District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
U.S. Attorney's Office Testifies at D.C. Council Hearing on Forensic SciencesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia testified today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, Bill 24-0838, the “Restoring Trust and Credibility to Forensic Sciences Amendment Act of 2022.”
As stated today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with its partners to chart a path forward for the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, provided written remarks, available in the accompanying attachment.
The testimony is also available at this link.
Maryland Man Charged with Defrauding Medicaid in Scheme Involving Personal Care ServicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Tamjong, 50, of Lanham, Maryland, was arrested today after being charged in federal court with defrauding the D.C. Medicaid program out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Tamjong was charged in a criminal complaint with health care fraud and health care false statements. He is to make his initial appearance later today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to charging documents, between approximately December 2014 and the present, Tamjong has been employed as personal care aide and/or a participant-directed worker to provide personal care aide services to District of Columbia residents who need assistance performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and eating. Tamjong is alleged to have submitted false timesheets claiming that he provided such services when in fact he did not, including when he was traveling outside the United States on eight different trips. Charging documents allege that between December 2014 and February 2022, Medicaid issued payments totaling approximately $733,405 for personal care aide services that Tamjong purportedly provided as a personal care aide or participant-directed worker.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Today’s arrest marks a continued effort by the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute individuals who defraud the D.C. Medicaid program. Since August 2018, 11 former personal care aides have pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicaid in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Six of those aides were sentenced to 13 months in prison; a seventh was sentenced to serve 15 months. An eleventh, Susan Tingwei—a licensed attorney—is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2022.
The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at (800) HHS‑TIPS [(800) 447-8477] or the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at (800) 724-TIPS [(800) 274-8477].
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Killing Construction Worker in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – George Miller, 28, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for killing a construction worker in November 2020 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Miller pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert Okun. Following his prison term, he is to be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:40 p.m. on Nov. 18, 2020, Miller rode a bicycle toward a house that was under construction in the 1600 block of Olive Street NE. He entered the building and pointed a gun at Elias Flores, who was working at the site. He held Mr. Flores at gunpoint and took some of his property. Miller then shot Mr. Flores once in the head before fleeing the scene. When first responders arrived, Mr. Flores was not conscious but was breathing and suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Flores, 48, was taken to a hospital, where he died on Nov. 23, 2020.
Miller was arrested on Dec 9, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel L. Dean, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Actions Following Attempted Revenge Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Nelson McQuillen, 66, of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for helping his longtime partner to flee and avoid apprehension after she attempted to kill a woman in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McQuillen pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release; during that time, he is ordered to stay out of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, McQuillen and his longtime partner, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shared an adult son who was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio in March 2021. Over the ensuing months, McQuillen and Dunmire became frustrated with the investigation of their son’s death, and Dunmire began to conduct her own investigation. Dunmire’s mental state significantly deteriorated over this time.
On Nov. 5, 2021, McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car from Norfolk to the victim’s home in Northeast Washington. Dunmire had mistakenly identified the victim as responsible for their son’s murder, and McQuillen knew that Dunmire intended to harm this person. In fact, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was not involved in any way in the homicide.
Surveillance video shows Dunmire, wearing a brown vest and brown baseball cap and carrying a cardboard box, knocking on the front door of the victim’s home at approximately 9:25 p.m. Dunmire announced herself as a “UPS” delivery person, stating that she had a package for the victim. When the victim opened the door, Dunmire fired two shots from a silver revolver that she was holding inside of an opening cut in the back of the carboard box. One shot struck the victim in the abdomen. McQuillen then drove himself and Dunmire out of the area and changed the license plates on their vehicle. MPD officers stopped the vehicle soon thereafter in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue NE.
During the stop, Dunmire shot herself, using the revolver that she had used to shoot the victim. She later died. The victim was transported to a hospital and survived the injuries.
McQuillen was arrested in Virginia on March 11, 2022 and has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and for the valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the matter.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Firearm Offenses Following Discovery of Ghost Gun in Southeast Washington ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Michael Smallwood, 37, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of firearms and related charges after police discovered a ghost gun and ammunition in an apartment where he was staying in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smallwood was found guilty by a jury on June 22, 2022, of unlawful possession of a firearm and related charges following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2019, police responded to a domestic violence call at an apartment in Southeast Washington where Smallwood was residing. There, the police were notified that Smallwood kept a firearm in his dresser. In addition to the firearm, police discovered ammunition and two magazines, including an extended magazine with the capacity to hold 29 rounds of ammunition. The firearm was a ghost gun with an obliterated serial number. Smallwood was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had been convicted in 2009 in the District of Columbia of a firearm-related felony offense. Three young children also resided in the apartment.
Smallwood was arrested that day.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Hinson; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones; Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Hawkins and Maria Sanchez-Garcia; former Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese; Supervisory Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson, and Forensic Child Interview Specialists Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Ryan Sellinger, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Iraqi National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud U.S. Refugee ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Iraqi national, Aws Muwafaq Abduljabbar, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States related to his role in a scheme to defraud U.S. refugee programs.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for Domestic Operations Mark A. Sullo.
Abduljabbar, 44, pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Rudolph Contreras.
Abduljabbar is one of three defendants who were charged in an indictment that was unsealed on January 22, 2021. The indictment charged Abduljabbar and two other foreign nationals, Haitham Isa Saado Sad, 44, and Olesya Leonidovna Krasilova, 44, in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and, in particular, the Iraq P-2 program, which allows certain Iraqis to apply directly for refugee resettlement in the United States. Sad previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced. Krasilova remains at large.
According to the indictment and statement of facts agreed to by Abduljabbar as part of his guilty plea, from approximately February 2016 until at least April 2019, the three defendants, led by Abduljabbar, conspired to steal U.S. government records related to hundreds of USRAP applications. Sad was employed in Amman, Jordan from 2007 to 2016 by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Krasilova held a similar position at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia. As part of their duties, both defendants had access to the State Department’s Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS), a database containing sensitive, non-public information about refugee applicants and their family members.
Abduljabbar organized and led the conspiracy, and he relied on and paid Sad and Krasilova to steal WRAPS records and information so that Abduljabbar could assist applicants in gaining admission to the United States through fraudulent means. As outlined in the indictment and statement of facts, the theft of USRAP records creates a number of risks to public safety and national security while imposing significant costs on the U.S. government, its taxpayers, and otherwise legitimate refugee applicants negatively impacted by the scheme.
This case was investigated jointly by the DHS Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik M. Kenerson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke M. Jones of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Shooting at Family in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Bedney, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for shooting a woman and her five-year-old child after an argument over a scooter he abandoned in a bike lane in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bedney pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with intent to kill with a dangerous weapon and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Bedney will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place at about 6:50 p.m. on May 18, 2021. Bedney left a rented scooter in a bike lane on 10th Street NW. A woman who was outside with her family told Bedney that he could not leave his scooter there. The woman then moved the scooter. Bedney then came back and kicked the scooter over. The woman said something to the effect of: “My kids are playing here.” Bedney replied with an expletive. The woman’s husband then approached him as the mother and two young children retreated. He and Bedney engaged in a verbal altercation, and the father threw the scooter back towards him. Bedney moved away and was not hit. The father, meanwhile, moved to be near his family.
As the family was going back inside their residence, Bedney placed a black ski-type mask over his head and face. He then retrieved a firearm from his bag and fired approximately seven shots in the direction of the family. One bullet struck the woman in the chest/neck area, and one struck one of the children, who was five years old, in the back. The mother was hospitalized for six weeks. The bullet still remains lodged in the child’s back. The father and the other child, then two years old, were not hit by the gunfire.
Bedney fled the scene. He was arrested on May 27, 2021, after police linked him to the scooter through the rental company’s records. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Debra McPherson and Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole G. H. Conte, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeremiah McCrimmon, 24, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a child who was 13 years old at the time of the incident, and for violating a court-issued protection order.
