District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Brian Wesley, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Southeast Washington and stabbing her more than 50 times while under the influence of PCP.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Wesley pleaded guilty in July 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one charge of assault with intent to kill. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee Jr.

            According to the government’s evidence, Wesley’s ex-girlfriend kicked him out of her home about a week before the stabbing. During that week, Wesley ransacked her apartment and threatened her via text message.

            On May 6, 2022, at approximately 2 p.m., Wesley pushed his way into the victim’s apartment and immediately began stabbing her until she was eventually limp and silent on the ground. After he ceased his assault, Wesley walked to the window of a bedroom and jumped from the third-story apartment, breaking his hip and sustaining other head and bodily injuries. Neighbors called 911. Responding officers and emergency medical personnel located the victim limp and bleeding on the stairwell and Wesley unconscious on the sidewalk outside with the bloody knife nearby. The victim was taken to the hospital where she received multiple surgeries and necessary medical procedures.

            Wesley was arrested at the scene. He has been detained ever since.

            Following his prison sentence, Wesley will be placed on a period of supervised release for three years with conditions including substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and an order to stay away and not contact the victim.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan and Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Horton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Rondez Tibbs, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 11-year prison term for fatally shooting a man last year at a convenience store in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Tibbs pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon term of 9 ½-to-14 years in prison. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan accepted the plea and sentenced Tibbs accordingly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2021, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Tibbs was in a convenience store in the 2200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The victim, Malcolm Johnson, was also in the store. Tibbs approached Mr. Johnson and attempted to rob him. He attempted to take Mr. Johnson’s black cross body bag from him.

            Tibbs held a black handgun with an extended magazine down at his side while Mr. Johnson began reaching for his own gun to defend himself. While Tibbs had Mr. Johnson pinned against the wall, Mr. Johnson grabbed hold of his gun inside the black bag; Tibbs grabbed Mr. Johnson’s hand inside the black bag.  A struggle ensued and both men were shot. Mr. Johnson then stumbled out of the store and entered a parked vehicle. Mr. Johnson, 27, was subsequently found unconscious in the parked vehicle a short time later; he was shot in the stomach.

            Tibbs was hospitalized after the shooting and arrested.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels and Victim/Witness Specialist Jennifer Clark.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar and Peter Roman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A former leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Jeremy Bertino, 43, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from a court-authorized search of his residence in March 2022. As part of the plea agreement, Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

            According to court documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Bertino joined the Proud Boys in approximately 2018 and was, for a time, the vice president of his local Proud Boys chapter in South Carolina.

            As stated in the court documents, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bertino traveled to Washington, D.C., for rallies as a member of the Proud Boys. During one trip, on Dec. 12, 2020, several individuals, including Bertino and other Proud Boys members, were involved in an altercation. During that altercation, Bertino, among others, was stabbed. Bertino was hospitalized, released, and was still recovering outside of the Washington D.C. area from his injuries as of Jan. 6, 2021.  Otherwise, he would have traveled to Washington.

            In December 2020, Bertino accepted an invitation from Enrique Tarrio, then Proud Boys’ national chairman, to join a new chapter that Tarrio had devised called the “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD).  In the weeks leading to Jan.6, 2021, Bertino participated in encrypted chats and other communication with members of MOSD leadership.  Bertino and other MOSD leaders agreed that the presidential election had been stolen, that the purpose of traveling to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to stop the certification of the Electoral College Vote, and that the MOSD leaders were willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that objective.

            Bertino continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered from his injures. At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol.  On Jan. 6, Bertino monitored activities through mainstream and social media, as well as posting in the MOSD chats. He posted messages himself to MOSD leaders and members to encourage and assist in the operation, such as advising those on the grounds of the Capitol to “form a spear.” Similarly, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION.”  On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, Bertino messaged Tarrio and celebrated the achievement, saying, among other things, “You know we made this happen,” and “1776 motherf****r.”

            The firearms charge stems from an FBI search of Bertino’s residence on March 8, 2022. While executing a search warrant, agents located six firearms, including an AR-15 style firearm with a scope, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Bertino was barred from possessing firearms and/or ammunition due to a previous conviction.

            Bertino was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Five other members of the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, were indicted on June 6, 2022, on seditious conspiracy and other charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

            Bertino faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

             This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Charlotte, and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices.

