District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
D.C. Woman Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Stealing Government Benefit FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rosemary Ogbenna, 46, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for felony charges relating to her scheme to steal more than $400,000 in government benefit funds, provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), intended for the care and benefit of government beneficiaries.
Ogbenna pleaded guilty on June 28, 2022, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of mail fraud and false statements. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered 36 months of supervised release and ordered Ogbenna to pay restitution in the amount of $523,696. He also ordered forfeiture in the same amount. Her sentences on the two counts were ordered to run concurrently.
The sentence was announced today by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill, of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG), Philadelphia Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins, of the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Christy Goldsmith Romero.
According to the facts admitted in her guilty plea, Ogbenna perpetrated a scheme in which she obtained and used SSA and VA benefit funds – which were intended for the care of elderly, mentally ill, disabled, and veteran beneficiaries – for her own personal use and benefit. According to Court documents, Ogbenna stole more than $400,000 in government benefits funds intended for the benefit of others who had been tenants of her rooming house business.
The Social Security Administration administers benefit programs under federal law, including the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (“OASDI”) program, which provides monthly benefit funds to qualified retired and disabled workers and their dependents, and to survivors of insured workers. Eligibility and benefit amounts under this program are determined by a worker’s contributions to Social Security. Under another program, qualifying individuals receive monthly benefit funds under the Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (“SSI”) and related programs.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves the needs of American veterans, including providing monthly government benefit funds through its Veterans Benefits Administration.
As Ogbenna admitted in Court documents, she carried out a scheme between at least March 19, 2009 and February 23, 2020, in which she obtained and maintained control over SSA benefit funds for some tenants of her rooming house business by becoming the Representative Payee of their SSA benefit funds. Although a Representative Payee has a duty to use SSA benefits solely on behalf of the beneficiary, Ogbenna used a portion of those funds for her own personal use and benefit. Ogbenna also gained control over some tenants’ monthly VA benefits and used a portion of those VA benefit funds for her personal use and benefit without authority. In addition, Ogbenna made false statements to agents investigating the fraud scheme, claiming she had paid back a beneficiary for using their intended funds when she had not.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG), the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, prosecuted the case, supported by Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron, and Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade, Daniel Haines, and Lisa Abbe.
Coraopolis Man Indicted in Western Pennsylvania and in the District of Columbia on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Jacob Blair, 25, is also charged in a parallel indictment in the District of Columbia with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and metonitazen and money laundering.
Blair was arrested by FBI agents on Feb. 24, 2023 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. He made an initial appearance in federal court and is detained pending a detention hearing on March 1, 2023.
The indictments were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
According to the three-count Indictment returned in the Western District of Pennsylvania, on or about February 24, 2022, Blair is alleged to have attempted to possess over 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of a fentanyl analogue; possessed with intent to distribute over 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine; and possessed with intent to distribute over 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to the Indictment returned in the District of Columbia, Blair is accused of running a counterfeit drug conspiracy that sold fentanyl and methamphetamine disguised as Oxycontin, Xanax and Adderall on a Darknet Marketplace.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeMarr Moulton, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Kevin Rosenberg in the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. offices of: the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, along with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Moon Township Police Department.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
District Man Convicted by Jury for Assault on a Member of the LGBTQ+ CommunityRead the Press Release
Defendant Assaulted Man as He Walked Home
WASHINGTON – Anthony Duncan, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury 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).
Duncan was found guilty of assault with significant bodily injury and faces up to three years in prison. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2023.
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 conviction, 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.
D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Employee Charged with Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
Kelvin Powell Arrested
WASHINGTON – Kelvin Powell, 61, an employee of the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, is charged by indictment, unsealed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, with sexual abuse of and abusive sexual contact with a minor in his care. FBI agents arrested Powell this morning. The indictment and arrest were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.
The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is the government agency in the District of Columbia responsible for the supervision, custody, and care of young people detained while pending charges for a delinquent act. According to the eight-count indictment, between December 2021 and February 2022, while employed as a Youth Development Representative at DYRS, Kelvin Powell sexually abused a minor (“Person A”) who was detained and residing at the facility where Powell worked.
Powell is charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward and four counts of abusive sexual contact. Each count of sexual abuse of a ward carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison; each count of abusive sexual contact carries a maximum possible penalty of two years in prison. Powell was first arrested in March of 2022 on charges of sexual abuse of a minor filed in D.C. Superior Court.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information about similar conduct involving Kelvin Powell or others is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5342).
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Visser and Cara Gardner 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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting Outside Wharf RestaurantRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a commander from the Metropolitan Police Department who was involved in the July 2022 fatal shooting of Lazarus Wilson, outside a restaurant in the Wharf neighborhood in Southwest Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, surveillance video, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the evidence, after 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, 2022, MPD Commander Jason Bagshaw of the Special Operations Division was dining with his wife, an MPD investigator, at a restaurant located in the Wharf neighborhood in Southwest D.C. Although Commander Bagshaw was off duty, he was equipped with his Glock 17 service pistol. Commander Bagshaw and his wife observed a commotion from the area of the restaurant facing Wharf Street SW and the Potomac River. Patrons and employees of the restaurant began crouching down and crawling away. Commander Bagshaw and his wife walked towards the direction of the commotion.
When Commander Bagshaw and his wife exited the restaurant, they observed Lazarus Wilson pointing a firearm at another individual in what appeared to be a robbery attempt. The firearm was later recovered at the scene. A friend of Mr. Wilson was also present on the scene. Commander Bagshaw retrieved his Glock 17 service pistol from its holster, pointed it in the direction of Mr. Wilson and stated, “MPD, drop the gun!” However, Mr. Wilson did not comply, and Commander Bagshaw discharged one round striking Mr. Wilson in the left cheek. Mr. Wilson was transported by DCFEMS to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that evening.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Commander Bagshaw 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.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Embezzle Labor Union FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Bradley, 44, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for embezzling funds from a government employee union. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Director Mark Wheeler, of the Washington District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. In addition to the prison term, Bradley must pay $205,421.82 in restitution, serve 36 months of supervised release, and 200 hours of community service.
According to court documents, between approximately October 2016 through May 2018, defendant James Bradley helped to embezzle approximately $205,421.82 from the American Federation of Government Employees (“AFGE”). He did so by enabling co-conspirator Donnell Owens—who worked at AFGE as a Secretary to the Director of Communications during the relevant period—to submit false and fraudulent check requests and invoices for non-existent videography services that the defendant purportedly provided to AFGE as an alleged vendor, but that the defendant never actually provided. As a result of these submissions, AFGE funds were subsequently disbursed for work that was never performed, including $205,421.82 to the defendant which he then split with Owens.
Bradley pleaded guilty on November 7, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Embezzlement and Theft of Labor Union Assets. Another of Owens’s co-conspirators, Stacy Staples, 50, of District Heights, Maryland, also previously pleaded guilty to the same charge, and was ordered to pay $44,748 in restitution and sentenced to 3 years of probation. Owens also was previously convicted for spearheading the scheme and was ordered to pay $273,745 in restitution and sentenced to 15 months in prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Director Wheeler commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Miller, Anne P. McNamara, and Brian P. Kelly who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Shooting Hospital PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lynville Porter, 40, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 57 months in prison for shooting a Special Police Officer on the campus of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Mr. Porter pleaded guilty, in November 2022 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, Porter drove into the Saint Elizabeth’s campus at approximately 11:20PM on August 18, 2022, and parked at the gatehouse. The guards in the gatehouse requested assistance from Special Police Officers (SPOs), who drove to the gatehouse in response to that call. As the SPOs got out of their car, Porter fired multiple shots at them, striking one SPO twice. Porter then fled into the nearby Metro station where he was found hiding in a maintenance room. He was in possession of a ghost gun when Metropolitan Police Officers and Metro Transit Police Officers apprehended him.
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 and Metro Transit Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Kelly Brown, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forgie, who investigated the matter.
Woman Pleads to Voluntary Manslaughter While Armed in August 2022 KillingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alexis Hawkins, 46, of Washington, D.C. pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed in the August 14, 2022 killing of Cynthia Stewart and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in an unrelated case, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The plea was entered on February 17, 2023, before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The defendant faces a possible sentence of eight and a half to 12 years in prison, followed by supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 14, 2022, officers of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to an apartment in the 3900 block of 4th Street SE in reference to a stabbing. Upon their arrival officers discovered the decedent suffering from multiple stab wounds to the body, including a fatal stab wound to the chest.
The investigation revealed that prior to the killing, the decedent was inside an apartment with two other women. Hawkins came over to the apartment and began to argue with the decedent. The argument then turned physical when Hawkins began hitting the decedent. During the physical altercation, Hawkins grabbed a knife out of her bag and stabbed the decedent multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Hawkins was arrested on August 25, 2022. She has been in custody since that time.
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 also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles Janssen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Washington D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Murder and Assault Charges in Connection with a Triple ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Glenn Dolford, 30, of Washington, D.C. pleaded guilty to one count of 2nd degree murder while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of assault with a deadly weapon for the murder of Raheem Murray and shooting of Corvell Hayden and Marco Harper on February 2, 2020 (Superbowl Sunday) in the 4000 block of 3rd Street, SE. Dolford entered his guilty pleas on February 17, 2023 before Judge Maribeth Raffinan. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 25, 2023.
