District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Attia Little, 43, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to steal more than $500,000 from the labor organization, using the money for parties, trips, furniture, and other personal expenses. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta also ordered $399,450 in restitution and 24 months of supervised release to follow the prison term.

            The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the Washington Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, and District Director Mark Wheeler, of the Washington District Office of the Office of Labor-Management Standards.

            Little, a former union officer, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of conspiracy and one count of theft from a labor organization. Little was the operations manager of the Property Services Division of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), headquartered in Washington, D.C. As part of her duties, she managed administrative support, booked reservations for SEIU employees, and paid vendor invoices for union-related purchases. She had a work-issued credit card and access to third-party discount travel booking platforms that were to be used for union business only.

            A co-defendant, Melba Norris, was a close associate of Little’s, and had no affiliation with the union. According to plea documents, between November 2015 and October 2017, Little used her access to the credit card and travel booking platforms to embezzle approximately $503,600 from SEIU. In total, she kept approximately $460,900 in SEIU funds for herself, and Norris kept approximately $42,700.

            Among other things, Little used the SEIU credit card to purchase personal items, including purchases for a baby, personal parties hosted at her residence, personal travel, furniture, watches, clothing, and video games. She also used the credit card to purchase gift cards for personal use. Little also used the credit card to pay funds to a company that she created and companies created and controlled by Norris, even though no work was performed.

            Norris, 36, of Powder Springs, Georgia, pleaded guilty in May 2022 to charges of conspiracy and theft from a labor organization. On Oct. 5, 2022, Norris was sentenced to 6 months of incarceration, followed by 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $37,007 in restitution.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Springer, and District Director Wheeler commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Labor Department’s Office of the Inspector General and Office of Labor-Management Standards. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Ahmed M. Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – William Whitaker 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for the slaying of a man in January 2020, near a Metro station in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Whitaker pleaded guilty on October 14, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Milton C. Lee.

            According to the government’s evidence, Whitaker used a woman’s Instagram account to message the victim, Malick Cisse, to organize a meeting near the Mount Vernon Square Metro station. Mr. Cisse, 19, arrived at the Metro station, in the 1300 block of Seventh Street NW, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2020, thinking he was going to meet the woman. Whitaker and other unknown individuals pulled up in a white vehicle and shot and killed Mr. Cisse. Whitaker was a part of the Simple City “Avenue Crew,” and the shooting is believed to be related to crew rivalry. Whitaker was arrested on May 7, 2020 and has been detained ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. In particular, they acknowledged the work of FBI Agent Eric Montgomery from CR-3, FBI Analyst Allyson Tilman from CR-6 and Detectives Michael Fulton and Krystal Boyd from the Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Division. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth, Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Gregory Kimak, and Sarah Santiago, and Sharon Donovan, Deputy Chief of the Office’s Homicide Section.

WASHINGTON – Daron Cottingham, 20, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, with two years suspended, for two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous crime and one count carjacking that stem from crimes he committed in January of 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered two years of supervised probation and 90 hours of community service. The sentence was rendered as part of the Youth Rehabilitation Act.

            According to court documents, on January 18, 2022, Cottingham, approached a person cleaning a BMW vehicle in the rear of 316 34th Street, NE, Washington DC. Cottingham took out a firearm and demanded the vehicle keys from the victim. The defendant then struck the victim once in the nose with the firearm, causing bleeding. The defendant took the vehicle keys and the victim’s phone before driving away in the BMW.

            Just over a week later, on January 28, 2022, the defendant booked a ride through Lyft. When the Lyft reached the intersection of I-295 and the 11th Street Bridge, the defendant pulled out a firearm, aimed it at the driver’s head, and demanded that the driver exit the vehicle. The victim fled from the vehicle, at which point Cottingham took control of the vehicle and took off. The defendant then led MPD on a chase, pursued by MPD cruisers and a helicopter. He eventually drove the vehicle to the 2600 block of Birney Place SE, where he ditched the vehicle while it was still moving. The vehicle continued on until it hit a snowbank. The defendant ran into an apartment building located in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE. After entering the building, Cottingham concealed his firearm. MPD officers arrived at the building shortly thereafter and arrested the defendant.

            At the time of his arrest, the defendant had bank and identification cards belonging to the Lyft driver. MPD officers also recovered a ring of car keys, one of which was a BMW key that matched the BMW taken by the defendant in the January 18th offense. MPD officers also recovered the firearm.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang, with the office’s Violence Reduction Trafficking Section who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Derek B. Turner, 31, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 130 years in prison for killing two people – DeVin Hall and Andrew McPhatter – as part of a violent gang feud. Turner was convicted in December 2022, after a nine week trial, of two counts of first degree premeditated murder while armed, conspiracy to kill and assault, conspiracy to obstruct justice, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, seven counts of obstruction of justice, and four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentence includes 40 year terms for each murder count.

