District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison on a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.
Akiva Bernstein, 22, pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, Bernstein will be placed on eight years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim depicted in the images that he distributed. Bernstein also must register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
According to the government’s evidence, in November of 2020, Bernstein used a mobile messaging application to communicate with an individual who he believed was a father with access to a young child. Bernstein attempted to set up a meeting with the individual and child. In the process, he forwarded the agent 12 videos, at least nine of which depicted the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. On Dec. 2, 2020, Bernstein agreed to meet the individual and child for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts and contacts. He was arrested.
Following his arrest, Bernstein provided consent for law enforcement to search his cellphone, which had approximately 40 videos depicting sex acts with minor children.
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.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who prosecuted the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Stauss, who provided valuable assistance.
Two Maryland Men Plead Guilty to Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, aka Jose Gonzalez, 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, aka Kenneth Vann, 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from their roles in an armed robbery in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pacheco and Harris each pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kill or injure a victim. They are to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2023, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper.
As part of their pleas, Pacheco and Harris admitted that on the afternoon of July 16, 2021, they entered a male victim’s apartment in the 1400 block of New York Avenue NE, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location. They intended to rob him of marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Pacheco and Harris – 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 Harris’s gun away, at which point Harris choked and punched the male victim. While Harris had the male victim in a headlock, Pacheco 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. MPD officers responded to the scene and arrested Pacheco and Harris before they could escape. Both defendants have been detained without bond since their arrest.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. 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.
Doctor Licensed in the District of Columbia and Virginia Pleads Guilty to Multiple Felonies Related to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dr. Robert M. Cao, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, and previously of Falls Church, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to five felony counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance outside the scope of his professional practice. As detailed in court documents, the charges pertain to Cao prescribing various narcotic pain medications in the months and days leading up to an overdose death in Virginia last year.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Kevin Davis, Chief of the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department.
The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Feb. 22, 2023.
According to court documents, Cao is a physician who was licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia and Virginia. As part of his guilty plea, Cao admitted that on at least five occasions in 2021, he knowingly and intentionally wrote a man identified in court documents as “V.C.” prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone, Schedule II controlled substances with 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.”
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne P. McNamara and Christine Macey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Criminal Charges Unsealed Against Haitian Gang Leaders for Kidnappings of U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of criminal charges against seven leaders of five Haitian gangs, including gang leaders involved in the armed kidnappings of 16 U.S. citizens in the fall of 2021.
“When a U.S. citizen is kidnapped abroad, the Justice Department will bring to bear the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to ensure their safe return home and to hold accountable those responsible,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these charges demonstrate, we are committed to working alongside our interagency and international partners to disrupt these kidnapping-for-ransom schemes that endanger the lives of American citizens and that fuel the violent gangs harming the Haitian people.”
Among the charges unsealed today were federal indictments charging three Haitian nationals with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking for their roles in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving near Port-au-Price, Haiti, and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping. The group included five children, one as young as eight months old at the time of the kidnapping.
Contemporaneous with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State is announcing a reward of $3 million ($1 million per each of the three defendants charged in the kidnapping of the missionaries) for information leading to the capture of the three defendants, who are believed to be in Haiti. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
Those three defendants, who are charged in separate indictments filed in the District of Columbia, include Lanmo Sanjou, aka Joseph Wilson, 29 and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, in his late 20s, both current leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, leader of the Kraze Barye gang. The 400 Mawozo gang, which operates in Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, claimed responsibility for the missionaries’ kidnapping. The Kraze Barye gang operates in the Torcelle and Tabarre areas of Haiti. According to the indictment, Innocent worked together with 400 Mawozo in the hostage taking.
In addition to the indictments for the kidnapping of the missionaries, the Department of Justice announced charges against four other Haitian nationals who are leaders of three other gangs for two other kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti.
“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against U.S citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage taking or other violent crimes – wherever they are.”
“We stand with the people of Haiti, whose country has been ravaged by violent gangs impacting every facet of society,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We are committed to using all tools available to prosecute these gangs in order to disrupt their unlawful activities in Haiti and bring justice for our victims.”
“FBI Miami has extraterritorial responsibility for the Caribbean, Central and South America,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Miami Field Office. “When crimes against U.S. Citizens occur in Haiti and throughout this region, we will not relent. The FBI’s full investigative capability will be brought to bear to identify those responsible.”
The investigation involving the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of the missionaries has also led to additional charges. Two alleged leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang previously were charged with the crimes. Joly Germine, aka Yonyon, 30, and Jean Pelice, aka Zo, 27, were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges.
According to court documents, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release. One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison. Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom. Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021. The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021.
Additionally, charges also were unsealed today in cases involving three other Haitian gangs:
- The leader of the gang Gran Ravine, Renel Destina, aka Ti Lapli, 40, was indicted on charges of hostage taking. Gran Ravine controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The indictment charges the gang with kidnapping a U.S victim in February 2021, holding the victim for approximately 14 days, during which time the victim was threatened daily at gunpoint, while his family scrambled to secure funds for release. The victim was finally released on Feb. 16, 2021, after a ransom was paid.
- A leader of the gang Village de Dieu, Emanuel Solomon, aka Manno, in his 30s, was charged in a criminal complaint for kidnapping a U.S. citizen in January 2021. The Village de Dieu gang controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The victim was taken hostage at gunpoint and held for approximately 11 days until his family and friends in the United States sent a ransom payment to Haiti for his release. The gang kept the victim’s car and two phones, and finally released the victim on Jan. 23, 2021. Manno and fellow gang leaders are active on social media, posting about the gang’s exploits.
- Two leaders of the gang Kokorat san Ras, John Peter Fleronvil and Jean Renald Dolcin, were charged by complaint for kidnapping at gunpoint three U.S. victims in July 2022. Two victims, a married couple, were held for six days and released following a ransom payment made by a family member. A third victim was taken captive the day after the other two U.S. victims and held for approximately six days while a family member negotiated for his release; that victim was also released following a ransom payment to the gang. The victims were all held together at the same location. Fleronvil and other Kokorat san Ras gang members were arrested on Sept. 11, by Haiti law enforcement officials while preparing to cross the border to the Dominican Republic.
Destina, Solomon, and Dolcin also are being sought.
The charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The Haitian National Police also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Jack Korba, and Brittany Keil for the District of Columbia prosecuted the cases with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau Barnes for the District of Columbia.
Criminal Charges Unsealed Against Haitian Gang Leaders for Kidnappings of U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of criminal charges against seven leaders of five Haitian gangs, including gang leaders involved in the armed kidnappings of 16 U.S. citizens in the fall of 2021.
“When a U.S. citizen is kidnapped abroad, the Justice Department will bring to bear the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to ensure their safe return home and to hold accountable those responsible,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these charges demonstrate, we are committed to working alongside our interagency and international partners to disrupt these kidnapping-for-ransom schemes that endanger the lives of American citizens and that fuel the violent gangs harming the Haitian people.”
Among the charges unsealed today were federal indictments charging three Haitian nationals with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking for their roles in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving near Port-au-Price, Haiti, and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping. The group included five children, one as young as eight months old at the time of the kidnapping.
Contemporaneous with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State is announcing a reward of $3 million ($1 million per each of the three defendants charged in the kidnapping of the missionaries) for information leading to the capture of the three defendants, who are believed to be in Haiti. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
Those three defendants, who are charged in separate indictments filed in the District of Columbia, include Lanmo Sanjou, aka Joseph Wilson, 29 and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, in his late 20s, both current leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, leader of the Kraze Barye gang. The 400 Mawozo gang, which operates in Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, claimed responsibility for the missionaries’ kidnapping. The Kraze Barye gang operates in the Torcelle and Tabarre areas of Haiti. According to the indictment, Innocent worked together with 400 Mawozo in the hostage taking.
In addition to the indictments for the kidnapping of the missionaries, the Department of Justice announced charges against four other Haitian nationals who are leaders of three other gangs for two other kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti.
“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against U.S citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage taking or other violent crimes – wherever they are.”
“We stand with the people of Haiti, whose country has been ravaged by violent gangs impacting every facet of society,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We are committed to using all tools available to prosecute these gangs in order to disrupt their unlawful activities in Haiti and bring justice for our victims.”
“FBI Miami has extraterritorial responsibility for the Caribbean, Central and South America,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Miami Field Office. “When crimes against U.S. Citizens occur in Haiti and throughout this region, we will not relent. The FBI’s full investigative capability will be brought to bear to identify those responsible.”