On February 2, 2020, at approximately 4:00 PM, a dark colored sedan pulled into the 4000 block of 3rd Street, SE, where the three victims were standing on the sidewalk discussing where they were going to watch the Superbowl. As they chatted, the dark colored sedan pulled into the block and slowed to a stop in the middle of the street. Once the car was stopped, two individuals got out of the passenger side of the car and began shooting rifle styled firearms at the three victims. The defendant, got out of the back passenger side door while firing his weapon. Victims Corvell Hayden and Marco Harper immediately took off running from the scene, both sustained gunshot wounds. Corvell Hayden was shot ten times, Marco Harper was shot twice, and Raheem Murray fell to the ground. As the victims fled and Mr. Murray fell and the fifty-seven rounds of ammunition littered the block, two young children ages 4 and 6 who were not injured, also fled the scene with their father. As the onslaught continued and after Mr. Murray fell to the ground, the defendant ran to where Mr. Murray laid on the ground, stood over him, and shot him in the head.
Using video surveillance footage from before, during, and after the shooting, detectives created a still shot of the shooter and showed it to a witness familiar with the defendant. The witness was able to identify the person in the still from the video surveillance, the individual who shot Mr. Murray in the head, as Glenn Dolford.
The plea was an 11(c)(1)(c) plea. The agreed upon sentence is 22.5 years followed by five years of supervised release.
In announcing the plea, United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee, III, commended the work of the officers and detectives with the MPD, most notably the lead detective from the Homicide Unit, Michael Pepperman, as well as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda.
Man Convicted of Use of Firearm in Connection with Murder and RobberyRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Washington man on Feb. 17 of using a firearm in connection with murder and robbery.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Madani Ilara Tejan, aka Malik, aka Mylik, aka Dani, 30, arranged to sell drugs to an individual (Victim). On Oct. 3, 2018, Tejan directed the Victim to meet him in a residential neighborhood in Lanham, Maryland, where he fatally shot the Victim. Prince George’s County police officers responded to a concerned citizen’s call about a shooting and found the Victim dead with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. Tejan had also taken the Victim’s personal items, including drugs, money, his car, and wallet.
On Oct. 20, 2018, officers executed a search warrant on a residence associated with Tejan in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Officers recovered the Victim’s wallet, two bags of marijuana, and a backpack that contained a pre-paid Cricket Wireless phone. The device had been in touch with the Victim several times on the day of the murder and was used interchangeably with Tejan’s registered phone to communicate with the Victim during the hours leading up to his death.
Additionally, 1,013 fentanyl pills were seized from Tejan while he was residing in a government-run residential facility. Tejan’s social media accounts and phone messages revealed that he distributed oxycodone as well as other prescription drugs and marijuana to multiple individuals.
Tejan was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, Hobbs Act robbery, and use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to a crime of violence. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department, Robert J. Contee of the Metropolitan Police Department, Director Corenne Labbé of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, Director Thomas N. Faust of the D.C. Department of Corrections, and State Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy of the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office made the announcement.
The FBI, DEA, Prince George’s County Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, D.C. Department of Corrections, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Criminal Investigations Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Gerald A. A. Collins and Lisa K. Man of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin R. Cottingham for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
District Man Admits to Perpetrating Sophisticated Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Suzgo Phiri, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in District Court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper who scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2023. Phiri faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, plus possible fines and restitution.
According to court documents, between 2018 and his arrest in March of 2022, Phiri - who used multiple false identities including: “Malcolm Tucker,” “David Campbell,” “Eric Brooks,” “Aaron Brooks,” “John Sanders,” “Jaamal Brooks,” “Brady Jones,” and “Payton Deel” – committed multiple fraud schemes. In one fraud, he generated approximately $10,000 per week through a scheme that exploited weaknesses in the payment processing systems used by Square and American Express. The defendant moved fraudulent “tip” amounts that were instantly credited by Square to bank accounts that he had opened using one of many false identities and then quickly withdrew those funds before the fraud could be detected. The government has identified at least $300,000 in gross proceeds from that scheme.
In addition to the fraudulent identity scheme, the government has identified numerous other instances in which the defendant has possessed false identification documents, bank records, and bank cards for individuals other than himself.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, also known as “Jose Gonzalez,” 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, also known as “Kenneth Vann,” 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for their roles in an armed robbery on July 16, 2021.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, for the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 8, 2022, Gonzalez and Vann each pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kidnap or injure another person. As part of their pleas, they admitted that they entered a male victim’s apartment, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location, and intended to rob the male victim of both marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Gonzalez and Vann – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment. The male victim attempted to wrestle Vann’s gun away, at which point Vann choked and punched the male victim. While Vann had the male victim in a headlock, Gonzalez pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child, and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene and arrested Gonzalez and Vann before they could escape.
On February 16, 2023, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Gonzalez to 97 months in prison and sentenced Vann to 72 months in prison for their roles in the offense. Both Gonzalez and Vann will each serve an additional 36 months of supervised release upon their release from prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 82 Months for Offensively Touching 14-Year Old ChildRead the Press Release
Defendant Assaulted Girl in Laundry Room in an Apartment Building
WASHINGTON – Eric Darrell “Butch” Smith, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 82 months in prison for sexually assaulting a girl in the laundry room of a Northwest apartment building in which they were both living, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree child sexual abuse on December 8, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton Lee, Jr., who took Smith’s guilty plea, sentenced Smith today. In addition to the prison time, Smith was ordered, once released from prison, to 10 years of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Judge Lee ordered that today’s sentence run consecutive to any other sentence that Smith might serve.
At his earlier plea hearing, Smith admitted that, on the afternoon of July 16, 2022, he followed the victim into the laundry room on the floor they were both living at the time. He engaged her in conversation, told the victim how pretty she was and asked her for a hug. She complied, hoping that by doing so Smith would leave her alone. As Smith hugged the girl, he intentionally touched her buttocks with his hand. This act was captured by the security camera located inside the laundry room.
The victim immediately reported to her brother and her mother that the defendant had touched her inappropriately. The police were notified, arrived at the apartment building and arrested the defendant, who was still on the scene. He has been in custody since his arrest.
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 case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; paralegal Garcia Clarke; former paralegal Brenda Williams; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who prosecuted the matter.
Former Direct Support Professional Sentenced for Financial Exploitation of Three District Vulnerable AdultsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Joseph Oluwatobi Adebanwo, 26, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to 90 days in prison, suspended, three years of probation and $1,700 restitution on one misdemeanor count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.
According to the information presented in court, Adebanwo admitted that on or about July 29, 2021, while employed as a Direct Support Professional for the Community Living Services Program at the National Children’s Center (NCC), he made three separate ATM withdrawals totaling $1,700 dollars from the bank accounts of three vulnerable adults under NCC’s care. The funds in the victims’ bank accounts were intended to support their personal needs. Adebanwo did so without the victims’ knowledge and used the monies for his own benefit. Upon discovery, NCC reimbursed the victims’ bank accounts, leaving it at a financial loss.
Adebanwo entered his guilty plea in the U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia and was sentenced by the Honorable Peter Krauthamer.
This matter was initially reported to the District’s Department of Disability Services and subsequently investigated by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit. 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 Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Metropolitan Police Department. 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.
Former MPD Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brahm Persaud, 69, a Maryland resident, pleaded guilty today to assault with a dangerous weapon for an incident in which he confronted Mr. Kevin Pinkett and other civilians with a firearm while attending a birthday party in Southeast Washington, DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Persaud pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He will be sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz on September 21, 2023.
According to court documents, on October 4, 2019, at approximately 10:30pm, at 1253 Sumner Road SE, the defendant, a former lieutenant of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), pulled out a firearm and pointed the firearm at a house where civilians were attending a birthday party. While pointing the firearm at the house in front of innocent civilians, the defendant repeatedly yelled that someone would die that night and eventually fired one shot in the air.
MPD officers arrived on scene and arrested the defendant. During the course of the arrest, the defendant admitted to possessing the firearm and to firing a shot in the air. Alongside the street of 1253 Sumner Road, officers located a single shell casing and a single round of ammunition.
In announcing the plea, 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 Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Prison for Fatally Stabbing AcquaintanceRead the Press Release
Defendant Followed Victim’s Car, Stabbed Him After Vehicle Crashed
WASHINGTON – Herbert Smallwood, 42, of Suitland, Maryland, was sentenced today to 275 months in prison for stabbing an acquaintance last year in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smallwood pleaded guilty on April 4, 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 Smallwood accordingly. Following his prison term, Smallwood will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 30, 2021, at approximately 7 p.m., Smallwood was traveling in an SUV that was following another vehicle being driven by an acquaintance. The other vehicle, a Ford Focus, crashed and flipped over in the rear of the 1600 block of 17th Place SE. Smallwood got out of the SUV with a knife and stabbed the victim, Joseph Ogundoju, approximately 31 times. Mr. Ogundoju, 46, died a short time later.