            Turner was tried with co-defendants Ronnika M. Jennings, 44, and Duan M. Hill, 33, both also of Washington, D.C. Jennings was sentenced to 15 years in prison; Hill was sentenced to 57 months. The three defendants were involved in a gang feud between two neighborhoods in Southeast Washington, D.C. in 2016-2017. The dispute involved members of the Wahler Place and Trenton Park crews, rival groups located in Southeast. In less than a year, 16 serious violent crimes, including four homicides, arose directly from the dispute, and at least 12 other serious crimes of violence, including at least three homicides, were part of the investigation. The government’s case showed that Wahler Place members engaged in a violent crime conspiracy targeting members of Trenton Park. Turner, also known as Fats, was a member of Wahler Place and was charged with the January 7, 2017 murder of Devin Hall and the March 1, 2017 murder of Andrew McPhatter, as well as several non-fatal shootings. The jury convicted Turner in both murders, as well as the February 17, 2017 attempted murders of rivals Raheem Osborne, Joseph Tyler, and Andrew McPhatter (before he was the victim of the later homicide). In the course of committing the charged offenses, defendant Turner utilized defendant Jennings, a civilian clerk in MPD’s Seventh District, to provide him with confidential police information to assist him and others in their criminal activities.

            Jennings was convicted of three counts of accessory after the fact in the February 17, 2017 attempted murder, as an accessory after the fact in McPhatter’s murder, and on one count of obstruction of justice. Hill was convicted of multiple counts of obstruction of justice in connection with a conspiracy to recruit an associate of Turner to take criminal responsibility for the firearm that Turner used to commit the two charged murders as well as three charged attempted murders.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, specifically Det. Charles Fultz and Det. Jeffrey Weber, as well as Special Agent Samuel Ward from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, LaShone Samuels and Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Robert Cephas; Supervisory Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell; Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas Royal; Special Agents Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dineen Baker and Sara Vanore; Appellate Section Deputy Chief John Mannarino; Homicide Deputy Chief Laura Bach; and Assistant U.S. Attorney AUSA Erin DeRiso.

            Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Truscott and Kevin Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging an Iranian national with the unlawful export of electrical cables and connectors from the United States to Iran, through Hong Kong. According to court documents, Mehdi Khoshghadam, a.k.a. “David Lei,” and “Pouyan,” an Iranian national residing in Tehran, Iran, was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on one count of conspiracy, one count of violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. A warrant has been issued for Khoshghadam’s arrest and he remains a fugitive.

            The charges were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of the Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the Department of Commerce’s Chicago Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement.

            According to the indictment, Khoshghadam is the Managing Director of Pardazan Systems Namad Arman, an Iranian importer of electronics and other goods.  In 2016, Khoshghadam began purchasing electrical connectors and cables from a U.S. Company, which were shipped to a freight forwarding company located in Hong Kong and then shipped to Iran.  Khoshghadam used an alias of “David Lei” when communicating with the U.S. Company and a front company called Merlin International Trading Company, purported to be located in Singapore, to order the goods from the U.S. company.  During one of the initial purchases of goods from the U.S. Company, Khoshghadam attempted to pay for the goods using a different name, but the U.S. Company informed him that its bank had rejected the payment because the payor name needed to be the same as the company submitting the order.  Khoshghadam then contacted a co-conspirator located in China and had that person inform the U.S. Company that the co-conspirator was Khoshghadam’s agent and would handle payment for the goods.

            As alleged in the indictment, between January of 2016 and May of 2018, Khoshghadam, posed as a representative of the Singapore front company and submitted orders for the cables and connectors on at least three occasions to the U.S. Company.  Khoshghadam and a co-conspirator used front companies located in China and Malaysia to make payments to the U.S. Company for the goods in order to conceal the true identity of the purchaser as Khoshghadam and that that the goods were destined for Iran.  At the direction of Khoshghadam, the U.S. Company shipped the goods to a freight forwarding company located in Hong Kong, at which time the goods were repacked with falsified shipping records that listed a non-U.S. company as the shipper and the end destination as Iran.  As further alleged in the indictment, on at least one occasion, Khoshghadam falsified a Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security form BIS-711, which requires the purchaser of U.S. goods to specify the identity and location of the true end user of the purchased goods.  Khoshghadam falsely listed a China based company as the end user of the goods instead of listing that the true end user was located in Iran. 

            “Those who damage our national security by doing end-runs around sanctions and illegally exporting U.S. goods will find themselves facing serious charges,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and our federal law enforcement partners will zealously pursue those who break these vital national security laws, regardless of where in the world they operate." 

            "It is important that the public understands the seriousness of these types of crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Fitzgerald. “This isn’t a case of small illegal purchases of harmless products, but instead an attempt to conceal much larger criminal activities; activities that could funnel funds to other organized criminal networks.” 

            "The diversion of U.S.-origin goods to Iran, including through front companies in third countries, and falsifying end-user information enabling shipments to prohibited end users, will be vigorously investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge Tambrini.  “The Office of Export Enforcement, working with our interagency law enforcement partners, is committed to investigating violations of BIS export control rules and prosecuting the individuals involved, as appropriate, whether in the U.S. or abroad.” 