            In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

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

WASHINGTON – Six people have been indicted in the District of Columbia on federal charges accusing them of operating a Fentanyl pill distribution organization in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

            Collin Edwards, 28, of Largo, Maryland, Garnell Lucas, 32, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Justin James White, 27, of Cary, North Carolina, Laura Garvin, 29, of Annapolis, Maryland, Bilaal Briggs, 32, of Washington, D.C., and Chase Cole, 29, of Washington, D.C., were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl and cocaine. Edwards remains at large. The other defendants were arrested on Sept. 20 and 21, 2022.  They have pleaded not guilty to charges and remain detained pending further court proceedings.

            The indictment was unsealed today. In addition to the drug count, Edwards and White were indicted on charges alleging that they fraudulently applied for and obtained unemployment insurance benefits by submitting illegally obtained personal identifying information to various states, including California, Maryland, and North Carolina. Both were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

            According to the indictment, all six defendants distributed Fentanyl and cocaine from at least June 2020 through at least March 2022. According to court filings, the defendants are alleged to have operated a drug distribution organization that used a pill press machine to press Fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills which the organization then distributed unlawfully, including to consumers who were unaware they were consuming Fentanyl. 

            Edwards and White also are accused of carrying out the unemployment insurance fraud scheme from at least June 2020 until at least May 2021. According to the indictment, Edwards, White, and others illegally obtained, from an unknown database, a large trove of personal identifying information from individuals throughout the United States. They then allegedly used this information to fill out unemployment insurance applications, using fraudulent user profiles that directed payments to electronic bank accounts and physical debit cards that they controlled. 

            Charges in a complaint or indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman assisted in the investigation.

WASHINGTON – Stephen Waller, 32, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on an attempted robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Waller pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., Waller approached a stranger with a knife and demanded the victim’s cell phone. The victim escaped and flagged down MPD officers near 6000 Georgia Avenue NW, directing them to Waller’s location. MPD officers stopped Waller near the scene of the crime. He had a knife in his pocket. At the time of the offense, Waller was on probation for Maryland convictions of second-degree assault and theft of property or services. He has been held since his arrest.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Jared English, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a scheme in which he pretended to be a federal law enforcement officer for a range of purposes, including to maintain a series of apartments in which he then failed to pay rent. He also admitted carrying out a bank fraud scheme in which he obtained more than $1 million and used his false law enforcement credentials to pressure individuals recruited to the scheme.

            Haider Ali, 36, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy and bank fraud, both federal offenses, and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, a District of Columbia offense. In the plea agreement, the parties stated that they will jointly recommend a prison sentence of 63 to 78 months. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for Feb. 24, 2023.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

            According to plea documents, Ali and a co-conspirator, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, also of Washington, D.C., operated a business called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington. The two men represented themselves to law enforcement as investigators and/or special agents and that their unit was part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The company was not associated in any way with the United States government or the District of Columbia and had never done business with the federal or D.C. governments.

            As the scheme unfolded, Ali falsely claimed at various times that he was a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and/or the U.S. Secret Service. He also falsely claimed that he participated in the capture of the wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, that his family had a royal bloodline, and that he had a connection to a senior official in the Pakistani Intelligence Service. Taherzadeh, meanwhile, falsely claimed to be, among other things, a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a member of a multi-jurisdictional federal task force, a former United States Air Marshal, and a former Army Ranger.

            Both men used these false claims to recruit others to join their “task force” or “unit,” which these individuals believed to be part of DHS and federal law enforcement. In furtherance of the scheme, Ali and Taherzadeh ingratiated themselves with employees of the U.S. Secret Service because it provided them with cover and aided in their scheme.

            Ali and Taherzadeh used their assumed law enforcement personas and the business to maintain leases for multiple apartments and parking spaces for a supposed law enforcement operation at a luxury apartment complex in Southeast Washington. These units included a penthouse where Ali and Taherzadeh possessed, among other things, a Glock handgun registered to Ali that was loaded with a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, surveillance equipment, law enforcement tactical gear and a machine capable of programming Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards used to create false credentials. They also used their false identification with law enforcement to obtain security footage in the building as well as a list of the building’s residents as well as their apartment numbers and contact information.

            Throughout their tenancy, no rent was paid on the leased apartments or parking garage. This resulted in a loss to the building of $306,987 and to the garage of $7,854.

            Additionally, according to the plea documents, beginning as early as May 2017 and continuing through March 2021, Ali engaged in a bank fraud scheme in which he generated more than $1 million in gross receipts from one or more financial institutions. He used bank accounts that he and others maintained and controlled to falsely and fraudulently execute debit and credit card transactions.