Surveillance video shows Smallwood’s vehicle following Mr. Ogundoju’s vehicle immediately before it crashed. The victim’s blood also was found on Smallwood’s clothing. Smallwood was arrested on June 30, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 120 Years for First-Degree Murder While Armed in Triple Homicide in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rakeem Willis, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 120 years in prison, by Superior Court Judge J. Michael Ryan, for charges stemming from the fatal shooting of three men, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
A jury returned its verdict on Nov. 16, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury found Willis guilty of three counts of first-degree murder while armed and fleeing law enforcement.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 26, 2019, at approximately 10 p.m., Willis lured the three victims -- Sean Shuler, 26, Javon Abney, 26, and Tyrik Hagood, 24 -- to a quiet, dead-end street in the 1500 block of Fort Davis Place SE, where they were shot numerous times by gunmen. The three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. A stolen Lexus sedan used in the murders was later found burning just across the Maryland state line off of I-295.
Willis was arrested on June 11, 2019, after a vehicle pursuit, and has been in custody since that time.
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 assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Lindsey Merikas, Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section; Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, Lead Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Spence and Ariel Dean, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Accountant Ordered to Pay Restitution and Serve Probation for Fraud Targeting D.C. Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
Defendant Diverted Nonprofit’s Funds to Personal Accounts
WASHINGTON – Keane Sims, 28, of Camp Springs, Maryland, was ordered to pay $30,000 restitution and sentenced to five years of probation for defrauding the Friends Community on National Legislation, a national nonprofit organization, by diverting organization funds to personal accounts. The sentence was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sims pleaded guilty in December 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second degree felony fraud. The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz also ordered six months of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Sims made 12 fraudulent transfers from the organization to two personal bank accounts in July and August 2018, totaling more than $40,000. Sims, who was employed by the company as an accountant and responsible for maintaining the organization’s accounts payable, used her access to the organization’s accounting and cash management systems to steal the funds and hide the fraudulent transactions by manipulating vendor payee information.
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’s Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Benjamin D. Bleiberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Fort Slocum ParkRead the Press Release
No Charges to Be Filed Against Metropolitan Police Sergeant
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 a Sergeant from the Metropolitan Police Department who was involved in the fatal shooting, in July 2022, of Kevin Hargraves-Shird, at Fort Slocum Park in Northwest Washington.
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, physical evidence, recorded body-worn camera (BWC) footage, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the evidence, around 4 p.m., on Saturday, July 30, 2022, MPD Sergeant Reinaldo Otero-Camacho of the Fourth District responded to a radio dispatch for a shooting that had just occurred in the 900 block of Longfellow Street, near the MPD 4th District Police Station. According to radio broadcasts and information known to MPD, an individual involved in the shooting—during which two juveniles had been shot—had gotten into a white vehicle and fled. Sergeant Otero observed the fleeing vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The fleeing vehicle refused to stop. After a brief chase, the vehicle struck a curb near the edge of Fort Slocum Park. At the time of the crash, a neighborhood resident was hosting a party and had set up an inflatable moon bound for several children attending the party.
When the car stopped, three males immediately fled. One male, Mr. Hargraves Shird, also started to flee, but appeared to return to the vehicle and rummage through it looking for something. When Sergeant Otero arrived, Mr. Shird immediately fled, as well. As Sergeant Otero exited his police cruiser, he screamed “Gun, gun, gun!” and discharged one round from his service pistol, striking Mr. Shird in the right ear. Although on-scene officers provided emergency medical assistance, Mr. Hargraves-Shird was transported to MedStar Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that evening.
A gun with Mr. Hargraves-Shird’s DNA was recovered a few feet from where he fell to the ground. Although many civilians at the party observed some aspects of the incident, the inflatable moon-bounce blocked the view. Based on the entry wound of the bullet, as well as Sergeant Otero’s and Mr. Hargraves-Shird’s positioning, Mr. Hargraves-Shird was likely facing Sergeant Otero at the time he fired his weapon.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Sergeant Otero 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.
Brother and Sister Plead Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
Government Alleges Fake Oxycodone (M-30) Pills Containing Fentanyl Caused Overdose and Death to 20-year old Woman
WASHINGTON – Larry Jerome Eastman, 22, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl. His sister, Justice Michelle Eastman, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on January 31st. The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sentencing hearings for both defendants are scheduled for June 15, 2023.
The defendants were arrested approximately one year ago, on January 26, 2022, following an investigation into the April 6, 2021 Fentanyl overdose death of a woman in Southeast Washington, D.C.
According to the government’s evidence, the 20-year-old Southeast Washington, D.C. woman survived an earlier overdose in November of 2020, and was revived when paramedics administered Narcan. At the time of her fatal overdose in April 2021, white powder was discovered on a coffee table at the woman’s apartment. The DEA analyzed the powder and determined it to be Fentanyl. An autopsy determined the Victim’s cause of death was acute Fentanyl intoxication.
A review of the female victim’s phone found text messages from the previous evening with Larry Eastman where the victim asked for “jammers” (a street term that often refers to counterfeit blue Oxycodone pills that contain Fentanyl). Eastman directed the victim to his address in Washington D.C., and requested that she make payment to a Cashapp account registered to Justice Eastman. Additional communications between the Defendant and the victim went as far back as September 2020, the start of the conspiracy. When the two defendants were arrested in January 2022, law enforcement seized additional fake Oxycodone (M30) pills, which contained Fentanyl, and match the pills that the defendants were working together to sell.
As noted by the DEA, because of its potency and low cost, Fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction. Particularly dangerous are fake prescription pills like the fake oxycodone M30 tablets seized in this case, which contain Fentanyl. The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the Fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of Fentanyl (see One Pill Can Kill).
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Washington Division Office of the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek, Andy T. Wang, and Matthew W. Kinskey, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Serial Rapist Convicted by Jury for 2010 Home Invasion Sexual Assault of Woman in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
Defendant Had Been Convicted in Previous Sexual Assaults in D.C. and Virginia
WASHINGTON – Ronald P. Berton, Jr., 48, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty by a jury today for sexually assaulting a 30-year-old woman in June of 2010, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Berton was found guilty of first degree burglary, kidnapping, first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, and attempted first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Marisa Demo scheduled sentencing for March 3, 2023. Berton faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on June 12, 2010, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the victim was at home sleeping in her ground level apartment in Adams Morgan. Berton, who was a stranger to the victim, entered her home and proceeded into her bedroom where he stood over her. The victim woke up and the defendant restrained her and sexually assaulted her. The victim fought back, ultimately collecting the defendant’s DNA underneath the fingernails of both her hands. After the assault, Berton stole the victim's phone and fled. The defendant used the victim’s stolen SIM card, which he placed into a different handset, to call an acquaintance five hours later.
The victim ran to a firehouse immediately after the assault and reported the offenses. MPD responded promptly and a crime scene technician swabbed under her fingernails for possible DNA. The fingernail swabs were tested in 2010 and resulted in a partial DNA profile of the defendant under her left hand fingernails and a more complete profile under her right hand fingernails.
Berton was developed as a suspect in this case in approximately 2017, when detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit identified him as the suspect in a 2007 home invasion sexual assault. In that case, Berton had entered the ground level Adams Morgan apartment of a 27 year-old woman who was sleeping. The defendant restrained and sexually assaulted her and then stole her phone and fled. The victim obtained an immediate Sexual Assault Examination and reported the offenses to police. Berton was later identified as the perpetrator of this offense by his DNA profile. He was convicted of the 2007 crimes in a March 2020 trial, in which the jury found him guilty of kidnapping and first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances.
Berton also has a 2014 rape conviction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Arlington County. In that case, in September 2010, Berton entered the ground level apartment of a woman who was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. After the assault, the defendant stole two cell phones and a laptop and fled. He was later identified as the perpetrator through DNA.
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 also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI's Seattle Field Office, and the FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Allen, Dan Lenerz, Nick Coleman, Bryan Han, Chrisellen Kolb, and Sharon Donovan; Lisa Kreeger-Norman, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Paralegal Specialists Cynthia Muhammad, Garcia Clarke, and Tiffany Jones; Lead Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker; and Victim/Witness Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Kern and Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Quantico, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to 2019 Murder in Upper NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Collin Potter, 30, of Quantico, VA, pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed for stabbing Vongell Lugo, of Washington, DC, to death in Mr. Lugo’s apartment in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Washington, DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Potter pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo on April 14, 2023 and faces a sentence of between 14 and 16 years of imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday January 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., the defendant and the decedent, Vongell Lugo, were alone together in Mr. Lugo’s apartment at #206, Garfield House, 2844 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Mr. Lugo stood approximately 5’6” tall, weighed about 167 pounds, and was unarmed. The defendant, unprovoked, attacked Mr. Lugo. The defendant grabbed one of Mr. Lugo’s kitchen knives from Mr. Lugo’s kitchen and stabbed Mr. Lugo 42 times in the head, neck, and torso, killing Mr. Lugo. According to the autopsy, the defendant, at some point, also punched Mr. Lugo in the face. Mr. Lugo never fought back, beyond yelling for help. Mr. Lugo’s cries for help woke two of his neighbors, both of whom independently called 911 around 4:14 a.m. The defendant then attempted to clean the knife in the kitchen sink. Around 4:20 a.m., the defendant pulled Mr. Lugo’s naked body out into the hallway, where Mr. Lugo’s body was found and the defendant was discovered by MPD officers, standing naked, uninjured, and covered in Mr. Lugo’s blood.
Potter was arrested at the scene on that same day. He has been in custody ever since.