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 Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McCrimmon pleaded guilty in September 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, and interstate violation of a protection order. He was sentenced by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In November 2017, McCrimmon inappropriately touched the victim’s breasts and attempted to further sexually assault her at a home in Maryland. As a result, the victim’s mother sought and obtained a protection order, which was signed by a Maryland judge. The order required McCrimmon to stay away from the child and her mother and to have no further contact with them. At the time, McCrimmon was employed as a special police officer.
On Dec. 18, 2018, McCrimmon waited for the then 13-year-old victim to return from school, and in broad daylight, abducted her from a parking lot in Capitol Heights, Maryland. McCrimmon forced the victim into his car, handcuffed her, took and disassembled her cell phone, and drove into Washington, D.C. to a dark and filthy abandoned home. He forcibly raped the victim multiple times. He finally released the victim three hours later, and the victim immediately reported the attack to family members. Forensic testing revealed the presence of McCrimmon’s DNA on swabs collected from the victim’s body during a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. A search warrant executed on the defendant’s vehicle recovered the handcuffs and other items of evidential value.
McCrimmon was arrested on Jan. 9, 2019, and remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case 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, including from MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division. 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.
They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section; Jodi Lazarus, Acting Chief of the Superior Court Division; Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for Policy and Legislative Affairs; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones, Tiffany Fogel, and Candace Battle, and Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of Kathleen Kern, Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section, Anthony Scarpelli, of the Office’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault While Armed for Shooting Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nikko Drake, 33, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed for shooting a woman outside a Northwest Washington nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Drake was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and related firearms offenses. The verdict was returned on June 17, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan set sentencing for Sept. 23, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, at 11:25 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2020, Drake got into an argument with the female victim, who was then 21, outside a nightclub in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, in the Shaw area. Drake punched the victim, knocking her to the ground. After a physical struggle, Drake shot her twice in the abdomen. The victim was taken to Howard University Hospital, where she required emergency trauma surgery. MPD officers spotted Drake in the area in response to a look-out and apprehended him within fifteen minutes of the offense.
Drake was arrested on Jan. 24, 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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long, Mark Hobel, and Daniel Lenerz; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Fretto Lingwood; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist R. Renee Prather; Lead Paralegal Specialist Tameka S. Garcia; Paralegal Specialists Crystal L. Waddy and Debra McPherson; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez; Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Nicole G. H. Conte, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Woman in Car in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Fox, 28, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for killing a woman as she sat in her car earlier this year in Northwest Washington. Her two young children were in the back seat at the time of the slaying.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Fox pleaded guilty in March 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of second-degree murder while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 14 to 21 years in prison. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Fox accordingly. Following his prison term, Fox will be placed on five years of supervised release.
The shooting took place shortly after 8 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2022. According to the government’s evidence, Fox and the victim, Sierra Johnson, 27, were in a car parked near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Euclid Street NW. Ms. Johnson was in the driver’s seat and Fox was in the passenger seat, with Ms. Johnson’s children in the back seat of the car. While inside the car, Fox shot Ms. Johnson at least four times. He then got out of the vehicle and shot her at least one more time before fleeing with the gun. Ms. Johnson was pronounced dead a short time later. She had four gunshot wounds to the head, one to the right side of her neck, and one to her right upper extremities. The children were not hit by the gunfire.
Fox was arrested on Jan. 25, 2022. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for 2020 Slaying in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Knico Wheaton, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for his role in the slaying of a man during a drug deal in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wheaton pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 7 ½ to 12 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. accepted the plea and sentenced Wheaton accordingly. Following his prison term, Wheaton will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Wheaton arranged on Jan. 11, 2020, to purchase marijuana from the victim’s cousin. The victim, Tavon Cox, drove from Baltimore to Washington to make the delivery later that day. At approximately 8 p.m., Mr. Cox met with Wheaton at a pre-arranged location in the 700 block of 24th Street NE. Wheaton and another individual approached Mr. Cox’s vehicle and asked to smell the marijuana. Mr. Cox, still in the car with a passenger who accompanied him on the trip, permitted them to do so.
At that point, Wheaton and/or his accomplice reached into a coat pocket to retrieve a firearm and immediately shot at Mr. Cox, striking his head. Wheaton and his accomplice then fled the scene together with the marijuana that they had taken from Mr. Cox. Mr. Cox, 41, died from the gunshots.
Wheaton was arrested on April 28, 2020. He has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the 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, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Joint Statement from U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field OfficeRead the Press Release
"The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of all Americans to express their views peacefully during demonstrations that take place on a regular basis in the nation’s capital, including at the Supreme Court. We also have a responsibility to ensure public safety and the orderly conduct of government business. We will not tolerate violence, destruction, interference with government functions, or trespassing on government property. We are committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to stop any individuals who intend to commit violence or criminal activity under the guise of carrying out a demonstration.”
District Man Sentenced to 9 ½ Years in Prison for Shooting That Left a Man ParalyzedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Erkhart, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 9 ½ years in prison for shooting a man in a parking lot last year in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The victim survived the attack but is now paralyzed from the chest down.
Erkhart pleaded guilty in December 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to aggravated assault while armed and a related firearms offense, The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 96 to 138 months. The Honorable Juliet J. McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Erkhart accordingly. Following his prison term, Erkhart will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, then 41, was walking a dog on the night of Feb. 23, 2021, when he spotted Erkhart’s vehicle. The two men knew one another and had earlier been in a dispute. The victim approached Erkhart in a parking lot behind a building in the 2100 block of I Street NE, where Erkhart resided. An argument took place, and the victim asked Erkhart to get out of his car and fight him. Erkhart got out of the vehicle, and at approximately 10 p.m., he shot the victim twice with a .40-caliber pistol.
The victim was shot in the back and right ankle. As a result of the shooting, the victim is now paralyzed from the chest down and requires a wheelchair.
Erkhart was arrested on March 5, 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 Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of 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 investigated and prosecuted the matter.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Federal Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rodregiz Antwon Cole, 37, of Manning, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking a minor in Washington, D.C. in April 2019 while on sex offender registration status.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew 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).
Cole pleaded guilty on May 20, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of commission of a crime against a minor victim while on sex offender registration status. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following completion of his prison term, Cole will be placed on a lifetime of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the minor victim first encountered Cole in April 2019 through an online sexual solicitation advertisement on “skipthegames.com” when she was 17 years old and pregnant. When she told Cole that she was only 17 years old, he initially said he did not want her to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit due to her age, but then changed his mind. Cole drove the minor victim, along with two other adult females who were working in his commercial sex enterprise, to the “Track” in Washington, D.C. There, he had the minor victim engage in at least six commercial sex “dates” and took all of the proceeds from her.
Cole was arrested on April 5, 2019 following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. When Cole was arrested, he was in possession of the cash earned by the minor victim and the other women working for him along with two cellular phones with communications about his commercial sex enterprise. He has remained in custody since his arrest. At the time of these offenses, Cole was required to register as a sex offender because of a prior conviction in 2018 in South Carolina.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, 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 for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department, including Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.
Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Felony Murder of a Senior Citizen in Killing of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Williams, 52, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree felony murder of a senior citizen and other charges in a mid-day attempted robbery that took place in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams also was found guilty of attempted robbery of a senior citizen. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Williams faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the government’s evidence, at 11:45 a.m. on March 29, 2020, Bobby Poole Jr. 81, was walking home after going on his daily mile-long walk to a convenience store. On his way home, in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE, Mr. Poole was knocked down by Williams and a second unknown assailant. The two went through his pockets. Mr. Poole hit his head on a metal fence during the robbery, suffering brain injuries. He died on May 6, 2020, from complications of blunt force trauma to the head
Surveillance video from the convenience store shows Williams had been casing Mr. Poole and the convenience store and following him afterwards. The attack is not shown on video, but a civilian witness, who had just run into Williams at the store, saw Williams and the second assailant fleeing the area where Mr. Poole was found. Williams was located at the convenience store afterwards and is identified through surveillance video.
