District of Columbia

WASHINGTON — Today, a federal jury found Anthony Merritt, 48, of Washington D.C., and Andre De Moya, 54, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud offenses arising from their scheme to bribe former D.C. Tax Official Vincent Slater, so that Slater would erase millions of dollars of their District tax liabilities. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for De Moya on October 17, 2023; and for Merritt on October 23, 2023.

            According to the evidence at trial, De Moya paid Slater, a former employee of the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), to fraudulently eliminate tax liabilities of businesses owned by De Moya and others, including Arman Amirshahi and Charles Zhou.  Anthony Merritt served as a middleman, whom De Moya and Slater relied upon to communicate with Slater and who facilitated the bribe payments.  Merritt also took a cut of the bribe payments.  Amirshahi, Zhou, and Slater all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this and related bribery schemes, and are awaiting sentencing. 

            The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.

            The statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years in prison; for bribery, is 15 years in prison; and for wire fraud, is 20 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 and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, with substantial assistance by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight.  He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former paralegal specialist Aisha Keys.

            Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Macey and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted the case at trial, and Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Miller and Molly Gaston, and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who investigated the case.

WASHINGTON – Brandon Randall, 35, of Annapolis, Maryland, was sentenced on June 2, 2023, to 264 months in prison for shooting a stranger outside a Northwest Washington D.C. night club, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Randall pleaded guilty on November 22, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Randall to 22 years’ incarceration. Following his prison term, Randall will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 24, 2019, at approximately 1:24 a.m., a fight broke out during a music event at the Safari DC Restaurant and Lounge, located in the 4300 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest.  The patrons, including the victim, David Brandon, and Randall, were forced outside.  Surveillance video shows that Randall and his associates were amidst a group of people who were walking away from the night club. As they were walking, Randall removed a firearm from his waistband, and one of his associates punched another individual.  Randall then fired his gun towards the group of people and ran away with his associates. Randall continued to fire more rounds as he ran towards an SUV and ultimately fled the scene.

            The victim, David Brandon, sustained five gunshot wounds and died a short time later. Randall was arrested on July 17, 2019. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Annapolis 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 Jennifer Clark and Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman.

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Colleen Kukowski, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was involved in the fatal shooting, on December 7, 2022, of Troy N. Bullock.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, surveillance footage from inside of the Metro station, physical evidence, recorded cell phone footage, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, and the autopsy report.

            According to the evidence, on December 7, 2022, at approximately 6:11p.m., an FBI Special Agent was standing on the platform at the Metro Center station.  The agent, who was off duty at the time, observed Mr. Bullock attempting to initiate a physical confrontation with an individual who was also standing on the platform by challenging him to a fight.  To defuse the situation, the agent indicated to Mr. Bullock that he should leave the individual alone.  Mr. Bullock then became physically aggressive toward the agent by grabbing the agent and pushing him over a utility wall.  The wall is approximately three feet high.  The agent fell backward over the utility wall, and Mr. Bullock fell over the wall with him – a fall of over eight feet.  Below, Mr. Bullock resumed his attack on the agent, who sustained an injury in the fall, drew his service weapon, and shot Mr. Bullock.  Despite life-saving efforts, Mr. Bullock was pronounced dead at the scene.   

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the agent used excessive force under the circumstances.

Use-of-force investigations generally

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.  To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary.  Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden.  Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. 

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Richard Nduba, 39, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for firing multiple shots at a man in August 2022 in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Nduba was convicted on March 22, 2023, following a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Erik Christian ordered 36 months of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on August 10, 2022, the defendant argued with with the victim, a friend, outside the Walmart on 99 H Street NW around 7:00pm. After the argument, the victim, who is wheelchair bound, went to the 800 block of 1st street NW next to the Walmart’s loading dock area to speak on the phone. The defendant circled the block in his rental SUV until he found the victim. Upon finding the victim, the defendant lowered his window, pointed a black handgun at the victim, and shot at the victim twice. The defendant stopped shooting only after the victim acted as if he had been hit and played dead in his wheelchair. Both shots, however, missed the victim. A bullet hole was later discovered in Walmart’s loading dock door, next to where the victim had been sitting at the time of the shooting.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.  It was investigated, prosecuted. and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed Assefi and Colin Cloherty of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.

WASHINGTON – Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer stemming from an incident on February 9, 2023, in the District of Columbia.  U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 15, 2023.

            According to Hamlin’s admissions in court, he willfully assaulted a member of the House of Representatives, causing personal injury. Hamlin also admitted that he assaulted a detective and a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department that same day.

            The charge of assault on a member of Congress carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The charge of assault on a law enforcement officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of six months in prison. The court will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors. Because the defendant pleaded to all the counts charged in the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement, both the defendant and the government retain the right to make legal arguments at the time of sentencing.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider.

WASHINGTON – A former senior manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for carrying out a scheme in which he and others manipulated the agency’s procurement process in favor of a company that was paid more than $1.3 million for items and services over a period of more than nine years.

            Scottie Borders, 61, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in September 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered 24 months of supervised release and restitution of $430,177.

            The sentenced was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) Inspector General Rene Febles, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

            According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Borders, Borders worked full-time as a Senior Program Manager for WMATA. In this capacity, he was involved in the selection, award, and administration of WMATA contracts with various vendors, contractors, and suppliers.

            The charge involves payments to a firm identified in the court documents as “Company 1.” This company, based in Millville, New Jersey, was a producer and supplier of traffic signs and safety products to various individuals, entities, and government agencies, including WMATA. As detailed in court documents, from approximately January 2011 through September 2020, in the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, Borders and others engaged in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by securing the selection, award, and administration of contracts, bids, and purchase agreements between “Company 1” and WMATA for various traffic signs and safety products based on materially false representations made to WMATA, via wire, concerning the nature of the contracts, bids, and purchase agreements involving “Company 1” and others. 

            Borders was the primary point of contact for all business conducted between WMATA and “Company 1.”  He abused his position at WMATA, and his understanding of the contracting and procurement process, to manipulate bids for items and services in favor of the company by using materially false and fraudulent representations made to WMATA via wire by Borders and his co-conspirators.

            For example, Borders and his co-conspirators falsified price quotes and bids on behalf of companies that either did not submit bids to do business with WMATA or did not know that their information was being used in connection with specific WMATA bids. Borders also provided individuals at “Company 1” with information about potential competitors’ bids.  The purported quotes and fraudulent bid proposals were made up to ensure that the company secured the lucrative WMATA purchase orders and contracts at issue.  Additionally, Borders added unnecessary items to purchase orders that he submitted to WMATA on behalf of the company.

            Ultimately, WMATA paid “Company 1” for such invoices and orders secured and submitted through Borders.  Borders also procured purchase orders on behalf of WMATA, for equipment from the company that Borders knew was unnecessary, substandard, and/or never actually provided to WMATA. 

            During the relevant period, WMATA paid the company more than $1.3 million for various services and items, including poles, decals, bus stop signs, flags, and tools.  In exchange for facilitating these fraudulent bids and orders on behalf of WMATA, Borders was provided with items of value, including NFL tickets, by individuals affiliated with the company.

            This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Goemaat and Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Firoz Patel, 48, of Canada, was ordered detained today following indictment on charges of laundering 450 Bitcoin (BTC), valued at $24,020,699.83 at the time of the transaction, shortly before he reported to prison in another case in 2021. The two-count indictment, unsealed on May 17, 2023, charges Patel with money laundering and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered Patel be detained pending trial.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.

            Previously, Patel, his brother, Ferhan, and their company, MH Pillars, Inc., d/b/a Payza, were prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for operating an Internet-based unlicensed money service business that processed more than $250 million in transactions. Through Payza.com, the defendants ran a money transmitting business that operated without the necessary state licenses and knowingly transmitted funds that were derived from illegal activity. The brothers each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States by operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and by laundering monetary instruments. As part of his plea agreement, Firoz Patel was required to disclose all known assets to the U.S. government. On November 10, 2020, Patel was sentenced to 36 months in prison and was given a reporting date. The court also entered a forfeiture judgment for “any property, real or personal, involved in” the offense to which Firoz Patel had pled guilty. 

            According to court documents, between his sentencing and reporting dates, Patel transferred 450 BTC, traceable to Payza.com, to an account at a virtual currency exchange in the United Kingdom. The 450 Bitcoin would have been subject to forfeiture in Patel’s previous criminal case. The virtual currency exchange account was opened using the name and date of birth of Patel’s father, but with an email address and phone number controlled by Firoz Patel.  When the virtual currency exchange requested additional information about the account and the large deposit, it received a response in the name of an employee of a company in India affiliated with Payza. The account containing the 450 Bitcoin was ultimately frozen. 

            This matter is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arvind K. Lal and Christopher B. Brown. 

            An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

WASHINGTON – Jaron Johnson, 22, of Washington, D.C., was ordered held today pending trial in a drug distribution case that resulted in death. Johnson is charged by indictment, filed May 9, 2023, with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Eckersley of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington Field Office.

            According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, in May of 2022, Johnson purposefully distributed what he knew to contain fentanyl to a U.S. Army private (the “decedent”). The fentanyl the defendant sold to the decedent killed him within hours. His cause of death was determined to be a mixture of fentanyl, dextromethorphan (cough medicine), and chlorpheniramine (allergy medicine), with an enlarged heart as a contributing factor, and the manner ruled accidental. The examiner, however, indicated that had the decedent ingested only the fentanyl, he would have died.

            When the decedent’s phone was searched, investigators found a text message conversation between the decedent and a specific phone number which was linked to Johnson. The messages show that the decedent discussed meeting with Johnson to purchase “blues” and “30s,” which is slang known to be used for pills containing fentanyl. On May 23, 2022, Johnson sent a message to the decedent which included a picture of a hand holding a bag of light blue pills, with the marking’s “M” and “30” on them. The decedent died on May 26, 2022.