            The cables and connectors purchased by Khoshghadam required a license from the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) to be exported from the United States to Iran. No license authorizing the export of the cables and connectors was ever issued by OFAC to Khoshghadam or any other person or entity associated with these transactions.  Khoshghadam also made, or caused to be made, three separate money transfers from bank accounts located in China, Malaysia, and elsewhere to bank accounts in the United States or by using U.S. correspondent banks with the intent to promote the unlawful exports to Iran described above.

            Charges of conspiracy carry a statutory maximum of five years in prison. Violations of the IEEPA and the money laundering conspiracy charge carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Field Office and the Chicago Field Office of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Gillice.

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

---

UPDATE

This press release has been updated to reflect the current charges against Rafaraci.

---

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Company 1, a multi-national corporation headquartered in Malta and with operations in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and the United States was charged with bribery in an indictment returned on September 30, 2019.

According to the indictment, between 2013 and 2021, Rafaraci gave, offered, and promised money to Public Official 1, a Marine Liaison Officer for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain, in exchange for Public Official 1 using his official position to take action benefitting Company 1 as opportunities arose.

“Frank Rafaraci allegedly bribed a Navy official for years,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division remains committed to combating corruption in defense contracting around the world.”

“This defendant is alleged to have engaged in a long-running scheme to bribe a public official for his own gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue and hold accountable those that seek to take advantage of our military through corruption.”

“The criminal case against Rafaraci is the result of painstaking investigative efforts by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) agents, and our partner agencies,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the DCIS Transnational Operations Field Office. “Let today’s action serve as a sobering reminder to those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. military and American taxpayers. DCIS is resolutely committed to ensuring the integrity of the DoD’s global procurement operations.”

“Rafaraci’s alleged long-running criminal scheme cheated the U.S. taxpayer and wasted tremendously valuable resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Maddox of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to root out bribery and corruption that threaten to diminish the operational readiness and warfighter superiority of the Navy and Marine Corps.”

If convicted of bribery, Rafaraci faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Rafaraci was provisionally arrested in Malta on Sept. 27, 2021, at the request of the United States. Proceedings in Malta concluded upon his voluntary return to the United States on Oct. 18.

DCIS, NCIS, IRS-CI, and Army Criminal Investigative Division are investigating the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Malta Police Force, Malta Office of the Attorney General, Essex Police, and U.K. International Crime Cooperation Center.

Principal Assistant Chief Justin Weitz, Trial Attorney Michael P. McCarthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Vaughn are prosecuting the case. Former Deputy Chief Brian R. Young of the Fraud Section participated in the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.

Anyone with information relating to fraud or corruption should contact the NCIS anonymous tip line at www.ncis.navy.mil or the DoD hotline at www.dodig.mil/hotline, or call (800) 424-9098.

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

Rafaraci Indictment Rafaraci Affidavit

WASHINGTON – A former primary candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives pleaded guilty today to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by accepting a conduit campaign contribution.

            According to court documents, Lynda Bennett, 65, of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, was a primary candidate for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in 2020. In late December 2019, Bennett borrowed $25,000 from a family member, representing that she needed the money for personal expenses because she had to spend a large amount of her own money on her campaign.  The day after depositing the loaned money into a personal account, Bennett then caused $80,000, including the $25,000 in loaned money, to be transferred to the bank account of Lynda Bennett for Congress (“LBC”), her authorized federal campaign committee. Under the FECA, Bennett was required to report a loan from a third-party individual as a campaign contribution.  Bennett knowingly and willfully violated the FECA by reporting through LBC that the full $80,000 was a loan to her campaign using her own personal funds, rather than disclosing that $25,000 of that amount was a loan from another individual.

            Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of accepting contributions in the name of another.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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 Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

            The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case.

            Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Vaughn for the District of Columbia provided assistance.

A former primary candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives pleaded guilty today to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by accepting a conduit campaign contribution.

According to court documents, Lynda Bennett, 65, of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, was a primary candidate for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in 2020. In late December 2019, Bennett borrowed $25,000 from a family member, representing that she needed the money for personal expenses because she had to spend a large amount of her own money on her campaign. The day after depositing the loaned money into a personal account, Bennett then caused $80,000, including the $25,000 in loaned funds, to be transferred to the bank account of Lynda Bennett for Congress (LBC), her authorized federal campaign committee. Under the FECA, Bennett was required to report a loan from a third-party individual as a campaign contribution. Bennett knowingly and willfully violated the FECA by reporting through LBC that the full $80,000 was a loan to her campaign using her own personal funds, rather than disclosing that $25,000 of that amount was a loan from another individual.

Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of accepting contributions in the name of another. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Vaughn for the District of Columbia provided assistance.

Case Filed Following Overdose Death of Man in Virginia Last Year

            WASHINGTON – Dr. Robert M. Cao, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, and previously of Falls Church, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 15 months in prison for five felony counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance outside the scope of his professional practice. Cao pleaded guilty on November 8, 2022 to prescribing various narcotic pain medications in the months and days leading up to an overdose death in Virginia.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Kevin Davis, of the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department.