Williams was arrested on March 29, 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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Chimnomnso Kalu, and Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Lead Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling and Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Ganjei and Ariel Dean, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Robbing Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kareem Davis, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for kidnapping and robbing a man in Southeast Washington, and then forcing the victim to drive to various ATMs at gunpoint. The victim escaped by jumping out of the car.
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 Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a federal kidnapping charge. He was sentenced by the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, at approximately 12:50 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2020, the victim, then 25, drove to the 3800 block of 9th Street SE, believing he would see a young woman he had met the previous afternoon. Instead, while the victim was parked on the street, Davis approached his car, tapped on the passenger side window, and told him to open the door. After sitting in the front passenger seat, Davis asked if the victim was there to visit “his sister.” Davis then pulled a handgun from his waistband, pointed it, and demanded all of the victim’s money.
The victim turned over $216 in cash and the change from the vehicle’s cup-holders. But Davis demanded even more money, threatening to kill the victim. Fearing he would be shot, the victim began driving Davis to various ATMs, crossing into Maryland to withdraw approximately $1,500 for Davis. After the final ATM withdrawal, Davis ordered the victim to drive them back to 9th Street SE. As they got to 9th Street, the victim placed his vehicle on cruise control and jumped out of the moving car. He escaped on foot and immediately called 911.
Davis was arrested on Oct. 7, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly L. Paschall, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Indicted on Federal Charges for Georgetown Hit-And-Run Traffic Crash and Cover-UpRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Capitol Police Officer Thomas Smith has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating a man’s civil rights and for obstructing justice. Smith, 44, is expected to be arraigned on these charges in federal court within the next week.
The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2020, Smith drove his police vehicle in a reckless and dangerous manner and was deliberately indifferent to the risk of harm he created, which resulted in Smith crashing his car into the victim and injuring him. Smith then knowingly drove away from the scene of the crash without rendering aid, alerting medical authorities, and taking any other reasonable steps to obtain help for the victim. Following the crash, Smith falsified U.S. Capitol Police records to cover-up his misconduct.
The indictment was returned yesterday and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs. Assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for July 4, 2020 Slaying of 11-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Three men, all from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for their roles in the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Davon McNeal on July 4, 2020, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
All three defendants pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. They include Carlo General, 21, Marcel Gordon, 27, and Christen Wingfield, 24. General’s plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of 13 to 16 years in prison. Gordon’s called for 10 years, and Wingfield’s called for 9 ½-years.
The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. General was sentenced to 16 years, Gordon to 10 years, and Wingfield to 9 ½ years. Following their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.
The sentences are consistent with the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines.
A fourth defendant, Daryle Bond, 20, also from Washington, D.C., is to be sentenced on Aug. 4, 2022. Bond also pleaded guilty in February 2022 to voluntary manslaughter while armed, and his plea agreement calls for an agreed-upon term of 7 ½-to-9 ½- years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 4, 2020, at approximately 9:15 p.m., General, Gordon, Wingfield, and Bond were congregating at a barbeque near the cul-de-sac in front of an apartment building located in the 1400 block of Cedar Street SE. Cedar Street is a long road that ends in a cul-de-sac. The entrance of the 1400 block of Cedar Street intersects diagonally with a street that is known as the “alley.”
Near the entrance of the 1400 block of Cedar Street, Davon McNeal – 11 years old – was exiting a vehicle and walking towards a basement apartment in the Frederick Douglass Garden Apartment Complex. At a certain point, General, armed with a firearm with a laser sight, started running towards the entrance of the 1400 block of Cedar Street and fired his weapon towards the alley. Surveillance footage shows Davon running towards the basement apartment and falling after General fired his weapon.
Approximately six seconds later, Gordon, while running behind General, fired his weapon in the same direction. Bond, also armed with a firearm, ran towards the entrance of the 1400 block on a sidewalk on the side of the apartment building, along with Wingfield, who was armed with a firearm as well and running on the road.
All four defendants gathered in front of the apartment building and looked down the alley. The group subsequently ran in the direction of a playground with guns drawn. Bond, General and Gordon all fired their firearms as they were running away.
An autopsy concluded that Davon’s death was caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
General was arrested on July 30, 2020. Bond was arrested on July 10, 2020. Wingfield was arrested on July 11, 2020. Gordon was arrested on Sept. 1, 2020. All have been in custody since their arrests.
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, former Victim/ Witness Specialist Marcia Rinker, Victim/ Witness Specialist Latrice Washington-Williams, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar, Stephen Rickard, and Jack Korba, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maryam Adeyola, who provided valuable assistance.
Peter Navarro Indicted for Contempt of CongressRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Former White House advisor Peter K. Navarro has been indicted by a federal grand jury 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.
Navarro, 72, is charged with one contempt count involving his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. The indictment was returned yesterday and unsealed today. Navarro is to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office.
As detailed in the indictment, on Feb. 9, 2022, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Navarro. The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Feb. 23, 2022, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on March 2, 2022. According to the indictment, Navarro refused to appear to give testimony as required by subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena.
In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that Navarro had information relevant to its investigation. Navarro, formerly an advisor to the President on various trade and manufacturing policies, has been a private citizen since departing the White House on Jan. 20, 2021.
Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being 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.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 123 Months in Prison for Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jan Astaphan, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 123 months in prison on a federal charge of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
Astaphan pleaded guilty in June 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Upon completion of his prison term, Astaphan will be placed on a term of 10 years of supervised release, and required to pay a special assessment fee. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum period of 15 years upon his release from prison.
According to the government's evidence, on January 29, 2019, Astaphan agreed to pay $300 to engage in sexual activity with an under-aged child at a hotel in Washington D.C. HSI undercover agents identified Astaphan as a user of a website known to law enforcement as a site where members actively sexually exploit children. HSI agents identified Astaphan’s account in February 2018, and began communicating with him on multiple platforms, including by text message. As their conversations continued, Astaphan arranged to travel from his home in Maryland, on January 29, 2019, to a hotel in the District of Columbia. After handing $300 in cash to an individual he believed had access to the under-aged child, he was arrested by law enforcement. He has been in custody ever since.
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, Special Agent in Charge Villanueva, and Chief Contee commended the work of the MPD Detectives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who is prosecuting the case.
High School Rowing Coach Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing a High School StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kirkland Shipley, 48, a former teacher and girls’ rowing coach at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing a high school student and possessing sexually explicit material of a 17-year-old former high school student, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Shipley, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to first-degree sexual abuse of a secondary education student and possession of a sexual performance by a minor. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2022 before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. As part of his sentence, Shipley will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender.
According to the government’s evidence, one of the victims was on the girls’ crew team at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland from 2014-2018. Shipley was her head coach from her sophomore year to her senior year, as well as her history and geography teacher. During her sophomore year of high school, Shipley began texting the victim about rowing and personal matters. This continued into her senior year, in which Shipley began to text the victim more frequently and about increasingly personal topics. On at least two occasions in May 2018, prior to this victim’s graduation, he picked the victim up in his car and sexually abused her at his residence in Northwest Washington.
The other victim was on the girls’ crew team at Walt Whitman High School from 2009—2013. Shipley was her head coach from her sophomore year to her senior year. He also was this victim’s history teacher during her junior year. During the spring of the victim’s senior year, Shipley began to message her on GChat more frequently, about rowing and personal matters. A month after her graduation, in July 2013, when the victim was 17 years old, Shipley invited her to his residence in Washington, D.C., and had sex with her. He continued having sex with this victim throughout the summer and after she began college in the fall of 2013. During this time, Shipley possessed sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim, while she was a 17-year-old minor. He also sent this victim photos and videos of his penis and of himself masturbating.