            On May 25, 2023, Johnson was arrested at an airport upon his return from California. A search of his checked luggage revealed he had been carrying approximately 33 pounds of suspected marijuana.

            This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Traffic Offenses Section (VRTO) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – Timothy Martin of North Carolina, and Joanna Smith of New York, both 53, were taken into custody today following an indictment charging conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. Martin self-surrendered this morning in Raleigh, North Carolina; Smith self-surrendered this morning in Washington, D.C.

            According to the indictment, unsealed today, Martin and Smith smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, a priceless work of art which has drawn visitors for years to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Following the attack, a group called Declare Emergency claimed credit. Over the last year, in addition to this offense, Declare Emergency has blocked roadways around the Washington, D.C. area.

            The indictment further alleges that Martin and Smith agreed, along with other currently uncharged co-conspirators, to enter the National Gallery of Art for the purpose of injuring the exhibit. Martin and Smith entered the National Gallery of Art armed with plastic water bottles filled with paint.  Martin and Smith handed their phones to other conspirators and waited until patrons cleared the area in front of the Little Dancer. Martin and Smith proceeded to smear paint on the case and base of the exhibit, at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post, and two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense. Additionally, other members of the conspiracy filmed and photographed the offense. Smith and Martin caused approximately $2,400 in damage and the exhibit was removed from public display for ten days so that it could be repaired.

            Each charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

WASHINGTON – Troy Ashley, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for the armed rape of a stranger in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department. On March 17, 2023, Mr. Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            Ashley has been in custody since his arrest on March 26, 2018. His guilty plea called for an agreed-upon 18-year prison sentence. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan accepted the plea today and also ordered lifetime supervised release.

            According to the proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the evening of March 20, 2018, the victim was sitting in her car, which was parked in the 3200 block of Buena Vista Terrace Southeast, Washington, D.C. Ashley approached the victim’s car, displayed a black handgun, and demanded the victim let him into her car. Out of fear for her life, the victim complied.  Ashley then ordered her to drive into a nearby alley. In the alley, Ashley ordered the victim to take off her shirt and move to the back seat of her car, where he was. Once the victim had done so, Ashley forced her to perform oral sex on him. He then forcibly raped her. Ashley then ordered the victim to get back into the driver’s seat and drive from the scene.

            Before and after the assault, Ashley demanded money and credit cards from the victim.  After the victim told Ashley for the second time that she did not have those things with her, Ashley ordered the victim to drive to the Anacostia River. Once they had arrived at the river, Ashley ordered the victim to strip naked and get into the water or he would shoot her. Again, out of fear for her life, the victim complied.

            Ashley drove away in the victim’s car, leaving the victim in the river.  The victim was able to call for help from the water using a cell phone she had managed to conceal on her person as she got into the river.  Ashley was arrested while sitting in the victim’s car six days later. 

            In announcing the plea and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit.  They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Park Police 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 Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke and Tiffany Jones, and former Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Creighton, Kathleen Kern, Robert Platt, and Kristin Sourbeer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Mark Lamont Clark, 57, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, was found guilty today of two counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law.  The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

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

            U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols presided over Clark’s trial and scheduled Clark’s sentencing for August 30, 2023.

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

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

WASHINGTON – Sheldon Marbley, 44, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal charges of distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, admitting that he distributed the drugs to customers in Southwest Washington, D.C. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget, of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Interim Chief Ashan M. Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Marbley pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 7, 2023. Under the terms of the plea agreement, which is subject to the Court’s approval, Marbley is to be sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

            According to evidence presented in court, Marbley admitted that he distributed fentanyl and cocaine to a male and female, both of whom subsequently died from consuming the fentanyl and cocaine that Marbley provided. Marbley also admitted that he distributed fentanyl and cocaine to another male and female, and they suffered serious bodily injury as a result of consuming the fentanyl and cocaine that Marbley provided.

            As part of his plea agreement, Marbley acknowledged that on the morning of January 28, 2022, and in the days thereafter, Emergency Medical Service and MPD officers responded to at least 13 fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses located near the area of First and O Street, S.W. in Washington D.C. Marbley admitted that, on that morning, he had distributed fentanyl and cocaine from the driver’s seat of a vehicle in Southwest Washington. Closed-circuit television (“CCTV”) footage from that morning depicts numerous individuals approaching the front driver’s side of the vehicle and appearing to engage in narcotics purchases. 

            After the mass overdose event on January 28, 2022, Marbley went to stay at the residence of another drug user and customer, where he continued to possess with the intent to distribute narcotics until he was arrested in the customer’s apartment building on March 23, 2022. Marbley knew that his prior drug distributions resulted in several overdoses resulting in serious bodily injury and death.

            This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek and Andy Wang and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON - Sheron Spann, 54, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to steering government contracts to companies under her control and the control of her spouse. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, who scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2023.   

            According to court documents, starting as early as 2011, Spann, a former employee, began to steer U.S. Office of Personnel Management information technology contracts to companies under control of Spann and her husband without disclosing the nature or extent of her relationship to the companies.  In sum, between 2011 and 2023, companies associated with Spann or her husband received over $10 million from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

            Spann pleaded guilty to one felony count of taking acts affecting a personal financial interest.  She faces up to five years in prison.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston.

Defendant Distributed Child Sex Abuse Material in an Online Group

            WASHINGTON – Shemara Shay Mack-Smith, 42, of Accokeek Maryland, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 120 months of supervised release for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Crime Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the prison term and supervised release, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Mack-Smith to pay $3,000 in restitution to one of the minor victims in the case.

            According to court documents, in late April of 2020, a concerned citizen reported to law enforcement that he met Mack-Smith at a friend’s house in the District of Columbia.  Mack-Smith showed him child pornography, and she told him that she was sexually attracted to children.  This concerned citizen also informed law enforcement that, while exchanging messages with Mack-Smith, she sent him several videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. 

            During the course of the ongoing investigation, in early May of 2023, Mack-Smith distributed several images of child pornography to a law enforcement officer, acting in an undercover capacity.  A search warrant was executed at Mack-Smith’s residence on May 8, 2020.  Numerous digital devices belonging to Mack-Smith, including an Apple iPhone 11, were recovered by law enforcement. The Apple iPhone 11 contained several videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young children.   

            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 case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Larson and Jocelyn Bond.

Def Allegedly Leaked Law Enforcement Information to Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio

            WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lieutenant was arrested today on an indictment charging that he obstructed an investigation into the December 12, 2020 destruction of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) Banner and made false and misleading statements to federal law enforcement about having done so, including that he leaked to Enrique Tarrio, the leader of “The Proud Boys,” the fact that law enforcement had an arrest warrant for him related to that offense.

            Shane Lamond, 47, of Stafford, Va., was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on one count of obstruction of justice and three counts of making false statements.  Lamond will be arraigned today before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            According to the indictment, Lamond worked as the supervisor of the Intelligence Branch of MPD’s Homeland Security Bureau.  Beginning in July 2019 and continuing to at least January 2021, Lamond and Tarrio were in regular contact regarding Proud Boys planned activities in the District of Columbia. The indictment alleges that, as early as at least July 2020, Lamond began using Telegram to provide information to Tarrio about law enforcement activity relating to Proud Boys’ activities in Washington, D.C. 

            For instance, the indictment alleges that beginning on December 18, 2020, Lamond gave Tarrio confidential law enforcement information into the investigation of the December 12, 2020 burning of a banner that read “#BLACKLIVESMATTER.”  As set forth in the indictment, Tarrio would then pass this information along to other Proud Boys members and take action based on the sensitive information. On or about January 4, 2021, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for Tarrio in connection with the burning of the BLM banner, while Tarrio was on a flight from Miami, Florida to Arlington, Virginia, Lamond, using Telegram, sent Tarrio a notification that a warrant had been signed for his arrest in the District of Columbia. After arriving in Arlington, Virginia and driving in to the District of Columbia, Tarrio was arrested on the warrant and subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of property in connection with the burning of the banner.

            As the indictment alleges, on June 2, 2021, during an interview with federal law enforcement, Lamond made false and misleading statements regarding his communications and contacts with Tarrio.  These false and misleading statements related to: (1) the methods by which Lamond and Tarrio would communicate; (2) whether Lamond had provided Tarrio with sensitive law enforcement information; (3) whether Lamond had notified Tarrio about the status of the MPD investigation into the banner burning; (4) whether Lamond notified Tarrio about his pending arrest warrant; and (5) the content and extent of Lamond’s discussion with Tarrio prior to and after January 6.

            The obstruction of justice charge carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison. Each charge for making a false statement carries a statutory maximum of 5 years in prison. 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 jointly investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Attorney's Office Criminal Investigations Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein, 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.

17-Year-Old Defendant Charged as Adult Pursuant to Title 16 of D.C. Code

            WASHINGTON – Jaelen Jordan, 17, of Washington, D.C. has been arrested and charged as an adult by complaint with two counts of armed carjacking and other related felony offenses, stemming from two carjackings that occurred on April 27, 2023 and May 16, 2023 in the District of Columbia. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            According to the complaint, the defendant was involved in carjackings on April 27, 2023,  in the 800 block of K Street NE and on May 16, 2023, in the 600 block of Butternut Street NW.  The defendant was arrested on May 17, 2023.  On May 19, 2023, the defendant was charged with two armed carjackings and other related offenses.

            This case is part of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office into carjackings occurring in Washington, D.C.

            In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Contee, and SAC Jacobs  commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Gold, Emily Kubo, and Gregory Evans, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.

