven store at 7401 Georgia Avenue Northwest and an employee, again at gunpoint. Joyner allegedly robbed another two stores at gunpoint the next day, including the 7‑Eleven store at 1325 2nd Street Northeast and the 721 Shop & Run and an employee at 721 H Street Northeast.
Finally, on May 2, 2023, Joyner is alleged to have robbed the 7-Eleven store at 1645 Connecticut Avenue Northwest and an employee, also at gunpoint. Joyner then allegedly committed additional armed robberies in Maryland, including a 7-Eleven store in Montgomery County and an Exxon gas station and employee in Anne Arundel County. During the Exxon robbery, Joyner is alleged to have held the Exxon employee at gunpoint and robbed him of the keys to his Toyota RAV4, which Joyner then stole and drove across state lines into the District of Columbia.
Later that day, in the 400 block of Condon Terrace SE, the Metropolitan Police Department found Joyner in the stolen RAV4’s driver’s seat and arrested him without incident. At the time of his arrest, Joyner was in possession of the firearm used in the armed robberies committed between April 30 and May 2, as well as unique clothing and other evidence that tied him to numerous offenses.
Joyner has been detained since his May 2, 2023, arrest.
“These alleged crimes left numerous victims, store employees, and witnesses terrorized,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Those who are driving these pattern and spree robberies in our community need to know that they will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The indictment charges Joyner with 18 counts: six counts of interference with commerce by robbery (also known as “Hobbs Act” robbery), which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison; one count of carjacking, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; seven related counts of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and/or ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Under the indictment, Joyner faces a mandatory minimum of 52 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering applicable sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Alexandria City, Anne Arundel County, Fairfax County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Justin F. Song of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The investigation into these offenses and potentially related armed robberies of commercial establishments located in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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 Charged in a July 2023 killing at Marie Reed Recreation CenterRead the Press Release
Defendant allegedly shot the victim in the head during a recreational soccer match
WASHINGTON – Pedro Funes, 33, of Washington, D.C., was charged in Superior Court today on a count of first degree murder while armed in the homicide of 30-year-old Around Solis on July 26, 2023, in the city's Adams Morgan neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced.
Funes was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe and entered a plea of not guilty. The court found probable cause to believe that Funes committed the slaying. The court held Funes without bond pending a preliminary hearing to be held on October 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.
In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Indictment Charges D.C. Man with Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Humphrey, 41, of Washington, D.C., a registered sex offender, was indicted today in U.S. District Court on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and transportation and possession of child pornography, 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 Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to a previously filed criminal complaint, on July 3, 2023, Google LLC reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that two Google accounts, later identified as Humphrey’s, uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the Google LLC servers on May 16, 2020, May 17, 2020, August 30, 2020, September 22, 2020, December 1, 2020, and June 16, 2023. In total, Humphrey uploaded more than 40 files depicting the sexual abuse of children. Law enforcement obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Humphrey’s Google account. In his Google account, law enforcement discovered at least three videos that show Humphrey sexually abusing a young girl.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that over the past several years, Humphrey has had unsupervised access to several children. Law enforcement is asking for assistance in identifying and locating additional victims of Humphrey’s abuse. If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099, or send an anonymous text to 50411.
Humphrey previously has been convicted on charges relating to the sexual abuse of children. On March 10, 2020, he was convicted of third-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland. As a result of this conviction, Humphrey was required to register as a Tier III Sex Offender. Following his release from custody, he failed to register as a Sex Offender, as required by law. On March 17, 2022, Humphrey was charged in Montgomery County for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was subsequently found guilty of the offense.
Humphrey was ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender upon release for a March 10, 2020, conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland. On May 2, 2022, Humphrey registered as a sex offender in the District of Columbia as required by law.
Humphrey was arrested on August 11, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
Sexual exploitation of a child carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years, in prison. Because of his prior convictions, and his status as a registered sex offender, Humphrey could face a mandatory minimum of 35 years imprisonment if he is found guilty of this offense. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Amy Larson, 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.
Readout of the Justice Department’s Engagement with Two Ukrainian Delegations to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Efforts and Serve Victims and Witnesses of CrimeRead the Press Release
From Aug. 28 to Aug. 31, the leadership of Ukraine’s three anti-corruption bodies met with Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C. Their visit was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Separately, Department officials met with a delegation from the Victim and Witness Coordination Centre of the Ukrainian’s Prosecutor General’s Office, in a visit that was also funded by INL.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland welcomed to the Justice Department the anti-corruption delegation, which was led by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Director Semen Kryvonos, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) Chief Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, and High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) Chief Justice Vira Mykhailenko. They were accompanied by the Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor at U.S. Embassy Kyiv Jared Kimball, who is providing guidance, case-based mentoring, and capacity building to SAPO and NABU.