Shipley was arrested on Aug. 24, 2021. He was released from custody with an order to stay away from all current and former students and athletes.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and Paralegal Specialist ReShawn Johnson.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Felice Roggen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
WeLeakInfo.to and Related Domain Names SeizedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice announced today that they have seized the internet domain name weleakinfo.to and two related domain names, ipstress.in and ovh-booter.com, following an international investigation into websites allowing users to buy access to stolen personal information or to perform attacks on victim networks.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
“Today, the FBI and the Department stopped two distressingly common threats: websites trafficking in stolen personal information and sites which attack and disrupt legitimate internet businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Cyber crime often crosses national borders. Using strong working relationships with our international law enforcement partners, we will address crimes like these that threaten privacy, security, and commerce around the globe.”
“These seizures are prime examples of the ongoing actions the FBI and our international partners are undertaking to disrupt malicious cyber activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “Disrupting malicious DDoS operations and dismantling websites that facilitate the theft and sale of stolen personal information is a priority for the FBI.”
The WeLeakInfo.to website had claimed to provide its users a search engine to review and obtain the personal information illegally obtained in over 10,000 data breaches containing seven billion indexed records – including, for example, names, email addresses, usernames, phone numbers, and passwords for online accounts. The website sold subscriptions so that any user could access the results of these data breaches, with subscriptions providing unlimited searches and access during the subscription period (one day, one week, one month, three months, or lifetime). In January 2020, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice also announced that they had seized the internet domain name weleakinfo.com, shutting down a similar service then provided at that site.
The ipstress.in and ovh-booter.com domains were also seized. Those sites publicly offered to conduct “Distributed Denial of Service” attacks, or “DDoS” attacks for clients – specifically, a format called booter or stressor attacks. DDoS attacks are a type of network attack in which multiple internet-enabled devices are used to attack computers hosting a website – usually by flooding the site with internet traffic – for the purpose of rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users or unable to communicate with the internet.
With execution of the warrant, the seized domain names – weleakinfo.to and the related domains – are now in the custody of the federal government, effectively suspending the website’s operation. Visitors to the site will now find a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain name has been seized by federal authorities. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the seizure warrant.
The seizures of these domains were part of a coordinated law enforcement action with the National Police Corps of the Netherlands and the Federal Police of Belgium. The actions executed by our international partners included the arrest of a main subject, searches of several locations, and seizures of the webserver’s infrastructure.
Any persons having information concerning weleakinfo.to or its owners and operators are encouraged to provide that information by filing a complaint (referencing #weleakinfo in the “Description of Incident” field) with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx.
These seizures are a part of a comprehensive law enforcement action taken by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, along with international law enforcement, including the Netherlands National Police Corps and the Belgium Federal Police.
Three Men Indicted in District of Columbia on Federal Charges Involving Drug Trafficking Organization Based in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three alleged members of a drug trafficking organization based in Puerto Rico have been indicted in the District of Columbia, following an investigation into shipments of cocaine from San Juan for distribution in the Washington, D.C. area. Two of the defendants face an additional charge stemming from a murder, related to the drug trafficking, that took place in Puerto Rico.
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.
Rey Rivera Ruiz, 39, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the alleged leader, was indicted on May 26, 2022, in a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of continuing criminal enterprise, for his leadership and supervisory role in the drug trafficking organization.
Additionally, Jann Jousten Aponte Rivera, 26, and Michael Gabriel Hernandez Rivera, 20, both of San Juan, Puerto Rico, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of continuing criminal enterprise -- causing the intentional death of Shantay Butler, 44 -- and one count of causing the death through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory-minimum term of 20 years imprisonment and a maximum term of life imprisonment or death. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. On April 1, 2021, the defendants were originally indicted in a one-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The defendants will be arraigned on the charges on a date to be determined by the Court.
According to the government’s evidence, in the fall of 2019, Rivera Ruiz, who was assisted by Aponte Rivera and Hernandez Rivera, and several other individuals, shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area, via the U.S. Postal Service. Once the kilograms arrived in the Washington, D.C. area, a local drug trafficker distributed the kilograms in the community.
Additionally, the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization’s members allegedly traveled from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area to collect drug proceeds, and then surreptitiously traveled on commercial airliners to return the proceeds to Ruiz Rivera and others.
According to the government’s evidence, during the course of the drug conspiracy, Ruiz Rivera and his members shipped between 50 kilograms and 150 kilograms of cocaine to the local drug trafficking organization. The charged drug trafficking conspiracy began around October 2019, and ended in April of 2021, when Ruiz Rivera, Aponte Rivera, and Hernandez Rivera, and another individual were originally indicted. Ruiz Rivera, Aponte Rivera, and Hernandez Rivera have remained in custody since their April 2021 arrests. Members of the local drug trafficking organization have previously been charged for their role in the drug trafficking scheme.
The murder took place on Oct. 14, 2020. At that time, the local drug trafficker owed several thousands of dollars to the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization and was ordered to pay for several kilograms of cocaine which did not arrive in the Washington, D.C. area. In October of 2020, the local drug trafficker met Aponte Rivera and Hernandez Rivera in a desolate part of Levittown, Puerto Rico. Ms. Butler was in the passenger seat of the vehicle driven by the local drug trafficker. Both Aponte Rivera and Hernandez Rivera pulled out firearms and opened fired on the local drug trafficker and his vehicle. Ms. Butler was shot and died shortly after the shooting, and the local drug trafficker was shot multiple times, but survived.
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 FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistance is being provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, the Frederick County, Maryland Police Department, and the Puerto Rico Police Department’s Homicide Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Henek and Anthony Scarpelli, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher.
Texas Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Fake Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sean T. Johnson, also known as Shawn Johnson, 42, of Dallas, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for carrying out a six-year fraud scheme in which he tricked victims into investing with him in ventures that did not exist, and lied to victims about his professional background, his contacts with celebrities, and his personal net worth, in order to induce them to invest in the scheme.
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.
Johnson pleaded guilty in November 2019 to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on May 26, 2022, by the Honorable Richard J. Leon. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on four years of supervised release. The judge also ordered Johnson to pay restitution to the victims but will decide the precise amount of restitution at a later date.
From September 2012 through October 2018, Johnson conned numerous unsuspecting victims out of money by posing as a wealthy investor and businessman. While Johnson varied his approach based upon the personality, gender, and lifestyle of the victim, the scam almost always began with the defendant flashing money near the victim, name-dropping celebrity friends who were investors in his ventures, talking up his business acumen, and offering to “help” his friends become wealthy, like him.
To entice victims, Johnson wore expensive designer clothes, talked constantly about his wealth, and bragged about owning expensive houses and condominiums. To add legitimacy to his scheme, he created “promissory notes” to document victims’ investments. The promissory notes detailed how much the person invested and when and how much money Johnson promised to return to them. With almost every victim, Johnson claimed to have an assistant whose identity he appropriated from a former co-worker, and he used fake accounts in this fake assistant’s name to communicate with his victims and lend credibility to his fake business ventures. In total, Johnson swindled his victims from all over the country out of over $1 million. He spent these illegal proceeds on lavish personal expenditures, such as luxury vehicles, designer clothing, alcoholic beverages at nightclubs, tickets to sporting events, and gambling at casinos.
More than a dozen victims submitted victim impact statements to the court in which they described the devastating emotional and financial consequences of the defendant’s misconduct. Most victims lost the entirety of their savings, ruined their credit, and/or were forced into foreclosure or bankruptcy as a result of the scheme.
Johnson was arrested in October 2018. He has been in custody since.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the assistance of the victims who came forward to report the defendant’s fraud scheme. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Amanda Rohde and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, who prosecuted the matter.