The investigation involving the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of the missionaries has also led to additional charges. Two alleged leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang previously were charged with the crimes. Joly Germine, aka “Yonyon,” 30, and Jean Pelice, aka “Zo,” 27, were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges. According to court documents, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release. One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison. Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom. Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021. The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021.
Additionally, charges also were unsealed today in cases involving three other Haitian gangs:
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The leader of the gang Gran Ravine, Renel Destina, aka Ti Lapli, 40, was indicted on charges of hostage taking. Gran Ravine controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The indictment charges the gang with kidnapping a U.S victim in February 2021, holding the victim for approximately 14 days, during which time the victim was threatened daily at gunpoint, while his family scrambled to secure funds for release. The victim was finally released on Feb. 16, 2021, after a ransom was paid.
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A leader of the gang Village de Dieu, Emanuel Solomon, aka Manno, in his 30s, was charged in a criminal complaint for kidnapping a U.S. citizen in January 2021. The Village de Dieu gang controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The victim was taken hostage at gunpoint and held for approximately 11 days until his family and friends in the United States sent a ransom payment to Haiti for his release. The gang kept the victim’s car and two phones, and finally released the victim on Jan. 23, 2021. Manno and fellow gang leaders are active on social media, posting about the gang’s exploits.
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Two leaders of the gang Kokorat san Ras, John Peter Fleronvil and Jean Renald Dolcin, were charged by complaint for kidnapping at gunpoint three U.S. victims in July 2022. Two victims, a married couple, were held for six days and released following a ransom payment made by a family member. A third victim was taken captive the day after the other two U.S. victims and held for approximately six days while a family member negotiated for his release; that victim was also released following a ransom payment to the gang. The victims were all held together at the same location. Fleronvil and other Kokorat san Ras gang members were arrested on Sept. 11, by Haiti law enforcement officials while preparing to cross the border to the Dominican Republic.
Destina, Solomon, and Dolcin also are being sought.
The charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Miami Field Office investigated the cases, with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The Haitian National Police also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Jack Korba, and Brittany Keil for the District of Columbia prosecuted the cases with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau Barnes for the District of Columbia.
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Two Area Men Plead Guilty to Felony Charges Stemming from Carjacking and Robbery OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Melvin Wiseman, 19, of Washington, D.C., and Demarco Harris, 20, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to felony charges stemming from carjacking and robbery offenses that took place earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both men pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Wiseman and Harris each pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle, stemming from a carjacking and robbery in March 2022. In addition, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle, stemming from a January 2022 armed carjacking and robbery. The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 2, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2022, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Wiseman and Harris approached a vehicle parked in the 2400 block of 20th Street NW, in the Kalorama neighborhood. The vehicle’s owner was saying goodbye to a friend on the sidewalk, while her female friend waited in the car’s passenger seat. Wiseman approached the passenger and ordered her out of the car. When she began screaming for help, Harris climbed across the driver’s seat and put his hands around her neck in an attempt to silence her. Wiseman then pulled the passenger out of the car and threw her to the ground. The men attempted to flee in the vehicle but failed to do so because they could not disengage the parking brake. They then grabbed a purse belonging to the vehicle’s owner and fled on foot.
Concerned citizens witnessed the defendants fleeing and called the Metropolitan Police Department. While fleeing, Wiseman discarded his jacket, which contained a hall pass from a school where the defendants were classmates; the pass had been issued in his name earlier that day. Wiseman and Harris also discarded the victim’s purse, but kept her iPhone, which she had stored inside. Harris used the victim’s iPhone for his own benefit, sending the victim’s funds to a Cash App account registered in his own name and using her Lyft account to request a ride from the block on which he lived. The Metropolitan Police Department obtained surveillance footage from the offense location and other evidence.
The government’s evidence also established that, on Jan. 21, 2022, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Harris requested an Uber ride using an account that was registered to him. Harris and two unidentified associates got into the car’s back seat. Harris directed the driver to a poorly lit residential street in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington. Upon arriving at that location, Harris exited the vehicle, opened the driver’s door, pointed a handgun at the driver’s head, and ordered him out of the vehicle. The driver ran to safety after Harris physically pulled him from the vehicle. After Harris failed to take the vehicle, he and his associates fled on foot with the driver’s cell phone and car keys.
Wiseman was arrested on May 11, 2022, and Harris was arrested on May 18, 2022. They have remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the guilty pleas, 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 Specialists Crystal L. Waddy and Alesha Matthews Yette. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L.D. Ans and Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges for Armed Carjacking and Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Devin Gatewood, also known as James J. Williams, 23, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to 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 (MPD).
Gatewood pleaded guilty on Nov. 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. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2023. 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 James A. Crowell IV has scheduled a probation revocation hearing in that case for Jan. 20, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Aug. 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, which located the victim’s vehicle within minutes. Police followed behind the vehicle, which 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 guilty plea, 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.
District Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Confrontation with U.S. Capitol PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard McCutcheon, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for an incident last summer in which he confronted U.S. Capitol Police officers while in possession of two Molotov cocktails, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
At the time of the offense, McCutcheon was on probation in another case in which he threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking on a street in Northwest Washington.
McCutcheon pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe to a total of 60 months in prison, but the judge suspended half of that time on the condition that McCutcheon later successfully complete three years of probation.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m., McCutcheon was in possession of two Molotov Cocktails on the steps of 25 Massachusetts Avenue NW when U.S. Capitol Police officers responded to a 911 call. As the officers approached McCutcheon, he backed away from them while holding one of the Molotov Cocktails. During this confrontation, that Molotov Cocktail hit the ground near where the officers were standing.
McCutcheon then took out the second Molotov Cocktail. While in close proximity to one of the officers, McCutcheon attempted several times to light the white cloth hanging from the bottle. After failing to light the cloth, McCutcheon fled and ran into a nearby bicycle rack, where the second Molotov Cocktail shattered on the ground. In a search at the time of the arrest, officers found a backpack containing a 2-liter soda bottle containing a pale amber liquid consistent with the appearance and odor of gasoline. McCutcheon has been in custody since his arrest.
In the earlier case, McCutcheon pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. On the afternoon of April 28, 2021, McCutcheon threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking near a gas station in the 300 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW. The bottle landed on the victim’s foot and burst into flames, catching her shoe on fire and bruising a toe. Shards of glass from the bottle also cut the victim’s shin. On May 20, 2022, McCutcheon was sentenced to 13 months in prison in this case, with all of the time suspended on the condition that he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation.
The Honorable James A. Crowell IV, who presided over the defendant’s earlier case, revoked his probation and sentenced him to the remaining time on his original sentence
In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Manger commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tonya Queen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Five Men Indicted in Drug Conspiracy Case, Accused of Selling Drugs Within 1,000 Feet of SchoolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Five area men have been indicted on federal narcotics and firearms-related charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that operated outside a gas station and within 1,000 feet of a school on South Capitol Street.
The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Christopher Amon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Those charged include Tayion Hamiel-Ward, 25, of Washington, D.C.; Karl Dunn, 45, of Suitland; Brian Williams, 27, of Largo, Maryland; Kurtis Mathes, 33, of Washington, D.C., and DeShawn Barnes, 28, also of Washington, D.C. Hamiel-Ward previously was detained. Dunn, Williams, Mathes, and Barnes were arrested this week.
The indictment, which was unsealed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, followed an investigation into open-air drug markets operating near a gas station and tobacco store in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street SW. Since at least March 2021, there have been several shootings at these locations, and law enforcement has recovered firearms on the premises. The charges relate to four firearms, magazines, ammunition, marijuana, and more than $79,000 in cash seized from the defendants over the course of the investigation.
“Armed drug trafficking and traffickers put ordinary citizens at risk, and that conduct must be held to account,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This indictment is a testament to our strong, collaborative relationship with ATF and other law enforcement partners in dismantling drug operations that threaten public safety.”
“Today’s announcement is the result of a long-term investigation focused on the illegal use of firearms, narcotics trafficking, and acts of violence in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Amon of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of ATF and our valued law enforcement partners, violent criminals are being held accountable”
“Operations like this are a great example of our collective and decisive work at all levels – federal, state, and local – to band together and reverse the rise in violent, drug-related crime and ensure public safety. Let me be clear, drug trafficking organizations do not care if they are poisoning and killing people,” said Special Agent in Charge Forget of the DEA Washington Division. “As part of our initiative Operation Overdrive, we are making a difference in our communities, cutting violent crime, stopping violent drug traffickers in their tracks, and keeping our local families safe”.
All five defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. They also are charged with drug distribution, including charges that the transactions took place within 1,000 feet of a school. Hamiel-Ward, Dunn, and Williams also are charged with using, carrying, or possessing firearms during drug transactions. Mathes and Barnes also are charged with unlawfully possessing ammunition.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison McGuire and Brian Lynch, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in December 2018 Killing of 15-Year-Old YouthRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Holston, 20, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder and other charges 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.