AG Garland with (l to r) DAAG and Counselor to AG for International Affairs Bruce Swartz; SAPO Chief Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, HACC Chief Justice Vira Mykhailenko and Resident Legal Advisor Jared Kimball.
The anti-corruption delegation met with Criminal Division leadership including Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce C. Swartz, OPDAT leadership, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Task Force KleptoCapture leadership. They also met with FBI Director Christopher Wray and the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The meetings provided an opportunity to demonstrate the United States’ unwavering support and confidence in their critical work in targeting high-level corruption, strengthening cooperation on financial investigations, and understanding what challenges they are facing and how the Department can help. The partnership includes facilitating communication with Ukrainian agencies on U.S. and Ukrainian cases involving corrupt actors and seized assets and working with OIA to improve the Mutual Legal Assistance process for both parties.
The Department reaffirmed its full commitment to support the independence of these anti-corruption institutions through technical support and capacity building provided by the Resident Legal Advisor in Kyiv and other Department expertise.
On Tuesday, Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General Anjali Chaturvedi and representatives of the Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, based in the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and representatives of the Justice Department’s Office of Victims of Crime, Office on Violence Against Women, National Security Division’s Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia met at the Department with a delegation from the Victim and Witness Coordination Centre that was recently created in the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Attorney General Garland welcomed the delegation and focused on the importance of supporting Ukrainian victims. The head of the Centre, Dr. Veronika Plotnikova, led discussions for the delegation. Following the meeting, the delegation visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia to learn more about how the Department supports crime victims and witnesses. The delegation also met with representatives of the FBI’s Victim Services Division.
AG Garland with Dr. Veronika Plotnikova and other members of DOJ, INL the Ukraine Prosecutor General’s Office, and Ukrainian Embassy.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Garland met Prosecutor General (PG) Andriy Kostin and discussed the matter of supporting victims and witnesses of crime. In February, PG Kostin met with some of the Justice Department’s top victim witness support experts. The Centre was subsequently created by PG Kostin on April 11.
Department officials offered expertise and support to enhance the implementation of mechanisms in Ukraine to assist victims and witnesses during the criminal justice process as Ukraine investigates and prosecutes Russian war crimes and other atrocities.
The Department of Justice is proud to stand by our Ukrainian law enforcement partners in their courageous and crucial work and looks forward to continuing to assist in any way we can.
Notice to Victims in United States v. Alexander PakhtusovRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexander Pakhtusov is charged in United States District Court for the District of Columbia in case number 19-cr-310. Mr. Pakhtusov was a seller on both Slilpp and Paysell (now called Blackpass) using the moniker “Mrtikov.” His overall involvement spanned from at least April 2016 through September 2019 and included listing for sale over 17 million economically valuable accounts of individuals held at various companies and banks. He actually sold over 14,000 sets of login credentials. The people who purchased those login credentials used those credentials to steal money from victim accounts.
On September 17, 2019, Mr. Pakhtusov was indicted. He was subsequently extradited to the United States and, on March 12, 2021, Mr. Pakhtusov pled guilty to one count of access device fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for September 13, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. EST, before U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden.
If you believe you were a victim of Mr. Pakhtusov’s fraud, please find more information here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/united-states-v-alexander-pakhtusov.
Six People Charged with Kidnapping and CarjackingRead the Press Release
Defendants Participated in the Armed Kidnapping and Carjacking of two Victims in the 4400 Block of F Street S.E., Washington, D.C
WASHINGTON – An indictment, unsealed today, filed today in U.S. District Court, charges six people with kidnapping and carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, with the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Desmond Evans, 18, Ramel Henderson, 19, Kevon Jackson, 23, Delonte Mundaray, 28, Marquette Jackson, 23, and Malik Terrell, 21, all of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are each charged with two counts of aiding and abetting kidnapping and one count of aiding and abetting carjacking. Melvin Green, 24, also of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is charged with being an accessory after the fact to these offenses.
According to the indictment, on June 9, 2023, the defendants kidnapped Victim 1. and did willfully transport the victim from the District of Columbia to Maryland. The indictment further alleges that the six defendants kidnapped Victim 2 on that same date. The defendants are also charged with carjacking a black Mercedes SUV from Victim 1 by force, violence and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm during the kidnappings. Green is charged with assisting Mundaray in connection with the offenses.