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered 36 months of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and ordered that he not hold a job that would give him access to controlled substances.

            According to court documents, Cao was licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia and Virginia. On at least five occasions in 2021, he knowingly and intentionally wrote prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone for a man identified as “V.C.” These Schedule II controlled substances have a high potential for abuse. Cao provided the narcotic prescriptions to the victim without having any doctor-patient relationship with him, without any physical examination, diagnosis, or treatment plan, and knowing that the victim had no medical condition that would necessitate such prescriptions.

            On May 31, 2021, first responders were dispatched to a Fairfax, Virginia residence in response to a 911 call for assistance regarding “V.C.,” after his girlfriend found him cold and non-responsive. He was pronounced deceased under suspicious circumstances.

            A subsequent autopsy report documented the cause of death as acute combined oxycodone and ethanol poisoning. On the nightstand next to where “V.C.” was found were prescription bottles, including one containing Percocet (a brand name of the narcotic analgesic oxycodone/acetaminophen) pills filled on May 23, 2021. Cao was the prescribing doctor listed on the bottle.

            Court filings also detail text message exchanges between Cao and “V.C.,” including discussions about Cao prescribing narcotic pain medications to “V.C.” in exchange for agreeing to give Cao a kickback of some of the pills he had prescribed, and meetings between the two, including a meeting in a parking lot on the night before the man’s death so Cao could get a portion of the narcotic pills from “V.C.” 

            “It’s outrageous that someone who had a duty to ‘do no harm’ would turn around and prescribe a medically unnecessary, dangerous drug,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “People in our country are dying by the thousands from drug overdoses. The defendant was better positioned than most people to know the potential consequences of illegal distribution, yet he nevertheless decided to unlawfully prescribe a drug, regardless of the life-threatening consequences."

            "Medical professionals take an oath to do no harm to their patients and public, but in this case, Robert Cao wrote unnecessary prescriptions for highly addictive narcotics,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division. “As demonstrated by this investigation, the risks presented by opioid diversion outside of proper clinical practice are such that even a few illicit prescriptions can prove fatal. Along with our partners, we will continue our mission of bringing those who disregard patient safety and well-being by operating such criminal schemes to justice.”

            As detailed in court documents, Cao took several steps to avoid detection from law enforcement and regulatory authorities. For example, he advised the victim not to create a paper trail, and to fill the prescriptions at times when they were least likely to be questioned by pharmacies. Cao also hid the pad that he used to write the man prescriptions, which Cao took from a District of Columbia cosmetic office where he previously worked, at his home inside a hollowed-out container made to look like a diary. 

            After learning of the victim’s untimely death, Cao created fraudulent backdated medical records to make it appear that Cao had provided legitimate prescriptions to the victim as part of a lawful doctor-patient relationship.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne P. McNamara and Christine Macey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

WASHINGTON – Joseph Tamjong, 51, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from the D.C. Medicaid program. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered that Tamjong serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. He also ordered him to pay $733,405 in restitution and $396,155 in a forfeiture money judgment. Tamjong pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud on November 28, 2022. 

            Between December 2014 and February 2022, Tamjong was employed as a Personal Care Aide and/or a Participant-Directed Worker providing personal care services to residents of the District of Columbia who needed assistance performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and eating. Tamjong submitted false timesheets that claimed he provided these services to Medicaid beneficiaries when, in fact, he did not. Although he committed a bulk of his criminal conduct when he was in the United States, he brazenly caused Medicaid to be billed for approximately 3,400 hours of services that he purportedly provided when he was traveling outside the country. On 156 separate occasions, he claimed he provided 24 hours of services in a single day. In total, he defrauded Medicaid of $733,405, personally receiving at least $395,155 in fraudulent wages from the scheme.

            Since December 2018, 12 former personal care aides have been sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for defrauding the District’s Medicaid program. 

            The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at 800- HHS‑TIPS (800 447-8477) or the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 800-724-TIPS (800 274-8477).

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.

Defendant Appeared in Federal Court Today

            WASHINGTON – A federal indictment was unsealed today charging MPD Sergeant Enis Jevric, 41, with a federal civil rights violation and second-degree murder.  The charges stem from Jevric’s August 25, 2021, fatal shooting of An’Twan Gilmore, 27, in Northeast Washington, D.C. Jevric appeared this afternoon before the Honorable Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

            As alleged in count one of indictment, the defendant, while acting under the color of law, willfully deprived Gilmore, 27, of his right to be free from the use of excessive force. Specifically, the defendant used his MPD-issued firearm to shoot and kill Gilmore.  Count two charges Gilmore with violating federal law by using a firearm to commit second-degree murder. Finally, count three charges the defendant with murder in the second-degree, in violation of D.C. Code.  The alleged offenses carry a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. 

            “We thoroughly investigate every incident where one of our fellow citizens dies during an interaction with law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, in announcing the indictment.  “We have found that most officers use force only when necessary.  In these investigations, we follow the evidence and the law. In the overwhelming majority of these cases, criminal charges would not be appropriate. But when an officer willfully disregards the safety of a citizen he is sworn to protect, he violates the trust placed in him by virtue of his badge. Today’s indictment reinforces that we will hold officers who commit civil rights violations accountable.”