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 efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke, Christian Natiello, and Peter V. Roman, and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Woman Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Shooting Her Husband in a D.C. HotelRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shanteari Weems, 50, of Baltimore, MD, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, execution of the sentence suspended for all but 48 months, for aggravated assault in the July 21, 2022, shooting of her husband at the Salamander, previously known Mandarin Oriental Hotel, in Washington, D.C.
Weems pleaded guilty on November 28, 2022, to one count of aggravated assault and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe accepted the defendant’s plea and sentenced her to 60 months of incarceration with the execution of the sentence to be suspended as to all but 48 months for the aggravated assault, and 24 months of incarceration with the execution of the sentence for the carrying a pistol without a license, to be suspended as to all 24 months. Following her release, the defendant will be placed on 24 months of supervised probation.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2022, Weems drove down to the District from Baltimore. She confronted her husband (the victim) at the hotel regarding allegations that the victim had been molesting children at the defendant’s daycare. The defendant shot the victim in the neck and the left leg, shattering the victim’s femur. After shooting the victim, Weems barricaded the hotel room by placing her back against the door, preventing officers from coming inside. After approximately 25 minutes, officers forced entry and apprehended the defendant.
A search warrant was obtained and executed in the hotel room. Inside, officers found Weems’s firearm in her purse and a note written by Weems evidencing her intent to shoot the victim.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee, III, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke and Michelle Wicker, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani, Brian Yang, Shaniqua Butler, and Julian Ginos, and SODV interns Molly Patrick and Lexi Nitishin. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney LaVater Massie-Banks, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Bias-Related Assault on African-American WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gueorgui Iskrenov, 33, of Washington, DC, has been found guilty on charges stemming from a hate crime in which he spit in the face of a female neighbor in Southwest Washington.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Iskrenov was found guilty on February 1, 2023, of bias-related assault. The verdict followed a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in front of Judge Andrea Hertzfeld, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 9, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 20, 2020, at approximately 2 p.m., the victim, an African-American female, was walking her service dog and crossing the exit ramp of her apartment complex by the Wharf in Southwest, Washington. Iskrenov drove his SUV up the exit ramp at a high rate of speed, almost hitting the victim and her dog. After the victim told him to be careful, Iskrenov began screaming racist and sexist epithets. Iskrenov then intentionally spit into the victim’s face, with the spit landing on her glasses and in her hair. Iskrenov drove away and was arrested 23 days later after he was positively identified. The government’s evidence at trial showed that Iskrenov had a history of racist tirades against African-American neighbors.
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 also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Rudolf and Katie Sessa, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Kubo and Travis Wolf who investigated the case.
District Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Pursuing a Stranger and Attempting to Rape HerRead the Press Release
Defendant Followed Victim Out of a Metro Station and Into an Apartment Building
WASHINGTON –Akiem Angelo Williams, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for kidnapping and first-degree burglary, and 72 months for assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse, for the September 6, 2020 assault on a stranger he pursued from the Georgia Avenue Metro station. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert Conte III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Judge Robert D. Okun ordered the sentences to run concurrently and also ordered 10 years of supervised release and a stay away from all WMATA Metrorail trains and stations. Williams will be required to register as a sex offender for life upon release..
Williams was found guilty on October 17, 2022 by a judge sitting in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 6, 2020, at approximately 1:57 p.m., Williams followed a woman out of the Georgia Avenue Metro station and chased her down the block into the lobby of an apartment building while she screamed for help. Inside, Williams cornered the victim, physically assaulted and attempted to rape her in front of three eyewitnesses before a witness yelled that he had called the police. Williams left the victim curled in a corner bleeding from the head, exited the building and headed back to the Metro where he sexually assaulted a Metro rider and then exposed himself. Another victim encountered Williams hours later when he, again, exposed himself on a Metro train. The defendant was identified through video surveillance at the Metro station and on the train.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Sexual Assault Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Metro Transit Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the critical assistance provided by the Metro Transit Digital Video Evidence Unit.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney Lee and Dana Joseph, who investigated and prosecuted the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmin Emrani, who reviewed evidence before trial, Appellate Chief Nicholas Coleman, Lead Paralegal Specialist ReShawn Johnson, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker, former SODV intern Lexi Nitishin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.
Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms in the Fatal Shooting of A Man in Northeast Washington, DCRead the Press Release
Defendant Shot Victim in Mid-Morning Attack
WASHINGTON – Stanley Brown, 30, of Washington, D.C, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for fatally shooting a man in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Brown pleaded guilty on October 7, 2022, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Milton C. Lee ordered five years of supervised release.
Brown’s co-defendant, Emmanuel Taylor, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 50 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty on October 7, 2022, to unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 23, 2020, at approximately 10:15 a.m., Brown approached the victim, Jimmy Beynum, on foot in the 1600 block of F Street NE. Brown shot Mr. Beynum multiple times and then fled the scene. Mr. Beynum, 37, died on Jan. 29, 2020, as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation determined that earlier that day, Emmanuel Taylor left his apartment in Southeast Washington with Brown and dropped him off in the area where the murder took place. When police searched the apartment six days later, Taylor attempted to jump out of the window and threw the murder weapon out of the window.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the officers, detectives and other personnel who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Puja Bhatia, and Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Seidel and Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Assaulting Officers and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendant Confronted Officers Outside Capitol Building
WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement officers and other charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Philip S. Young, 61, of Sewell, New Jersey, was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Young pleaded guilty November 2, 2022 in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and interfering with officers during a civil disorder, both felony offenses, plus five related misdemeanor charges. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered $2,000 restitution, and 36 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 2:46 p.m., Young was illegally on the Capitol grounds, standing on stairs leading to the Upper West Terrace. Someone in the crowd shouted, “1, 2, 3, go!” Young hurriedly went up the stairs. He was one of several people that lifted and pushed a metal bicycle rack barricade into a line of law enforcement officers. Later, at approximately 3:54 p.m., he had made his way to the east courtyard of the Capitol, where he was seen letting the air out of the tires of a black U.S. government vehicle.
Young was arrested on Aug. 19, 2021, in Sewell, New Jersey.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and its South Jersey Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Young as #276 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 950 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 284 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.
District Man Arrested for the January 7, 2023, homicide of 13-year-old K.B.Read the Press Release
Defendant Accused of shooting juvenile in early morning hours outside his home after confronting him and other juveniles for apparently tampering with vehicles
WASHINGTON – Jason Michael Lewis, 41, of Washington, D.C., turned himself in today on a charge of second-degree murder while armed, stemming from the homicide of 13-year-old K.B. on January 7, 2023 in the Brookland neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Mr. Lewis will be arraigned on the charges in Courtroom C-10 of Superior Court in Washington, D.C. It is expected he will enter a plea and that the court will hear arguments to determine whether probable cause exists for the existing charges, and to decide whether to incarcerate Lewis pending trial. The court will also schedule a preliminary hearing within 10 days.
An arrest on a complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing A Seven-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On January 26, 2023, a 60-year-old Washington, D.C. man was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sexually abusing his seven-year-old great niece, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. On January 26, 2023, pursuant to the limitations contemplated in the negotiated plea agreement, the Honorable Robert Okun sentenced the defendant to prison, followed by supervised release. The defendant must also register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, in November 2018, the defendant was staying at the apartment of his niece who is the mother of the victim. One evening, while on the couch, the defendant pulled the victim onto the couch with him and covered her with a blanket. The defendant then proceeded to touch the victim’s genitalia with his hand. At the time of the offense the defendant was a convicted sex offender and was on supervised release in a previous child sexual abuse case.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Owusu and Maria Garcia, Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti and Bonnie Thompson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Accountant Ordered to Pay Restitution and Serve Probation for Fraud Scheme Targeting D.C. Property Management CompanyRead the Press Release
Defendant Falsified Documents
WASHINGTON –Ted Blair Williams, Jr., 30, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, was ordered to pay more than $46,000 in restitution and was sentenced to five years of probation for falsifying the accounting records of a Washington, D.C. property management company, in order to conceal his fraudulent scheme to steal funds from the company. The sentence was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams pleaded guilty in November 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second degree felony fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Sean C. Staples who also ordered 12 months of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Williams made approximately 20 fraudulent transfers from the company to his personal bank account between April and November 2019, totaling more than $65,000. Williams, who was employed by the company as an accountant and responsible for reviewing its accounting information, hid the fraudulent transactions in the company’s ledger by falsely coding the transactions in the records and concealing any accounting discrepancies from the company. The company had been able to recover approximately $19,000 after discovering the fraud but suffered a net financial loss of more than $46,000 because of the scheme.
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’s Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Benjamin D. Bleiberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat Near the Library of CongressRead the Press Release
Defendant Broadcast Live on Facebook While Holding Alleged Explosive Device
WASHINGTON – Floyd Ray Roseberry, 52, of Grover, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to one charge of threats to use explosives during a standoff with police that lasted four hours near the Library of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Glasheen of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, and U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger.
Roseberry pleaded guilty before the Honorable Rudolph Contreras in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Judge Contreras scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2023.
According to court documents, at approximately 9:45 a.m. on August 19, 2021, U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI responded to a bomb threat made by Roseberry who was sitting inside of a black Chevrolet pick-up truck with no license plates, adjacent to the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, at First Street and Independence Avenue, in Southeast Washington, D.C. Roseberry was seen holding a cell phone and was claiming he had a detonator.