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury found Holston guilty of two related firearms offenses. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26, 2023.
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, and has been in custody since that time.
The second assailant was himself killed by gunfire on Sept. 10, 2019.
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 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, La June Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington; 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.
Four Men Found Guilty of Federal Kidnapping and Homicide Charges in June 2018 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four area men were found guilty by a federal jury today of murder and other charges in the kidnapping of a Maryland man whose body was found in June 2018 in an alley in Southeast Washington. The victim had been shot numerous times and his hands were still bound with zip-ties.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Darin Moore, Jr. 29, of Bowie, Md., Gabriel Brown, 33, and John Sweeney, 29, who are all from Washington, D.C., were found guilty following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, first-degree murder while armed, and felony murder. James Thomas Taylor, 33, also of Washington, D.C.., was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and felony murder. A mistrial was declared on the remaining two counts in the indictment against Taylor. All four defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 19, 2018, the victim, Andre Simmons, Jr., 28, from Bowie, Maryland, was abducted at gunpoint in Maryland, bound with zip ties, and forced into a vehicle by Moore and Sweeney. During the following few hours, several ransom calls were made from Taylor’s phone to Mr. Simmons’ family, who delivered $7,000 in cash to a drop location as instructed by the kidnappers. The money was subsequently picked up by Brown.
Just over an hour after the ransom payment, at about 6:25 a.m. on June 20, 2018, the defendants shot Mr. Simmons 19 times and left his zip-tied body in an alley off the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE. The four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to divide up the proceeds of the ransom demand.
Moore was arrested on June 20, 2018. Brown was arrested on June 27, 2018, Taylor was arrested on Aug. 17, 2018, and Sweeney was arrested on Jan. 14, 2019. All have been in custody since their arrests.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Homicide Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman, Laura Crane, and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Specialist Genevieve De Guzman also assisted in the prosecution.
District Woman Sentenced to Four-Year Prison Term for Attacking Neighbor with a Hammer in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kesha Honesty, 48, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for assaulting her neighbor with a hammer last spring in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Honesty pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon. She was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2022, by the Honorable Jason Park. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 21, 2022, at approximately 6:40 p.m., Honesty assaulted the neighbor with a hammer outside an apartment building in the 5100 block of Fitch Street SE. The victim was hospitalized for almost four months and underwent approximately 10 different surgeries and procedures. She is now partially paralyzed on the left side of her body and will require assistance for the remainder of her life.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Amy Trotto, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randle Wilson, Andrea Antonelli, and Cameron Tepfer, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonte Mitchell, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for attacking his then-girlfriend, a child, and a dog at a home in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mitchell pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with significant bodily injury, second-degree cruelty to children, and cruelty to animals. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 42 to 70 months. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea and sentenced Mitchell accordingly. After his prison term, Mitchell will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 27, 2019, at approximately 3 a.m., Mitchell returned to a home he shared with a woman and child in the 2700 block of Douglas Road SE. The woman had told Mitchell that she wanted a break from their relationship. Enraged, Mitchell struck her several times in her face with his fists, causing one of her eyes to swell shut. He also struck the child in the face and body. He then picked up the woman’s dog and threw the dog in the air, towards the ceiling. The dog fell to the floor and died from its injuries.
Mitchell was apprehended in Maryland on Nov. 21, 2019. He was brought to the District of Columbia in March 2020, and 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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington Humane Society and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Kenechukwu Okocha, Deputy Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Galloway, Eric Nguyen, and Eliot Folsom, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10-Year Prison Term for Armed Sexual Assault in 2006Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Landrell Lemont Jordan, Jr, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman in January 2006 in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jordan pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances. The plea, which contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 10 to 12 years. The Honorable Robert Okun accepted the plea and sentenced Jordan accordingly. Following his prison term, Jordan will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for life and as a gun offender for seven years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 27, 2006, at approximately 1 a.m., the victim was walking home after waiting tables at a restaurant in Dupont Circle. Jordan walked up behind her in the area of Ninth and T Streets NW, brandished a gun, and forced her into an alley. He stole her cash and jewelry and then raped her at gunpoint.
Jordan was a stranger to the victim. The victim made an immediate report to police and obtained a sexual assault exam at an area hospital.
Jordan was developed as a suspect in this offense by MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit in April 2020. Evidence in the case was tested in 2006 but did not yield a sufficient male DNA profile to identify the offender. Cold case detectives linked the defendant to the attack by new DNA testing.
When detectives identified Jordan as the perpetrator of this case in 2020, the investigation revealed that Jordan had been convicted of attempted robbery in 2012 in D.C. and two felony firearms offenses in 2013, one in D.C. and the other in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit, and detectives and officers from the Third District. They also acknowledged the efforts of those handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Buckner, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Kern and Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing Man in Attack in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcel Jackson, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to fatally stabbing a man earlier this year in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District Columbia to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon term of 9 ½-to-11 ½ years in prison. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 8, 2022, at approximately 11:25 p.m., Jackson approached the victim, Antonio Jones, in the 2800 block of Hartford Street SE, with two knives in both of his hands. He stabbed Mr. Jones multiple times and stood over his body for a short period of time. Then he walked away.
Mr. Jones, 22, suffered at least 27 stab wounds to his body, and died at the scene.
Jackson was arrested on May 10, 2022. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of 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 Lashone Samuels and Victim/Witness Specialist Amy Trotto.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Graves Announces Appointment of Election Day OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves today announced the appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua S. Rothstein to lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 8, 2022, general election.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aloi and Rothstein, of the Office’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, will be responsible for overseeing the Office's handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aloi and Rothstein will be on duty in the U.S. Attorney's Office while the polls are open. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloi can be reached by the public at 202-252-7212. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rothstein can be reached by the public at 202-252-7164.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. In the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office can be reached at 202-278-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
District Man Sentenced to Nine-Year Prison Term for Fatally Shooting Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lloyd Patterson-Ross, 21, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a nine-year prison term for fatally shooting a man last year at a gas station in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Patterson-Ross pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon term of 7 ½-to-9 years in prison. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and sentenced Patterson-Ross accordingly on Oct. 21, 2022. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 22, 2021, at approximately 10:15 p.m., Patterson-Ross was at a gas station in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street SE along with the victim, Dawaan Saunders. Mr. Saunders, who was armed, along with another individual attempted to rob Patterson-Ross and his associates. The robbery attempt failed, and Mr. Saunders attempted to flee. He ran across the street to another gas station but dropped his firearm as he was running. He then attempted to enter a vehicle but was unsuccessful.
Patterson-Ross subsequently picked up the firearm on the ground and chased Mr. Saunders. He then shot Mr. Saunders, causing him to fall. Patterson-Ross then fled. But after seeing Mr. Saunders attempt to get back up, he came back and shot him multiple times at close range. Mr. Saunders, 30, was shot 14 times and subsequently died.
Patterson-Ross was arrested on Dec. 20, 2021. 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 Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of 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 Lashone Samuels and Victim/ Witness Specialist Karina Hernandez.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Stephen K. Bannon Sentenced to Four Months in Prison on Two Counts of Contempt of CongressRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephen K. Bannon was sentenced today to four months of incarceration and ordered to pay a fine of $6,500 on two counts of contempt of Congress stemming from his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the United States Capitol.
Bannon, 68, was found guilty by a jury on July 22, 2022, of one contempt count related to his refusal to appear for a deposition and another count related to his refusal to produce documents in response to a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
On Sept. 23, 2021, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Bannon. In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that he had information relevant to understanding events related to Jan. 6, 2021. The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Oct. 7, 2021, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on Oct. 14, 2021. Bannon refused to appear to give testimony as required by subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena.
Bannon, formerly a Chief Strategist and Counselor to the President, has been a private citizen since departing the White House in 2017. He was indicted on the contempt charges on Nov. 12, 2021.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Attacks on Residents of Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Corey Keelin Bridges, 28, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a pair of attacks on residents of an apartment building in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Bridges pleaded guilty on Oct.19, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count each of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, simple assault, and lewd, indecent, or obscene acts. Bridges will be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. In addition to facing a prison term, Bridges will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, Bridges assaulted residents of an apartment building in the 1400 block of E Street NE, on separate occasions. On May 4, 2022, at approximately 5 p.m., Bridges accosted a minor in the hallway of the building. He tried to pull down the minor victim’s sweatpants and pulled down his own shorts, exposing himself. The minor victim escaped into her apartment. On June 4, 2022, at about 4 p.m., he knocked on the door of an apartment in the same building and, when the resident opened the door, Bridges held a knife and a screwdriver to the victim’s stomach. The victim managed to avoid injury.