            Ali and Taherzadeh were arrested on April 6, 2022. Taherzadeh pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2022, to a federal conspiracy offense and two District of Columbia offenses: unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism. A sentencing date for Taherzadeh has not yet been set.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua S. Rothstein of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

            Valuable assistance has been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice and Paralegal Specialists Quiana Dunn-Gordon, and Lisa Abbe and former Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Kathleen Campbell and Evan Turgeon of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

WASHINGTON – A former employee of the D.C. Department of Employment Services’ Project Empowerment Program was arrested today after a grand jury indicted her for allegedly embezzling funds between May 2015 and April 2018.

            Rhayda Barnes Thomas, 51, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on Sept. 29, 2022, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District to Columbia. She was charged with five counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of first-degree fraud.

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

            Barnes Thomas made her initial court appearance this afternoon and was released pending further proceedings. In court today, the government stated that the defendant’s conduct is believed to have caused between approximately $314,000 and $350,000 in losses.

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

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

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

            This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi J. Kleinman.

 

WASHINGTON – Darnell Sterling, 57, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges stemming from the murder of his girlfriend, whose body has never been recovered, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Sterling was found guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder and a related charge of contempt. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2023, by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of July 17, 2020, Sterling fatally attacked the victim, Olga Ooro, 34, inside her apartment in the 300 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. Ms. Ooro’s body has never been found.  Sterling killed Ms. Ooro while her seven-year-old son was asleep, in the apartment, in his own bedroom.  He cleaned up the crime scene and left the building.  He then returned the next night and used Ms. Ooro’s keys to enter the building and retrieve the body from a hidden location.  He then loaded the body into his car and disposed of it.

            Ms. Ooro was reported missing after her son was found wandering the apartment building. 

            At the time of the murder, Sterling was under a court order to stay away from Ms. Ooro, following his arrest for assaulting her on April 20, 2020.

            Sterling was arrested in the murder case on July 23, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Ocean City, Maryland, Police Department, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and Bode Technology.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Maenylie Watson, Tonya Jones, and Katina Adams-Washington, of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell, and Intern Ahna Halpern.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Kristian Hinson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division who were involved in the fatal shooting, in April 2022, of Gordon Casey outside an ambassador’s residence in Northwest Washington.

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

            According to the evidence, shortly before 8 a.m. on April 20, 2022, U.S. Secret Service officers were dispatched to the residence of the Peruvian Ambassador to the United States, following a report of a burglary in progress. Mr. Casey had been observed by staff of the residence breaking windows and attempting to enter the building. Staff members had attempted to stop Mr. Casey but were unable to do so after he armed himself with a metal pole.

            When officers arrived, they gave Mr. Casey multiple commands to drop the metal pole. He refused to comply, and one of the officers deployed a taser. This had no apparent effect. Mr. Casey walked towards the officers and started swinging the pole at them. Two officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Casey twice. Mr. Casey, 19, died at the scene.

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

Use-of-force investigations generally

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

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

 

WASHINGTON – Bernard Coleman III, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing his father in March 2017 and then, less than a week later, robbing a man on a street in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Coleman also was sentenced today to an additional three years in prison for offenses committed while he was awaiting sentencing.

            Coleman pleaded guilty in December 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed, robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 15-year sentence. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Coleman accordingly.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of March 17, 2017, Coleman entered the upstairs bedroom of his 43-year-old father, Bernard Coleman, Jr., in the 4000 block of Cole Boulevard SE, and shot him two times. Mr. Coleman’s body was found when window installers arrived at the home later that morning for an unrelated repair.

            Following the shooting, Bernard Coleman III fled the scene, taking his father’s car. He also took his father’s cell phone. Over the next half day, he used his deceased father’s cell phone to send text-responsive messages pretending to be his father. Less than a week later, at about 1 a.m. on March 22, 2017, he robbed a man at gunpoint in the 4100 block of Grant Street NE. Coleman took the man’s cell phone, wallet and umbrella and later used the stolen credit cards.

            Coleman was arrested on March 28, 2017, in Southeast Washington. While he was awaiting sentencing, he escaped from St. Elizabeths Hospital, where he was being housed, on Oct. 3, 2020. Coleman created a decoy out of towels and sheets and placed it in his bed to evade notice. According to the government’s evidence, he then participated in another assault and robbery, this time of a manager of a group home for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; Coleman later admitted to receiving stolen property.