District of Columbia Fire/EMS Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery in Scheme Involving Undelivered GoodsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Louis “Joey” Mitchell, a former employee of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS), pleaded guilty today to a federal bribery charge for accepting more than $60,000 in payments from a District of Columbia contractor in exchange for directing purchase agreements and orders to the contractor and then falsely certifying that goods that FEMS had paid for had been delivered.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Mitchell, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 16, 2022, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. As part of the plea agreement, Mitchell will be required to pay a $61,250 forfeiture money judgment.
Mitchell was a warehouse supply technician at FEMS. In that role, he was responsible for verifying deliveries of goods to the warehouse before the agency would issue payments to the relevant vendors. According to the plea documents, beginning in at least 2016 and continuing through in or about 2020, Mitchell and a FEMS contract administrator engaged in a bribery scheme with a contractor whose company was an approved vendor for supplies.
According to the documents, Mitchell and the contract administrator solicited and received bribes from the contractor on at least seven occasions. In exchange, they directed purchase agreements and purchase orders to the company and confirmed delivery of and payment for goods that the company did not deliver.
As a result of the bribery scheme, FEMS paid the company more than $150,000 for goods that never were delivered. Mitchell personally received at least $61,250 in bribes from the contractor.
Law enforcement opened an investigation into the conduct after FEMS officials discovered billing anomalies and referred the matter to the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General and the FBI for investigation. Mitchell was arrested on Feb. 10, 2022.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and D.C. Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Gaston and Amanda Vaughn of 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 Bias-Related Attack of Family in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man pleaded guilty today to three counts of simple assault, including one with a hate-bias enhancement, for punching and pushing three adults of Chinese descent as they walked on a street in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Patrick Trebat, 39, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe to a total of 630 days in jail, with all but 210 days suspended, on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised probation.
But for the victims appearing to be from another country, and speaking a language unknown to Trebat, this attack would not have occurred. According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place at about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2021. The victims – a man, woman, and their adult son – were walking near the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue NW and Fulton Street NW, speaking in a Chinese dialect. Trebat began shouting profanities. As the victims arrived in the 3700 block of Fulton Street NW, they attempted to cross the street to get away from Trebat. He shouted at them, saying, among other things, “You are not American,” and “Go back to your country.”
Trebat then ran up and attacked the older man from behind, punching him in the back of the head and then pushing him with enough force to cause him to fall to the ground. Trebat then pushed the woman to the ground from behind. The couple’s son attempted to stop the attack, and Trebat punched him in the face.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene and all three victims identified Trebat as their attacker. He was arrested.
As a result of the attack, the older man experienced pain in the back of his head and suffered a broken wrist. The woman experienced pain in her arm and had to undergo medical evaluation. Their son suffered a fractured finger. All also sustained cuts and bruises.
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 efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim /Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert K. Platt and Caroline P. Coates, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws.
For more information:https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes
Ten People Arrested in Drug Conspiracy Case, Accused of Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Ten people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed Fentanyl and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The organization primarily operated in areas near Seventh and O Streets NW and nearby neighborhoods.
The arrests and indictment were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
A total of 13 defendants are named in the indictment, which was returned earlier this month and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Two already were in custody, and one remains at large.
The federal drug conspiracy charges arose from a long-term investigation into drug trafficking and violence associated with a street crew at 7th and O Streets that operates in neighborhoods including Shaw, Truxton, and LeDroit Park in Northwest Washington. The indictment alleges that the organization has operated since at least July 1, 2021.
“This investigation reflects our focus on protecting our community both from the deadly consequences of using drugs like Fentanyl and the violence that such drug markets attract,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Along with our federal law enforcement partners and the MPD, we are committed to investigating, identifying, and prosecuting these networks.”
“The arrests of these individuals this morning represents the culmination of a nearly year-long investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “This is yet another fine example of the commitment and resolve of the FBI and our partners at MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit and the DEA to remove these criminal elements from the communities we live and work in. The indictment alleges the charged individuals used illegal firearms and other weapons to commit violence while selling dangerous drugs and laundering the proceeds. The FBI will continue to stand with its partners in our work to make our city safer by bringing purveyors of drugs and violence to account for their egregious actions.”
“Communities deserve to thrive without the presence of illegal drug activity and violence, and our operation was successful in removing individuals engaged in these behaviors from District neighborhoods,” said Chief Contee. “While this operation highlights the thorough investigative efforts and effective partnerships between law enforcement, we are optimistic that continued collaboration will further impact our community.”
During the arrests and related searches today, law enforcement recovered eight firearms, as well as significant quantities of Fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Arrested today were Elliott Johnson, 42; Jeremy Young, 35; Daevon Narce, 29; William Proctor, 54; Andre Williams,32; Ako Handy, 48; Keith Gliss, 36; Manuel Brown, 41; Stanley Hood, 26, and Thomas Shelton, 37. Johnson is from Temple Hills, Maryland. The others are from the District of Columbia. Brian Rice, 34, and Tyrone Wade, 29, both of the District of Columbia, already were in custody, and one other defendant is still being sought.
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 prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, and the Washington Division of the DEA. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman and Solomon Eppel, 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.
Two Maryland Residents Found Guilty by Jury of Federal Charges Related to Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Willis Lewis, 48, and Brittany Jones, 32, have been found guilty by a jury of federal charges, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of minors, and related offenses, in connection with their trafficking of a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl between April and May of 2019.
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).
The verdict was returned May 23, 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Lewis, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Jones, of Suitland, Maryland, remain in custody. The Honorable Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for Sept. 2, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, Jones, working with two co-conspirators who since pleaded guilty, brought the two victims to Lewis for the purposes of trafficking them. After they were in Lewis’s custody, Lewis, along with another co-conspirator, set up “dates” for the two girls each day for almost two weeks and Lewis pocketed the money that the two girls made from these dates. Lewis used a loyalty contract, a firearm, and acts of violence committed against the co-conspirator in front of the victims to coerce the victims into performing commercial sex for his profit. Law enforcement became involved in this investigation after the two victims ran away from a residential facility in Virginia and the facility filed a missing person’s report.
At trial, the co-conspirators testified against Lewis and Jones and were corroborated by independent evidence, including material from the digital devices and cell phone location data.
Both defendants were arrested on July 30, 2019.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, including the Metropolitan Police Department. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhoodgov
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as the MPD’s Human Trafficking Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve De Guzman, Karla Nunez, and Irina Tchernoskoutova, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.
Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
National Labor Organization Employee Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $270,000 from UnionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnell Owens, a former employee of the American Federation of Government Employees, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for an embezzlement scheme in which he stole more than $270,000 from the labor union.
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 Mark Wheeler, Director of the Washington District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Owens, 34, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Owens will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $273,745 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Owens, from October 2014 through June 2018, Owens worked as a Secretary to the Director of Communications at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. which represents workers in various functions of the private sector and the government affecting commerce throughout the United States and overseas. During this period, Owens embezzled more than $270,000 in AFGE funds for his use and the use of others.
As detailed in court documents, throughout the scheme Owens abused and misused his position and employment at AFGE in order to seek and obtain illegal monetary gains at the expense of the labor organization. For example, Owens submitted false and fraudulent check requests for payments related to services, such as photography and videography, that were purportedly provided by alleged vendors. As a result of these submissions, AFGE funds were subsequently disbursed. These check requests listed fictitious dollar amounts for fake work assignments supposedly performed by vendors, who were not actually hired by AFGE. In fact, the purported vendors who allegedly performed the fake work assignments were really friends and associates of Owens, who he recruited as part of his illegal scheme.
As Secretary to the Director of Communications, Owens also had access to an Amazon account and a union credit card linked to it. During the scheme, Owens also used this account and linked credit card to embezzle items and make dozens of unauthorized personal purchases, including clothing, shoes, jewelry, and party supplies. Additionally, Owens used union credit cards to purchase items from other online retailers for personal use, including T-shirts for his online business, microphones, and flowers.