            A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

WASHINGTON - Ijomah Oputa, 54, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 40 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud in connection with the generation and sale of fraudulent renewable fuel credits, from 2017 through 2021.

            The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 created or extended several federally-funded programs to incentivize production of renewable fuels, including biodiesel, and to encourage the use of such fuels in the United States. Authorized biodiesel producers and importers could generate and attach credits – known as renewable identification numbers (RINS) – to biodiesel they produced or imported. Because certain companies need RINs to comply with regulatory obligations, RINs have significant market value.

            Oputa created a fake renewable fuel importing company and fraudulently generated RINs on volumes of biofuel that he claimed to have imported from foreign biofuel producers. No such imports had actually occurred. Oputa generated false documentation of the alleged imports, including fake classified correspondence with a branch of the United States military. He then sold the fraudulent RINs to a RIN trading company for approximately $426,000, which he deposited in a bank account he opened using a stolen identity. Judge McFadden also ordered restitution in the amount of approximately $462,200 to ACT Fuels and $33,600 to RIN Alliance, two of the victims of the wire fraud scheme.

            The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Blackwell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum, of the United States Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section.

WASHINGTON – John Maurice West, 29, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to 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, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            West pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 8, 2023. 

            According to the government’s evidence, 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. 

            West was arrested on June 27, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since.

            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 faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Anzallo, and Chief Contee 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.

WASHINGTON – Eder Luciano Pacheco, 36, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to maintaining a drug-involved premises and unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States.  The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Luciano Pacheco entered the plea in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.  Chief Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 31, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 28, 2022, members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to an apartment building in the District’s Southwest Waterfront neighborhood after receiving a report that a vacant apartment unit was being unlawfully occupied.  Upon officers’ entry into the unit, the defendant exited a bedroom and made his presence known to police.  Officers observed large bags of a leafy green substance consistent in appearance with marijuana.  Officers also observed several large duffle bags containing suspected marijuana. The substance was later weighed, and a representative sample was field tested. The substance weighed approximately 618.75 pounds (approximately 280.66 kilograms) and field-tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in marijuana.  Officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun from the bedroom the defendant had been occupying when they first entered the unit.  The defendant advised officers that there was another gun in a cabinet above the refrigerator.  The few other items in the apartment, such as a FoodSaver vacuum sealer, indicated that the apartment was being used to repackage bulk marijuana for further distribution.

            Luciano Pacheco was arrested on May 28, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since.

            Maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.  Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person illegally or unlawfully in the United States carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Forget, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department.  They 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 Samuel Frey, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Defendant Previously Served Prison Sentence for Different Theft Scheme

            WASHINGTON – Rhayda Barnes Thomas, 52, of Washington, D.C., a former employee of the D.C. Department of Employment Services’ Project Empowerment Program, pleaded guilty today to stealing more than $350,000 from the Project Empowerment Program between May 2015 and April 2018.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

            Barnes Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before the Honorable Richard J. Leon, who scheduled sentencing for August 16, 2023. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to pay restitution of at least $354,000, and to be liable for a forfeiture money judgment totaling $318,413.

            The D.C. government’s Project Empowerment Program provides employment services to D.C. residents who have multiple barriers to employment, such as a history of substance abuse, a history of job cycling (not maintaining steady employment), and either a felony conviction or previous incarceration. One phase of the program consists of subsidized employment, which involves the D.C. government paying the wages of participants while they work at worksites. During this phase, worksites were responsible for entering participants’ work hours into an electronic system used by Project Empowerment. In turn, the D.C. government would then have payments corresponding with those hours issued to accounts associated with participants, usually in the form of pre-paid bank debit cards.

            In 2011, Barnes Thomas pleaded guilty in Maryland federal court to theft involving a federal government program in connection with a scheme to use federal funds received by her school employer to buy technology for herself, her family, and friends. She was sentenced to 27 months in prison for that offense.

            In August 2013, following her release from prison, Barnes Thomas participated in the Project Empowerment Program. She ultimately was hired by the program as a Program Support Assistant in February 2014. From May 2015 through April 2018, she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the program by reviving 16 former Project Empowerment participants’ profiles and modifying entries in a database to falsely show them as working for a non-profit organization, which was not true.  She also used the name of a former employee from the non‑profit organization to enter and approve time in the database showing individuals as working when they were not. In addition, she ordered or caused to be ordered replacement and new prepaid debit cards on behalf of the former Project Empowerment participants whose profiles she fraudulently revived. As a result of her conduct, she caused the D.C. government to request that Wells Fargo Bank load funds onto those prepaid debit cards, which she controlled.

            In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, and Inspector in Charge Wood commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Criminal Investigations Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the efforts of individuals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and David Gorman, Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, and Amanda Rohde, and former Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Aisha Keys.

The Justice Department today unsealed two indictments charging a Russian national and resident with using three different ransomware variants to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, as well as victims in healthcare and other sectors nationwide.

According to the indictment obtained in the District of New Jersey, from at least as early as 2020, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, aka Wazawaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselcin, aka Uhodiransomwar, allegedly participated in conspiracies to deploy three ransomware variants. These variants are known as LockBit, Babuk, and Hive, and Matveev transmitted ransom demands in connection with each. The perpetrators behind each of these variants, including Matveev, have allegedly used these types of ransomware to attack thousands of victims in the United States and around the world. These victims include law enforcement and other government agencies, hospitals, and schools. Total ransom demands allegedly made by the members of these three global ransomware campaigns to their victims amount to as much as $400 million, while total victim ransom payments amount to as much as $200 million.

“From his home base in Russia, Matveev allegedly used multiple ransomware variants to attack critical infrastructure around the world, including hospitals, government agencies, and victims in other sectors,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These international crimes demand a coordinated response. We will not relent in imposing consequences on the most egregious actors in the cybercrime ecosystem.”

On or about June 25, 2020, Matveev and his LockBit coconspirators allegedly deployed LockBit ransomware against a law enforcement agency in Passaic County, New Jersey. Additionally, on or about May 27, 2022, Matveev and his Hive coconspirators allegedly deployed Hive against a nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization headquartered in Mercer County, New Jersey. On April 26, 2021, Matveev and his Babuk coconspirators allegedly deployed Babuk against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.

“From Russia and hiding behind multiple aliases, Matveev is alleged to have used these ransomware strains to encrypt and hold hostage for ransom the data of numerous victims, including hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies, like the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Thanks to the extraordinary investigative work of prosecutors from my office and our FBI partners, Matveev no longer hides in the shadows – we have publicly identified his criminal acts and charged him with multiple federal crimes. Let today’s charges be a reminder to cybercriminals everywhere – my office is devoted to combatting cybercrime and will spare no resources in bringing to justice those who use ransomware attacks to target victims.” 

According to the indictment obtained in the District of Columbia, between April 21, 2021, and May 9, 2021, Matveev allegedly participated in conspiracies to deploy Babuk and to transmit a ransom demand. Specifically, on April 26, 2021, Matveev and his Babuk co-conspirators allegedly deployed Babuk ransomware against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and then threatened to disclose sensitive information to the public unless a payment was made.

“Data theft and extortion attempts by ransomware groups are corrosive, cynical attacks on key institutions and the good people behind them as they go about their business and serve the public,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Whether these criminals target law enforcement, other government agencies, or private companies like health care providers, we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute and punish such offenses. Thanks to exceptional work by our partners here, we identified and charged this culprit.”

“The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to disrupting cybercriminals like Matveev,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “The FBI will continue to impose costs on cyber adversaries through our joint collaboration with our private sector and international partners, and we will not tolerate these criminal acts against American citizens.”

The LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020. LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands and receiving over $75 million in ransom payments.

The Babuk ransomware variant first appeared around December 2020. Babuk actors executed over 65 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $49 million in ransom demands and receiving as much as $13 million in ransom payments.

Since June 2021, the Hive ransomware group has targeted more than 1,400 victims around the world and received as much as $120 million in ransom payments.

The LockBit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware variants operated in the same general manner: first, the ransomware actors would identify and unlawfully access vulnerable computer systems, sometimes through their own hacking, or by purchasing stolen access credentials from others. Second, the actors would deploy the ransomware variant within the victim computer system, allowing the actors to encrypt and steal data thereon. Next, the actors would send a ransom note to the victim demanding a payment in exchange for decrypting the victim’s data or refraining from sharing it publicly. Finally, the ransomware actors would negotiate a ransom amount with each victim willing to pay. If a victim did not pay, ransomware actors would often post that victim’s data on a public website, often called a data leak site.  

Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers, and intentionally damaging protected computers. If convicted, he faces over 20 years in prison. 

The FBI Newark Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Task Force is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and international partners from European Cyber Crime Centre of Europol, National Police Agency of Japan, Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command of France, National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, High-Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch Police Services Agency of the Netherlands, Bundeskriminalamt and Landeskriminalamt of Germany, Mossos d'Esquadra Police Department of Spain, Norwegian Police Service of Norway, and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden.

Trial Attorneys Jessica C. Peck, Benjamin Proctor, and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly and David E. Malagold for the District of New Jersey’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI Tampa Field Office and Orlando Resident Agency, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey Bratt for the Middle District of Florida and CCIPS Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Alison Zitron, made critical contributions to the case. The FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division also provided significant assistance.

Victims of LockBit, Babuk, or Hive ransomware should contact their local FBI field office for further information. For additional information on ransomware, including the LockBit, Babuk, and Hive variants, please visit StopRansomware.gov.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced that it is designating the defendant for his role in launching ransomware attacks against U.S. law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

Finally, the Department of State has also announced an award of up to $10 million for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of this defendant. Information that may be eligible for this award can be submitted at tips.fbi.gov. Congress established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program in 2013 to support law enforcement efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice. The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the program in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies.