            Coleman was re-arrested on Oct. 7, 2020. He has remained in custody ever since.

            Coleman also had pleaded guilty to charges of escape and receiving stolen property for the offenses committed while he was awaiting sentencing. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt sentenced him today to the three-year prison term on those charges.

            Following his prison terms, Coleman will be placed on a period of supervised release.

            These cases were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.

            The 2017 murder and robbery cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Lauren Galloway. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Giovannelli, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Fischer; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and LaShone Samuels; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez, and former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim.

            The 2020 escape and stolen property cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth C. Kelley and Felice Roggen. Assistance was provided by Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Creighton, and Caroline Burrell; Lead Paralegal Specialist ReShawn Johnson, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins.

WASHINGTON – Bernard McCutcheon, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from an incident in which he confronted U.S. Capitol Police officers while in possession of two Molotov cocktails, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.

            At the time of the offense, McCutcheon was on probation in another case in which he threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking on a street in Northwest Washington.

            McCutcheon pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022, by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.

            According to court documents, on July 6, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m., McCutcheon was in possession of two Molotov Cocktails on the steps of 25 Massachusetts Avenue NW when U.S. Capitol Police officers responded to a 911 call. As the officers approached McCutcheon, he backed away from them while holding one of the Molotov Cocktails. During this confrontation, that Molotov Cocktail hit the ground near where the officers were standing.

            McCutcheon then took out the second Molotov Cocktail. While in close proximity to one of the officers, McCutcheon attempted several times to light the white cloth hanging from the bottle. After failing to light the cloth, McCutcheon fled and ran into a nearby bicycle rack, where the second Molotov Cocktail shattered on the ground. In a search at the time of the arrest, officers found a backpack containing a 2-liter soda bottle containing a pale amber liquid consistent with the appearance and odor of gasoline. McCutcheon has been in custody since his arrest.

            In the earlier case, McCutcheon pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. On the afternoon of April 28, 2021, McCutcheon threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman who was walking near a gas station in the 300 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW. The bottle landed on the victim’s foot and burst into flames, catching her shoe on fire and bruising a toe. Shards of glass from the bottle also cut the victim’s shin. On May 20, 2022, McCutcheon was sentenced to 13 months in prison in this case, with all of the time suspended on the condition that he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation.

            In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Manger commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tonya Queen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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

            Scottie Borders, 61, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Borders faces a likely range of 33 to 41 months in prison, a fine of up to $150,000, and restitution.  The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A former government contractor executive pleaded guilty today to conspiring to make unlawful campaign contributions to a candidate for Congress and a political action committee (PAC), making unlawful campaign contributions, and causing the submission of false information to the Federal Election Commission.

According to court documents, Martin Kao, 48, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the owner of a defense contractor prohibited from making contributions in federal elections. Kao and his co-conspirators created a shell company, which they used to make an illegal contribution – using government contractor funds – to a PAC supporting the election of a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Kao also used family members as conduits to make illegal contributions to the campaign committee of the same candidate, and then reimbursed them for those donations using funds obtained from Kao’s company.

Kao is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023. He faces up to five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office and DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

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

WASHINGTON – A former government contractor executive pleaded guilty today to conspiring to make unlawful campaign contributions to a candidate for Congress and a political action committee (PAC), making unlawful campaign contributions, and causing the submission of false information to the Federal Election Commission.

            According to court documents, Martin Kao, 48, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the owner of a defense contractor prohibited from making contributions in federal elections. Kao and his co-conspirators created a shell company, which they used to make an illegal contribution – using government contractor funds – to a PAC supporting the election of a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Kao also used family members as conduits to make illegal contributions to the campaign committee of the same candidate, and then reimbursed them for those donations using funds obtained from Kao’s company.

            Kao is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023. He faces up to five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.

            The FBI Washington Field Office and DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are investigating the case.

            Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

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

            WASHINGTON—A District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DOC) Officer, an inmate at the facility, and an alleged supplier have been charged with facilitating bribes to bring prohibited items, including drugs, into the District’s Central Detention Facility (CDF). 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Tom Faust, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.

            The correctional officer, Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was arrested today and is charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, bribery, and smuggling.  Also charged by criminal complaint with the same offenses is Andre Gregory, 31, who is currently an incarcerated inmate at CDF awaiting trial.  A third individual, Keywaune McLeod, 27, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on Sept. 23, 2022.  Both Williams and McLeod made their initial court appearance today before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya.  Gregory’s initial appearance is expected in the coming days.