Bridges was arrested on June 4, 2022, and he remains in custody.
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 also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia, Jared English, and Crystal Gaines, who investigated and prosecuted the matters.
Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Burglaries in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delante R. Pierce, 36, who had no fixed address, was sentenced today to a five-year prison term on charges stemming from two break-ins in Northwest Washington in the fall of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pierce pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. Following his prison term, Pierce will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2021, Veterans Day, shortly after 6 a.m., Pierce entered a restricted area of a hotel in the 1200 block of 22nd Street NW, and stole, among other things, a tool kit. Pierce then entered an occupied residence in the 2100 block of N Street NW. The resident was awakened from his sleep and discovered Pierce standing in his bedroom. Pierce initially claimed he was there to fix a sink, but he then fled the residence with the victim’s Apple Watch and other possessions. He left behind the items he had just stolen from the hotel. A short time later, police were able to locate Pierce in the Adams Morgan neighborhood by tracking the victim’s Apple Watch. Pierce abandoned bags containing the victim’s property and fled the police, but he was quickly apprehended. After being identified by the victim, Pierce was placed under arrest. He has remained in custody ever since.
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 Waddy. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office's Statement on D.C. Criminal Code ReformRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today released the following statement about legislation to change the D.C. Criminal Code:
When the D.C. Criminal Code Reform Commission (CCRC) indicated that it was ready to submit its final recommendations to the D.C. Council, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which was a member of the CCRC advisory group, voted to move those recommendations forward. The recommendations comprised a once-in-a-century effort to modernize the D.C. Criminal Code. We voted to move forward—even though we had serious concerns about a number of recommendations—because the modernization was sorely needed, and we expected that we would have the opportunity to continue to engage on those recommendations that gave us concerns. We testified in great detail about those concerns before the D.C. Council as summarized here (https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/us-attorneys-office-testifies-hearing-revised-criminal-code-act-2021), and we have raised those concerns with our fellow community members and community leaders, including elected officials.
The bill that is being moved forward today in the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety represents an improvement over what the CCRC recommended and addresses several of our most significant concerns. We thank all of the D.C. elected officials who listened to our concerns, particularly Council member Charles Allen, whose leadership has been critical to moving this once-in-a-century effort forward.
We still have concerns with multiple aspects of this bill and believe that some provisions, while well-intentioned, could undermine community safety and impede the administration of justice in our courts. Despite these concerns, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia supports this bill proceeding to mark-up. Once again, our support for this bill moving forward does not mean that we agree with every provision in the massive overhaul. To the contrary, there are provisions with which we strenuously disagree, including the provisions referenced in our comprehensive testimony that continue to appear in this version of the bill. But the D.C. Criminal Code is in dire need of an update, and there is much in this bill that would help. We also recommend that the bill move forward because it is our hope that Councilmembers will continue to listen to our concerns as this bill moves forward—just as they did before introducing today’s version of the bill.
It is our sincere desire that, as this bill progresses, the provisions that give us the greatest concerns from a community safety perspective will be addressed.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted on Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and Conspiracy Against Rights Offenses for Obstruction at Reproductive Health Services FacilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned a two-count superseding indictment charging a 10th defendant, Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020.n alleged reproductive health care clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020.
The original indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 24, alleges that the nine defendants – Lauren Handy, Jonathan Darnel, Jay Smith, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Joan Bell - engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. Several of the defendants traveled from other states to participate in the blockade, including Idoni, of Michigan; Smith and Hinshaw, of New York; and Harlow and Marshall, of Massachusetts.
According to the superseding indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Geraghty communicated with Handy to plan the blockade. Handy made lodging arrangements for her co-conspirators from Michigan, New York and Boston, and she obtained a monetary donation to pay for an Airbnb reservation for herself and Geraghty. According to the indictment, Geraghty and several co-defendants traveled from out-of-state to Washington, D.C. to participate in the clinic blockade.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Handy, Smith, Harlow, Marshall, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, Bell and Geraghty forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel live-streamed footage of his co-defendants’ activities. The indictment also alleges that all 10 defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.
If convicted of the offenses, the defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $260,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington, D.C., Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Killing of Man Near Mount Vernon Square Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Whitaker 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder for his role in the slaying of a man in January 2020 near a Metro station in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Whitaker pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 20, 2023, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr.
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. He was arrested on May 7, 2020. He has been detained ever since.
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 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.
District Man Indicted for Two Home Invasion Sexual Assaults of Children That Occurred in September and October of 2011Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alphonso Owens, 42, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been indicted by grand juries in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Maryland for two separate home invasion sexual assaults of children that occurred in September and October of 2011.
The indictments were announced today by Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Aisha N. Braveboy, State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, and Malik Aziz, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department.
On July 27, 2022, Owens was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old child in a home invasion attack that occurred on Oct. 29, 2011. Earlier this week, on Oct. 11, 2022, he was indicted by a grand jury in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old child in a home invasion attack that occurred on Sept. 26, 2011.
Owens was indicted on multiple felony charges for both attacks. In the District of Columbia, Owens was charged with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. In Prince George’s County, he was charged with first-degree rape, second-degree assault, second-degree sex offense, third-degree sex offense, fourth-degree sex offense, and first-degree burglary.
Owens was linked to both attacks after an analysis of DNA evidence.
He was arraigned earlier today on the D.C. indictment in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
The charges in the D.C. indictment carry a statutory maximum sentence of life without possibility of release. If found guilty, Owens would also be required to register as a Class A sex offender for up to the remainder of his lifetime.
The charges in the Prince George’s County indictment carry a statutory maximum sentence of life, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years, and lifetime sex offender registration.
According to the government’s evidence in the D.C. case, in the early morning hours of on Oct. 29, 2011, the 11-year-old child was sleeping in her family’s ground floor apartment in the Fort Stanton area of Southeast Washington when Owens entered through the victim’s bedroom window. He threatened to kill her if she yelled or screamed. As alleged, Owens sexually assaulted her and then fled back out the window. The victim immediately woke up her mother and reported the assault, and her mother called police.
Police believed that the offenses in the District of Columbia and Maryland may potentially have been related. Detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit submitted the D.C. evidence for new DNA testing in 2020. DNA ultimately linked the defendant to both offenses. Owens was a stranger to both juvenile victims and their families.
Owens was convicted in 2016 of first-degree rape for a home invasion sexual assault that he committed in Baltimore in 2015 for which he is currently serving a sentence of 2x life + 25 years in Maryland.
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 District of Columbia case is being investigated by detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit, Youth Investigations Division, and detectives and officers from the Seventh Police District. Those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office include Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, and Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg investigated the D.C. case in 2011, and Assistant U.S. Amy Zubrensky, is investigating and prosecuting the D.C. case.
The Maryland case is being investigated by the Sexual Assault Unit of the Prince George’s County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Monica Meyers of the State’s Attorney’s Office for Prince George’s County.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison for 2014 Killing of Woman in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Bowser, 42, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for fatally stabbing a woman with 47 sharp force injuries in an attack that took place inside the victim’s home in Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bowser was found guilty by a jury on March 30, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon of a second victim, and a related weapons offense for the knife. Bowser was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2022, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 20, 2014, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Bowser entered the home and bedroom of the homicide victim, Tracy Womack, as she was laying in her bed to sleep at her apartment in the 4600 block of Benning Road NE. Bowser attacked Ms. Womack with a knife, stabbing and cutting her 47 times, causing wounds to her face, neck, torso, arms, and hands. Ms. Womack was also found with her pants and underwear pulled down to her thighs. Before fleeing the scene, Bowser lunged with the knife in hand towards a second victim who had come back to Ms. Womack’s home. Though rushed to a hospital, Ms. Womack, 39, was soon pronounced dead.
Bowser was arrested the next day and has been in custody 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 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 worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra Forte, Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth, former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames.
Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jin Park and Dennis Clark, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Charles Clark, 65, of La Plata, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Clark pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Carl J. Nichols. As part of his plea agreement, Clark will also plead guilty in the Circuit Court in Charles County, Maryland, to sexually abusing the minor victim in Maryland. Following his guilty plea and sentencing in Charles County, Clark will be sentenced in this matter. Clark faces a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence, Clark sexually abused the minor victim in this matter from the time she was 13 until she was 17. The sexual abuse occurred both at the minor victim’s residence in the District of Columbia as well as Clark’s residence in Maryland. In order to ensure that the minor victim did not report the abuse to her mother, Clark purchased items for the minor victim, including cell phones and clothing. Clark also convinced the minor victim that her mother would not believe her if she reported the abuse. Clark asked the minor victim to send him sexually explicit images of her over Instagram direct messaging. The minor victim responded on one occasion by sending a sexually explicit image of herself.