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

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with participating in a global ransomware campaign which deployed ransomware variants against victims in the District of Columbia, the United States, and around the world. Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, alleged to use the online monikers Wazawaka, m1x, Broriscelcin, and Uhodiransomwar, 30, of Kaliningrad, Russia, is charged with intentional damage to a protected computer and threats relating to a protected computer.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge James Dennehy, of the FBI’s Newark Field Office,

            “Data theft and extortion attempts by ransomware groups are corrosive, cynical attacks on key institutions and the good people behind them as they go about their business and serve the public,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Whether these criminals target law enforcement, other government agencies, or private companies like health care providers, we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute and punish such offenses.  Thanks to exceptional work by our partners here, we identified and charged this culprit.”

            “We want the indictment, sanctions and reward for Mikhail Matveev to sound an alarm in the ranks of cyber criminals all over the world,” said SAC Dennehy. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners, as well as our international partners, are coming after you. These malicious actors believe they can operate with impunity – and don’t fear getting caught because they sit in a country where they feel safe and protected. That may be the case now, but the safe harbor may not exist forever. When we have an opportunity, we will do everything in our power to bring Matveev and his ilk to justice.”

            According to the indictment, from as early as 2020, Matveev was an active member of Babuk, a global ransomware campaign which ranked among the most active and destructive cybercriminal threats in the world. Specifically, on April 26, 2021, the Babuk conspirators deployed Babuk ransomware against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. and then threatened to disclose sensitive information to the public unless a payment was made.  As part of the ransomware conspiracy which attacked MPD, Matveev allegedly intentionally infected MPD’s computer systems with Babuk ransomware, stole data, and then attempted to extort MPD, threatening disclosure of sensitive information unless payment was made. The actions caused at least $5,000 in losses to MPD.

            Matveev is also charged with a series of similar crimes in an indictment filed in the District of New Jersey.

            Intentional damage to a protected computer carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Threats relating to a protected computer carries a statutory maximum of 10 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 Newark Field Office with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. As part of a broader investigation involving charges in the District of New Jersey, assistance was provided by New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and the International partners from European Cyber Crime Centre of Europol, National Police Agency of Japan, Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command of France, National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, High-Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch Police Services Agency of the Netherlands, Bundeskriminalamt and Landeskriminalamt of Germany, Mossos d'Esquadra Police Department of Spain, Norwegian Police Service of Norway and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Ben Proctor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

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

Defendant Billed MPD While Working Outside Employment

            WASHINGTON – Medgar Webster Sr., 52, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday, in Superior Court, to one count of first degree felony fraud for committing time and attendance fraud on the Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, and Chief Robert Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.

            The Honorable Errol Arthur accepted Webster’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. As part of his plea, Webster must pay full restitution.

            According to court documents, Webster, a former MPD officer and Vice Chairman of the D.C. Police Union, engaged in unauthorized outside employment at three Whole Foods Market locations in Washington, D.C. between January 2021 and April 2022, while concurrently employed by MPD.  Although employment outside of MPD may be permitted in certain circumstances, Webster never submitted the necessary administrative forms or received the proper authorizations, which are required by MPD, in part, to maintain records of an MPD member’s hours worked throughout the year.

            Acting unchecked during this period, Webster stole more than $33,845 from MPD after billing MPD for regular, overtime and holiday hours that he never worked. In total, Webster worked more than 1,400 hours of outside employment at Whole Foods, of which 514 hours were worked simultaneously with time he fraudulently reported working for MPD. This double-billed time included submissions by Webster for 246.5 hours in overtime pay, at an adjustable hourly rate of $79.67 per hour.

            This fraud prosecution is the result of a partnership between the Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, D.C. Attorney General Schwalb, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated and prosecuted the matter, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bayly Leighton, on detail from the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute local fraud and public corruption cases. 

Defendant Pretended to Collect for Charities But Only Paid Himself

            WASHINGTON – James Trankle, 55, previously of Churchton, Maryland, was convicted today of conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and five additional counts of bank fraud all stemming from a scheme in which he created fake charities, solicited donations, and then stole the identities of the donors he tricked into giving funds.

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector-in-Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 29, 2023.

            The offenses of conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and the five further counts of bank fraud, each carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and financial penalties.

            According to evidence presented in court, from 2013 to 2018, Trankle and his co-defendant, Stephen Sibert, were charged with creating fake charities and registering those entities with the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (“DCRA”) and then presenting them as legitimate charities. Examples included the “Disabled and Paralyzed Veterans Fund,” the “National Breast Cancer Awareness Fund,” and the “Children’s Leukemia of America Fund.”

            Trankle used a post office box address in Washington, D.C., as the claimed official mailing address for the fraudulent charities.  He opened numerous bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent charities.  And he sent solicitations via U.S. mail to thousands of potential donors—i.e., victims—nationwide asking the recipients to send personal checks as donations. Through the scheme, Trankle obtained over 1,600 personal checks from victims making charitable donations, which he then deposited into bank accounts that the conspirators Trankle and Sibert controlled.

            In addition, Trankle and his conspirator purchased check making supplies such as stock paper and printing equipment. Using the bank account and routing information from the victims’ checks, the conspirators printed additional unauthorized counterfeit checks payable to their fraudulent charities that were drawn against the victims’ personal checking accounts. The conspirators deposited those unauthorized counterfeit checks into the bank accounts they  controlled.  They later withdrew and spent the funds for various personal expenses. 

            The fraudulent charities did not perform any of the charitable work described in their solicitations, nor did the fraudulent charities provide any significant funds to other charities that did so.

           This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Borchert and Brian Kelly, and Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres Trujillo.

Defendants Abducted Maryland Man and Held Him for Ransom

            WASHINGTON – Four Washington, D.C. men were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to life in prison for murder and other charges in the kidnapping of a Maryland man, whose body was found in June 2018 in an alley in Southeast Washington. The victim had been shot numerous times and his hands were still bound with zip-ties.

            Defendants Darin Moore, Jr. 29, of Bowie, Md., Gabriel Brown, 33, and John Sweeney, 29, both of Washington, D.C., were each sentenced to life in prison on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, and 45 years in prison on counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, first degree premeditated murder and felony murder, all to run concurrent to each other.  Defendant James Taylor, 33, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping resulting in death and 45 years in prison for felony murder, to run concurrently. All four were found guilty, on November 1, 2022, following a trial in U.S. District Court.

            The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 19, 2018, the victim, Andre Simmons, Jr., 28, from Bowie, Maryland, was abducted at gunpoint in Maryland, bound with zip ties, and forced into a vehicle by Moore and Sweeney. During the following few hours, several ransom calls were made from Taylor’s phone to Mr. Simmons’ family, who delivered $7,000 in cash to a drop location as instructed by the kidnappers. The money was subsequently picked up by Brown.

            Just over an hour after the ransom payment, at about 6:25 a.m. on June 20, 2018, the defendants shot Mr. Simmons 19 times and left his zip-tied body in an alley off the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE. The four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to divide up the proceeds of the ransom demand.

            Moore was arrested on June 20, 2018; Brown was arrested on June 27, 2018; Taylor was arrested on Aug. 17, 2018; and Sweeney was arrested on Jan. 14, 2019. All have been in custody since their arrests.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD’s Homicide Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal Service.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane and former Paralegal Specialist Genevieve De Guzman also assisted in the prosecution.

            WASHINGTON –Latonja Dashawn Carrera, also known as Latonja Dashawn Martin, 48, of Camp Springs, Maryland, was sentenced today to twelve months incarceration, ten months suspended, and three years of probation for a felony charge of financial exploitation of a vulnerable or elderly adult in violation of D.C. Code §§ 22-933.01(a)(3) and 22-936.01(a)(1).

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.

            According to facts admitted in her guilty plea, Carrera was the owner and administrator of M&M Residential Services, Inc., a Mental Health Community Residence Facility licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH).  Carrera admitted that within a 16-day period in January 2019, she made five separate transactions totaling $3,090.14 from the bank accounts of a 73-year-old vulnerable adult under her care, which she in turn used to pay for her own personal utility and credit card bills. 

            Carrera was arrested in December 2020, and pleaded guilty on December 6, 2022.  In addition to the prison term and probation, D.C. Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe, ordered Carrera to undergo a mental health evaluation and pay $1,565.78 in restitution to the victim, in addition to a $100 fine paid to the victims compensation fund  As a condition of probation, Carrera is also prohibited from serving in any fiduciary role for any individual other than her immediate family members.

            This prosecution is part of the Office’s wider efforts to combat crimes against seniors and vulnerable adults.  In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia launched an initiative to address the abuse and exploitation of older adults.  The Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative at the U.S. Attorney’s Office expanded its response to criminal and civil violations targeting older adults. The initiative has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop and coordinate further its prosecution of these cases and enhance its overall support of older or vulnerable victims.  The team consists of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates from across the Office, to include the Superior Court, Criminal, and Civil Divisions, as well as the Victim Witness Assistance Unit.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative partners with the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which is statutorily responsible for investigating and prosecuting District Medicaid provider fraud as well as abuse or neglect of residents in health care facilities and board and care facilities and of District Medicaid beneficiaries in noninstitutional or other settings.

            This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General to investigate and prosecute cases of this kind.  The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS [202-724-8477].

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated and prosecuted the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of Inspector General’s MFCU.  They also acknowledged the efforts of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the Office of the Inspector General, who prosecuted the case, and MFCU Special Agent Jonathan Rich, who investigated the matter.  They also recognized the work of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, which initiated this case, and the D.C. Adult Protective Services, which referred this matter for investigation.