            “Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect our communities, and should be held to the highest standards,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge the FBI Washington Field Office. “This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s unyielding commitment to pursuing justice for those whose fundamental rights have been breached.”

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

WASHINGTON – Stefen Farmer, 52, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of the February 2021 shooting of a man on a sidewalk in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. The verdict was returned today. The Honorable Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2023.

            Farmer, 52, was found guilty following a two-week 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, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 25, 2021, the Defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of a small black SUV parked on the 4400 block of Gault Place, around 6 pm.  The victim, a longtime friend of the Defendant’s, walked up to the Defendant’s window and started a conversation.  The Defendant repeatedly asked the victim for $2 and the victim said no. The Defendant, upset at the victim’s response, retrieved a gun, stepped out of the car, and shot at the victim from pointblank range three times, as the victim was walking away.  Two bullets hit the victim while he was trying to escape the gunfire and he sustained injuries to his hand and leg.  The Defendant only stopped shooting because a mutual friend of both men pushed the Defendant back while he was firing the gun.  Three days after the shooting, Defendant sent the victim a Facebook message apologizing “for the inconvenience.” 

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.  It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Omeed Assefi 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 Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, and Litigation Technology Specialist Lief Hickling.

WASHINGTON - Devin Gatewood, also known as James J. Williams, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on felony charges stemming from an armed carjacking and robbery in the Trinidad area of Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Gatewood pleaded guilty on November 3, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon, and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jason Park. Following his prison term, Gatewood will be placed on three years of supervised release. At the time of the offense, Gatewood was on probation for an April 2022 misdemeanor firearms conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow revoked Gatewood’s probation in that case and has scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 13, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of August 28, 2022, Gatewood and an unidentified accomplice approached the victim, who was sitting in his parked vehicle in the 1100 block of Queen Street NE. The victim felt uneasy and got out of his car to make small talk with the men. Gatewood produced what appeared to be a 9mm handgun and communicated to the victim that he was being robbed. The victim laid down on the ground, while Gatewood and the accomplice took his iPhone, Apple Watch, car keys, and cash. Gatewood drove away in the victim’s vehicle, and the accomplice left in a separate vehicle. 

            The victim called the Metropolitan Police Department. MPD officers located the victim’s vehicle within minutes and followed the vehicle until it came to an abrupt stop. Gatewood jumped out of the vehicle’s driver’s seat and began to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended. No firearm was recovered. Gatewood has remained in custody since his arrest.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal L. Waddy. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Minor Victims Exploited for Commercial Sex, Forced to Turn Over All Proceeds

            WASHINGTON – Willis Lewis, 49, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Brittany Jones, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, were sentenced today for their roles in a sex trafficking operation involving teenage victims.  Lewis was sentenced to life in prison; Jones was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The result was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Lewis was found guilty by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in May of last year, of 12 counts including four counts of sex trafficking of children by force, fraud, and coercion, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, three counts of coercion or enticement of a minor, two counts of transporting for prostitution, one count of interstate travel and transportation in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense; Jones was convicted of four counts including sex trafficking, conspiracy, and transportation in aid of racketeering. The defendants were charged in connection with their trafficking of a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl between April and May of 2019.  Lewis was sentenced to life on ten counts and to 15 years on the two remaining counts. His two sentences will run concurrently.  

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered 10 years of supervised release for each defendant and ordered each to pay $17,000 in restitution to the victims.

            “This lengthy sentence gets a dangerous predator off the streets for a very long time.” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “His lengthy confinement will keep other teenagers safe and serve as a warning to those who are considering exploiting our youth. Those harming our young women and girls need to know that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners, will track you down and hold you accountable for the pain and suffering you cause.”

            “This defendant targeted children, callously exploiting their vulnerability,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “The Department of Justice remains committed to holding traffickers accountable for the pernicious and inhumane exploitation of young children despite the harm these crimes inflict. We will use every tool at our disposal to obtain justice and restitution for the victims of human trafficking. We commend the courageous young victims here who stood up to their traffickers.”

            “Today’s sentences demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate all members of sex trafficking networks, from the leader of the operation to those involved in the recruitment, transportation, and harboring of victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “Let this be a message to anyone who would engage in trafficking minors: The FBI will ensure that those engaged in these horrid crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

            According to the government’s evidence, Jones, working with two co-conspirators who since pleaded guilty, brought the two victims to Lewis for the purposes of trafficking them. After they were in Lewis’s custody, Lewis set up “dates” for the two girls each day for almost two weeks and Lewis pocketed the money that the two girls made from these dates. Lewis used a loyalty contract, a firearm, and acts of violence to coerce the victims into performing commercial sex for his profit. Law enforcement became involved in this investigation after the two victims ran away from a residential facility in Virginia and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a missing person’s report.

            At trial, the co-conspirators testified against Lewis and Jones and were corroborated by independent evidence, including material from the digital devices and cell phone location data. 