            The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            The charging documents allege that Williams was involved in a months-long smuggling operation with Gregory and McLeod in which she accepted money from Gregory’s family member, McLeod, to bring prohibited items—including drugs—into the D.C. jail for Gregory to use and distribute among inmates.  As alleged in the charging documents, before Williams was caught with drugs when entering CDF on Sept. 6, 2022, Gregory’s “short-term goal” was to make $100,000 in proceeds from distributing smuggled contraband in DOC.  

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the D.C. Department of Corrections’ Investigative Services Branch.  This case is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

 

Defendant Must Serve Five-Year Mandatory Minimum in Prison

            WASHINGTON – Deante Green, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years – five of which must be served in prison – on charges stemming from the shooting of two people outside a nightclub in the Dupont Circle area of Northwest Washington last summer, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Green pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. Following his prison term, Green will be placed on three years of supervised probation. He must also perform 90 hours of community service.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at approximately 10 p.m., Green accosted a man outside a nightclub in the 1200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, following a dispute over a double-booked table at the establishment. An altercation followed, and Green fired a gun twice at the man as the man was running away. One bullet hit the man in the left thigh. The second shot hit a woman who worked at a neighboring establishment who was not involved in the dispute. That victim was hit in the left arm. The gunshot shattered a bone, and she has lost some use of the arm and now has only partial use of her thumb. Green, who fled the scene, was arrested on July 8, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who prosecuted the matter.

            With our ever-increasing use of online platforms, scammers continue to develop new and innovative ways to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims in order to commit fraud and identity theft. Whenever you are online, please be on the lookout for anything that appears to be an effort to trick you into either directly providing your personal information or providing access to your online accounts so that scammers can pore through your data on their own. If despite your best efforts, you fall victim to one of these crimes, our Office is providing a list of helpful resources to use to try to contain the damage from the theft:

            https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/identity-theft-victim-resources

            In our efforts to pursue justice every day, our Office remains committed to devoting resources to the detection, investigation, and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law of those who try to steal personal information.

WASHINGTON – James Hutchings Jr., 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced today to five years in prison on a firearms trafficking conspiracy charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

            Hutchings was found guilty by a jury in May 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            The conspiracy underpinning the verdict and sentence began in 2018, when Hutchings helped facilitate the transfer of multiple firearms into the hands of a convicted felon and narcotics trafficker, Linwood Douglas Thorne, 50, of Washington, D.C. Hutchings worked with his firearms supplier, a straw purchaser named Kofi Appiah, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to help purchase the firearms in the state of Georgia and transport them into the District of Columbia.

            At trial, the government presented a myriad of digital evidence, showcasing the defendant’s involvement in the conspiracy, to include his purchase orders of firearms, his online payment process, and his extensive connections with Thorne’s enterprise. The jury quickly returned a guilty verdict based on the evidence.

            Appiah was previously sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment as a result of his role in this conspiracy, and Thorne awaits sentencing after a jury convicted him of his narcotics trafficking enterprise. Thorne faces up to life in prison.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case, including those from the ATF and FBI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Additionally, they commended the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, which assisted in the arrest of Appiah, in 2019.

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen, who indicted and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Frey, who tried the case alongside Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson. They also acknowledged the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Regan and Andrea Duvall, who assisted in the case.

WASHINGTON – An indictment was returned today charging Gerald Brevard III with a total of 17 charges, including first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, mayhem while armed, and multiple firearm offenses in the March 2022 attacks on three homeless men in Washington, D.C. 

            The indictment further alleges that the attacks were bias-related hate crimes on account of the victims' perceived or actual homelessness.

            The indictment, returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

            According to the indictment, between March 3 and March 9, 2022, Brevard, 31, attacked three men in Washington, D.C.  As alleged in the indictment, on March 3, 2022, he assaulted the first victim with a firearm with the intent to kill him.  On March 8, 2022, again, while armed with a firearm, Brevard assaulted the second victim with intent to kill him, the indictment alleges. Moreover, the indictment alleges the second victim suffered serious and permanent bodily injury.  Finally, according to the indictment, on March 9, 2022, Brevard shot and stabbed Morgan Holmes, 54, resulting in his death.  Brevard is to be arraigned on the charges on Oct. 18, 2022, at a hearing before the Honorable Robert Okun.