Clark was arrested on April 2, 2021. He has been in custody since.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division with assistance from 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.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force as well as the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Buckner, Jocelyn Bond, and Janani Iyengar.
Former FBI Special Agent and D.C. Real Estate Developer Found Guilty of BriberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –A former FBI agent and a real estate developer were found guilty by a jury today of federal bribery and conspiracy charges.
The former agent, David Paitsel, 41, and Brian Bailey, 52, a real estate developer formerly based in Washington, D.C., were found guilty following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Bailey, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was found guilty of two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy. First, he was found guilty of giving thousands of dollars in bribes to a program specialist with the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in exchange for confidential, un-redacted Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) offer of sale notices.
TOPA provides tenants living in the District of Columbia with the right to purchase their residence should the owner decide to sell the property. Under TOPA, tenants can re-assign their right to purchase to a third party. TOPA requires the owner (seller) to provide the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development with offer of sale notices before the proposed real estate transaction. The offer of sale notices include, among other things, information not released to the public, such as the names of tenants residing at the property.
As a second part of the scheme, Paitsel and Bailey were both found guilty of one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy. Specifically, Bailey paid Paitsel bribes to look up the contact information of the tenants holding TOPA rights, which he did using a database he had access to as an FBI Agent.
The District of Columbia government employee, Dawne Dorsey, 40, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to a federal bribery charge for related conduct with Bailey.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General.
The trial of the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and John Borchert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Quiana Dunn-Gordon of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to 2020 Fatal Shooting of Man on Street Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stanley Brown, 29, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty today to 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 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 12 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2023.
A second defendant, Emmanuel Taylor, 39, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from the investigation into the shooting. His plea, also subject to court approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 36 to 54 months. He also is to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023.
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 Taylor earlier had left his apartment in Southeast Washington with Brown and dropped him off in the area where the shooting took place. When police searched the apartment six days later, Taylor attempted to jump out of the window and then threw a pistol 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.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend More Than 50 TimesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian Wesley, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Southeast Washington and stabbing her more than 50 times while under the influence of PCP.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wesley pleaded guilty in July 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one charge of assault with intent to kill. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee Jr.
According to the government’s evidence, Wesley’s ex-girlfriend kicked him out of her home about a week before the stabbing. During that week, Wesley ransacked her apartment and threatened her via text message.
On May 6, 2022, at approximately 2 p.m., Wesley pushed his way into the victim’s apartment and immediately began stabbing her until she was eventually limp and silent on the ground. After he ceased his assault, Wesley walked to the window of a bedroom and jumped from the third-story apartment, breaking his hip and sustaining other head and bodily injuries. Neighbors called 911. Responding officers and emergency medical personnel located the victim limp and bleeding on the stairwell and Wesley unconscious on the sidewalk outside with the bloody knife nearby. The victim was taken to the hospital where she received multiple surgeries and necessary medical procedures.
Wesley was arrested at the scene. He has been detained ever since.
Following his prison sentence, Wesley will be placed on a period of supervised release for three years with conditions including substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and an order to stay away and not contact the victim.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan and Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Horton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 11-Year Prison Term for Killing Man Inside Southeast Washington Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Rondez Tibbs, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 11-year prison term for fatally shooting a man last year at a convenience store in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Tibbs pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon term of 9 ½-to-14 years in prison. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan accepted the plea and sentenced Tibbs accordingly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2021, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Tibbs was in a convenience store in the 2200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The victim, Malcolm Johnson, was also in the store. Tibbs approached Mr. Johnson and attempted to rob him. He attempted to take Mr. Johnson’s black cross body bag from him.
Tibbs held a black handgun with an extended magazine down at his side while Mr. Johnson began reaching for his own gun to defend himself. While Tibbs had Mr. Johnson pinned against the wall, Mr. Johnson grabbed hold of his gun inside the black bag; Tibbs grabbed Mr. Johnson’s hand inside the black bag. A struggle ensued and both men were shot. Mr. Johnson then stumbled out of the store and entered a parked vehicle. Mr. Johnson, 27, was subsequently found unconscious in the parked vehicle a short time later; he was shot in the stomach.
Tibbs was hospitalized after the shooting and arrested.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of 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 Lashone Samuels and Victim/Witness Specialist Jennifer Clark.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar and Peter Roman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Jeremy Bertino, 43, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from a court-authorized search of his residence in March 2022. As part of the plea agreement, Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
According to court documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Bertino joined the Proud Boys in approximately 2018 and was, for a time, the vice president of his local Proud Boys chapter in South Carolina.
As stated in the court documents, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bertino traveled to Washington, D.C., for rallies as a member of the Proud Boys. During one trip, on Dec. 12, 2020, several individuals, including Bertino and other Proud Boys members, were involved in an altercation. During that altercation, Bertino, among others, was stabbed. Bertino was hospitalized, released, and was still recovering outside of the Washington D.C. area from his injuries as of Jan. 6, 2021. Otherwise, he would have traveled to Washington.
In December 2020, Bertino accepted an invitation from Enrique Tarrio, then Proud Boys’ national chairman, to join a new chapter that Tarrio had devised called the “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD). In the weeks leading to Jan.6, 2021, Bertino participated in encrypted chats and other communication with members of MOSD leadership. Bertino and other MOSD leaders agreed that the presidential election had been stolen, that the purpose of traveling to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to stop the certification of the Electoral College Vote, and that the MOSD leaders were willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that objective.
Bertino continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered from his injures. At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol. On Jan. 6, Bertino monitored activities through mainstream and social media, as well as posting in the MOSD chats. He posted messages himself to MOSD leaders and members to encourage and assist in the operation, such as advising those on the grounds of the Capitol to “form a spear.” Similarly, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION.” On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, Bertino messaged Tarrio and celebrated the achievement, saying, among other things, “You know we made this happen,” and “1776 motherf****r.”
The firearms charge stems from an FBI search of Bertino’s residence on March 8, 2022. While executing a search warrant, agents located six firearms, including an AR-15 style firearm with a scope, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Bertino was barred from possessing firearms and/or ammunition due to a previous conviction.
Bertino was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Five other members of the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, were indicted on June 6, 2022, on seditious conspiracy and other charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Bertino faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Charlotte, and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 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.
Six People Indicted on Federal Charges Following Investigation of Fentanyl Distribution OperationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Six people have been indicted in the District of Columbia on federal charges accusing them of operating a Fentanyl pill distribution organization in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Collin Edwards, 28, of Largo, Maryland, Garnell Lucas, 32, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Justin James White, 27, of Cary, North Carolina, Laura Garvin, 29, of Annapolis, Maryland, Bilaal Briggs, 32, of Washington, D.C., and Chase Cole, 29, of Washington, D.C., were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl and cocaine. Edwards remains at large. The other defendants were arrested on Sept. 20 and 21, 2022. They have pleaded not guilty to charges and remain detained pending further court proceedings.
The indictment was unsealed today. In addition to the drug count, Edwards and White were indicted on charges alleging that they fraudulently applied for and obtained unemployment insurance benefits by submitting illegally obtained personal identifying information to various states, including California, Maryland, and North Carolina. Both were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, all six defendants distributed Fentanyl and cocaine from at least June 2020 through at least March 2022. According to court filings, the defendants are alleged to have operated a drug distribution organization that used a pill press machine to press Fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills which the organization then distributed unlawfully, including to consumers who were unaware they were consuming Fentanyl.
Edwards and White also are accused of carrying out the unemployment insurance fraud scheme from at least June 2020 until at least May 2021. According to the indictment, Edwards, White, and others illegally obtained, from an unknown database, a large trove of personal identifying information from individuals throughout the United States. They then allegedly used this information to fill out unemployment insurance applications, using fraudulent user profiles that directed payments to electronic bank accounts and physical debit cards that they controlled.
Charges in a complaint or indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman assisted in the investigation.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Attempted Robbery in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephen Waller, 32, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on an attempted robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Waller pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., Waller approached a stranger with a knife and demanded the victim’s cell phone. The victim escaped and flagged down MPD officers near 6000 Georgia Avenue NW, directing them to Waller’s location. MPD officers stopped Waller near the scene of the crime. He had a knife in his pocket. At the time of the offense, Waller was on probation for Maryland convictions of second-degree assault and theft of property or services. He has been held 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Jared English, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Carrying Out Conspiracy to Impersonate Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a scheme in which he pretended to be a federal law enforcement officer for a range of purposes, including to maintain a series of apartments in which he then failed to pay rent. He also admitted carrying out a bank fraud scheme in which he obtained more than $1 million and used his false law enforcement credentials to pressure individuals recruited to the scheme.