The kidnapping charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The carjacking charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The charge of accessory after the fact carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The charges also carry 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.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and Safe Streets Task Force, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Thomas Strong, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
More Than a Dozen Charged in a Violent Crime Conspiracy That Includes Armed Carjacking, Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Defendants Charged With Multiple Counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearms Offenses
WASHINGTON – A superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 16 alleged members (named below) of a violent crime ring that committed multiple armed carjackings, armed robberies, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Federal law enforcement arrested eight defendants this morning; the remaining defendants were previously arrested. Charges include conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce (known as Hobbs Act) robbery, interference with interstate commerce by robbery, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiracy to commit carjacking, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai with the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s (Criminal and Cyber Division), Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, Marshal Peter Marketos, of the United States Marshals Service, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment, between January 7, 2022, through January 27, 2023, the defendants conspired in the District of Columbia to commit robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida. The robberies targeted jewelry stores owned by Asian Americans. Disguised in dark clothing, masks, and gloves, armed with a gun, one or more of the defendants used various vehicles, including stolen vehicles, to commit and flee from the robberies, including:
January 7, 2022: Yasini Jewelers in E. Falls Church, VA;
June 10, 2022: Virani Jewelers in Iselin, NJ;
September 20, 2022: Sonia Jewelers & Boutique, in Springfield, VA;
October 25, 2022: Paradise Jewelry Store, in Paterson, NJ;
November 10, 2022: Baral Jewelers & Gifts, in Harrisburg, PA;
November 27, 2022: Sara Emporium Jewelry & Boutique, in Springfield, VA;
December 6, 2022: Kishek Jewelers, in Jacksonville, FL;
December 22, 2022: Chintamanis Inc., in Franklin Park, NJ;
January 27, 2023: Princess Diamonds, in Falls Church, VA.
The indictment further alleges that William Hunter, a/k/a “Ill Will,” conspired to commit carjackings between September 11, 2022 and October 22, 2022, with others. Defendants Wright, Avery Fuller, a/k/a “Deavry Cordell Fuller,” William Hunter, and Franklin Hunter, a/k/a “Gino,” conspired to launder the proceeds of the stolen property.
"This indictment alleges a conspiracy to engage in a violent armed robbery spree involving commercial establishments throughout the Eastern Seaboard,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “One defendant is also charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking as part of the spree, and others are charged with laundering the proceeds from the robberies. With an increasing number of robbery schemes that cross state lines, collaborative operations like this one are critical to holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities."
“It is devastating that firearm-related violence such as the crimes committed throughout this investigation have become so prevalent within our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai. “We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners by holding those individuals who seek to harm innocent people accountable for their actions.”
“The defendants targeted small businesses along the East Coast, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry from hardworking families,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg. “For the past 20 months, the FBI worked with our partners across state lines to connect the defendants to these heists. Today's indictment is a testament to the strength of our partnerships and the commitment we all share to eradicating violent crime.”
“We allege these suspects took part in take-over style armed robberies meant to terrify and overwhelm store owners and employees,” said FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James Dennehy. “Many of the victim businesses are family owned and operated and lost large sums of inventory. The alleged violent and reckless actions of the subjects are astounding; they gave no thought to the people who could have been seriously injured or even killed. We have a message for criminals out there right now who believe these smash and grab robberies work in their favor because they mistakenly believe no one will hold them accountable. That’s not the case here – and it won’t be the case in the future. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will make sure if we can charge something federally, we will make that happen.”
“I want to thank the detectives from MPD and the other agencies involved for their tireless work on this case. This is a prime example of how we, as law enforcement partners, come together as one to hold people accountable for committing crimes in the District of Columbia,” said Acting Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. “While this investigation took time, the message is clear: If you choose to recklessly disregard public safety in D.C., we, collectively as law enforcement partners, will do everything to find you and hold you accountable.”
NAME
AGE
ADDRESS
CHARGES
Andrew Smith aka “Drewso” or “Drew”
29
Maryland
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Antonio Tate, aka “Motion” or “T-Motion”
20
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery
Avery Fuller, aka “Ace”, “Fully”, or “Fully Ace”
28
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Davon Johnson, aka “Yb”
30
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Decarlos Hill, aka “Los”
29
Maryland
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Delonte Martin, aka “DD”
25
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery
Franklin Hunter, aka “Gino”
29
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Hesham Gomaa
45
Virginia
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Jameise Christian, aka “Safe Play”, “Safety”, or “Safe”
32
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence;
Conspiracy to commit carjacking
Jaylaun Brown, aka “Lil Launy”
21
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery
Keith McDuffie
26
California
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Robert Sheffield, aka “Real Lifaa”
32
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Timothy Conrad, aka “Twin”
32
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Trevor Wright, aka “Taliban Glizzy”
32
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
William Hunter, aka “Ill Will”
28
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence;
Conspiracy to commit carjacking
Lamont Marable
27
Washington, D.C.