To avoid detection and cover up the fraud, Owens provided falsified signatures, fraudulent expense vouchers, and altered receipts for these items. However, the investigation revealed photos of Owens, his family members, and associates wearing the clothing purchased on Amazon with the union credit card on social media accounts belonging to the defendant.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. 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. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller and Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Mariela Andrade.
District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Northeast Washington and Stabbing Inmate at JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Davis, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for fatally beating a man in June 2017 and, in a separate offense, stabbing an inmate in the neck at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pleaded guilty in July 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 9 ½ to 14 years. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and, on May 20, 2022, sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 28, 2017, Davis killed the victim, Michael Vest, on the porch of a residence in the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue NE, using a wooden object to strike him in the head multiple times. Police were called at approximately 8 a.m., and Mr. Vest, 29, was discovered slumped in a chair. He was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma.
Davis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on June 30, 2017. He was held at the D.C. Jail while awaiting trial. On July 3, 2020, according to the government’s evidence, he stabbed another inmate in the neck using a homemade knife. The victim attempted to shield himself with his hands, and, as a result, his arms also were injured.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Fatally Stabbing Woman in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Robert Dean, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for fatally stabbing a woman with a screwdriver in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Dean was found guilty by a jury in November 2021 of second-degree murder while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 31, 2018, shortly before 5:04 p.m., Dean stabbed his former girlfriend, Tamiya White, 38, at her parking lot in the 1000 block of Mount Oliver Road NE before she drove herself to the local McDonalds to seek help. Ms. White’s two children were in the apartment at the time.
Dean was arrested on April 5, 2018. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Bode Forensics and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Emma McArthur and Eric Hansford; Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Paralegal Specialists Grazy Rivera and Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Litigation Technology Specialist Taylor Davis; Forensic Child Interviewers Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias; Intern Lauren Rogers, and teams from the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit and the Litigation Technology Unit.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso and George A. Pace, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Use FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daquon Wood, 29, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
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 Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Wood is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.
Wood, who utilized the street nickname “Fly Quon,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Wood admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Wood was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Wood will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Wood and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of the District of Columbia – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals.
As part of his role in the conspiracy, Wood distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory. Wood encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and, as part of the conspiracy possessed and trafficked in fully automatic machineguns – including “giggle switch” devices which convert semi-automatic Glock-style handguns to be capable of fully automatic fire. As part of his sentence, Wood agreed to forfeit an ARMSCOR AK 22 rifle that was seized from a hiding spot or “trap” that he maintained.
Wood was arrested on May 5, 2021. He has been detained ever since.
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 from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with help from former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Vaillancourt and Christopher Berridge.
Justice Department Sues to Compel a U.S. Businessperson to Register Under the Foreign Agents Registration ActRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today filed a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to compel Stephen A. Wynn, a U.S. businessperson and hotelier who previously served as the CEO of Wynn Resorts, to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as the agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a senior official of the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Wynn was advised to register as an agent by the department but declined to do so.
“The filing of this suit – the first affirmative civil lawsuit under FARA in more than three decades – demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring transparency in our democratic system,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Where a foreign government uses an American as its agent to influence policy decisions in the United States, FARA gives the American people a right to know.”
According to the complaint, from at least June 2017 through at least August 2017, Wynn contacted the then-President and members of his administration to convey the PRC’s request to cancel the visa or otherwise remove from the United States a Chinese businessperson who left China in 2014, was later charged with corruption by the PRC and sought political asylum in the United States. Wynn engaged in these efforts at the request of Sun Lijun, then-Vice Minister of the MPS. Wynn conveyed the request directly to the then-President over dinner and by phone, and he had multiple discussions with the then-President and senior officials at the White House and National Security Council about organizing a meeting with Sun and other PRC government officials.
During the time that he engaged in this conduct, Wynn’s company owned and operated casinos in Macau, a special administrative region in the PRC. The department alleges that Wynn acted at the request of the PRC out of a desire to protect his business interests in Macau.
This enforcement action is being handled by the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division. Trial Attorney Nathan Swinton is litigating the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse and Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and first-degree child sexual abuse of a minor, with aggravating circumstances.
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.
Christopher Ham, 48, of Largo, Maryland, pleaded guilty in December 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Ham will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender for life.
According to the government's evidence, Ham was identified during a law enforcement investigation into the sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl. Ham entered into a relationship with a woman who resided in the District of Columbia, and who had access to the little girl. In October of 2019, he traveled from Maryland into the District of Columbia, where he took advantage of this relationship to sexually abuse the child.
Ham was arrested on April 6, 2021, and he has remained in custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
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 Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Stealing over $120,000 from Bank Customer AccountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Drummond, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which Wells Fargo Bank customers lost $124,000 from their accounts. According to the government’s evidence, the participants in the scheme attempted to steal another $80,000 from the bank’s customers, but the bank detected that fraud and stopped the loss.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Drummond pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, he will be required to pay $124,000 in restitution. He also must pay $124,000 in a forfeiture money judgment.
In entering his plea, Drummond admitted to orchestrating a scheme that was carried out in 2017 in which Drummond recruited bank employees who would make unauthorized withdrawals from Wells Fargo customer accounts. The bank employees used the bank’s internal systems to check the account balances of customers without the customer’s knowledge. Those employees then told Drummond the customer’s name and account balance.
Drummond then sent another accomplice into the bank to pose as the customer and to withdraw the funds, unbeknownst to the actual customer. The conspirators used this scheme to steal $124,000 in cash and an $80,000 cashier’s check from two of the bank’s customers. Although Wells Fargo was able to detect the theft and stop payment of the $80,000 cashier’s check, Wells Fargo incurred losses on behalf of its customers for the $124,000 in cash that Drummond and others stole.
Another conspirator, Tiara Langston, 30, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, entered a guilty plea in November 2020 to related charges and was sentenced in March 2021 to a 15-month prison term.
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 Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the work of those who are handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert, who is prosecuting the matter.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –An Ohio man, a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to a 30-year prison term on a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.
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.
Joshua McCarty, 38, of Mansfield, Ohio, pleaded guilty in January 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, McCarty will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images that he distributed. McCarty also must register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, in July of 2019, a mere two months after being released from prison after serving five years for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, McCarty used a mobile messaging application to communicate with an individual who he believed was a father with access to young children. McCarty distributed links containing over 1.8 gigabytes of images and videos, depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. During his communications with this individual, McCarty sent a photo depicting his sex offender registration profile in Ohio.
McCarty was arrested on July 19, 2019, and he has remained in custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
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 Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Walter Parker, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Parker was found guilty by a jury in February 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of illegal possession of a weapon by a felon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Parker will be placed on three years of supervised release.
On April 10, 2019, at about 6 p.m., an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department observed Parker take a gun out of his waistband and put it inside a dumpster outside of an apartment building in the 3600 block of Hayes Street NE. After discarding the loaded gun, Parker then ran from officers. The firearm was recovered and determined to be a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber and 11 in the magazine.
At the time of this offense, Parker was on probation on a Maryland charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon. He also had prior convictions in the District of Columbia for robbery and fleeing a law enforcement officer.
Following his arrest in this case, Parker was placed on pre-trial release. However, he failed to abide by conditions of release and was ordered to surrender in May 2020. He did not surrender or return to Court until he was arrested in August 2020 on unrelated charges. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Berridge and Jeffrey Poulin, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Paralegal Specialists Kate Abrey, Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Genevieve de Guzman, Donville Drummond, and Rhonda Richardson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary L. Dohrmann and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily (Meg) Ariotti, who prosecuted the matter.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 74 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Use FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor Davis, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 74 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
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 Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Davis is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.
Davis, who utilized the street nickname “Wee,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Davis admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Davis was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Davis will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Davis and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Davis distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory.
Davis encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and admitted to having participated in shootings in defense of the co-conspirators’ territory. Davis was arrested in relation to another offense on May 4, 2020. He has been detained ever since.