Defendant Threatened Victim With a Gun at a Metro Station

            WASHINGTON – Kalil Ameer Xavier Pitts, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of simple assault, and one count of criminally negligent storage of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department.

            Kalil Pitts pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Erik P. Christian. Pitts will be sentenced on July 28, 2023. He faces up to five years’ imprisonment for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms, up to 180 days’ imprisonment for simple assault, and up to 180 days’ imprisonment for criminally negligent storage of a firearm.

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 9, 2022, Kalil Pitts followed a former friend to the train platform at Brookland-CUA Metro Station in Washington, D.C., and threatened him with a handgun. The victim fled, but Pitts chased him through the station and started a fistfight. Pitts punched the victim multiple times, cutting the victim near his eye. The assaults were recorded by WMATA’s surveillance system. A week later, members of the Metro Transit Police Department executed a search warrant at the D.C. apartment of Kalil Pitts. Inside, police found a loaded handgun and a “ghost” rifle—both of which were accessible to two young children under the age of 10 years. Pitts was not permitted to possess the firearms due to a prior conviction and he did not store the firearms securely.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit 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 Carlos A. Valdivia and Omeed Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON - Melchiades Amin, 45, of Glenn Dale, Maryland, was sentenced today, May 11, 2023, to serve 36 months of incarceration, suspended, and five years of probation.  Additionally, the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Amin to pay $178,150.24 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program.  The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            Amin was indicted on October 26, 2022, and he was arrested on November 2, 2022.  On March 10, 2023, Amin pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to one count of First-Degree Felony Fraud and two counts of First-Degree Felony theft.

            According to the government’s evidence, between May 2018 and on or about October 2021, Amin was employed by two District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS) providers as a community support worker (CSW).  MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services.  A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as medication management, increasing social skills, and learning how to use public transportation to travel when necessary.

            While employed by the two District MHRS providers, Amin engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program. Employment records and records maintained by the District of Columbia’s Department of Behavioral Health show that Amin billed for overlapping encounter visits with MHRS patients, submitted patient notes indicating community support services had been provided in person while he was traveling out of state, submitted encounter notes for community support services while a patient was admitted in a hospital, and submitted encounter notes indicating community support services were provided at consumers’ homes while Amin may not have been at those physical locations. Through these schemes, Amin caused the D.C. Medicaid program to pay over $178,000 for CSW services that were not provided, of which he personally received more than $54,000.

            This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General to investigate and prosecute cases of this kind.  The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud.  If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at (800) 724-TIPS [(800) 274-8477].

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated and prosecuted the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU).  They commended the work of Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the Office of the Inspector General, who prosecuted the case, and also acknowledged the efforts of the OIG MFCU of those who investigated the case, including Auditor Pednika White, Special Agent Eduardo Torre, and Supervisory Investigator Robert Bornstein.

WASHINGTON – The former Executive Director and the Director of Operations and Finance, of the now-defunct non-profit organization DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (“DC Trust”), were sentenced today for a felony charge relating to their personal use of the non-profit’s funds, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Terry Harris, of the US Department of Education Office of Inspector General for the Eastern Region.

            Edward Davies, 52, of Owings Mills, Maryland, was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release; Earl Hamilton, 53, of Riviera Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants pleaded guilty, on November 30, 2022, to a charge of credit card fraud for using the non-profit’s monies, intended for youth scholarship programs, for personal expenses. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Davies to pay $111,332.46 in restitution and ordered Hamilton to pay $44,049.79 in restitution.

            According to court documents, Davies, the former executive director, and Hamilton, the former director of operations and finance, used DC Trust credit cards and a check card to make hundreds of personal purchases for expenses such as: meals, automobile repairs, exercise equipment, and personal travel for themselves, their family members, and their friends. In total, Davies stole at least $111,000 and Hamilton stole at least $44,000.

            The DC Trust was a non-profit organization, created in 1999, to serve as an intermediary to connect philanthropists, government leaders, youth advocates, and representatives from the business community in order to support programs to benefit the children of the District of Columbia.  The organization was dissolved in late 2016, reportedly to cover debts from exorbitant spending on and by staff, including the misuse of organization credit cards. The trust’s funding came from the U.S. Department of Education and consisted of federal grant funding under the U.S. Department of Education Opportunity Scholarship Program (“OSP”), which was designed to provide low-income parents, residing in Washington, D.C., with expanded options for the education of their children. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Harris, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General.  They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Diane Lucas have been litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Lisa Abbe.          

            WASHINGTON –Jonathan Montiethe Perry 39, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty this week to one count of importation of a controlled substance (Gamma Butyrolactone), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Perry entered the plea on May 9, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 18, 2023.

            According to the Government’s evidence, on or about December 26, 2022, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, New York, NY Mail Branch conducted an inspection of an international package that was addressed to the defendant in Washington D.C.  The package was found to contain five unmarked plastic bottles filled with clear liquid, weighing approximately 6.07 kilograms (gross weight including the plastic bottles). CBP officers used a Gemini Thermo Scientific system to analyze the clear liquid and returned a presumptive positive match for Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL).  The package contained approximately 5,000 milliliters of GBL which weighed approximately 5 kilograms. A subsequent laboratory analysis of samples taken from the five bottles further confirmed that the clear liquid contained GBL.

            On January 5, 2023, at approximately 10:15 a.m., an undercover law enforcement officer conducted a controlled delivery of a package to an apartment complex where it was eventually retrieved by the defendant. Shortly thereafter, the defendant was followed and observed entering another apartment complex, then into a specific apartment with the target package in his hand.  Law enforcement waited several minutes, knocked on the apartment door, announced their presence, and subsequently executed a search warrant.  The defendant was present and detained without incident. Upon entering the residence, law enforcement observed the target package on the kitchen table next to a pair of scissors. On a separate nearby table, there was an open laptop computer with the USPS package tracking website open and the target package’s tracking number displayed. In addition, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of empty, unfilled plastic pill capsules, a plastic bag containing several dozen empty plastic vials, a box containing six small empty, blue-colored vials and several glass droppers. Law enforcement also recovered one plastic bag that contained at least several dozen empty plastic vials and had a maximum capacity of 400 vials. 

            In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Gordon, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Homeland Security Investigations and the Metropolitan Police Department.  They acknowledge 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 Attorney Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Joseph Arnold, 43, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was sentenced today to  97 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $67,500 restitution, for distributing child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Arnold pleaded guilty on July 19, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence, on October 26, 2020, Arnold began communicating with an undercover officer based in the District of Columbia using an online messaging application. Over the next two weeks, Arnold sent the undercover officer multiple videos of child pornography, boasting that he had “hundreds more” such videos, and arranged with the undercover officer to travel to the District of Columbia for the purpose sexually abusing a child. On November 5, 2020, Arnold traveled from Virginia to Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was arrested by law enforcement.

            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. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs 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. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Jocelyn Bond, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya Davis, 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.

WASHINGTON – Graham Hauck, 50, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to stealing more than $330,000 from a nonprofit trade organization. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Hauck pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Hauck must pay full restitution. He also will be liable for a forfeiture money judgment. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras, who accepted Hauck’s guilty plea, scheduled sentencing for September 14, 2023. 

            According to court documents, Hauck served as president and CEO of Hauck & Associates, Inc. (“H&A”), a trade association management firm based in Washington, D.C. The victim organization, a nonprofit professional trade organization, retained H&A to serve as its management company. For the period covering January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019, the victim organization agreed to pay H&A an annual management and headquarters fee of $148,475, with one-twelfth of the fee (approximately $12,372) being billed on the first day of each month. From March 2019 through approximately October 2019, Hauck stole roughly $336,222 from the victim organization. Although H&A was authorized to pay itself the monthly management fee from one of the organization’s bank accounts, Hauck wrote checks and initiated ACH payments from that account to H&A in amounts far exceeding what the organization owed.  Hauck also stole from one of the organization’s other accounts by writing a $100,000 to H&A and initiating three ACH transfers from the account.

            Hauck concealed his scheme both by lying to one of his employees who noticed the victim organization’s unusual activity and by creating inaccurate balance sheets that were presented monthly to the victim organization’s board of directors. The false balance sheets showed more money than the organization actually had in its accounts.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Anne McNamara, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart and former Paralegal Specialists Angeline Thekkumthala and Stephanie Frijas.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Duncan, 42, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release today for assaulting a pedestrian in May 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            On February 27, 2023, Duncan was found guilty of Assault with Significant Bodily Injury at a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz presided over the trial.

            According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on May 21, 2022, the victim was walking home on 15th Street in Northwest, Washington, D.C. from a Bocce Ball game when he was confronted by Duncan. Duncan, who was a stranger to the victim, accused the victim of directing a sexually suggestive act towards him and took offense. The victim vehemently denied making any such advance. As Duncan confronted the victim for this perceived advanced, he pulled out his cell phone, and recorded himself physically attacking the victim. Duncan broke the victim’s nose and teeth, and the victim required numerous stitches to stop the bleeding. Duncan called the victim a derogatory gay slur numerous times as he attacked the victim.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee 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 Jared English and Randle Wilson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Terron Demise Barnes, also known as “Ali Vegaz,” 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Weddel, of the ATF Washington Field Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”).

            Barnes pleaded guilty on January 27, 2023. As part of the plea agreement, Barnes admitted to operating “Pak Religious, LLC” from his apartment in Northeast Washington, D.C., from approximately June 2019 through his arrest on July 2, 2020. Barnes advertised “Pak Religious” on the Instagram social media application, where he recruited buyers, in part, by falsely advertising himself as a “licensed D.C. marijuana dispensary.” 