Haider Ali, 36, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy and bank fraud, both federal offenses, and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, a District of Columbia offense. In the plea agreement, the parties stated that they will jointly recommend a prison sentence of 63 to 78 months. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for Feb. 24, 2023.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
According to plea documents, Ali and a co-conspirator, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, also of Washington, D.C., operated a business called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington. The two men represented themselves to law enforcement as investigators and/or special agents and that their unit was part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The company was not associated in any way with the United States government or the District of Columbia and had never done business with the federal or D.C. governments.
As the scheme unfolded, Ali falsely claimed at various times that he was a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and/or the U.S. Secret Service. He also falsely claimed that he participated in the capture of the wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, that his family had a royal bloodline, and that he had a connection to a senior official in the Pakistani Intelligence Service. Taherzadeh, meanwhile, falsely claimed to be, among other things, a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a member of a multi-jurisdictional federal task force, a former United States Air Marshal, and a former Army Ranger.
Both men used these false claims to recruit others to join their “task force” or “unit,” which these individuals believed to be part of DHS and federal law enforcement. In furtherance of the scheme, Ali and Taherzadeh ingratiated themselves with employees of the U.S. Secret Service because it provided them with cover and aided in their scheme.
Ali and Taherzadeh used their assumed law enforcement personas and the business to maintain leases for multiple apartments and parking spaces for a supposed law enforcement operation at a luxury apartment complex in Southeast Washington. These units included a penthouse where Ali and Taherzadeh possessed, among other things, a Glock handgun registered to Ali that was loaded with a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, surveillance equipment, law enforcement tactical gear and a machine capable of programming Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards used to create false credentials. They also used their false identification with law enforcement to obtain security footage in the building as well as a list of the building’s residents as well as their apartment numbers and contact information.
Throughout their tenancy, no rent was paid on the leased apartments or parking garage. This resulted in a loss to the building of $306,987 and to the garage of $7,854.
Additionally, according to the plea documents, beginning as early as May 2017 and continuing through March 2021, Ali engaged in a bank fraud scheme in which he generated more than $1 million in gross receipts from one or more financial institutions. He used bank accounts that he and others maintained and controlled to falsely and fraudulently execute debit and credit card transactions.
Ali and Taherzadeh were arrested on April 6, 2022. Taherzadeh pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2022, to a federal conspiracy offense and two District of Columbia offenses: unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism. A sentencing date for Taherzadeh has not yet been set.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua S. Rothstein of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Valuable assistance has been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice and Paralegal Specialists Quiana Dunn-Gordon, and Lisa Abbe and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Kathleen Campbell and Evan Turgeon of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Former Employee of D.C. Project Empowerment Program Indicted on Fraud and Other Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former employee of the D.C. Department of Employment Services’ Project Empowerment Program was arrested today after a grand jury indicted her for allegedly embezzling funds between May 2015 and April 2018.
Rhayda Barnes Thomas, 51, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on Sept. 29, 2022, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District to Columbia. She was charged with five counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of first-degree fraud.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Barnes Thomas made her initial court appearance this afternoon and was released pending further proceedings. In court today, the government stated that the defendant’s conduct is believed to have caused between approximately $314,000 and $350,000 in losses.
According to the indictment, the D.C. government’s Project Empowerment Program provides employment services to D.C. residents who had multiple barriers to employment, such as a history of substance abuse, a history of job cycling (not maintaining steady employment), and either a felony conviction or previous incarceration. One phase of the program consists of subsidized employment, which involves the D.C. government paying the wages of participants while they work at worksites. During this phase, worksites were responsible for entering participants’ work hours into an electronic system used by Project Empowerment. In turn, the government would then have payments corresponding with those hours issued to accounts associated with participants, usually in the form of pre-paid bank debit cards.
According to the indictment, Barnes Thomas was a Project Empowerment Program participant beginning in August 2013 and ultimately got hired by the program as a Program Support Assistant in February 2014. From May 2015 through April 2018, she is alleged to have embezzled funds by reviving 16 former Project Empowerment participants’ profiles and modifying entries in a database to falsely show them as working for a non-profit organization, which was not true. She also is alleged to have used the name of a former employee from the non-profit organization to enter and approve time in the database showing individuals as working when they were not. In addition, the indictment alleges that she ordered or caused to be ordered replacement and new prepaid debit cards on behalf of the former Project Empowerment participants whose profiles she fraudulently revived. As a result of her conduct, according to the indictment, she caused the D.C. government to request that Wells Fargo Bank load funds onto those prepaid debit cards, which she controlled.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi J. Kleinman.
District Man Found Guilty by Jury of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Woman at Her ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Sterling, 57, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges stemming from the murder of his girlfriend, whose body has never been recovered, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sterling was found guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder and a related charge of contempt. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2023, by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of July 17, 2020, Sterling fatally attacked the victim, Olga Ooro, 34, inside her apartment in the 300 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. Ms. Ooro’s body has never been found. Sterling killed Ms. Ooro while her seven-year-old son was asleep, in the apartment, in his own bedroom. He cleaned up the crime scene and left the building. He then returned the next night and used Ms. Ooro’s keys to enter the building and retrieve the body from a hidden location. He then loaded the body into his car and disposed of it.
Ms. Ooro was reported missing after her son was found wandering the apartment building.
At the time of the murder, Sterling was under a court order to stay away from Ms. Ooro, following his arrest for assaulting her on April 20, 2020.
Sterling was arrested in the murder case on July 23, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
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 FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Ocean City, Maryland, Police Department, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and Bode Technology. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Maenylie Watson, Tonya Jones, and Katina Adams-Washington, of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell, and Intern Ahna Halpern.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Kristian Hinson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting Outside Ambassador’s ResidenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division who were involved in the fatal shooting, in April 2022, of Gordon Casey outside an ambassador’s residence 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 radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the evidence, shortly before 8 a.m. on April 20, 2022, U.S. Secret Service officers were dispatched to the residence of the Peruvian Ambassador to the United States, following a report of a burglary in progress. Mr. Casey had been observed by staff of the residence breaking windows and attempting to enter the building. Staff members had attempted to stop Mr. Casey but were unable to do so after he armed himself with a metal pole.
When officers arrived, they gave Mr. Casey multiple commands to drop the metal pole. He refused to comply, and one of the officers deployed a taser. This had no apparent effect. Mr. Casey walked towards the officers and started swinging the pole at them. Two officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Casey twice. Mr. Casey, 19, died at the scene.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers 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 such 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.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Fatally Shooting His Father and Separate Robbery in 2017Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard Coleman III, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing his father in March 2017 and then, less than a week later, robbing a man on a street in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Coleman also was sentenced today to an additional three years in prison for offenses committed while he was awaiting sentencing.
Coleman pleaded guilty in December 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed, robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 15-year sentence. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Coleman accordingly.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of March 17, 2017, Coleman entered the upstairs bedroom of his 43-year-old father, Bernard Coleman, Jr., in the 4000 block of Cole Boulevard SE, and shot him two times. Mr. Coleman’s body was found when window installers arrived at the home later that morning for an unrelated repair.
Following the shooting, Bernard Coleman III fled the scene, taking his father’s car. He also took his father’s cell phone. Over the next half day, he used his deceased father’s cell phone to send text-responsive messages pretending to be his father. Less than a week later, at about 1 a.m. on March 22, 2017, he robbed a man at gunpoint in the 4100 block of Grant Street NE. Coleman took the man’s cell phone, wallet and umbrella and later used the stolen credit cards.
Coleman was arrested on March 28, 2017, in Southeast Washington. While he was awaiting sentencing, he escaped from St. Elizabeths Hospital, where he was being housed, on Oct. 3, 2020. Coleman created a decoy out of towels and sheets and placed it in his bed to evade notice. According to the government’s evidence, he then participated in another assault and robbery, this time of a manager of a group home for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; Coleman later admitted to receiving stolen property.
Coleman was re-arrested on Oct. 7, 2020. He has remained in custody ever since.
Coleman also had pleaded guilty to charges of escape and receiving stolen property for the offenses committed while he was awaiting sentencing. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt sentenced him today to the three-year prison term on those charges.
Following his prison terms, Coleman will be placed on a period of supervised release.
These cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The 2017 murder and robbery cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Lauren Galloway. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Giovannelli, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Fischer; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and LaShone Samuels; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez, and former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim.