While inside the truck, Roseberry broadcast live video and audio through Facebook.
He stated that he was upset about the 2020 election results and demanded that President Biden resign from office. Roseberry demanded to speak to President Biden about several grievances. He claimed to have an ammonium nitrate and/or a Tannerite bomb in the toolbox of this truck. Roseberry stated that the explosive device was engineered such that any loud sound would cause it to detonate and destroy two and a half blocks, which would encompass the Library of Congress as well as other buildings owned or leased by the United States. Roseberry further claimed that he was one of five individuals in Washington, D.C. with bombs. Roseberry could be seen on the Facebook videos holding a small metal keg with a puddy like substance on top and holding what appeared to be a trigger. The metal keg was later analyzed by the FBI and determined to have a small quantity of smokeless black powder at the bottom, but was incapable of detonating with the trigger Roseberry was holding, or by an acoustic mechanism as Roseberry described in the Facebook Live videos.
Roseberry was also throwing U.S. dollar bills out of the truck and onto the street and stating, among other things:
“Hey, call the police and tell them to come out here and clear the Capitol. Tell them to clear the Capitol. Tell them to clear it. … They need to clear that ‘cause I got a bomb in here. I don’t want nobody hurt. Yes sir, I don’t want nobody hurt. I’m not coming here to hurt nobody. I’m not lying, tell them there’s some more.”
“…I’m telling you, my windows pop, this bomb is gonna’ go, it’s made for decimals. …there’s gun powder in there this is some of the strongest shit you can get. I got two and a half pound of Tannerite.”
“If you want to shoot me and take the chance of blowing up two-and-a-half city blocks, ‘cause that toolbox is full, ammonium nitrate is full.”
At approximately 10:21 a.m., Roseberry began communicating with law enforcement by writing messages on a small white dry erase board and placing it in the driver’s side window of the target vehicle while intermittently holding an unidentified device. The messages stated in part, “please don’t shoot the windows the vibe will explode the bomb,” “I have no control of it,” “decimals is what sets off not me,” and at approximately 11:21 a.m., “my name is Ray Roseberry.” In video from the morning of August 19, 2021, Roseberry was observed holding an old metal can that appeared to have been fashioned into an explosive device.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Manger, and Special Agent in Charge Glasheen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Latina Sanders, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice, and National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney John Cella, who prosecuted the case.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
A dual citizen of Canada and France pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening letter containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House in September 2020, and eight similar letters, each containing ricin, to Texas State law enforcement officials.
According to court documents, Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, admitted in the plea agreements that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin is a deadly poison made from castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
Ferrier was detained in the State of Texas for around 10 weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.
Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ferrier also pleaded guilty to eight additional violations of prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in a case brought against her in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and consented to the transfer of that case to the District of Columbia for plea and sentencing.
The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 26. Ferrier will be sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment if the court accepts the plea agreements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Acting Assistant Director John Morales of the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate made the announcement.
The FBI Washington and San Antonio Field Offices investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth for the Southern District of Texas; and Trial Attorney David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020Read the Press Release
Defendant Also Mailed Threatening Ricin Letters to Texas Law Enforcement Officials
WASHINGTON – Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, a dual citizen of Canada and France, pleaded guilty today to sending threatening letters containing homemade ricin (a toxin) in September 2020 to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office Oliver E. Rich, Jr.
According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin toxin is a deadly poison made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.
“There is no place for political violence in our country, and no excuse for threatening public officials or endangering our public servants,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “We hope this resolution will serve as a warning that using our mail system to send a toxic substance and other threats of this type will cost you your freedom for many years.”
“This woman did not succeed in her efforts to poison numerous public officials in our district, but her actions still created fear and stress for many of these dedicated public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and our other law enforcement partners in identifying and apprehending her.”
“In addition to her intended targets, Pascale Ferrier's reckless actions could have harmed postal employees, first responders, or innocent bystanders,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today's plea agreement demonstrates the FBI's and our partners' determination to investigate and bring to justice those who seek to harm or intimidate government officials or law enforcement officers.”
“Threats against public officials and law enforcement are unconscionable and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr., of the FBI San Antonio Division. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partner investigative agencies to protect all Americans from threats of violence and harm.”
Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for around ten weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody.
Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing.
The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 26, 2023, when Ferrier will be sentenced to 262 months in prison if the Court accepts the plea agreements.
The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and San Antonio Field Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorney David Smith of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
Victim Shot in Broad Daylight in the Presence of Minors
WASHINGTON – Jarell Harris, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 13-year prison term for confronting and killing a man in broad daylight in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Harris waived a preliminary hearing, and pleaded guilty in September 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a 10 ½ to 13-year prison term, consistent with the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced Harris accordingly. Following this conviction, Harris will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 4, 2022, at approximately 8:30 in the morning, Sedrick Miller was walking with two minor children and an adult in the 2300 block of 18th Street NE when Harris confronted Mr. Miller and shot at him 13 times. Mr. Miller, 42, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including four gunshot wounds to the face and neck. He died a short time later.
Harris fled the scene after the shooting. He was arrested on May 6, 2022 and has been in custody ever since.
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 case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Clark and Latrice Washington-Williams, and Forensic Interview Specialist Tracy Owusu. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from Former Intelligence OfficerRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017 and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
McGonigal is charged with concealing material facts and with six counts of making false statements, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. McGonigal is also charged with two counts of falsification of records and documents, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office is investigating the case, with significant assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Retired FBI Executive Charged with Concealing $225,000 in Cash Received from an Outside SourceRead the Press Release
Charles F. McGonigal Arrested in New York
WASHINGTON - Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field office, has been arrested on charges relating to his receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe and who had been an employee of a foreign intelligence service, while McGonigal was serving as Special Agent in Charge of FBI counterintelligence efforts in the New York Office. McGonigal retired from the FBI in September of 2018.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Donald Alway, and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.
According to the nine-count indictment, unsealed today, from August 2017, and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.
McGonigal’s initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has not yet been scheduled.
“Covering up your contacts with foreign nationals and hiding your personal financial relationships is a gateway to corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The FBI should be commended for handling the delicate and difficult task of investigating a former executive. This investigation demonstrates their commitment to act as an impartial enforcer of the law. The FBI and the Department will guard the best interests of the United States and hold to account those who make false statements and try to deceive the Bureau.”
“Mr. McGonigal betrayed his solemn oath to the United States in exchange for personal gain and at the expense of our national security,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Alway. “A senior FBI executive at the time, McGonigal is alleged to have committed the very violations he swore to investigate while he purported to lead a workforce of FBI employees who spend their careers protecting secrets and holding foreign adversaries accountable. Agents in my office, with the support of agents in Washington, D.C. and New York, vigorously pursued a former colleague without bias.”
“As an FBI agent, Charles McGonigal took an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “In betrayal of that oath, McGonigal is alleged to have received money from a businessman with foreign business interests, to have concealed these payments, and to have lied about related foreign contacts and travel. Integrity is one of the FBI’s core values and we hold our own to the highest standards.”
The charge of falsification of records and documents carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of making false statements carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count. 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 Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Michael Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Evan Turgeon of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
North Korean National Sentenced for Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
DPRK Businessman Accessed the U.S. Financial System and Deceived U.S. Banks to Circumvent Sanctions Against North Korea
WASHINGTON – Mun Chol Myong (“Mun”), 55, a national of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was sentenced today to time served of 45 months in prison for multiple money laundering offenses in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Mun laundered funds through the U.S. financial system as part of a scheme to raise capital and acquire goods for North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions. Mun is the first ever DPRK national to be extradited to the United States. He now faces deportation proceedings.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.
The indictment alleged that between April 2013 and November 2018, Mun and others conspired to transmit funds through the United States for the purpose of promoting bank fraud. Specifically, the indictment alleged that Mun and his co-conspirators used a network of front companies and falsified transaction records to conceal that the payments benefitted sanctioned North Korean entities and thereby deceived U.S. correspondent banks into executing correspondent banking transactions that they would otherwise have rejected. The indictment identifies more than $1.2 million in illicit transactions. The indictment further alleged that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK’s primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), which is the subject of U.S. and U.N. sanctions.
Mun pleaded guilty to all counts of the indictment, including one count of money laundering conspiracy, and four counts of money laundering, pursuant to an “Alford” plea, over the objection of the United States. Under the Alford plea, Mun pleaded guilty and avoided a trial but did not admit to the facts and conduct alleged in the indictment.
“This case is significant because the defendant was not merely securing alcohol, tobacco, and other commodities for North Korea, but also providing income streams needed to prop up the regime and finance its nefarious activities,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Those seeking to access the U.S. financial system cannot use front companies, fake invoices, third party payments, and other means to deceive U.S. financial institutions and hide the involvement of sanctioned individuals and entities. With our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is determined to disrupt North Korea’s use of the U.S. financial system in its attempts to undermine our national security.”
“The FBI prioritizes investigations involving the illegal export of controlled U.S. technology and the use of the U.S. financial system to purchase prohibited luxury goods like liquor and tobacco,” said Special Agent in Charge Winston. “We appreciate the assistance of our international partners who helped dismantle this North Korean revenue-generation scheme and bring the defendant to justice.”