            As a result of the grand jury alleging the murder and assaults were bias-related hate crimes, the defendant may face up to 1 ½ times the maximum term of imprisonment for the murder and assaults if found guilty at trial.  In addition, the indictment charges Brevard with “aggravating circumstances,” finding that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. If aggravating circumstances are found by a jury at trial, Brevard faces a maximum of life imprisonment without the possibility of release on the murder charge.

            Brevard was arrested on March 15, 2022, in Washington, D.C., following a joint investigation of MPD, the New York City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the series of shootings targeting homeless men in Washington, D.C. and New York between March 3-12, 2022, that were preliminarily linked by firearms evidence.  He has been detained here ever since. The indictment only charges offenses committed in Washington, D.C. 

 

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

             In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, MPD Chief Robert Contee III, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the efforts of those who have investigated the case from the MPD, ATF, and the New York City Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the work of the many other agencies that have provided assistance.

            They commended the work of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez, Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Lashone Samuels, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell.  Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle D. Jackson and Sarah C. Santiago, who are investigating and prosecuting the case.

            WASHINGTON – Elias Eldabbagh, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for carrying out a scheme to steal more than $31 million under the CARES Act and laundering the proceeds of the crime. Eldabbagh succeeded in stealing $2,385,000 under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General.

            “This defendant shamelessly took advantage of a global health crisis to create his own get-rich scheme at the expense of the government’s COVID relief programs,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “He stole more than $2.3 million – and tried to collect many millions more – that was targeted for small businesses and employees struggling to get by. While others were suffering, this defendant was draining government money to purchase a Tesla, invest in speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and cover rent, hotels, dog boarding, and other personal expenses. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for these crimes and demonstrates our resolve to prosecuting those who cheat government programs.”

            “Elias Eldabbagh is facing the consequences of shamelessly stealing an identity and trying to steal tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money that the CARES Act provided for legitimate business owners and employees during a time of national crisis,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Waldon. “Although he succeeded in fraudulently receiving nearly $2.4 million to pursue an extravagant lifestyle, it was short lived due to the efforts of our IRS-CI special agents and law enforcement partners. IRS-CI will continue to root out and pursue COVID-19-related and other financial fraudsters to hold these criminals accountable.”

            “OIG relentlessly will pursue fraudsters that seek selfish gain from SBA programs intended to support American small business,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

            Eldabbagh pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to wire fraud and laundering the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Eldabbagh will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $2,452,050 in restitution. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of a Tesla and seized bank accounts, as well as a money judgment in the amount of $2,385,000.

            From July 2020 through May 2021, Eldabbagh used his company, Alias Systems, LLC, to fraudulently apply for at least 25 PPP loans totaling more than $30 million. He also submitted at least four false EIDL applications totaling $950,000. During the course of his scheme, Eldabbagh used a stolen identity to disguise the ownership of Alias Systems, LLC, and used the same stolen identity to submit the vast majority of the applications. In support of his fraudulent applications, Eldabbagh used stolen identities, stolen tax returns and stolen financial records from a Washington, D.C. consulting company. Eldabbagh fraudulently doctored the stolen documents to appear to be tax returns and payroll records of his company, Alias Systems, LLC. Eldabbagh successfully stole $2,385,000 from the PPP and EIDL programs.

            Eldabbagh wired the proceeds of his scheme to at least 13 separate bank and brokerage accounts and to purchase a Tesla Model 3. Eldabbagh then converted at least $288,000 of proceeds from fiat currency into multiple cryptocurrencies. Using fraud proceeds, Eldabbagh conducted over 2,000 transactions involving at least 43 different cryptocurrencies.

            Eldabbagh also used the money he stole to pay for rent, hotels, dog boarding, attorney fees, ride shares, electronics, and various personal expenses.

            In May 2021, IRS-CI executed seizure warrants on Eldabbagh’s bank accounts and investment accounts.  Eldabbagh proceeded to make multiple attempts to transfer seized funds prior to being thwarted by federal agents. As part of his plea agreement, Eldabbagh had agreed to forfeit the Tesla Model 3, the contents of 21 bank accounts, and he had agreed to liquidate his interest in the cryptocurrency obtained with proceeds and to remit the funds to the United States government.

            The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted in or around March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief that had been provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of billions in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

            An Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) is a Small Business Administration administered loan designed to provide assistance to small businesses that suffer substantial economic injury as a result of a declared disaster. An EIDL helped businesses meet necessary financial obligations that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. It provided relief from economic injury that the disaster caused and permitted businesses to maintain a reasonable working capital position during the period that the disaster affected.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Waldon, and Special Agent in Charge McCall-Brathwaite commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI and the SBA Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Goemaat of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, supported by Paralegal Specialist Mariela Andrade.