Hobbs Act Robbery;
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery;
Firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Federal agents and local law enforcement arrested Smith, Johnson, Hill, Gomaa, Brown, McDuffie, Sheffield, and Conrad this morning; Wright, Hunter, Fuller, Tate, Martin, Brown, Christian, and Marable were already in custody. Search warrants were also executed resulting in the seizure of multiple guns and approximately $300,000 from a safe in one of the residences.
The superseding indictment also contains a notice of forfeiture and seeks the proceeds of the illegal activities.
The statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce (known as Hobbs Act) robbery is 20 years; the statutory maximum sentence of Hobbs Act robbery is 20 years in prison; the crime of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years with a maximum possible sentence of life; the statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy to commit carjacking is five years in prison; the statutory maximum sentence for money laundering is 20 years. A federal judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the appropriate sentencing guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, the FBI’s Washington and Newark Field Offices, the United States Marshal Service, and the Metropolitan Police Department, with substantial assistance from the police departments of: Fairfax County (VA), Falls Church (VA), Franklin Township (NJ), Jersey City (NJ), Paterson (NJ), Middlesex County (NJ), South Brunswick (NJ), Somerset County (NJ), Woodbridge (NJ), Swatara Twp. (PA), the United States Secret Service-Uniformed Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Washington Division. Additional assistance was provided by multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices including: the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Maryland, the Central District of California, and the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andy Wang, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section in 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.
Indictment Charges D.C. Man with Multiple CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An 18-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, charges Cedae Hardy, 18, of Washington, D.C., with involvement in six separate carjackings throughout Washington D.C. and Maryland and an attempted carjacking in which a victim was shot multiple times. The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment, Hardy carjacked victims of their vehicles at gunpoint around the District of Columbia and in Maryland. In four of the carjackings committed in furtherance of a conspiracy with unnamed co-conspirators, Hardy drove the carjacked vehicles to a garage adjoining an apartment complex located at 1326 Florida Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. (the “Florida Avenue Garage”).
A co-conspirator would contact potential buyers, who in these instances were undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The co-conspirator would arrange a time to meet the undercover officers at predetermined location - usually the Florida Avenue Garage – and complete the sale of the carjacked vehicles. The conspirators and Hardy would then split the proceeds.
Hardy would communicate with the conspirators via text message. For example, on April 8, 2023, Hardy sent Co-Conspirator 1 a text message stating, “I’m outside now you can be on your way. Let’s get money my boy” and “[]I’m boutta get sum & bring it straight to you.” A few hours later, just 22 minutes after an armed carjacking of a Mercedes Benz SL550 in Hyattsville, Maryland, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in the victim’s vehicle. Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 opened the door to the Florida Avenue Garage for Hardy. The victim’s Mercedes was then sold on April 10, 2023 by Co-Conspirator 1 to MPD undercover officers for $1,200.
On April 18, 2023, a victim was seated inside his Honda Civic when Hardy opened the passenger door and sat in the victim’s vehicle. Hardy pointed a gun at the victim and began to shout. The victim could not understand Hardy and tried to push him out of his vehicle, at which point Hardy fired multiple shots, striking the victim in the forearm and abdomen. Hardy exited the victim’s vehicle and fled back to Washington, D.C.
Carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentenced of 15 years in prison. Transportation of stolen goods and sale or receipt of stolen vehicles each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The gun charges carry no statutory maximum and a mandatory minimum of 7 years. The charges also carry 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.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, 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.
Five Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted five defendants today of federal civil rights offenses in connection with a reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense.
According to evidence presented at trial, Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and others, engaged in a conspiracy to blockade the reproductive health care clinic to prevent it from providing and patients from receiving, reproductive health services.
The evidence at trial showed that Smith, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, Geraghty and Handy traveled to Washington, D.C., from various states to participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook. The defendants conspired to and did forcefully enter the clinic and block access to the clinic using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, footage of the activities was live-streamed. Evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using force and physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
The defendants each face up to a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $350,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York provided valuable assistance.
Five Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury convicted five defendants – Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants, engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, and Geraghty, traveled to Washington, D.C. from various northeast and midwestern states, to meet with Handy and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook.
According to the evidence, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, and Goodman forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, their activities were live-streamed. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice for Illegally Recording and Publishing Grand Jury ProceedingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexander Hamilton, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to contempt and obstruction of justice under federal and District of Columbia law, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Hamilton entered his plea this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge Amy Berman-Jackson, who scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2023.