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office and coordinated by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The Department of Justice would also like to thank the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Investigative Operations Division (IOD) for providing analytical support during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal S. Chawla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Grady for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David C. Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case, with support from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Mun’s arrest and extradition. The FBI’s Washington Field Office also provided substantial support during the extradition and investigation.
North Korean National Sentenced for Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Mun Chol Myong (Mun), 55, a national of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to time served of 45 months’ imprisonment for multiple money laundering offenses. Mun laundered funds through the U.S. financial system as part of a scheme to raise capital and acquire goods for North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions. Mun is the first ever North Korean national to be extradited to the United States and is subject to deportation following the successful completion of his sentence.
The indictment alleged that between April 2013 and November 2018, Mun and others conspired to transmit funds through the United States for the purpose of promoting bank fraud. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Mun and his co-conspirators used a network of front companies and falsified transaction records to conceal that the payments benefitted sanctioned North Korean entities and thereby deceived U.S. correspondent banks into executing correspondent banking transactions that they would otherwise have rejected. The indictment identifies more than $1.2 million in illicit transactions.
The indictment further alleged that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK’s primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is the subject of U.S. and U.N. sanctions. Mun pleaded guilty to all counts of the indictment, including one count of money laundering conspiracy, and four counts of money laundering, pursuant to an “Alford” plea, over the objection of the United States. Under the Alford plea, Mun pleaded guilty and avoided a trial but did not admit to the facts and conduct alleged in the indictment.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office and coordinated by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The Department of Justice would also like to thank the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the U.S. Marshals Service Investigative Operations Division for providing analytical support during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal S. Chawla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Grady for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David C. Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case, with support from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Mun’s arrest and extradition. The FBI’s Washington Field Office also provided substantial support during the extradition and investigation.
Arrest and Criminal Charges Announced Against British and Russian Businessmen for Facilitating Sanctions Evasion of Russian Oligarch’s $90 Million YachtRead the Press Release
Two businessmen, Vladislav Osipov, 51, a Russian national, and Richard Masters, 52, a United Kingdom national, are charged in separate indictments unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, with facilitating a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme in relation to the ownership and operation of the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (International Maritime Organization number 1010703), a $90 million, 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and money laundering. The United States requested that the Kingdom of Spain provisionally arrest Masters for purposes of extradition. The arrest was executed by the Spanish Guardia Civil today. An arrest warrant against Osipov is outstanding.
“Today’s indictments and the arrest executed by Spanish law enforcement demonstrate the FBI’s continued focus on tracking down and holding accountable those who assist sanctioned Russian oligarchs,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and pursue anyone who facilitates the corrupt practices of others, placing our institutions at risk.”
“Facilitators of sanctions evasion enable the oligarchs supporting Vladimir Putin’s regime to flout U.S. law. The United States will not allow its financial institutions and persons to be manipulated or defrauded for the purposes of benefitting those supporting an illegal war,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia.
“The Department of Justice has been clear. Corporations and executives have a choice: they can participate in the global effort to uproot corruption, sanctions violations, and money laundering, and enjoy the benefits of prompt and fulsome cooperation; or they can, as Osipov and Masters are alleged to have done, attempt to shield themselves and their clients behind a veil of fraud,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “These men made their decisions, and now face the consequences of a failed attempt to profit through, rather than standing against, a sophisticated, transnational criminal enterprise.”
“Russian oligarchs are the product of an ecosystem of corruption that abuses rule-of-law-based monetary structures to enrich themselves with the luxury trappings and lifestyles that everyday people only dream of – all the while as thousands of Ukrainians are homeless due to Russia’s unlawful invasion,” said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office. “As stewards of the American financial system, HSI will not stand idly by as U.S. dollars are used by oligarch criminal networks to operate and maintain these high value symbols of corruption. Last year, working with our partners at the Justice Department and FBI, we removed the yacht Tango from an oligarch’s portfolio and with today’s actions we have followed through on our promise of accountability to those that conduct illicit financial transactions on behalf of the oligarchs. The message is clear: Putin’s cronies will find no succor in their riches and those that illegally enable such lifestyles will be called to justice.”
“The indictment alleges that both defendants used a variety of techniques to mask ownership of the Motor Yacht Tango in violation of U.S. law,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “Together with the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture Task Force, the FBI will hold accountable those who assist Russian Oligarchs in their efforts to hide assets and violate sanctions. We thank our international partners who helped facilitate the arrest of Richard Masters in Spain earlier today."
According to the indictment, despite U.S. sanctions issued against Vekselberg in April 2018, Osipov and Masters facilitated the operation of Tango through the use of U.S. companies and the U.S. financial system, attempting to obfuscate Vekselberg’s involvement in the vessel. Osipov, an employee of Vekselberg who functioned as a property manager for Tango, designed a complicated ownership structure of shell companies to hide Vekselberg’s ownership of the yacht, despite that Vekselberg designed the yacht, was the sole user, and was the ultimate beneficial owner.
As alleged, Masters ran a yacht management company in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. After Vekselberg was sanctioned in April 2018, Masters’s company took over the management of Tango, and conspired with others to evade the U.S. sanctions. According to the indictment, among other things, Masters devised a scheme to use a false name for the yacht, “the Fanta,” in order to hide from financial institutions that payments in U.S. dollars were ultimately for the benefit of Tango and Vekselberg. As a result of this obfuscation, U.S. financial institutions processed hundreds of thousands of dollars of transactions for Tango that they otherwise would not have permitted had they known of Vekselberg’s involvement in the financial transaction. Further, these payments and Vekselberg’s involvement therein were not reported to the Department of the Treasury.
Additionally, according to the indictment, Osipov and Masters advised and enabled Tango employees to continue to do business with numerous U.S. companies, using various workarounds to avoid sanctions, such as payments in other currencies and through third parties. As a result of these schemes, the working mechanisms of Tango, to include its internet, technology, weather forecasting and computing systems, as well as the trappings of Tango, including its satellite television, luxury goods, and teleconferencing software, were all U.S.-origin products and services supplied by U.S. companies, for the benefit of Vekselberg. The efforts of these facilitators permitted Tango to continue to operate as a luxury yacht with the full array of services and luxury goods available to it, supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegally-obtained U.S. services and U.S. financial transactions, and all for the benefit of Vekselberg.
On April 4, 2022, Spanish law enforcement executed a Spanish court order freezing Tango. The Spanish acted following a request from the Department of Justice that it assist with the execution of a seizure warrant, issued in March 2022 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanctions statutes.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case. Valuable assistance has been provided by the HSI New York Field Office and the Spanish Guardia Civil - Jefatura de Informacion – Unidad Central Especial Numero III (UCE-III).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajbir Datta and Maeghan Mikorski, Paralegals Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in working with the Spanish authorities throughout this matter.
The case has been coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arrest and Criminal Charges Against British and Russian Businessmen for Facilitating Sanctions Evasion of Russian Oligarch’s $90 Million YachtRead the Press Release
Yacht Previously Seized and One Arrest Today by Spain at Request of United States
WASHINGTON – Two businessmen - Vladislav Osipov, 51, a dual Russian and Swiss national, and Richard Masters, 52, a United Kingdom national, are charged in separate indictments, unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, with facilitating a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme in relation to the ownership and operation of the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (International Maritime Organization number 1010703), a $90 million, 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and money laundering. The United States requested that the Kingdom of Spain provisionally arrest Masters for purposes of extradition. The arrest was executed by the Spanish Guardia Civil today. An arrest warrant against Osipov is outstanding.
The charges were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the Minneapolis Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of HSI’s New York Field Office.
According to the indictment, despite U.S. sanctions issued against Vekselberg in April 2018, Osipov and Masters facilitated the operation of Tango through the use of U.S. companies and the U.S. financial system, attempting to obfuscate Vekselberg’s involvement in the vessel. Osipov, an employee of Vekselberg who functioned as a property manager for Tango, designed a complicated ownership structure of shell companies to hide Vekselberg’s ownership of the yacht, despite that Vekselberg designed the yacht, was the sole user, and was the ultimate beneficial owner.
Masters ran a yacht management company in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. After Vekselberg was sanctioned in April 2018, Masters’s company allegedly took over the management of Tango and conspired with others to evade the U.S. sanctions. According to the indictment, among other things, Masters devised a scheme to use a false name for the yacht, “the Fanta,” in order to hide from financial institutions that payments in U.S. dollars were ultimately for the benefit of Tango and Vekselberg. As a result of this obfuscation, U.S. financial institutions processed hundreds of thousands of dollars of transactions for Tango that they otherwise would not have permitted had they known of Vekselberg’s involvement in the financial transaction. Further, these payments and Vekselberg’s involvement therein were not reported to the Department of the Treasury.
Additionally, according to the indictment, Osipov and Masters advised and enabled Tango employees to continue to do business with numerous U.S. companies, using various workarounds to avoid sanctions, such as payments in other currencies and through third parties. As a result of these schemes, the working mechanisms of Tango, to include its internet, technology, weather forecasting, and computing systems, as well as the trappings of Tango, including its satellite television, luxury goods, and teleconferencing software, were all U.S.-origin products and services supplied by U.S. companies, for the benefit of Vekselberg. The efforts of these facilitators permitted Tango to continue to operate as a luxury yacht with the full array of services and luxury goods available to it, supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegally-obtained U.S. services and U.S. financial transactions, and all for the benefit of Vekselberg.