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 from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with help from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Vaillancourt and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Berridge.
Haitian Gang Leader Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking for Kidnapping of 16 U.S. Missionaries in Fall 2021Read the Press Release
A Haitian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit hostage taking for his role in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving in Haiti and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping.
The indictment charges Joly Germine, 29, aka Yonyon, who is described as a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. He is the first defendant to be charged in connection with the missionaries’ kidnapping. Germine was previously charged with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian jail into U.S. custody on May 3, 2022, on the basis of an arrest warrant in that matter, and Germine has since been detained in the District of Columbia.
“This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.”
“Today’s indictment demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crime against our citizens, here or abroad,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to keep our citizens safe and bring perpetrators to justice.”
“This indictment is a step towards achieving justice for the victims who were volunteering their services in Haiti when they were kidnapped and held for weeks on end,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to holding accountable those who carry out acts of violence against Americans abroad to further their own aims.”
The charges brought today are related to the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sixteen of the kidnapping victims were U.S. citizens, including five children, one as young as eight months old.
According to the indictment, 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.
Germine will have his initial appearance in the case tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The charges in the 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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Haitian Gang Leader Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking for Kidnapping of 16 U.S. Missionaries in Fall 2021Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Haitian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit hostage taking for his role in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving in Haiti and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping.
The indictment charges Joly Germine, 29, also known as “Yonyon,” who is described as a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. He is the first defendant to be charged in connection with the missionaries’ kidnapping. Germine was previously charged with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian jail into U.S. custody on May 3, 2022, on the basis of an arrest warrant in that matter, and Germine has since been detained in the District of Columbia.
“This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.”
“Today’s indictment demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crime against our citizens, here or abroad,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to keep our citizens safe and bring perpetrators to justice.”
“This indictment is a step towards achieving justice for the victims who were volunteering their services in Haiti when they were kidnapped and held for weeks on end,” said Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to holding accountable those who carry out acts of violence against Americans abroad to further their own aims.”
The charges brought today are related to the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sixteen of the kidnapping victims were U.S. citizens, including five children, one as young as eight months old.
According to the indictment, 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.
Germine will have his initial appearance in the case tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The charges in the 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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Found Guilty by Jury in Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Hutchings Jr., 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, has been found guilty by a jury in the District of Columbia of a federal conspiracy charge for his role as the middleman in an illegal transfer of weapons involving people prohibited from possessing firearms.
The verdict was announced by 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 U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Hutchings was found guilty yesterday following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2022.
In 2018, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force began investigating an individual named Linwood Douglas Thorne, as a major heroin supplier. On Dec. 19, 2018, the FBI and ATF executed simultaneous search warrants on Thorne’s Maryland business and residence in the District of Columbia, finding 44 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl; 55 pounds of marijuana; five firearms; and significant drug paraphernalia.
In addition to the search warrants, the task force’s investigation—which began in July of 2018—led to the recovery of eight additional firearms, approximately 1.5 additional kilograms of marijuana, 260 additional grams of heroin, and several firearms magazines and accessories.
The ATF conducted a parallel investigation into three of the firearms found at Thorne’s residence and discovered that the firearms were purchased by a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army named Kofi Appiah. After additional investigation, including the discovery of multiple digital devices, law enforcement identified Hutchings as the middleman who facilitated the transfer of the firearms from Georgia to the District of Columbia. Both Hutchings and Thorne were prohibited persons based on their prior convictions, and thus, were ineligible to possess firearms.
During trial, the government presented multiple law enforcement witnesses, along with digital and business records establishing and corroborating the defendant’s guilt. With this conviction, the defendant faces up to five years of imprisonment. He is currently on supervised probation out of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Appiah pleaded guilty in September 2020 and was later sentenced to 37 months in prison. Thorne, 50, was found guilty in March 2022 of multiple counts and is awaiting sentencing.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF, as well as those from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were on the Safe Streets Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by joint law enforcement and prosecution partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who prosecuted the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Regan, Samuel Frey, and Gregory Rosen, as well as Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson of the Federal Major Crimes Section.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wilber Vigil-Benitez, 26, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for unlawfully possessing and trafficking firearms, including an assault rifle and a semi-automatic handgun with a large capacity magazine.
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).
Vigil-Benitez, also known as “Solitario,” pleaded guilty in November 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to seven counts of illegal possession of firearms. He was sentenced on May 4, 2022, by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
The charges against Vigil-Benitez, who was affiliated with MS-13, arose from a law enforcement investigation that showed that he sold firearms illegally in Washington, D.C. In particular, from September 2017 to April 2018, he sold a total of 13 firearms to undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department. The transactions occurred outside a convenience store in Southwest Washington. The weapons included stolen firearms, an assault rifle, and a semi-automatic handgun with a large capacity magazine.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also acknowledged 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. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
$300 Million Yacht of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Suleiman Kerimov Seized by Fiji at Request of United StatesRead the Press Release
Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the U.S. Department of Justice following issuance of a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which found that the Amadea is subject to forfeiture based on probable cause of violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kerimov as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea. In sanctioning Kerimov, the Treasury Department also cited Kerimov as an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Federation Counsel.
According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation. Additionally, Kerimov and those acting on his behalf and for his benefit caused U.S. dollar transactions to be routed through U.S. financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea.
“This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine.”
“Last month, I warned that the department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”
“This seizure demonstrates the FBI's persistence in pursuing sanctioned Russian oligarchs attempting to evade accountability for their role in jeopardizing our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Russia’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”
“This seizure of Suleiman Kerimov’s vessel, the Amadea, nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “This Task Force will continue to bring to bear every resource available in this unprecedented, multinational series of enforcement actions against the Russian regime and its enablers.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to contribute our expertise in support of Task Force efforts to take possession of seized assets of Russian oligarchs during these forfeiture operations,” said Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Upon receipt of a mutual legal assistance request from the United States, Fijian authorities executed the request, obtaining a domestic seizure warrant from a Fijian court.
The Amadea, International Maritime Organization number 1012531, is believed to be worth approximately $300 million or more. The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Canberra, Australia, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.
Trial Attorney Andrew D. Beaty of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Fijian authorities for their cooperation in this matter.
Three Haitian Nationals and One U.S. Citizen Charged with Firearms Trafficking in Support of 400 Mawozo Gang in HaitiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging four defendants with participating in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws by smuggling firearms and munitions to Haiti.
The indictment charges Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 29, a Haitian national; Eliande Tunis, 43, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida; Jocelyn Dor, 29, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Orlando, Florida, and Walder St. Louis, 33, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Miami. They are charged with conspiring to violate export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering money.
Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and George Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement today.
Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis were apprehended in Florida in October and November 2021. They pleaded not guilty and are being detained pending trial. The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 30, 2021. On May 3, 2022, the Haitian government transferred Germine into United States custody on the basis of the District of Columbia arrest warrant. Germine appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The indictment alleges that, from at least September through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis conspired to acquire and supply firearms and munitions to members of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. As alleged in the indictment, 400 Mawozo is a Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From at least on or about Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom.
Germine, who has been incarcerated in Haiti since 2018, serves as a leader of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones, the indictment alleges. According to the indictment, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis obtained from Germine specifications for weapons and ammunition that Germine and other gang members wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis, all of whom resided in Florida, purchased a number of firearms at Florida gun shops, including rifles, pistols, and handguns, while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis then smuggled the firearms and ammunition to Haiti, concealing them in shipping containers, the indictment alleges. The indictment also outlines the defendants’ use of the U.S. financial system to facilitate the illegal firearm purchases.
The 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, in the fall of 2021. The kidnapping of the U.S. citizens remains under investigation and no charges have been filed for those crimes.
The charges in the 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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions 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.
William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.
As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!” On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.”
On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition and combat gear in the hotel room and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.
On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.
Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.
Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.
Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with 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.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 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.
Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions 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.
William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.
As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder, and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!” On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.”
On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition, and combat gear in the hotel room, and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.
On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.
Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.
Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.
Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with 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.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 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.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty as Accessory After Fact to Attempted Revenge Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Nelson McQuillen, 65, of Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to helping his longtime partner to flee and avoid apprehension after she attempted to kill a woman in Northeast Washington. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McQuillen pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, McQuillen and his longtime partner, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shared an adult son who was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio in March 2021. Over the ensuing months, McQuillen and Dunmire became frustrated with the investigation of their son’s death, and Dunmire began to conduct her own investigation. Dunmire’s mental state significantly deteriorated over this time.
On Nov. 5, 2021, McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car from Norfolk to the victim’s home in Northeast Washington. Dunmire had mistakenly identified the victim as responsible for their son’s murder, and McQuillen knew that Dunmire intended to harm this person. In fact, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was not involved in any way in the homicide.
Surveillance video shows Dunmire, wearing a brown vest and brown baseball cap and carrying a cardboard box, knocking on the front door of the victim’s home at approximately 9:25 p.m. Dunmire announced herself as a “UPS” delivery person, stating that she had a package for the victim. When the victim opened the door, Dunmire fired two shots from a silver revolver that she was holding inside of an opening cut in the back of the carboard box. The two shots struck the victim in the abdomen. McQuillen then drove himself and Dunmire out of the area and changed the license plates on their vehicle. MPD officers stopped the vehicle soon thereafter in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue NE.
During the stop, Dunmire shot herself, using the revolver that she had used to shoot the victim. She later died. The victim was transported to a hospital and survived the injuries.
McQuillen was arrested in Virginia on March 11, 2022, and transported to Washington, D.C. on April 5, 2022, where he remains detained pending sentencing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and for the valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones, who is prosecuting the matter.
Virginia Man Found Guilty of Charges in Bias-Related Attack on Construction WorkersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kurt Madsen, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, has been found guilty by a jury on charges stemming from a hate crime in which he attacked two Hispanic construction workers with a construction tool that he used as a weapon in Northwest Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Madsen was found guilty by a jury on April 26, 2022, of two bias-related assaults and possession of a prohibited weapon. The verdict followed a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Robert D. Okun to a total of 540 days in jail. However, the judge suspended the jail term to the time already served by Madsen, on the condition that he successfully complete two years of probation. Madsen was detained for a total of 160 days before trial.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 13, 2019, at approximately 6 p.m., the victims, all of whom are Hispanic construction workers, were closing their construction site near Seventh Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW for the day. Madsen – who was not working at the site -- came to where the men were working and asked to use their power washer. After being denied permission to use the power washer, Madsen became enraged and began screaming racist and xenophobic epithets.
Madsen then picked up a scraper, a long, rod-like construction tool with a sharp metal blade at one end. He struck one of the victims in the back with the scraper, after which he attempted to stab the victim in the stomach with the blade of the scraper. At this point, the second victim tried to intervene, and Madsen struck that victim in the face several times, cutting the victim’s face and loosening two of his teeth. Two bystanders saw the attack and stopped to help. One bystander took the scraper from Madsen and remained on the scene until police arrived. The other bystander called 911. Madsen was arrested at the scene.
In announcing the verdict and 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 Christina Bloodworth, Paralegal Specialist Kathryn Hoey, and other support personnel, including the Litigation Technology Unit.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Lindemann, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalin Nohria and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Millicent Jones, who investigated the case.
Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws.
For more information:https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes
Member of Georgia Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
A member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Ulrich has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Ulrich is the second Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.
As described in court documents, Ulrich was a member of the Georgia chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as a member, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Ulrich admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keepers members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to use force to stop the transfer of power.
In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, 2021, Ulrich and others used an application called “Signal” to prepare for the actions that would take place that day. Ulrich encouraged others in a group called “Oath Keepers of Georgia” to join him in Washington. In one chat, on Dec. 5, 2020, he messaged the group, “I seriously wonder what it would take just to get ever patriot marching around the capital armed? Just to show our government how powerless they are!” On Dec. 11, 2020, Ulrich messaged the group chat that “Civil War” may be necessary if Joseph R. Biden became President of the United States, adding, “I made my peace with God before I joined.” Another individual later messaged, “Remember, it is not over until January 20th.” Ulrich responded, “And if there’s a Civil War then there’s a Civil War.”
Ulrich also purchased tactical gear and other items, including two-way radio receivers, a recon backpack, a tactical holster, a medical tourniquet, and a half skull motorcycle helmet. Ulrich was told by another co-conspirator that others would be available with firearms. On Jan. 4, he traveled with other Oath Keepers to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, staying in a downtown hotel with others.
On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, Ulrich and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. Ulrich was wearing a tactical vest, radio equipment, a body-worn camera, goggles, a camouflage tactical backpack, a black neck gaiter, and an Oath Keepers hat.
He and others weaved through the restricted area in a military “stack” formation with hands on shoulders and gear. Ulrich marched in a line up the stairs on the east side of the Capitol. He entered the building at 3:22 p.m., maneuvering himself toward the entrance to the Rotunda as law enforcement officers were attempting to clear the area. After officers deployed chemical-irritant spray, Ulrich left the Capitol and gathered with other co-conspirators approximately 100 feet from the building. In the aftermath of Jan. 6, Ulrich continued to communicate with co-conspirators on Signal, including one message urging them to “stay below the radar.”
Ulrich was arrested on Aug. 9, 2021, in Guyton, Georgia. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; co-defendant Joshua James pleaded guilty, and the remaining nine defendants have pleaded not guilty, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers.
Ulrich faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with 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.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, including its Macon, Georgia Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 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.
Member of Georgia Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Ulrich has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Ulrich is the second Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.
As described in court documents, Ulrich was a member of the Georgia chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Ulrich admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keeper members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to use force to stop the transfer of power.
In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, 2021, Ulrich and others used an application called “Signal” to prepare for the actions that would take place that day. Ulrich encouraged others in a group called “Oath Keepers of Georgia” to join him in Washington. In one chat, on Dec. 5, 2020, he messaged the group, “I seriously wonder what it would take just to get ever patriot marching around the capital armed? Just to show our government how powerless they are!’ On Dec. 11, 2020, Ulrich messaged the group chat that “Civil War” may be necessary if Joseph R. Biden became President of the United States, adding “I made my peace with God before I joined.” Another individual later messaged, “remember, it is not over until January 20th.” Ulrich responded, “And if there’s a Civil War then there’s a Civil War.”
Ulrich also purchased tactical gear and other items, including two-way radio receivers, a recon backpack, a tactical holster, a medical tourniquet, and a half skull motorcycle helmet. Ulrich was told by another co-conspirator that others would be available with firearms. On Jan. 4, he traveled with other Oath Keepers to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, staying in a downtown hotel with others.
On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, Ulrich and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. Ulrich was wearing a tactical vest, radio equipment, a body-worn camera, goggles, a camouflage tactical backpack, a black neck gaiter, and an Oath Keepers hat.
He and others weaved through the restricted area in a military “stack” formation with hands on shoulders and gear. Ulrich marched in a line up the stairs on the east side of the Capitol. He entered the building at 3:22 p.m., maneuvering himself toward the entrance to the Rotunda as law enforcement officers were attempting to clear the area. After officers deployed chemical-irritant spray, Ulrich left the Capitol and gathered with other co-conspirators approximately 100 feet from the building. In the aftermath of Jan. 6, Ulrich continued to communicate with co-conspirators on Signal, including one message urging them to “stay below the radar.”
Ulrich was arrested on Aug. 9, 2021, in Guyton, Georgia. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; co-defendant Joshua James pleaded guilty, and the remaining nine defendants have pleaded not guilty, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers.
Ulrich faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with 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.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, including its Macon, Georgia Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 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.