According to an affidavit in support of the complaint, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed a public Instagram account with approximately 10,400 followers posting multiple videos, with sound, that recorded the proceedings within the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Grand Jury room, located at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s office recognized the individual in the video as Hamilton, a grand juror. During a consensual interview with law enforcement, Hamilton admitted to recording grand jury proceedings and posting them to his Instagram Story. Hamilton indicated that he filmed the proceedings using one of two phones that he owns. A forensic extraction of Hamilton’s phone identified videos of live grand jury testimony. Hamilton also sent dozens of messages via text message and Instagram, sharing the videos or discussing his grand jury service. Additionally, Hamilton demonstrated an awareness in numerous messages that he was not permitted to have his cellphone in the room during presentations before the grand jury.
Hamilton had been sworn in as a grand juror on Sept. 9, 2022. During orientation, he took an oath to, among other things, keep secret the information learned during grand jury service. A video, taken on Hamilton’s phone on Sept. 9, 2022, depicts Hamilton recording himself (i.e., a selfie). Specifically, the video shows him standing with his right hand raised as the oath described above was read to him aloud. In the video, Hamilton looks down at the phone and states, “I’m about to lie.” He was arrested on November 17, 2022.
“The secrecy of grand jury proceedings protects the integrity of ongoing investigations, ensuring that grand jurors and witnesses are free from improper influence; safeguarding against the possible destruction of evidence by those investigated; and protecting the privacy of uncharged individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Before serving, grand jurors take an oath to protect this secrecy. Hamilton’s violation of his oath is a crime. We will vigorously prosecute those, like Hamilton, who compromise the integrity of the criminal justice system.”
All grand jurors are instructed that grand jury proceedings are secret and must remain secret permanently unless and until the Court determines that the proceedings or a portion of them should be revealed in the interest of justice. Grand jurors are admonished to preserve the secrecy of the proceedings by abstaining from communicating with family, friends, representatives of the news media or any other person concerning that which transpires in the grand jury room. Moreover, grand jurors are required to place their phones and any other potential recording devices into lockers located in the lobby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prior to proceeding to the grand jury rooms. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.
The contempt charge is a federal offense, and the obstruction charge is a District of Columbia offense. The plea agreement calls for an advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of 6 to 36 months of incarceration. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory range and other statutory factors.
This case was being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was being prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Germaine L. Graham, 41, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of wire fraud related to a fraud scheme against his former employer located in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
As part of the fraud scheme, Graham made false payroll entries into the company’s payroll processing system, which directed unauthorized payments to himself. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, Graham caused approximately $250,000 in losses to his former employer. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras accepted the guilty plea. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2024.
According to the Statement of the Offense, between February 2019 and January 2022, Graham was employed as an office manager with a private architecture firm in the District of Columbia. As part of his duties, he was responsible for the firm’s book-keeping functions, including invoicing and bill paying. He was also responsible for preparing and electronically submitting the firm’s bi-monthly payroll register to an out-of-state payroll processing company. Graham also had access to the firm’s electronic checks and on-line book-keeping program. Graham used his access to the payroll processing system, company checks, and the book-keeping program to steal his employer’s money and to hide the theft.
In announcing the verdict, Graves and Geist commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, Victim-Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 22.5 Years for Assault with Intent to Kill While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Braxton, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22.5 years in prison for stabbing a prior romantic partner multiple times in front of their child in November 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Braxton was found guilty by a jury of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges, following a trial in April 2023 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 4, 2017, Braxton went to the home of his former romantic partner in violation of a court ordered stay away. He then approached the woman in broad daylight and stabbed her nearly 30 times with a pair of needle nose pliers in front of their child.
Braxton had been ordered by a District of Columbia Superior Court Judge, on October 16, 2017, to stay away and have no contact with the victim. Evidence showed that he violated that order over 500 times between Oct. 16, 2017, and Nov. 4, 2017.
The victim received medical treatment for her stab wounds at Howard University Hospital. She ultimately required surgery to save her right hand.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Wolf, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Daniel Lenerz, Pretrial Mental Health Coordinator Jennifer Mika, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocates Shawn Slade and Tracy Owusu, and interns Jessica Wasserman, Julianne Saunders, Molly Patrick, and Kate Dougherty.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Fatal Shooting of a 62-Year-Old ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarcus Barnett, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed stemming from the shooting of 62-year-old Lasanta Qumar McGill, on June 8, 2023, in the city's Westminster neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
As part of his guilty plea, Barnett admitted that after being robbed by two individuals, he chased after them and fired wildly down the sidewalk. In doing so, he struck and killed McGill, an innocent bystander. Barnett will be sentenced on October 27, 2023, by Judge Maribeth Raffinan.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Police Officer Found Guilty on Two Felony Counts Involving Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury found Roberto Adams, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, guilty of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled a sentencing hearing for December 8, 2023.