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, including the Metropolitan Police Department. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

            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.projectsafechildhoodgov

           In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as the MPD’s Human Trafficking Unit.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve De Guzman, Karla Nunez, and Irina Tchernoskoutova, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – An 11-count indictment, unsealed today, charges 12 members of a violent transnational criminal organization in a Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act conspiracy that included kidnapping, murder, robbery, witness tampering, and drug trafficking. Federal agents with the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), US Marshals Service, and officers of the Metropolitan Police Department arrested one defendant this morning; 11 defendants were previously taken into custody on these or other charges.

            The charges were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Divisions, Field Office Director Russ Hott of the ICE-ERO Washington Field Office, the US Marshal Service Washington Office, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Charges include: conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, possession and discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant. (see defendant chart for list of charges pertaining to each)

            The indictment alleges that the defendants are members of “18th Street,” a violent international street gang who, between at least 2019 and August 2022, in the District of Columbia, District of Maryland, Eastern District of Virginia, District of Delaware and elsewhere, knowingly, and intentionally conspired to conduct and participate, directly and indirectly, in the conduct of the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting of multiple murders, kidnappings, and other crimes, and financed their enterprise through drug sales, illegal firearm sales, armed robberies, and the collection of dues from members.

            According to the indictment, members are required to commit acts of violence to further the interests of the gang. These violent acts are often directed against rival gang members, 18th Street members who violate gang rules or otherwise disrespect the gang, and persons who are suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Additionally, 18th Street members sell and transport narcotics, weapons, and other contraband to generate money to support the gang and its criminal activities. Some of the proceeds of this criminal activity are wired to members of the gang’s leadership in other countries. 18th Street members control geographical areas and use violence to maintain their control.

            Members of 18th Street are organized into “cliques,” or smaller groups operating within specific cities or regions that all operate under the umbrella rules of 18th Street to include the following: the Tiny Locos Surenos (“TLS”), Los Crazy Brothers (“LCB”), and the Revolucionarios. Defendants Alvarado-Velasquez, Ibarra-Cristales, Maradiaga, Boteo, and Rolando and Andree Martinez-Mora were members and associates of LCB.  Defendants Diaz-Lopez, Madrid-Flores, Hernandez-Menjivar, Rodriguez, Guevara-Villatoro, and Vasquez-Izara were members and associates of TLS.

            The 18th Street gang is highly organized and well structured. It follows initiation rituals, uses specific gang signs, colors and symbols, and requires adherence to and enforcement of specific rules of conduct and payment of dues that are used, in part, to support the gang and its members. 18th Street cliques often work cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.

            The indictment further alleges that 18th Street members engaged in murder, kidnapping, assault, threats of violence, and other crimes in order to: preserve, expand, and protect the power, territory, and reputation of the gang; be promoted within the gang; and punish and discipline members and associates who violate the rules, including improperly associating with rival gang members. For example, on July 14, 2021, members of the TLS and LCB cliques murdered Carlos Ramos Martinez in part due to his association with a rival faction within 18th Street.  In addition, on December 19, 2021, members of the TLS and LCB cliques murdered Danis Alcides Salgado Mata because they believed he was a member or associate of a rival gang.

            The government is also seeking forfeiture of all any and all assets acquired through the gang’s illegal activities.

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

            This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves, SAC Jacobs, Field Director Hott, and Chief Contee commended the work of those investigating the case from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement Removal Operations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the Montgomery County, Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilead Light, Jack Korba, Christopher Marin, and Will Hart, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.

 

DEFENDANT LIST

 

NAME

AGE

ADDRESS

CHARGES

Jose Santos Alvarado-Velasquez

 

22

 

Takoma Park, MD

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Possession of Firearm – Crime of Violence, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – Illegal Alien

Gerlin Neptali Diaz-Lopez

21

Washington, DC

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Possession of Firearm – Crime of Violence, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – Illegal Alien

Jose Anselmo Ibarra-Cristales

22

Beltsville, MD

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Possession of Firearm – Crime of Violence, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – Illegal Alien

Carlos Rolando Martinez-Mora

23

Hyattsville, MD

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder x2, VICAR-ADW x2, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Possession of Firearm – Crime of Violence x2

Bradley Andree Martinez-Mora

20

Hyattsville, MD

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Jexon Madrid-Flores

21

Boston, MA

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Sindy Paola Hernandez-Menjivar

19

Woodbury, NJ

Witness Tampering

Milton Benjamin Guevara-Villatoro

21

El Salvador

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Cesar De La O Rodriguez

19

Washington, DC

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Possession of Firearm – Crime of Violence, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – Illegal Alien

Bryan Delfino Vasquez-Izara

20

Washington, DC

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Elvis Mauricio Maradiaga

21

Bladensburg, MD

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Carlos Giovani Linares Boteo

26

Washington, DC

RICO-Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit VICAR-Murder, VICAR-ADW, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death

WASHINGTON – Robert Anderson, 55, of Hanover, Maryland, was sentenced today to five months of incarceration for a series of simple assaults on Metropolitan Police Department employees and officers that involved offensive touching and brandishing a knife. At the time of these assaults, Anderson was a sworn officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III.