The 2020 escape and stolen property cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth C. Kelley and Felice Roggen. Assistance was provided by Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Creighton, and Caroline Burrell; Lead Paralegal Specialist ReShawn Johnson, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Confrontation with U.S. Capitol PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard McCutcheon, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from an incident in which he confronted U.S. Capitol Police officers while in possession of two Molotov cocktails, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
At the time of the offense, McCutcheon was on probation in another case in which he threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking on a street in Northwest Washington.
McCutcheon pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022, by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m., McCutcheon was in possession of two Molotov Cocktails on the steps of 25 Massachusetts Avenue NW when U.S. Capitol Police officers responded to a 911 call. As the officers approached McCutcheon, he backed away from them while holding one of the Molotov Cocktails. During this confrontation, that Molotov Cocktail hit the ground near where the officers were standing.
McCutcheon then took out the second Molotov Cocktail. While in close proximity to one of the officers, McCutcheon attempted several times to light the white cloth hanging from the bottle. After failing to light the cloth, McCutcheon fled and ran into a nearby bicycle rack, where the second Molotov Cocktail shattered on the ground. In a search at the time of the arrest, officers found a backpack containing a 2-liter soda bottle containing a pale amber liquid consistent with the appearance and odor of gasoline. McCutcheon has been in custody since his arrest.
In the earlier case, McCutcheon pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. On the afternoon of April 28, 2021, McCutcheon threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking near a gas station in the 300 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW. The bottle landed on the victim’s foot and burst into flames, catching her shoe on fire and bruising a toe. Shards of glass from the bottle also cut the victim’s shin. On May 20, 2022, McCutcheon was sentenced to 13 months in prison in this case, with all of the time suspended on the condition that he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation.
In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Manger commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tonya Queen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
WMATA Senior Program Manager Pleads Guilty to Carrying Out Procurement SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former senior manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) pleaded guilty today to carrying out a scheme in which he and others manipulated the agency’s procurement process in favor of a company that was paid more than $1.3 million for items and services over a period of more than nine years.
Scottie Borders, 61, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Borders faces a likely range of 33 to 41 months in prison, a fine of up to $150,000, and restitution. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2023.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Acting Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Inspector General Rene Febles, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Borders, Borders worked full-time as a Senior Program Manager for WMATA. In this capacity, he was involved in the selection, award, and administration of WMATA contracts with various vendors, contractors, and suppliers.
The charge involves payments to a firm identified in the court documents as “Company 1.” This company, based in Millville, New Jersey, was a producer and supplier of traffic signs and safety products to various individuals, entities, and government agencies, including WMATA. As detailed in court documents, from approximately January 2011 through September 2020, in the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, Borders and others engaged in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by securing the selection, award, and administration of contracts, bids, and purchase agreements between “Company 1” and WMATA for various traffic signs and safety products based on materially false representations made to WMATA, via wire, concerning the nature of the contracts, bids, and purchase agreements involving “Company 1” and others.
Borders was the primary point of contact for all business conducted between WMATA and “Company 1.” He abused his position at WMATA, and his understanding of the contracting and procurement process, to manipulate bids for items and services in favor of the company by using materially false and fraudulent representations made to WMATA via wire by Borders and his co-conspirators.
For example, Borders and his co-conspirators falsified price quotes and bids on behalf of companies that either did not submit bids to do business with WMATA or did not know that their information was being used in connection with specific WMATA bids. Borders also provided individuals at “Company 1” with information about potential competitors’ bids. The purported quotes and fraudulent bid proposals were made up to ensure that the company secured the lucrative WMATA purchase orders and contracts at issue. Additionally, Borders added unnecessary items to purchase orders that he submitted to WMATA on behalf of the company.
Ultimately, WMATA paid “Company 1” for such invoices and orders secured and submitted through Borders. Borders also procured purchase orders on behalf of WMATA, for equipment from the company that Borders knew was unnecessary, substandard, and/or never actually provided to WMATA.
During the relevant period, WMATA paid the company more than $1.3 million for various services and items, including poles, decals, bus stop signs, flags, and tools. In exchange for facilitating these fraudulent bids and orders on behalf of WMATA, Borders was provided with items of value, including NFL tickets, by individuals affiliated with the company.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Former Government Contractor Executive Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
A former government contractor executive pleaded guilty today to conspiring to make unlawful campaign contributions to a candidate for Congress and a political action committee (PAC), making unlawful campaign contributions, and causing the submission of false information to the Federal Election Commission.
According to court documents, Martin Kao, 48, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the owner of a defense contractor prohibited from making contributions in federal elections. Kao and his co-conspirators created a shell company, which they used to make an illegal contribution – using government contractor funds – to a PAC supporting the election of a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Kao also used family members as conduits to make illegal contributions to the campaign committee of the same candidate, and then reimbursed them for those donations using funds obtained from Kao’s company.
Kao is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023. He faces up to five years in prison on each count. 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; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office and DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Government Contractor Executive Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former government contractor executive pleaded guilty today to conspiring to make unlawful campaign contributions to a candidate for Congress and a political action committee (PAC), making unlawful campaign contributions, and causing the submission of false information to the Federal Election Commission.
According to court documents, Martin Kao, 48, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the owner of a defense contractor prohibited from making contributions in federal elections. Kao and his co-conspirators created a shell company, which they used to make an illegal contribution – using government contractor funds – to a PAC supporting the election of a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Kao also used family members as conduits to make illegal contributions to the campaign committee of the same candidate, and then reimbursed them for those donations using funds obtained from Kao’s company.
Kao is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023. He faces up to five years in prison on each count. 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; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office and DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Corrections Officer, Inmate, and Alleged Supplier Charged with Bribery and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—A District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DOC) Officer, an inmate at the facility, and an alleged supplier have been charged with facilitating bribes to bring prohibited items, including drugs, into the District’s Central Detention Facility (CDF).
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Tom Faust, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.
The correctional officer, Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was arrested today and is charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, bribery, and smuggling. Also charged by criminal complaint with the same offenses is Andre Gregory, 31, who is currently an incarcerated inmate at CDF awaiting trial. A third individual, Keywaune McLeod, 27, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on Sept. 23, 2022. Both Williams and McLeod made their initial court appearance today before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya. Gregory’s initial appearance is expected in the coming days.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The charging documents allege that Williams was involved in a months-long smuggling operation with Gregory and McLeod in which she accepted money from Gregory’s family member, McLeod, to bring prohibited items—including drugs—into the D.C. jail for Gregory to use and distribute among inmates. As alleged in the charging documents, before Williams was caught with drugs when entering CDF on Sept. 6, 2022, Gregory’s “short-term goal” was to make $100,000 in proceeds from distributing smuggled contraband in DOC.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the D.C. Department of Corrections’ Investigative Services Branch. This case is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Shooting Outside NightclubRead the Press Release
Defendant Must Serve Five-Year Mandatory Minimum in Prison
WASHINGTON – Deante Green, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years – five of which must be served in prison – on charges stemming from the shooting of two people outside a nightclub in the Dupont Circle area of Northwest Washington last summer, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. Following his prison term, Green will be placed on three years of supervised probation. He must also perform 90 hours of community service.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at approximately 10 p.m., Green accosted a man outside a nightclub in the 1200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, following a dispute over a double-booked table at the establishment. An altercation followed, and Green fired a gun twice at the man as the man was running away. One bullet hit the man in the left thigh. The second shot hit a woman who worked at a neighboring establishment who was not involved in the dispute. That victim was hit in the left arm. The gunshot shattered a bone, and she has lost some use of the arm and now has only partial use of her thumb. Green, who fled the scene, was arrested on July 8, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who prosecuted the matter.
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves' Statement Regarding Identity Theft and Fraud Victim ResourcesRead the Press Release
With our ever-increasing use of online platforms, scammers continue to develop new and innovative ways to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims in order to commit fraud and identity theft. Whenever you are online, please be on the lookout for anything that appears to be an effort to trick you into either directly providing your personal information or providing access to your online accounts so that scammers can pore through your data on their own. If despite your best efforts, you fall victim to one of these crimes, our Office is providing a list of helpful resources to use to try to contain the damage from the theft:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/identity-theft-victim-resources
In our efforts to pursue justice every day, our Office remains committed to devoting resources to the detection, investigation, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law of those who try to steal personal information.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Hutchings Jr., 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced today to five years in prison on a firearms trafficking conspiracy charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Hutchings was found guilty by a jury in May 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The conspiracy underpinning the verdict and sentence began in 2018, when Hutchings helped facilitate the transfer of multiple firearms into the hands of a convicted felon and narcotics trafficker, Linwood Douglas Thorne, 50, of Washington, D.C. Hutchings worked with his firearms supplier, a straw purchaser named Kofi Appiah, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to help purchase the firearms in the state of Georgia and transport them into the District of Columbia.