According to the evidence at trial, Adams, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of at least $18,350. Adams applied for and obtained PPP loans on behalf of his business SuperKlean LLC, a Maryland Corporation. At the time of the loans, SuperKlean LLC had no employees, no clients, and no income. Adams spent the funds at casinos in Maryland and at hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, on airfare, hotels, high-end sneakers, and personal debt. In addition, he spent $12,110 of the stolen disaster relief funds to pay several months of back rent on his personal residence.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, with the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Adams faces a statutory maximum sentence for wire fraud of 30 years in prison and for expenditure money laundering of 10 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence based on the guideline range and other factors.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with substantial assistance by the Internal Affairs Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Sonalika Chaturvedi, and financial analyst Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and Madhu Chugh, who prosecuted the case at trial.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
District Man Sentenced to Six Year Prison Term for Armed Robberies in Howard University Area of NW D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquis Funderburk, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for two separate gunpoint robberies that took place within 30 minutes of each other in the neighborhood near Howard University in January 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
A jury found Funderburk guilty of two counts of Robbery While Armed in May 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 18, 2022, at about 11:35 a.m., Funderburk and two associates grabbed Victim 1, a stranger, as they walked past him on the sidewalk. As one man pointed a gun at Victim 1’s stomach the other two went through Victim 1’s pockets, taking his AirPods, iPhone, wallet, and keys.
About noon the same day, approximately two blocks from the first robbery, Funderburk and three associates grabbed Victim 2, a stranger, as they walked past him on the sidewalk. Funderburk’s associate pressed a gun, concealed inside a fanny pack, into Victim 2’s chin while demanding Victim 2 give them his property. Funderburk punched Victim 2 in the face. Then the group proceeded to punch and kick Victim 2 repeatedly until he fell to the ground bleeding, ultimately resulting in a concussion. As they demanded Victim 2’s account passwords, Funderburk commanded his armed associate to shoot Victim 2.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Carlton, Luca Winer, and Dan Lenerz, Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth, and IT Specialist William Henderson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shauna Payyappilly and Katie Sessa, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant Sent Hundreds of Images and Videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material to Undercover Officer
WASHINGTON – Daniel Mahnke, 35, of Manteno, Illinois, was sentenced today to 168 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to the government’s evidence, in December of 2020, the defendant was using the website Rapey.SU, a social media site where countless users discussed the sexual exploitation of children, bestiality, and hardcore child pornography. During the course of the investigation, Mahnke began communicating with an individual he believed had a child, but who turned out to be law enforcement acting in an undercover capacity (UC). Believing that he was communicating with a pedophile, Mahnke requested that the UC send him sexually explicit photos of the UC’s fictitious child. Mahnke told the UC that he would send child pornography and, in fact, sent the UC a link containing hundreds of videos and images of child pornography.
Mahnke was arrested on December 11, 2020, and charged with distribution of child pornography. He has been detained ever since. Mahnke pled guilty on January 6, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
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. 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.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell, who prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
District Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Carjacking and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Gregory, 31, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm that occurred in March of 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to the government’s evidence in the Superior Court case, on March 4, 2019, at approximately 8:40 p.m., the defendant and a second suspect pointed firearms at and ran towards the victim, who had just parked his BMW in the 100 block of Wilmington Place, SE. The defendant and second suspect forced the victim out of his car at gunpoint and ordered the victim to the ground. Gregory stood over the victim as the victim lay on the ground, and kept his firearm pointed at the victim while the second suspect searched the victim. Then, Gregory entered the victim’s vehicle and opened the trunk so that the second suspect could search through the contents of the trunk. Having taken the victim’s keys, ID card, and money, Gregory and the second suspect then told the victim that they were taking the victim’s vehicle and that the victim needed to leave. The victim fled and Gregory and the second suspect then stole the victim’s vehicle. Officers subsequently located the victim’s vehicle in Capitol Heights, MD and returned the vehicle to the victim.
Gregory was also sentenced today to 42 months by U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich for his role in a bribery scheme. The sentences will run consecutively.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith and Special Agent in Charge Kailimai commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kukowski who investigated and prosecuted the case.
D.C. Jail Corrections Officer and Inmate Sentenced to Prison Terms for BriberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A corrections officer and an inmate were sentenced this week on bribery charges in a scheme that smuggled narcotics into the District of Columbia Central Detention Facility, better known as the D.C. Jail.