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered 48 months of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, federal agents and MPD officers executed a search warrant at Barnes’ apartment on July 2, 2020.  During the search, agents found and seized the following items, which Barnes agreed to forfeit as part of his plea agreement:

1. A Spikes Tactical AR-Style Pistol with an extended magazine;
2. A Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun fitted with an extended magazine and laser sight;
3. 100 total rounds of ammunition, including ammunition for 9mm and .45 caliber firearms;
4. Approximately twenty-four pounds, or 11.328.5 grams, of marijuana and THC-infused products;
5. 52 Oxycodone pills not prescribed to Barnes;
6. Six bottles of Promethazine with Codeine syrup not prescribed to Barnes;
7. Three ledger books;
8. $18,377 in United States Currency; and
9. A Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle which had been reported stolen in Prince George’s County, Maryland in May 2020.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Acting Special Agent in Charge Weddel, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case, including FBI, ATF, and MPD. Finally, they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Shamell Joyner, 35, of the District of Columbia, has been charged by superseding criminal complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for an April 13, 2023, armed carjacking and a series of armed robberies committed between April 12 and May 2, 2023.

            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 Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the charges.

            The superseding criminal complaint describes an armed carjacking from April 13, and eight robberies of commercial establishments from April 12 through May 2, at locations in Northeast and Northwest Washington, as well as in Alexandria, Virginia, and Hanover, Maryland.  As alleged in the complaint, Joyner brandished a firearm during all of the robberies.  He discharged a firearm during the April 12 armed robbery of a Northwest Washington gas station and the April 17 armed robbery of an Alexandria, Virginia convenience store.  A store employee working at the time of the Alexandria robbery sustained a non–life threatening gunshot wound to his leg.

            Joyner is also alleged to have carjacked a man at gunpoint in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood on April 13, and to have used that car to commit subsequent armed robbery offenses.  In addition, Joyner is alleged to have robbed a Hanover, Maryland gas station at gunpoint on May 2, during which he also stole a station employee’s vehicle.  The Metropolitan Police Department found Joyner in the stolen vehicle’s driver’s seat later that day and arrested him.  At the time of his arrest, Joyner was in possession of a firearm used in several of the robberies, as well as clothing and other evidence that tied him to numerous offenses.

            Joyner has been detained since his May 2, 2023, arrest pending further court proceedings.

            Joyner is charged with 16 counts under the United States and District of Columbia Codes.  Under the U.S. Code, Joyner is charged with six counts of Interference with Interstate Commerce by Robbery (also known as “Hobbs Act” robbery), which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; six counts of Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During 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 Stolen Vehicles, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and 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, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.  Under the D.C. Code, Joyner is charged with one count of Armed Carjacking, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and the Council of the District of Columbia 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.

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

            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 U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Renaud 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.

WASHINGTON – Gary Vaughn, 55, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for Unlawful Distribution of Fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered 36 months of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on six different occasions between December 2021 and February 2022, an undercover officer (“UC”) with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) met with Vaughn at various locations in SE Washington, DC – including a park and Vaughn’s home – to purchase narcotics. On each of the six occasions, Vaughn sold the UC multiple Ziplock baggies that each contained a white powdery substance containing fentanyl. In total, Vaughn sold 415 Ziploc bags containing fentanyl. Vaughn was arrested on August 31, 2022, with an additional 139 Ziploc baggies that contained fentanyl.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Mid-Atlantic Laboratory. They also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy Wang and Nihar Mohanty from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO).

WASHINGTON – A 15th defendant has entered a guilty plea in United States District Court in connection with a wide-ranging investigation centered on the area of 7th and O Streets, in Northwest, Washington, D.C. These guilty pleas stem from a series of arrests and indictments filed in May and June of 2022, following a long-term investigation led by the FBI and MPD.

            Elliot Johnson, 43, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty May 5, 2023 to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2023.

            According to court documents, in or around late 2021, members of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”), in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), began investigating violent crime and drug trafficking activities occurring in or around the corner of 7th Street and O Street in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Investigation revealed that the individuals charged gathered in this area on a regular basis to sell controlled substances.

            Law enforcement identified several residences that the group used for storing drugs and for processing and packaging drugs for resale. Further investigation revealed the defendants were engaged in hand-to-hand drug sales on the sidewalk. Undercover officers began purchasing crack cocaine and fentanyl from members of the drug trafficking group. The quantities of crack cocaine purchased by law enforcement ranged from one gram to over 28 grams at a time. The charged members of this group, in total, sold law enforcement approximately 158 grams of cocaine base. The quantities of fentanyl purchased by law enforcement from members of this drug trafficking group ranged from less than one gram up to 65 grams at a time. The charged members of this group, in total, sold law enforcement approximately 470 grams of fentanyl. Through the executed searches, four firearms were also seized. 

            The following defendants have entered guilty pleas in connection with this series of indictments:

Defendant

Case Number

Guilty Plea

Plea Date

Sentencing Date

Elliot Johnson, 43, 

22-CR-164

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

May 5, 2023

TBD

Jeremy Young, 37,

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

March 1, 2023

Scheduled for June 7, 2023

William Proctor, 55

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine

November 7, 2022

Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on February 27, 2023

Andre Williams, 33

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine

March 22, 2023

Scheduled for July 7, 2023

Ako Handy, 50

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine and possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

April 11, 2023

Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on April 11, 2023

Keith Gliss, 37

22-CR-164

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

May 4, 2023

TBD

Stanley Hood, 27

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

January 12, 2023

Scheduled for May 24, 2023

Thomas Shelton, 26

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl

January 10, 2023

Sentenced to Two Years in Prison on April 10, 2023

Tyrone Wade, 30

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

April 10, 2023

Scheduled for July 26, 2023

Christion Cooper, 22

22-CR-164

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

February 23, 2023

Sentenced to Five Years in Prison n February 23, 2023

Kenneth Watts, 25

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

December 22, 2022

Sentenced to Two Years in Prison on April 6, 2023

Brandon Benson, 24

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

January 11, 2023

Scheduled for May 16, 2023

Burnell Smith, 33

22-CR-164

Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

December 2, 2022

Sentenced to Probation on March 21, 2023

Kelfa Kamara, 39

22-CR-196

Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine

December 9, 2022

Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison on March 29, 2023

Samuel Hall, 41

22-cr-195

Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

February 1, 2023

Scheduled for May 30, 2023

 

Jonathan Brown

22-cr-114

Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

October 7, 2022

Pending

            This investigation additionally led to an indictment being filed against Jonathan Brown in Case Number 23-CR-79, related to the July 31, 2021 homicide of Kervin Sanchez at the corner of 7th and O street, NW.

            The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, and the Washington Division of the DEA. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. 

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

            The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Wasserman and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Shaunik Panse.

WASHINGTON – Christopher Hairston, 23, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a felony count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel, of the Washington Field Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. The plea was entered before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss, who scheduled sentencing for September 13, 2023.

            Hairston admitted that on November 13, 2020, he arranged to buy marijuana from the victim. They met at a location in Northeast Washington, D.C. at which time Hairston stated he did not have enough money and had to get more. The victim agreed to go with Hairston to another location in Northeast. At this new location, Hairston entered the backseat of a vehicle where the victim was sitting. The two discussed a potential deal to purchase narcotics. Hairston then pulled out a handgun and demanded that the victim give him the bag of marijuana. After Hairston took the bag, he shot the victim in the torso and exited the vehicle. The victim was taken to the hospital and received surgery following the incident.

            Hairston was arrested in October 2021 and has been detained ever since. He faces a statutory minimum of seven years of incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solomon Eppel and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Kristin Sourbeer and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Lynch. The case is being investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department

WASHINGTON – Mauricio Mazabel-Soto, 45, and Alfredo Molina-Cutiva, 53, both citizens of Colombia, were sentenced to 73 months and 70 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine for importation into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Regional Director Omar Arellano.

            In 2018, DEA agents began investigating large-scale drug traffickers with ties to the terrorist group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). During a long-term investigation, defendant Mazabel-Soto represented himself as someone authorized to enter into large cocaine production agreements on behalf of the FARC and portrayed co-defendant Molina-Cutiva as being responsible for FARC drug trafficking logistics in southwestern Colombia. Additionally, the defendants represented that defendant Molina-Cutiva was responsible for all FARC cocaine laboratories in Huila and Caqueta, Colombia as well as transferring cocaine across the border with Ecuador for exportation north by way of the Pacific Ocean.

            During a series of recorded meetings, defendants Mazabel-Soto and Molina-Cutiva offered to produce large quantities of cocaine for an individual they believed was representing a major Mexican drug cartel. In one particular meeting, the defendants proposed a business agreement wherein the Mexican cartel would invest $2 million (USD) in their business and the FARC would construct a cocaine laboratory for the cartel, where they would have exclusive rights to the production. The defendants stated that the first 1,000 kilograms produced would be free and the FARC would then produce an additional 1,000 kilograms of cocaine for the cartel every few weeks, at a cost of $1,600 (USD) per kilogram. The defendants agreed to place designer stamps on each kilogram of cocaine, including the logo for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team.

            In April 2019, in Bogota, Colombia, defendant Mazabel-Soto provided another individual with a five-kilogram “sample” of cocaine to demonstrate the quality. Mazabel-Soto accepted $11,000 (USD) for this sample delivery. DEA lab results show that the cocaine was 96% pure.

            On June 25, 2019, defendant Mazabel-Soto was arrested in Colombia and, on April 16, 2021, was extradited to the United States; co-defendant Cutiva was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2019 and, on January 25, 2021, was extradited to the United States. An additional co-defendant (Aldemar Soto-Charry) was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2019, and is pending extradition.