“Facilitators of sanctions evasion enable the oligarchs supporting Vladimir Putin’s regime to flout U.S. law,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The United States will not allow its financial institutions and persons to be manipulated or defrauded for the purposes of benefitting those supporting an illegal war.”
“The Department of Justice has been clear. Corporations and executives have a choice: they can participate in the global effort to uproot corruption, sanctions violations, and money laundering, and enjoy the benefits of prompt and fulsome cooperation; or they can, as Osipov and Masters are alleged to have done, attempt to shield themselves and their clients behind a veil of fraud,” said Director Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “These men made their decisions, and now face the consequences of a failed attempt to profit through, rather than standing against, a sophisticated, transnational criminal enterprise.”
“The indictment alleges that both defendants used a variety of techniques to mask ownership of the Motor Yacht Tango in violation of U.S. law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Winston. “Together with the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture Task Force, the FBI will hold accountable those who assist Russian Oligarchs in their efforts to hide assets and violate sanctions. We thank our international partners who helped facilitate the arrest of Richard Masters in Spain earlier today."
“Russian oligarchs are the product of an ecosystem of corruption that abuses rule-of-law- based monetary structures to enrich themselves with luxury trappings and lifestyles.” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Arvelo. “Today’s actions have demonstrated our commitment to hold those that conduct illicit transactions on behalf of the oligarchs accountable.”
On April 4, 2022, Spanish law enforcement executed a Spanish court order freezing Tango. The Spanish acted following a request from the Department of Justice that it assist with the execution of a seizure warrant, issued in March 2022 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanctions statutes.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Homeland Security Investigation’s New York Field Office and the Spanish Guardia Civil - Jefatura de Informacion - Unidad Central Especial Numero III (UCE-III). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajbir Datta and Maeghan Mikorski, Paralegals Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in working with the Spanish authorities throughout this matter.
The case has been coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
N.Y. Man Pleads Guilty for Role in $4 Million Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
Defendant’s Brothers, Father and Mother Already Have Been Sentenced
WASHINGTON –Corry Blue Evans, 30, of New York, N.Y., pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud, stemming from a $4 million fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that involved multiple members of the defendant’s family. The guilty plea was announced 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.
In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Evans and his older brothers Tony John Evans and Robert Evans, parents Archie Kaslov and Candy Evans, and Robert Evans’ common-law ex-wife Gina Rita Russell on various charges.
As part of the scheme, a New York woman conspired with Russell, Tony John Evans, Robert Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Kaslov to extort money and gold bars from a Maryland man, which caused the man to embezzle funds from his employer between January 2017 and March 2017. The man converted embezzled funds to cash and gold bars. He delivered the money and gold bars to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters to whom the New York woman owed money. At one point during the scheme, Tony John Evans spoke to the man on the phone and threatened him by asking if he needed to remind the man where his kids went to school and where the man lived.
In reality, all of the funds the man embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Evans-Kaslov family. Among other things, in January 2017, Corry Evans helped facilitate the cashing of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cashier’s checks obtained with stolen funds. He admitted that he called a check cashing store employee multiple times for the purpose of convincing him that the New York woman, who was attempting to cash the checks, wanted money for her own purposes even though Corry Evans knew that was false and that he and his family members would ultimately take the cash. Indeed, after the New York woman successfully cashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks at the check cashing store, she provided all of the money to the Evans brothers. Archie Kaslov then drove the brothers to the New York diamond district where Kaslov and others used criminal proceeds to purchase luxury watches.
In late January 2017, the Maryland man traveled to New York to deliver approximately $500,000 in cash. In conjunction with that delivery, members of the Evans/Kaslov family briefly followed the Maryland man’s vehicle and took a photo of it, which was then shared with the Maryland man to terrify him into believing he was being actively surveilled by the mafia. After the Maryland man delivered the $500,000 in cash to a hotel room, some of the money ended up being transported to Corry Evans’ residence.
Towards the end of March 2017, the Maryland man delivered well over one million dollars in gold bars to a hotel room in New York. Corry Evans, his brothers, and father all discussed the need to sell the gold. Corry Evans subsequently went to a jewelry store in New York with a sample of the gold, trying to sell it. Later, his brothers, father, and he all sold gold to that jeweler.
In May 2017, Corry Evans and his father traveled to Texas, where Kaslov used proceeds from the crime to pay $315,000 in cash for a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead.
The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan accepted Corry Evans’ guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2023. As part of the plea agreement, the parties estimated that federal sentencing guidelines will recommend that Corry Evans be sentenced to between 33 and 41 months in prison. He also faces financial penalties.
Corry Evans is the last Evans/Kaslov family member to plead guilty. Gina Russell, Tony John Evans, and Robert Evans all pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, who presided over this case before it was transferred to Judge Chutkan, sentenced Tony John Evans, 34, and Robert Evans, 35, to five years in prison. Russell, 34, has not yet been sentenced.
Archie Kaslov, 56, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Sullivan sentenced him to 30 months in prison.
Candy Evans, 53, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct. Judge Sullivan sentenced her to one year and a day in prison.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. They expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Arvind Lal, who assisted with forfeiture issues, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds that Candy Evans attempted to dissipate between the date of her guilty plea and sentencing, Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar, and former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Brittany Phillips, Stephanie Frijas, Kristy Penny, and Joshua Fein.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kent for investigating and prosecuting the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with Intent to KillRead the Press Release
Defendant Cut Victim’s Throat with a Box Cutter
WASHINGTON – Keith Green, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to Assault with Intent to Kill for an incident in which he confronted Mr. Abdiel Velasquez Diaz, a Virginia resident, at Banneker Circle SW, and slit his throat with a box cutter. The plea was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Green pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of assault with intent to kill. He will be sentenced by the Honorable Robert Okun on March 31, 2023.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2022, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Green approached the victim who was waiting for a taxi at Benjamin Banneker Circle SW. Green took out a box cutter and slit the victim’s throat with a box cutter. Green then attempted to cut the victim’s throat one more time, but the victim put his arm up in defense resulting in Green cutting the victim’s shoulder with the box cutter. Green attempted to strike the victim a third time, before the victim fended him off and sought the assistance of nearby witnesses. The victim was provided with emergency assistance and was rushed to the hospital where he received life saving treatment.
Green fled the area and was spotted crossing southbound on I-395. Metropolitan Police Department officers pursued Green through oncoming traffic before eventually arresting him on a grass field on the 900 block of Ohio Drive SW. In Green’s flight path, officers recovered Green’s passport, a box cutter with blood on it, and a putty knife.
In announcing the plea, 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 Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Charges for Shooting A Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
Victim Shot in Upper Chest Outside Nightclub
WASHINGTON – Emanuel Leyton, 22, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of the July 2021 shooting of a man outside of a Northwest Washington nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. The verdict was returned late yesterday. The Honorable Robert Okun scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2023.
Leyton, 22, was found guilty at trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, shortly after midnight on July 30, 2021, Leyton got into a verbal argument with the victim, the victim’s cousin, and another anonymous acquaintance, inside Johana’s nightclub, in the 4700 block of 14th Street NW. Leyton left the club but returned a short time later. He left, again, around the same time as the victim and the victim’s cousin, who walked in the direction of 14th and Decatur where their vehicle was parked. Leyton was ahead of the victim walking in the same area. At the cross street, the defendant retrieved a gun from his waistband and shot the victim in the chest. The victim took shelter back inside the club, where he was found by officers who arrived minutes later. He was rushed to the hospital by DC FEMS personel. When officers arrived, Leyton was still on the sidewalk. Bystanders pointed him out as a potential suspect and he was stopped. The defendant agreed to a noncustodial interview at the 4th District station, where he put himself on the scene but claimed someone else fired the shot from a car.
Hours later, while the defendant was still voluntarily with police, the victim’s cousin, identified Leyton as the shooter. The next day, an employee of a business in that area found a gun in a flowerpot outside and called 911. DNA evidence linked Leyton to the recovered firearm, and ballistics evidence linked the gun to the shooting.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Randle Wilson 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. Attorney Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Renee Prather, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Maryland Man Pleads to Voluntary Manslaughter in September 2020 Killing of 17-Year-Old YouthRead the Press Release
Shooting Took Place in 300 block of Allison Street, N.W.
WASHINGTON – Brandon Nguyen, 24, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in the September 29, 2020 killing of 17-year old Brian Ward, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The plea was entered before the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia subject to an agreement between the parties pursuant to Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C) that a sentence of seven and a half to eleven years of incarceration, followed by supervised release, was the appropriate sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on September 29, 2020, at approximately 3:59 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the report of the sound of gunshots in the 300 block of Allison Street, N.W. Witnesses described a dark blue sedan driving off at high speed following the shooting. Further police investigation revealed that the defendant, Brandon Nguyen, was driving the car and that he had met with the decedent for a purported marijuana transaction. The decedent was never seen alive again after entering Nguyen’s vehicle, and the investigation revealed a likely struggle over a firearm within the vehicle by the defendant and the decedent. The investigation also showed that after shooting the decedent, Nguyen drove him 15 miles to the 6900 block of Contee Road, in Laurel, Maryland, where he dumped the decedent’s body in the woods. The defendant later used bleach to clean his vehicle, and subsequently sold the vehicle.