Andre Gregory, 31, of Washington, D.C., who was incarcerated at the time of the bribery offense, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Former Corrections Officer Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced August 21, 2023, to 18 months in prison. The two defendants were charged along with Keywaune McLeod, 28, of Washington, D.C., who is awaiting sentencing. All three defendants pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
“Corrections officers are critical to the safe and orderly operation of our prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Through this bribery and smuggling scheme, in exchange for cash, Beverly Williams betrayed her duty and undermined security and the whole function of the D.C. Jail by bringing drugs to the inmates inside. Inmate Andre Gregory and co-defendant Keywaune McLeod conspired with Williams to pull this off – and all of them profited from her corruption. Our Office will do everything in our power to eliminate corruption in our prison system, and anywhere in government, and to ensure that crimes like this don’t pay.”
“Corrections officers are responsible for cultivating a safe and orderly environment for the inmates they guard,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “By conspiring with Gregory and McLeod to smuggle drugs into the D.C. Jail in return for cash, Williams abused her position of power and risked the safety and integrity of the city's correctional facility. The FBI thanks the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services for their partnership throughout this investigation and reaffirms our commitment to holding public servants accountable to the oaths they take and the people they serve.”
According to the government’s evidence, Williams admitted that while working as a Correctional Officer at the D.C. jail in 2022, she accepted bribe payments of $6,400 to smuggle packages containing narcotics into the facility. Williams received packages of drugs and cigarettes from Keywaune McLeod, Gregory’s cousin, and secreted them into the jail by concealing them on her body. Once inside, Williams transferred the drugs to inmate Gregory, in secure areas where they could not be seen on surveillance cameras. Gregory then distributed the drugs for a profit. McLeod, who accepted and managed the proceeds, used CashApp to make bribe payments to Williams for the drug smuggling. Gregory used jail-issued phones and electronic tablets to communicate with McLeod, using coded language in an attempt to avoid detection of their conspiracy.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered 36 months of supervised release for each defendant.
Separately, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert D. Okun, today, sentenced Andre Gregory to 96 months in prison for an armed carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentenced will run consecutively.
The District Court case against Williams, Gregory, and McLeod was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Ahmed Baset with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Attorney Arrested on Charges of Insider TradingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Brazilian national, previously working as a visiting international attorney, is charged by complaint, unsealed today, with insider trading. Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto (Costa), 33, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a licensed attorney in Brazil who had been working as an international visiting attorney in the United States, on a one-year J-1 Visa, at a U.S. law firm (the Law Firm). Costa was arrested on August 22, 2023, in Washington, D.C., by agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to the public documents, Costa is an attorney licensed to practice in Brazil and had been working in the United State for the Law Firm since September 2022. During that time, Costa has 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 complaint, one of these trades involved Company B. Company B is 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 alleges 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 which 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.
Costa is again alleged to have 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 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.
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.
Today, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, which provided invaluable assistance in this matter, filed a parallel civil complaint charging Costa with securities violations.
A Complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Shooting a Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stefen Farmer, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for the February 2021 shooting of a man on a sidewalk in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On March 7, 2023, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Farmer was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses.
The Honorable Anthony Epstein sentenced Farmer to 144 months for aggravated assault while armed and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 17 years incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, around 6 p.m. on February 25, 2021, the defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of a small black SUV parked on the 4400 block of Gault Place when the victim - a longtime friend of the defendant’s - walked up to the car window and started a conversation. Farmer repeatedly asked the victim for money but the victim refused. Farmer then retrieved a gun, stepped out of the car, and shot at the victim from pointblank range three times, as the victim was walking away. Two bullets hit the victim while he was trying to escape the gunfire and he sustained injuries to his hand and leg. Farmer stopped shooting only because a mutual friend of both men pushed him back while he was firing the gun. Three days after the shooting, Farmer sent the victim a Facebook message apologizing “for the inconvenience.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department for their work on the case. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Omeed A. Assefi who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Stabbing of Another ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Caldwell, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to stabbing a man to death on June 4, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Caldwell pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The Honorable Marybeth Raffinan accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 4, 2023, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the defendant, Michael Caldwell, and the victim, Damien Thompson, engaged in a verbal argument in the street in front of 4305 Halley Ter SE, Washington, D.C. At one point the victim threw a bottle at Caldwell, at which point Caldwell removed a knife from his pants. The two men continued to verbally argue for approximately 45 seconds, at which point the victim attempted to strike Caldwell with a plastic chair. Caldwell lunged at the victim and stabbed him in the chest, causing the victim to fall to the ground unconscious. Caldwell then proceeded to stab the victim eight more times in the torso before walking away from the scene.