# #

            On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

            Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

 

WASHINGTON – Edward Brown, 60, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree (premeditated) murder while armed in the stabbing of a 71-year-old man in an apartment building in Northwest Washington.

            The verdict, returned in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            In addition to the murder charge, the jury found Brown guilty of a second count of second-degree murder while armed, arising from the same offense. Both charges also carry potential sentencing enhancements because the victim was a senior citizen. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2022.

            On the morning of Feb. 5, 2018, the Metropolitan Police Department was called to an apartment in the 2300 block of 11th Street NW for a report of an unconscious person. They discovered the victim, Michael Mahoney, inside his apartment, fatally stabbed in the neck. Brown, who was temporarily staying in the apartment, was the last person to be seen on video surveillance going into and out of the apartment before Mr. Mahoney’s body was discovered by his concerned and vigilant senior friends.

            Brown was arrested Feb. 27, 2018. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S Attorneys John Giovannelli, Sharon Donovan, Daniel Lenerz, and Jeffrey Wojcik; Paralegal Specialists Grazy Rivera, Kelly Blakeney, and Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce; Katina Adams-Washington, LaJune Thomas, and Nikiya Burnette of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim,  and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prava Palacharla and Monica Trigoso, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Puja Bhatia, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – A Maryland man has been extradited from Jamaica to the District of Columbia following his arrest for a murder that took place earlier this year in Georgetown, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Ranje Wade Chin Reynolds, 24, of Beltsville, Maryland, is charged with first-degree (premeditated) murder in the Jan. 31, 2022, slaying of Tarek Boothe, 27. Reynolds was arrested on Aug. 16, 2022, in Kingston Jamaica at the request of the United States on a warrant charging him with murder in the case. He made his initial appearance today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and was ordered held pending a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 3, 2022.

            Mr. Boothe, of Alexandria, Virginia, was shot at approximately 6:13 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2022, in the 3200 block of M Street NW. Both Mr. Boothe and Reynolds were on the sidewalk at the time of the shooting. Mr. Boothe was taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later from a gunshot wound to the head.

            Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs to secure the arrest and extradition of Reynolds to the United States.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalie Hynum, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera and Laura Bach, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            WASHINGTON—Louis “Joey” Mitchell III, a former employee of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS), was sentenced today to 34 months in prison 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, 50, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to bribery in May 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Following his prison term, Mitchell will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay a $61,250 forfeiture money judgment and $257,680 in restitution.

            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 for directing purchase orders to the contractor’s company and confirming delivery of and payment for goods that the company did not deliver.  In addition, Mitchell, the contractor, and the contract administrator made fraudulent charges on FEMS credit cards, payable to the contractor’s company, and then split the proceeds.

            As a result of the bribery scheme, FEMS paid the company approximately $250,000 for goods that never were delivered. Mitchell personally received at least $61,250 in bribes from the contractor.

            The FEMS contract administrator, Charity Keys, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to bribery and is to be sentenced on Dec. 2, 2022. In her guilty plea, Keys, 44, of Bowie, Maryland, admitted to a federal bribery charge receiving at least $42,500 in bribes.

            Law enforcement opened an investigation into the conduct after FEMS officials discovered procurement anomalies and referred the matter to the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General and the FBI for investigation. Mitchell and Keys were 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 Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

WASHINGTON – Salusthian Lutamila, the former Director of Finance of the Inter-American Development Bank – IIC Federal Credit Union, was sentenced today to 44 months in prison for an embezzlement scheme in which he stole $610,000 from the credit union.

            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 Criminal Division.

            Lutamila, 53, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was found guilty by a jury in May 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of 21 counts of bank fraud, theft by a credit union employee, wire fraud, and money laundering. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following his prison term, Lutamila will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, he is barred from working in finance or accounting. He also must pay $76,069 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

             According to the government’s evidence at trial, from November 2016 through April 2019, Lutamila worked at the credit union, first as the Controller and then as the Acting Chief Financial Officer.  Shortly after finding out that he was not being promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer, Lutamila began embezzling money from the credit union.  Specifically, beginning in November 2018 through January 2019, Lutamila stole $610,000. 

           Throughout the scheme, Lutamila abused and misused his position and employment at the credit union in order to illegally transfer money from internal operating accounts to a previously dormant checking account.  Lutamila then abused the authority granted to him as Acting CFO to secretly move that money to an E-Trade account he had opened at the beginning of the scheme.