            Molina-Cutiva pleaded guilty in November 2022; Mazabel-Soto pleaded guilty in December 2022. As part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed that they were accountable for conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, which quantity represented the total amount involved in their relevant criminal conduct

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and DEA Acting Regional Director Arellano commended the work of those who investigated the case, including the DEA’s Bogota Country office, the FBI LEGAT Bogota, and the FBI Miami Field Office. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Anthony Scarpelli, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Goddard, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Celeste Santifer, 56, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 41 months in prison for committing wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Santifer was a former employee of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington (“YMCA-DC”), which is a non-profit organization with 16 branches and program centers in the District of Columbia and greater Washington, D.C. area.  Santifer worked as an office manager at YMCA-DC from approximately 2007 until her termination in May of 2019.  While working at the YMCA-DC, Santifer devised a scheme to defraud by taking advantage of an arrangement with Verizon Wireless (“Verizon”) to sell YMCA-DC, as a non-profit organization, cell phones for its employees at a discounted price.  From at least January 2016 through April 2019, Santifer placed online orders for discounted cell phones from Verizon that she personally received, disconnected from service, and sold to companies that buy and sell new or slightly used phones.  Santifer ultimately ordered over 1,000 phones purportedly for YMCA-DC employees that she sold to third-party companies for money.  The value of the phones to Verizon was $618,090.

            Santifer pleaded guilty on October 3, 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth. In addition to the prison term, Judge Lamberth ordered restitution of $618,090, and three years of supervised release.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those from the FBI’s Washington Field Office who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey, who prosecuted the case, and Kathryn Rakoczy, who investigated the case.

Fraud Scheme Involved Multiple Law Firms

            WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging four people, including two lawyers, with conspiring to defraud thousands of distressed homeowners who thought they were hiring a legal firm to help them avoid foreclosure. The defendants, some of whom were licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and Florida, allegedly reaped millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.

            The indictment charges: David Maresca, 48, of Manassas, Virginia, Scott Marinelli, 51, of Mountainside, New Jersey, Sam Babbs, III, 41, of Orlando, Florida, and Terrylle Blackstone, 35, of Woodbridge, Virginia, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud for charging clients on the false and fraudulent promise to help them avoid foreclosure but never providing any of those legal services. The indictment further charges Maresca, Marinelli, and Blackstone with five counts of mail fraud; Maresca, Babbs, and Blackstone with three counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud; and Maresca with five counts of monetary transactions in criminally-derived property, and two counts of falsification of bankruptcy records. Maresca was arrested today and made an initial appearance in Washington, D.C.; Marinelli was arrested today and made an initial appearance in New Jersey.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) Washington, D.C. Field Office.

            Maresca formed Synergy Law LLC (“Synergy”), in Washington DC, in 2016, and Themis Law PLLC (“Themis”) in  2019. Marinelli, who was licensed in New Jersey, owned 10 percent of Synergy; Babbs, who was licensed in Florida and D.C., owned his own firm – Babbs Law Firm P.L. (“Babbs”) - and 10 percent of Themis. Blackstone worked for all three firms.

            According to the indictment, the scheme involved marketing Synergy Law and Themis Law through telephone, television, and Internet advertising which told homeowners that attorneys could help them avoid foreclosure. The defendants, through the law firms, operated  call centers, where workers used scripts during calls with homeowners falsely promising that an attorney would review the homeowner's case file; that this attorney knew their lender's “internal guidelines,” for a “mortgage resolution”; and that an assigned “legal team” would contact the homeowner’s lender to negotiate a resolution.

            The conspirators knew these representations were false and fraudulent. Synergy Law and Themis Law never operated a “national law firm,” and never provided legal services to homeowners. Neither Synergy Law nor Themis Law had attorneys review homeowner files, and neither Synergy Law nor Themis Law had attorneys contact a client’s lender to discuss a mortgage resolution. The homeowners signed agreements in which the law firms promised to provide “legal representation,” “attorney services” and “legal services” to the homeowner-client. Synergy Law required homeowner-clients to pay an initial retainer amount (often between $995 and $1,750), followed by a monthly recurring amount (often between $595 and $1,200), for as long as Synergy Law represented the homeowner. Once victim funds were in that account, Maresca, Marinelli, and Blackstone used the funds for their personal benefit, and continued to collect monthly payments from the clients. When the clients faced imminent foreclosure, Synergy Law provided non-legal bankruptcy petition preparation services and directed clients to file pro se bankruptcy petitions to stop foreclosure. Synergy Law directed clients not to disclose that the clients had worked with Synergy Law to prepare their bankruptcy petition. Themis Law clients, who were considering filing for bankruptcy to save their homes, were referred to Babbs Law where they signed a new retainer agreement and paid additional fees.

            When bankruptcy judges, Synergy Law clients, and the U.S. Trustee's Program raised concerns about Synergy Law's practices in bankruptcy matters, Blackstone attended court hearings on behalf of Synergy Law and made false statements to the court about Synergy Law's operations. When Marinelli's law license was suspended in New Jersey in 2017, and the District of Columbia in 2018, Maresca, Marinelli, and Blackstone continued to operate Synergy Law and collect monthly payments purportedly for legal services.

            Maresca is also charged with falsely filing for bankruptcy on behalf of Synergy Law.  According to the indictment, in answering a question on the bankruptcy forms about financial affairs, which required Synergy Law LLC to list transfers of money or other property that was not in the ordinary course of business, Maresca falsely stated “None,” when he knew he had withdrawn S315,083.42 from Synergy Law accounts to purchase his personal residence.

            The indictment includes a notice of forfeiture for all illegally derived proceeds from the fraud scheme.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI urge anyone who did business with these law firms, and who think they were defrauded, to visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/mortgage-fraud and/or contact the Mega Victim Case Assistance Program (MCAP) at 1-844-527-5299. You can also send an email to [email protected].  

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Washington, D.C. Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Borchert.

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

Defendant and Associates Committed Two Gunpoint Robberies of Strangers Affiliated with Howard University on the Same Day

            WASHINGTON – Marquis Funderburk, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of two counts of robbery while armed for two separate gunpoint robberies that took place within 30 minutes of each other, in January of 2022, in the neighborhood surrounding Howard University, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Robert Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The verdict was returned on May 1, 2023, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Sean Staples scheduled sentencing for August 25, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 18, 2022, at approximately 11:35 a.m., the defendant and two associates grabbed victim 1, a stranger, as they walked past him on the sidewalk. A gun was brandished and pointed at victim 1’s stomach by one of the men while the other two associates went through victim 1’s pockets, taking his airpods, iPhone, wallet, and keys.

            At approximately noon on the same day, approximately two blocks from the first robbery, the defendant and three associates grabbed Victim 2, a stranger, as they walked past him on the sidewalk. The defendant’s associate pressed a gun, concealed inside a fanny pack, into victim 2’s chin while demanding Victim 2 give them his property. The defendant punched victim 2 in the face, after which the defendant and his associates 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, the defendant commanded his associate with the gun to shoot victim 2.

            Immediately after the second robbery, an MPD police cruiser, canvassing for the suspects of the first robbery, inadvertently approached the scene of the second robbery. The defendant and his associates fled from the cruiser, taking with them victim 2’s laptop, charger, iPhone, and wallet. The defendant was defendant stopped by police two blocks from the second robbery at approximately 12:30pm. He was positively identified by each of the victims independently.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee 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 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.

All Six Charged Defendants Have Now Entered Guilty Pleas

            WASHINGTON – Douglas Campbell, 27, of District Heights, Maryland, and his brother Delonte Campbell, 27, of Southeast Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today, in U.S. District Court, to felony charges in connection with their roles in an open-air drug market.

            Douglas Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Delonte Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. Sentencing for both defendants is set for August 3, 2023.

            The brothers are among six defendants charged with operating an open-air drug market at the Shell Gas Station located at 4700 South Capitol Street SE. According to court documents, law enforcement had observed individuals, including the six defendants charged, operating an open-air drug market at the Shell Gas Station. The gas station drew individuals who conducted daily drug transactions in the parking lot and surrounding area of the gas station, often while armed with firearms. The Shell Gas Station was the scene of increased violence suspected to be connected to drug trafficking in the months leading up to the defendants’ arrests.

            The Campbells and their co-defendants trafficked narcotics at the Shell Gas Station through hand gestures and social media advertisements. Once a potential customer was procured, these individuals often measured and distributed controlled substances to their customers in plain view. The defendants sold alongside each other, coordinated sales with each other, and were in frequent communication through telephone and social media messaging, coordinating their activities with the goal of selling marijuana to customers at the Shell while securing their narcotics and drug trafficking proceeds with firearms, often carrying weapons in plain view.

            Each of the six defendants charged for their role in the conspiracy have now pleaded guilty.  Lavon Alphonso Blakeney, 28, of Southeast Washington D.C., and David Ashton, 24, of Hyattsville, Maryland, each pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Keonte Obatunde Lorenzo Lewis, 20, of Southeast Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and carrying a pistol without a license. Finally, Tyrell Davon Jones, 28, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance and carrying a pistol without a license.  All are awaiting sentencing.