The victim, Damien Thompson, sustained nine stab wounds to the torso and died a short time later. Caldwell was arrested the next day by the Metropolitan Police Department. He has been in custody ever since.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez and Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hall, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty in Armed Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
Defendant Shot at Officers and Burglarized Residence While Fleeing Police
WASHINGTON – Tywan Jamad Cummings, 43, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to charges stemming from a May 2020 armed carjacking spree, during which he shot at responding police officers and burglarized a private residence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cummings pleaded guilty to carjacking; using, possessing, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence; and assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a police officer with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of May 17, 2020, in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., the defendant pointed an AR-style rifle at a man who was putting air into his tire, taking the vehicle at gunpoint. The defendant then drove the vehicle into Maryland and, only minutes later, carjacked a nurse outside a hospital in Prince George’s County at gunpoint. Later that evening, in the early morning hours of May 18, 2023, multiple Maryland law enforcement agencies (to include the Bowie, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments) pursued the defendant—who was by this time driving a different stolen vehicle—into Southeast Washington, D.C. MPD officers were also on scene to assist. The defendant crashed the vehicle near a gas station and, while fleeing on foot, opened fire on the Maryland and MPD police officers with a handgun. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., the defendant burglarized an occupied residence and hid in an upstairs bedroom, where he was arrested without further incident. Officers recovered a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun from the defendant, the AR-style rifle from the stolen vehicle, and over 100 rounds of ammunition. No victim sustained physical injuries during the spree.
Cummings was arrested May 18, 2020 and has been in custody ever since.
Carjacking carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment—which must run consecutive to the sentence on the carjacking conviction—and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a police officer with a dangerous weapon with a dangerous weapon carries a mandatory minimum term of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment and a $75,000 fine.
A federal judge will determine the appropriate sentenced after considering the applicable guideline range and other relevant 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bowie Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault and Other Charges for Disfiguring Woman with Boiling LiquidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tesfay Teshale, 51, of Springfield, Virginia, was found guilty yesterday by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of 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, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2023. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for his crimes.
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 verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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.
Former D.C. Government Employee Indicted on Charges of Fraudulently Claiming District Residency to Obtain BenefitsRead the Press Release
Defendant Collected District Medicaid, Food Stamp, and Public Charter School Tuition, While Living in Virginia
WASHINGTON – Michia Pardlow, 30, now residing in Washington, D.C., was indicted yesterday on 39 counts of fraud and other charges stemming from her false claims of District of Columbia residency, from 2016 to 2020, to obtain D.C. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid benefits, and free tuition for her two children to attend a D.C. Public Charter School.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and Brian Schwalb, Attorney General for the District of Columbia. This matter was initially discovered by the D.C. Department of Human Services and promptly referred to the D.C. Office of the Inspector General for investigation.
Pardlow was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of first degree fraud, first degree theft, false statements, and forgery. Ms. Pardlow is to be arraigned on August 23, 2023, at a hearing before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld. The majority of the indicted charges are felony offenses, carrying a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
According to court documents in the case, Pardlow was a resident of Arlington, Virginia, from 2016 into 2020. The charging documents allege that she submitted signed applications, residency verification forms, and other documents to the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services and Public Charter School Board claiming and verifying District residency. The charging documents also allege that in November 2017, she forged a residency verification letter.
As a result, the documents allege, Pardlow was able to obtain District benefits to which she was not entitled. Non-District residents are ineligible to receive District SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits. Non-District residents who enroll their dependents in D.C. schools must apply as a non-resident and pay non-resident tuition. Court documents allege that she received more than $149,000 in fraudulent benefits.
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 D.C. Office of the Inspector General and is being jointly prosecuted by the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Public Corruption Section of the D.C. Office of the Attorney General.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, and Attorney General Schwalb commended the work of those investigating the case from the Office of Inspector General, including Special Agent Robert Partington. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy. Finally, they commended the work of the late Bayly Leighton, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney detailed from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, who initially investigated the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Simmons, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
Foreign National Sentenced to over 21 Years for Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, a dual citizen of Canada and France, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sending threatening letters, containing homemade ricin (a toxin), in September 2020, to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House, and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier pleaded guilty on Jan. 25 to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing.
According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin is a deadly poison made from castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin toxin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for approximately 10 weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director Susan Ferensic of the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate made the announcement.
The FBI Washington and San Antonio Field Offices investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado and David Lindenmuth for the Southern District of Texas; and Trial Attorney David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Foreign National Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years in Prison for Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 56, a dual citizen of Canada and France, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for sending threatening letters containing homemade ricin (a toxin), in September 2020, to the White House and then-President Donald J. Trump, as well as to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr., of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office.
Ferrier pleaded guilty on January 25, 2023, to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing.
According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin toxin is a deadly poison made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House. She also added it to envelopes she sent to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for around ten weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody.
In addition to the nearly 22-year term of imprisonment, Ferrier was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The Court will also issue an order of judicial removal requiring that Ferrier be removed from the United States at the end of her term of imprisonment.
The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and San Antonio Field Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Friedman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys David Smith and Joseph Kaster, of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.