            On February 1, 2023, a jury found Anderson guilty of four counts of assault. The verdict followed a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, before the Honorable Heidi Pasichow who sentenced him to 480 days in jail suspended after 150 days with the condition that Anderson successfully complete 18 months of probation.

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 14, 2019, at approximately 9:00 p.m., an officer victim was working at the Fifth District Police Station when Anderson, who was on duty, came up beside her and beckoned to her to stand up. When she did not stand up, Anderson leaned down and kissed her ear and neck without consent. In response to this conduct, the Metropolitan Police Department reassigned then-Officer Anderson to the Fourth District Police Station. Only several weeks later, in early February 2019, Anderson approached another female officer from behind, wrapped his arms around her, touched her breast, and kissed her ear and face without consent. And on February 5, 2019, Anderson approached two female employees and began to touch them on their heads without their consent. When a civilian employee intervened to stop Anderson from touching the women, Anderson brandished a knife at him.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Lead Paralegal Specialist Wanda Trice and other support personnel.

            Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Lindemann, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Felice Roggen and Tamara Rubb, who investigated the case.

WASHINGTON – Jay Smith 32, of Freeport, New York, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act in connection with the October 22, 2020 invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C.  U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 7, 2023.

            Smith was indicted with nine others (Lauren Handy, Jonathan Darnel, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman, Herb Geraghty and Joan Bell), all of whom were charged with conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in creating a blockade at a reproductive health care clinic to prevent it from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. Smith pleaded guilty to a charge that he used force and physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, and interfere with a nurse and other employees of the reproductive health clinic because of the services being offered. The charge further alleges that Smith’s conduct resulted in bodily injury to the clinic nurse.

            Violation of the FACE Act carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. 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 FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, Detroit and Pittsburgh provided valuable assistance.

WASHINGTON – Brian Carruth, 45, currently of Rockport, Texas, was found guilty after a three-day jury trial on charges stemming from an incident in which he unlawfully carried an unregistered rifle and ammunition into the District of Columbia. 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Alfonso Dyson, U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division.

            According to the government’s evidence at trial, on December 5, 2021, U.S. Secret Service officers stopped Mr. Carruth, who was then a resident of Burbank, Ohio, in his vehicle near the corner of 18th St. and G St. NW, roughly one block from the White House.  Officers first took note of Mr. Carruth’s pickup truck because it had what appeared to be a rifle case mounted to the bed portion of the vehicle.  After being stopped, Mr. Carruth told officers that he was in Washington, D.C., on a matter of national security with the Department of the Interior and had plans to visit the White House.  He later informed officers that there was a hunting rifle in the backseat area of his truck.  Upon searching Mr. Carruth’s vehicle, officers found a bolt-action rifle equipped with a scope and 38 rounds of live ammunition, as well as two spent shell casings.  The rifle was not registered in Washington, D.C.  In addition, officers discovered documents in Mr. Carruth’s truck that appeared to discuss fundamentally restructuring and resetting the U.S. federal government.

            Mr. Carruth was found guilty of one count of Carrying a Rifle or Shotgun Outside Home or Place of Business, one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, and one count of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.  The guilty verdict followed a three-day trial before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2023.

            In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Dyson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service.  They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashaune Briggs.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Derbish and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian Ginos, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde, who investigated the case.

WASHINGTON – Malik Holston, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.  Holston had been found guilty on November 2, 2022. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt ordered five years of supervised release. Holston was also sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for the unlawful possession of a firearm, and 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release for carrying a pistol without a license, with those sentences ordered to run concurrently with the murder sentence

            According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 13, 2018, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Holston and a second assailant – both armed and wearing masks – pursued 15-year-old Gerald Watson through the parking lot area near buildings in the 2900 block of Knox Place SE. Mr. Watson ran inside a multi-unit apartment building, followed by Holston, while the second gunman waited outside. Inside the building, Holston cornered Mr. Watson at the top landing and shot him 16 times with a .40-caliber revolver. Holston and the second gunman then fled the scene. Mr. Watson was taken to a hospital, where he died from the injuries.

            The shooting took place shortly after Mr. Watson returned home from school and headed outside to play basketball. Within about five minutes of leaving home, the shooting occurred.

            Holston was arrested on Dec. 18, 2018. The second assailant was himself killed by gunfire on Sept. 10, 2019.

            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 District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Agents Durand Odom and Mark Crawford of the Criminal Investigations Unit; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Kelly Blakeney; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen; Witness Security Coordinators Marlon Hernandez-Quijano, Maenylie Watson, and Katina Adams-Washington; former Witness Security Coordinator La June Thames; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling and Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Curt, Daniel Lenerz, and Peter Roman.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Liebman and Andrea Coronado, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Marcus Douglas, 53, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for the coercion and enticement of a minor. Douglas pleaded guilty to the charge on August 31, 2022.