In December 2021, police confronted the defendant concerning this offense, and the defendant admitted that he shot the decedent following a struggle over a firearm. The defendant then led detectives to the location of the decedent’s skeletonized remains. Further forensic examination and testing by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives revealed that the defendant fired at least six shots and the decedent was shot in the neck and front and rear of his head.
Nguyen was arrested on November 21, 2022, and has been in custody since that time.
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 also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter in the Death A 75-Year-Old ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clifton Browne, 57, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of voluntary manslaughter for the beating death of 75-year-old Luther Brooks, in September of 2021, on Kalmia Road, Northwest. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 28, 2021, Browne went over to the scene of the attack to do some handiwork for the homeowner, whom he knew through a relative. Mr. Brooks, the decedent, was a tenant in a basement apartment in the home. The homeowner was planning to sell the home, and the work was being done in preparation for the sale. During the course of his work, Browne was outside the door to the decedent’s apartment door. He and Mr. Brooks started arguing through the door until Mr. Brooks opened the door with a stick in his hand and struck Browne in the chest with the stick, knocking him down. Browne then charged at the elderly victim and beat him inside the apartment until the victim was babbling incoherently. Browne then dragged Mr. Brooks outside where he dumped him in a concrete stairwell. Unable to sit up on his own, Mr. Brooks fell back and struck his head on the concrete. He was taken to GW Hospital where he was nonresponsive within hours. He had suffered fractures of his skull, ribs, and other injuries. He never regained consciousness. The family of Mr. Brooks took him off life support 10 days later, and he died.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Rachel Leriche, Victim/Witness Advocate Jenn Allen, Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark and Lisa Lindhorst, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Three Women Sentenced to Probation for Interrupting Oral Arguments at the U.S. Supreme CourtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Virginia women and an Arizona woman, who verbally interrupted oral arguments inside the United States Supreme Court, each pleaded guilty January 13, 2023, to a single count of Speeches and Objectionable Language in the Supreme Court Building. The defendants were sentenced to one-year terms of probation with stay-away orders from the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to court documents, on November 2, 2022, the Supreme Court held oral arguments the matter of Bittner v. United States. Emily Archer Paterson, 45, of McLean, VA, Nicole Elizabeth Enfield, 44, of Alexandria, VA, and Rolande Baker, 71, of Tucson, AZ, attended the argument. The women spread out in the courtroom, each sitting in a different area. Once arguments began, defendant Paterson stood up and loudly spoke out against the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Ms. Paterson’s conduct caused the attorney arguing before the Court to stop speaking so that Ms. Paterson could be escorted out of the room. After arguments resumed, Ms. Baker stood up and interrupted the Court in a similar manner. Following her removal, arguments resumed. Finally, Ms. Enfield stood up, causing a third interruption in the case at bar. Each defendant’s conduct required the attorney before the Court to stop his argument so the defendant speaking could be removed from the courtroom.
“The government must be able to conduct its business.” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Interrupting Supreme Court proceedings, even non-violently and briefly, is not First-Amendment protected activity: it is a crime and must be treated as such.”
Each defendant was charged with one count of the federal misdemeanor offense of Speeches and Objectionable Language in the Supreme Court Building. Each defendant promptly accepted responsibility for her conduct and entered a guilty plea.
Ms. Paterson, Ms. Enfield, and Ms. Baker were sentenced by the Honorable Judge Amit P. Mehta to one year of probation, with an order to stay away from the U.S. Supreme Court building and grounds.
Israeli Dual Citizen Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Transmitting Sexually Explicit Video of a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nimrod Shalom, 41, a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, was sentenced, on January 13, 2023, to seven years in prison for transmission of a sexual performance by a minor.
He was sentenced today by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell, who also ordered 10 years of supervised release.
Shalom was arrested on July 23, 2021, after traveling on a plane from Israel to Los Angeles, California. Shalom pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to plea documents, on August 1, 2016, the defendant contacted an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) over an online messaging application. The defendant asked the UC whether the UC had a child, the child’s age, and whether the UC “played” sexually with the child. In response, the UC stated that he had a daughter. The defendant stated that he was sexually active with his own four-year-old daughter and sent the UC an image of a child who appeared to be approximately four years old. The defendant informed the UC that he was “not in the US” and that where he lived, “no one cares what you do.” The defendant sent the UC sexually explicit photos of a child he claimed was his four-year-old daughter.
On August 2, 2016, the defendant was detained by the Israeli National Police (INP) in relation to this offense. INP determined that the defendant did not have a four-year-old daughter and that the images that he had transmitted to the UC were believed to have been commercially produced. During an interview with INP, the defendant admitted to using the online application and pretending to be a father with access to a child, in order to persuade individuals to send him child sexual abuse material. INP performed a forensic analysis on the defendant’s iPhone and discovered 23 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the images that the defendant had sent to the UC.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division commended the work of those who worked 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 Youth Investigations Division, and members of the Israeli National Police. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Lindsay Suttenberg, and Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson.
Former District Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Receive Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Man Apprehended After Trading Child Sex Abuse Material in Internet Chat Rooms
WASHINGTON – Ian Fried, 57, formerly of D.C., has been sentenced to seven years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Receive Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Fried was arrested in Arizona on November 23, 2021, and he has remained in custody ever since. He pled guilty on July 28, 2022, and was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release from prison. Fried was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his criminal offense.
According to the government’s evidence, in May of 2017, Homeland Security
Investigations began investigating a group of individuals who were trading child pornography on an Internet-based client-server chatting protocol. Numerous individuals located across the country were using the targeted networks to discuss, view and trade child pornography and child exploitation files. Fried frequently used these chat networks between November 2018 through at least March 2020. During these chat conversations, Fried shared links containing files depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He also discussed with other offenders where to view and locate child pornography on the Internet. On October 21, 2021, law enforcement obtained a warrant, authorizing the search of Fried’s residence. Numerous electronic devices, including laptops, a tablet, and hard drives were recovered. A forensic review of these devices revealed that they contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual assault and exploitation of very young children.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, 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.
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Indictment Charges Eight Members of Alleged D.C. Drug Gang with ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Defendants Arrested for Allegedly Peddling Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl , and PCP
WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging eight individuals in a drug conspiracy. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and officers with the Metropolitan Police and Prince George’s County Police Departments arrested seven of the defendants yesterday.
Melvin Grayson, 49, of District Heights, MD, Christopher Wells, 44, of Oxon Hill, MD, Jimmy Davis a/k/a “Fatz,” 41, of Bowie, MD, Terrell Washington a/k/a “Turk,” 43, of Hyattsville, MD, Kenneth Watts, 55, of Upper Marlboro, MD, James Kinard a/k/a/ “Fat Rat,” 45, of Temple Hills, MD, Charles Cunningham, 56, of the District of Columbia, made an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The defendants are each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 100 grams of more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one kilogram or more of phencyclidine. Tyrone Ragland a/k/a “Tech,” 54, of the District of Columbia, is also charged.
During the arrests and related search warrants on multiple residences, law enforcement recovered at least 8 firearms (including a ghost gun and shotgun), ammunition, drugs (including fake pills containing fentanyl, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and PCP), drug paraphernalia, and more than $60,000 cash.
“The organizations peddling poison on our streets and in our communities need to know that they are on the radar of law enforcement and we intend to put them out of business,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Neither the drugs these groups spread nor the violence their operations attract will be tolerated.”
“This investigation demonstrates the collective commitment of the FBI, DEA, and MPD’s Violent Crime Impact Team (VCIT) to dismantling street crews who are the purveyors of the illicit drugs that drive the violent crime in our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to hold those accountable who traffic in the violence and narcotics responsible for causing the irreparable damage to the neighborhoods we all live and work in.”
“DEA’s top priority is combatting the current fentanyl crisis and the drug-related violence that is devastating the very foundation of our community and family structures,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. “Enforcement actions like this, along with our federal, state, and local partners, make a huge impact in our area and we will not stop working until we have rid our neighborhoods of these harms.”
“Each and every day, the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners continue to hold people accountable for committing crimes in the District of Columbia,” said Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. “This investigation is yet another example of how local, regional, and federal law enforcement partners are making the region safer.”
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office Cross Border Task Force and the DEA Washington Field Office, with assistance from MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The Cross Border Task Force is a part of the FBI’S Safe Streets Initiative and targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Office of the FBI and DEA, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
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.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and George P. Eliopoulos 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.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse and Accessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for first-degree child sexual abuse of a minor, with aggravating circumstances, and accessing 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.
Sean Cortez Moses, 31, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty in July 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Moses to pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim, complete 10 years of supervised release, and register as a sex offender for life.
According to the government's evidence, Moses was identified during a law enforcement investigation into the sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl. Moses entered a relationship with a woman who resided in the District of Columbia, and who had access to the little girl. Between June of 2017 and June of 2018, he traveled from Maryland into the District of Columbia, where he took advantage of this relationship to sexually abuse the child and to view child pornography.
Moses was arrested on March 4, 2021. He has remained in custody.
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 Yvonne Bryant, of the Victim and Witness Assistance Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy E. Larson, 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.