            The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment to be imposed. The possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year imprisonment to be imposed. The charge of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. The charge of carrying a pistol without a license carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the guideline ranges and other factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Kinskey and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Stewart of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets Cross Border Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Group, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

WASHINGTON – A California man was sentenced today for felony and misdemeanor charges – including assaulting police officers – for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Jeffrey Scott Brown, 56, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcements officers using a dangerous weapon, interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, both felonies, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds or buildings , and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings. Brown and two co-defendants – Peter J. Schwartz and Markus Maly - were found guilty at trial on December 7, 2022.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 6, 2021, Brown was with Schwartz and Maly at the area of the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol Building. Brown was handed an O.C. spray canister by Schwarts who had stolen it from an MPD duffle bags. As the crowd heaved against the makeshift police line, Brown tried to use the O.C. spray but couldn’t figure out the nozzle.  He passed it back to Schwartz, who appears to have shown Brown how to use it and passed it back.  Brown then dove towards the front of the police line, spraying them with yet more OC spray.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Los Angeles Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 27 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

            The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office – Daytona Beach Resident Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 27 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

WASHINGTON – Federal law enforcement arrested an additional two members of a fentanyl distribution conspiracy responsible for bringing thousands of fake blue Oxycodone (M30) pills, containing fentanyl, from California to Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            Max Alexander Carias Torres, 25, and Raymond Nava, Jr., 19, each of Los Angeles, California, are charged in an indictment with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Carias Torres is separately charged with international money laundering. Both men were arrested in Los Angeles, California, on April 26, 2023, and were ordered detained pending trial by United States District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on April 28, 2023. Three additional members of the conspiracy who were previously arrested, Hector David Valdez, Craig Eastman, and Charles Jeffrey Taylor, also remain detained without bond pending trial.

            According to the indictment, from on or about January 2021 to April 2023, Carias Torres, Nava, Valdez, Taylor, and Eastman conspired together to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.  Carias Torres is also alleged to have conspired to commit international promotional money laundering in connection with proceeds derived from the drug trafficking conspiracy.

            Carias Torres was arrested inside his residence in Los Angeles, California on April 26, 2023. During a search of his residence, law enforcement recovered approximately a half-kilogram of suspected methamphetamine, numerous fake blue Oxycodone (M30) pills, and drug ledgers. Valdez was arrested on February 24, 2023, in the Central District of California. During a search of his residence, law enforcement recovered over 4.4 kilograms of blue M30 pills and a half-kilogram brick of powder, which tested positive for fentanyl. Valdez was ordered detained pending trial and is currently being transferred to the District of Columbia for prosecution. On March 22, 2023, law enforcement arrested Taylor and Eastman inside Taylor’s residence and seized seven firearms while executing a search warrant.

            The drug trafficking conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to life; the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The investigation of this case had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

            The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspector, with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles and Riverside Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek, Matthew W. Kinskey, and Andy Wang of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section.

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

WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for stealing over 712 bitcoin that were the proceeds of the darknet bitcoin mixer Helix and subject to forfeiture in a then-pending criminal case.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered 36 months of supervised release and ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $4,881,532.40, and forfeiture of specific properties including cryptocurrencies that are now valued in excess of $20 million due to the increase in market prices.

            According to court documents, Gary James Harmon, 31, of Cleveland, Ohio, perpetrated a scheme to steal cryptocurrency that was the subject of pending criminal forfeiture proceedings in the case of Larry Dean Harmon, Gary Harmon’s brother. In February 2020, Larry Harmon was arrested for his operation of Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency money laundering service, known as a “mixer” or “tumbler.” Helix laundered over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from Darknet markets. Law enforcement seized various assets, including a cryptocurrency storage device containing Larry Harmon’s illegal proceeds generated through the operation of Helix, which were subject to forfeiture in the criminal case. However, law enforcement was initially unable to recover bitcoin stored on the device due to the device’s additional security features. 

            Knowing that the government was seeking to recover the bitcoin stored on the seized device for forfeiture in Larry Harmon’s criminal case, Gary Harmon used his brother’s credentials to recreate the bitcoin wallets stored on the device and covertly transfer more than 712 bitcoin, valued at approximately $4.8 million at the time, to his own wallets – stealing those funds and obstructing the pending criminal forfeiture proceeding. Gary Harmon further laundered the proceeds through two online bitcoin mixer services before using the laundered bitcoins to finance large purchases and other expenditures. 

            Gary Harmon agreed to the forfeiture of cryptocurrencies and other properties derived from the fraudulently taken proceeds, including more than 647.41 Bitcoin (BTC), 2.14 Ethereum (ETH), and 17,404,400.64 Dogecoin (DOGE). Due to the increase in market prices, the total value of these forfeitable properties exceeds $12 million. 

            In August 2021, Larry Harmon pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with his case.

            The FBI and the IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit investigated the case.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), both now also members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Angela De Falco, and Brian Rickers, and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron. Additional assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Segev Phillips and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio and CCIPS Trial Attorney S. Riane Harper.

WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for stealing over 712 bitcoin that were the proceeds of the darknet bitcoin mixer Helix and subject to forfeiture in a then-pending criminal case.

According to court documents, Gary James Harmon, 31, of Cleveland, perpetrated a scheme to steal cryptocurrency that was the subject of pending criminal forfeiture proceedings in the case of Larry Dean Harmon, Gary Harmon’s brother. In February 2020, Larry Harmon was arrested for his operation of Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency money laundering service, known as a “mixer” or “tumbler.” Helix laundered over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from darknet markets. Law enforcement seized various assets, including a cryptocurrency storage device containing Larry
Harmon’s illegal proceeds generated through the operation of Helix, which were subject to forfeiture in the criminal case. However, law enforcement was initially unable to recover bitcoin stored on the device due to the device’s additional security features.

Knowing that the government was seeking to recover the bitcoin stored on the seized device for forfeiture in Larry Harmon’s criminal case, Gary Harmon used his brother’s credentials to recreate the bitcoin wallets stored on the device and covertly transfer more than 712 bitcoin, valued at approximately $4.8 million at the time, to his own wallets – stealing those funds and obstructing the pending criminal forfeiture proceeding. Gary Harmon further laundered the proceeds through two online bitcoin mixer services before using the laundered bitcoins to finance large purchases and other expenditures.

Gary Harmon agreed to the forfeiture of cryptocurrencies and other properties derived from the fraudulently taken proceeds, including more than 647.41 Bitcoin (BTC), 2.14 Ethereum (ETH), and 17,404,400.64 Dogecoin (DOGE). Due to the increase in market prices, the total value of these forfeitable properties exceeds $20 million.

In August 2021, Larry Harmon pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with his case.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI and the IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), both now also members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Angela De Falco, and Brian Rickers, and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron. Additional assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Segev Phillips and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio and CCIPS Trial Attorney S. Riane Harper.

An Ohio man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for stealing over 712 bitcoin that were the proceeds of the darknet bitcoin mixer Helix and subject to forfeiture in a then-pending criminal case.

According to court documents, Gary James Harmon, 31, of Cleveland, perpetrated a scheme to steal cryptocurrency that was the subject of pending criminal forfeiture proceedings in the case of Larry Dean Harmon, Gary Harmon’s brother. In February 2020, Larry Harmon was arrested for his operation of Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency money laundering service, known as a “mixer” or “tumbler.” Helix laundered over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from darknet markets. Law enforcement seized various assets, including a cryptocurrency storage device containing Larry Harmon’s illegal proceeds generated through the operation of Helix, which were subject to forfeiture in the criminal case. However, law enforcement was initially unable to recover bitcoin stored on the device due to the device’s additional security features. 

Knowing that the government was seeking to recover the bitcoin stored on the seized device for forfeiture in Larry Harmon’s criminal case, Gary Harmon used his brother’s credentials to recreate the bitcoin wallets stored on the device and covertly transfer more than 712 bitcoin, valued at approximately $4.8 million at the time, to his own wallets – stealing those funds and obstructing the pending criminal forfeiture proceeding. Gary Harmon further laundered the proceeds through two online bitcoin mixer services before using the laundered bitcoins to finance large purchases and other expenditures. 

Gary Harmon agreed to the forfeiture of cryptocurrencies and other properties derived from the fraudulently taken proceeds, including more than 647.41 Bitcoin (BTC), 2.14 Ethereum (ETH), and 17,404,400.64 Dogecoin (DOGE). Due to the increase in market prices, the total value of these forfeitable properties exceeds $20 million. 

In August 2021, Larry Harmon pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with his case.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI and the IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), both now also members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Angela De Falco, and Brian Rickers, and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron. Additional assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Segev Phillips and Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio and CCIPS Trial Attorney S. Riane Harper.  

WASHINGTON - Brandon T. Greenfield-Logan, 33, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law for violating the constitutional rights of a handcuffed prisoner. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Jia M. Cobb, who sentenced Greenfield-Logan to one year of probation and ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service.

            According to the plea documents and as discussed in the plea hearing, on September 27, 2021, the defendant was working as a Special Police Officer. On that date, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Greenfield-Logan was called to assist other Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments, located on 14th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. At approximately 12:30 a.m., an individual identified as W.S. was in the custody of Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments. W.S. was seated in a chair with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Defendant Greenfield-Logan slapped W.S. across the face without warning or legal justification in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights

            This matter was investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Truscott.

            The U.S. Attorney's Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.

WASHINGTON – Rodney Burton 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting SAC Michael Weddel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Burton entered the guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 19, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on November 22, 2022, the defendant was arrested by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) on an outstanding warrant and was found to be in possession of two firearms.   The defendant was in possession of a Springfield Armory XD .45 caliber handgun which contained one round in the chamber and thirteen rounds of ammunition in the magazine with a total capacity of thirteen rounds.  The second recovered firearm was a Sig-Sauer P220 .45 caliber handgun with one round of ammunition in the chamber and seven rounds of ammunition in the magazine.  Furthermore, on August 12, 2022 officers conducted a search of an apartment where the defendant was known to reside and recovered a black Masterpiece Arms pistols with no rounds in the chamber but with twenty-two rounds of ammunition forced into a twenty round capacity magazine.

            In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting SAC Weddel, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Project Safe Neighborhood from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  They acknowledge 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 Attorney Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.