            In July of 2021, Douglas approached a 14-year-old girl he saw walking on a sidewalk in downtown Washington, D.C. He placed a note on her cell phone suggesting that he wanted to pay her to engage in sexual activity with him.  The note contained his first name, Marcus, and his cell phone number.  The victim immediately went to a nearby firehouse and reported the incident.  Police officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded, interviewed the victim, and quickly traced the phone number to Douglas. An undercover officer then initiated a text conversation with Douglas, pretending to be the 14-year-old girl.  During messaging with the individual he believed was a minor, Douglas asked for pictures of the victim, told her about his sexual fantasies, and asked for an opportunity to meet the minor victim in person. A location for this meeting was discussed during this text conversation.  When Douglas arrived at the agreed upon meeting location, he was arrested.

            In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Judge Florence Y. Pan ordered 10 years of supervised release and ordered Douglas to register as a sex offender for 25 years. She also ordered Douglas to pay the minor victim $36,956 in restitution.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves,  and Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee, III commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Yvonne Bryant, the Victim/Witness Specialist assigned to this matter, and paralegal Alexis Spencer-Anderson.   Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Larson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            If you have information that a child is being physically or sexually abused or neglected, you can help by reporting the abuse to the Child and Family Service Agency for the District of Columbia (CFSA).  CFSA takes reports of child abuse and neglect 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (202) 671-SAFE or (202) 671-7233.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

WASHINGTON – An indictment, unsealed today, charges a Coraopolis, Pennsylvania man with running a counterfeit drug conspiracy that sold fentanyl and methamphetamine disguised as Oxycontin, Xanax and Adderall on a Darknet Marketplace. Jacob Blair, 25, is also charged in a parallel indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania with possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine related to a February 24, 2022, search warrant. Blair was arrested by FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents on February 24, 2023, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. 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.

            In the District of Columbia, Blair is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and metonitazene along with money laundering. According to the indictment, since at least May 2022, Blair and his co-conspirators ran a Darknet narcotics trafficking business. Blair and his network operated under the profile name YourVendorsSupplier (“YVS”). Blair’s YVS Darknet marketplace profile page lists over 459 successful drug sales in that time period. YVS was advertised on one darknet market as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed. Nothing but the best. . . now vending on 5 markets, time will show that we mean business, and we’re here to stay.” YVS listed a variety of drugs for sale on their darknet market vendor account, to include several varieties of counterfeit oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax which, in reality, were fentanyl and methamphetamine. The counterfeit oxycodone pills Blair sold contained fentanyl and metonitazene; the counterfeit Adderall pills contained methamphetamine.

            Blair only accepted cryptocurrency in exchange for controlled substance. Once an order came in, Blair took payment in the form of Bitcoin or Monero (cryptocurrencies) on the marketplaces. After the payment was confirmed, Blair and his network would pack the controlled substances in vacuum-sealed packaging, packaging materials, and padded shipping envelopes to disguise the substance, and would drop the packages in various United States Postal Service drop boxes in West Virginia and Pennsylvania for shipment throughout the United States.

            Blair is also charged with money laundering. According to the indictment, between August of 2022 and at least February 1, 2023, Blair knowingly conducted cryptocurrency transactions, consisting of drug trafficking proceeds, through various cryptocurrency wallets and cryptocurrency exchange businesses in order to conceal that the transactions were from drug trafficking.

            Law enforcement executed a series of search warrants on February 24, 2023, at residences associated with Blair and a storage unit owned by Blair. They seized over 10,000 suspected fentanyl pills, plastic tubs of raw powder, a pill press, and 11 firearms including an AK-47 and AR-15. 

            A separate indictment was filed against Blair in the Western District of Pennsylvania. According to that three-count indictment, Blair 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.

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

            The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The money laundering charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties, and the indictment contains a notice of forfeiture for all illegal gains. 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 Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. offices of the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.

            The District of Columbia case is being prosecuted by AUSA Kevin Rosenberg, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section. The Western District of Pennsylvania indictment is being prosecuted by DeMarr Moulton.

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

WASHINGTON – Jason Tipton, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for distribution of child pornography. Tipton pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022.

            According to court documents, after identifying Tipton, law enforcement arrested him in April 2020. During execution of a search warrant at his residence, various digital devices were seized. The partial extraction of his cellphone revealed a series of hyperlinks in a “Notes” section on the phone.  A subsequent search of the defendant’s iCloud account revealed these same hyperlinks, which contained over 200 videos depicting the sexual abuse of very young children.  Several of these videos depict victims known to law enforcement, who have been identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as victims depicted in series of child sexual abuse material that is widely traded. The defendant admitted that he had several KIK accounts, all of which he deleted, that he used to trade images depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He admitted to sending pictures of a child relative to strangers that he met over the internet, who had expressed a sexual attraction to children. He admitted that he took pictures of a child sleeping and that he sent those pictures to other individuals he met online. 

            In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered $21,000 in restitution to the victim, 10 years of supervised release, and ordered Tipton to register as a sex offender for 25 years.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department commended the work of the FBI agents and MPD detectives. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Larson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

            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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.