At trial, the government presented a myriad of digital evidence, showcasing the defendant’s involvement in the conspiracy, to include his purchase orders of firearms, his online payment process, and his extensive connections with Thorne’s enterprise. The jury quickly returned a guilty verdict based on the evidence.
Appiah was previously sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment as a result of his role in this conspiracy, and Thorne awaits sentencing after a jury convicted him of his narcotics trafficking enterprise. Thorne faces up to life in prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case, including those from the ATF and FBI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Additionally, they commended the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, which assisted in the arrest of Appiah, in 2019.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen, who indicted and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Frey, who tried the case alongside Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson. They also acknowledged the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Regan and Andrea Duvall, who assisted in the case.
Grand Jury Returns 17-Count Indictment Charging Gerald Brevard III with Murder, Multiple Counts of Assault, and Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was returned today charging Gerald Brevard III with a total of 17 charges, including first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, mayhem while armed, and multiple firearm offenses in the March 2022 attacks on three homeless men in Washington, D.C.
The indictment further alleges that the attacks were bias-related hate crimes on account of the victims' perceived or actual homelessness.
The indictment, returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
According to the indictment, between March 3 and March 9, 2022, Brevard, 31, attacked three men in Washington, D.C. As alleged in the indictment, on March 3, 2022, he assaulted the first victim with a firearm with the intent to kill him. On March 8, 2022, again, while armed with a firearm, Brevard assaulted the second victim with intent to kill him, the indictment alleges. Moreover, the indictment alleges the second victim suffered serious and permanent bodily injury. Finally, according to the indictment, on March 9, 2022, Brevard shot and stabbed Morgan Holmes, 54, resulting in his death. Brevard is to be arraigned on the charges on Oct. 18, 2022, at a hearing before the Honorable Robert Okun.
As a result of the grand jury alleging the murder and assaults were bias-related hate crimes, the defendant may face up to 1 ½ times the maximum term of imprisonment for the murder and assaults if found guilty at trial. In addition, the indictment charges Brevard with “aggravating circumstances,” finding that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. If aggravating circumstances are found by a jury at trial, Brevard faces a maximum of life imprisonment without the possibility of release on the murder charge.
Brevard was arrested on March 15, 2022, in Washington, D.C., following a joint investigation of MPD, the New York City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the series of shootings targeting homeless men in Washington, D.C. and New York between March 3-12, 2022, that were preliminarily linked by firearms evidence. He has been detained here ever since. The indictment only charges offenses committed in Washington, D.C.
An indictment is merely a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, MPD Chief Robert Contee III, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the efforts of those who have investigated the case from the MPD, ATF, and the New York City Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of the many other agencies that have provided assistance.
They commended the work of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez, Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Lashone Samuels, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle D. Jackson and Sarah C. Santiago, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.
D.C. Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Steal More than $31 Million in COVID-19 FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Eldabbagh, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for carrying out a scheme to steal more than $31 million under the CARES Act and laundering the proceeds of the crime. Eldabbagh succeeded in stealing $2,385,000 under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General.
“This defendant shamelessly took advantage of a global health crisis to create his own get-rich scheme at the expense of the government’s COVID relief programs,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “He stole more than $2.3 million – and tried to collect many millions more – that was targeted for small businesses and employees struggling to get by. While others were suffering, this defendant was draining government money to purchase a Tesla, invest in speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and cover rent, hotels, dog boarding, and other personal expenses. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for these crimes and demonstrates our resolve to prosecuting those who cheat government programs.”
“Elias Eldabbagh is facing the consequences of shamelessly stealing an identity and trying to steal tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money that the CARES Act provided for legitimate business owners and employees during a time of national crisis,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Waldon. “Although he succeeded in fraudulently receiving nearly $2.4 million to pursue an extravagant lifestyle, it was short lived due to the efforts of our IRS-CI special agents and law enforcement partners. IRS-CI will continue to root out and pursue COVID-19-related and other financial fraudsters to hold these criminals accountable.”
“OIG relentlessly will pursue fraudsters that seek selfish gain from SBA programs intended to support American small business,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Eldabbagh pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to wire fraud and laundering the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Eldabbagh will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $2,452,050 in restitution. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of a Tesla and seized bank accounts, as well as a money judgment in the amount of $2,385,000.
From July 2020 through May 2021, Eldabbagh used his company, Alias Systems, LLC, to fraudulently apply for at least 25 PPP loans totaling more than $30 million. He also submitted at least four false EIDL applications totaling $950,000. During the course of his scheme, Eldabbagh used a stolen identity to disguise the ownership of Alias Systems, LLC, and used the same stolen identity to submit the vast majority of the applications. In support of his fraudulent applications, Eldabbagh used stolen identities, stolen tax returns and stolen financial records from a Washington, D.C. consulting company. Eldabbagh fraudulently doctored the stolen documents to appear to be tax returns and payroll records of his company, Alias Systems, LLC. Eldabbagh successfully stole $2,385,000 from the PPP and EIDL programs.
Eldabbagh wired the proceeds of his scheme to at least 13 separate bank and brokerage accounts and to purchase a Tesla Model 3. Eldabbagh then converted at least $288,000 of proceeds from fiat currency into multiple cryptocurrencies. Using fraud proceeds, Eldabbagh conducted over 2,000 transactions involving at least 43 different cryptocurrencies.
Eldabbagh also used the money he stole to pay for rent, hotels, dog boarding, attorney fees, ride shares, electronics, and various personal expenses.
In May 2021, IRS-CI executed seizure warrants on Eldabbagh’s bank accounts and investment accounts. Eldabbagh proceeded to make multiple attempts to transfer seized funds prior to being thwarted by federal agents. As part of his plea agreement, Eldabbagh had agreed to forfeit the Tesla Model 3, the contents of 21 bank accounts, and he had agreed to liquidate his interest in the cryptocurrency obtained with proceeds and to remit the funds to the United States government.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted in or around March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief that had been provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of billions in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
An Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) is a Small Business Administration administered loan designed to provide assistance to small businesses that suffer substantial economic injury as a result of a declared disaster. An EIDL helped businesses meet necessary financial obligations that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. It provided relief from economic injury that the disaster caused and permitted businesses to maintain a reasonable working capital position during the period that the disaster affected.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Waldon, and Special Agent in Charge McCall-Brathwaite commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI and the SBA Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Goemaat of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, supported by Paralegal Specialist Mariela Andrade.
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On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Slaying of 71-Year-Old ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward Brown, 60, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree (premeditated) murder while armed in the stabbing of a 71-year-old man in an apartment building in Northwest Washington.
The verdict, returned in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the murder charge, the jury found Brown guilty of a second count of second-degree murder while armed, arising from the same offense. Both charges also carry potential sentencing enhancements because the victim was a senior citizen. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2022.
On the morning of Feb. 5, 2018, the Metropolitan Police Department was called to an apartment in the 2300 block of 11th Street NW for a report of an unconscious person. They discovered the victim, Michael Mahoney, inside his apartment, fatally stabbed in the neck. Brown, who was temporarily staying in the apartment, was the last person to be seen on video surveillance going into and out of the apartment before Mr. Mahoney’s body was discovered by his concerned and vigilant senior friends.
Brown was arrested Feb. 27, 2018. He has been in custody ever since.
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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S Attorneys John Giovannelli, Sharon Donovan, Daniel Lenerz, and Jeffrey Wojcik; Paralegal Specialists Grazy Rivera, Kelly Blakeney, and Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce; Katina Adams-Washington, LaJune Thomas, and Nikiya Burnette of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prava Palacharla and Monica Trigoso, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Puja Bhatia, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Extradited to District of Columbia to Face Charges in January 2022 Murder in GeorgetownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man has been extradited from Jamaica to the District of Columbia following his arrest for a murder that took place earlier this year in Georgetown, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Ranje Wade Chin Reynolds, 24, of Beltsville, Maryland, is charged with first-degree (premeditated) murder in the Jan. 31, 2022, slaying of Tarek Boothe, 27. Reynolds was arrested on Aug. 16, 2022, in Kingston Jamaica at the request of the United States on a warrant charging him with murder in the case. He made his initial appearance today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and was ordered held pending a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 3, 2022.
Mr. Boothe, of Alexandria, Virginia, was shot at approximately 6:13 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2022, in the 3200 block of M Street NW. Both Mr. Boothe and Reynolds were on the sidewalk at the time of the shooting. Mr. Boothe was taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later from a gunshot wound to the head.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs to secure the arrest and extradition of Reynolds to the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalie Hynum, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera and Laura Bach, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.