            Lutamila then used the stolen money to pay off his car, increase the balance on his retirement account, and buy stocks.  Lutamila’s scheme was discovered only a few weeks before he was set to resign from the credit union when the newly hired CFO identified the fraudulent transfers.  Due to the quick actions by the newly hired CFO, the credit union was able to flag the fraud and get back most of the embezzled money.

           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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade and Michon Tart, and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas, who prosecuted the case. 

WASHINGTON – Andrew Cooper, 47, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of distribution of Fentanyl, admitting that he distributed the drug to customers from his residence in Northeast Washington. In the statement of facts in support of the plea agreement, Cooper admitted that he distributed Fentanyl to a female and her male friend, and that the male friend subsequently died from consuming the Fentanyl that Cooper provided.

            Cooper also admitted that he distributed approximately 30 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer over five separate transactions.

            The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Kevin Davis, Chief of the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department.

            Cooper pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2023, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 235-240 months in prison.

            As part of his plea agreement, Cooper acknowledged distributing Fentanyl from his residence in the 1900 block of Capitol Avenue NE, in the Ivy City neighborhood, from February to November of 2021.  On multiple occasions, from Feb. 11 to Feb. 16, 2021, he distributed Fentanyl to the female and her male friend, who then traveled to Virginia to consume the drug. On Feb. 16, 2021, the woman came to Cooper’s residence alone. Upon her return to Virginia, she discovered her male friend dead from an apparent overdose. He was in a bathroom, with a syringe containing Fentanyl nearby.

            Cooper was initially indicted in November 2021, after law enforcement completed five separate undercover purchases from August to October 2021. When Cooper was arrested on Nov. 10, 2021, law enforcement also executed a search warrant on his residence and recovered $74,430, which were proceeds from Cooper’s narcotics sales, a firearm, and additional narcotics, including Fentanyl. After gathering additional evidence, law enforcement was able to determine that Cooper’s Fentanyl distribution dated back until at least February 2021 and that his distribution resulted in the death of a male victim on Feb. 16, 2021.

            As part of its investigation, law enforcement also determined that Cooper maintained a bank account where he kept additional proceeds from his drug trafficking activities and obtained a seizure warrant, resulting in the seizure of an additional $32,650. As part of his plea agreement, Cooper acknowledged that the $74,430 seized from his home and the $32,650 seized from his bank account were drug proceeds and agreed to forfeit the money to the government.

            This case was 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 was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the DEA Washington Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Henek and Solomon Eppel, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

 

WASHINGTON – An indictment returned in the District of Columbia was unsealed today, charging Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, a Venezuelan national, also known as “Sebastian,” for his role in the armed hostage taking of a U.S. citizen in the Dominican Republic in July 2022.

            Rodriguez Delgado, 28, was arrested on Sept. 10, 2022, in the Dominican Republic by local authorities, and subsequently transferred into U.S. custody, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued in this matter, and he has since been detained.  He made his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and was ordered removed to the District of Columbia, where he will face prosecution on the filed indictment.

            Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office, made the announcement today.

            The indictment is related to the July 30, 2022, hostage taking and robbery of a U.S. citizen, who was on a temporary work assignment in the Dominican Republic.  In mid-July 2022, Rodriguez Delgado made contact with the victim using a dating App and later scheduled a dinner meeting on the pretense of a date.  On July 30, 2022, Rodriguez Delgado met the victim outside his hotel and picked him up in a vehicle.  While on the roadway, Rodriguez Delgado made an abrupt turn to a secluded area, where a second suspect quickly entered the rear of the vehicle and placed the victim in a head lock.  Rodriguez Delgado and the second suspect, both armed with knives, threatened the victim and demanded that he request a payment from friends and family to secure his safe release.  The victim, in fear for his life, complied with the demand, and ultimately obtained a payment from a family member.  Rodriguez Delgado and the suspect also stole personal items from victim, including his cell phone and ATM card.  The victim was released approximately two and half hours after being detained and after a ransom payment was made. 

            Charges in a complaint or indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with the assistance of the FBI Legal Attaché Office in the Dominican Republic, and with special thanks to the authorities in the Dominican Republic, including the Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana and the Special Division for the Investigation of International Organized Crime (DEICROI) of the National Police.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

WASHINGTON – Frederick Silvers, 57, of Washington, D.C., owner of Silvers Realty Management LLC, pleaded guilty today to a federal bribery charge, admitting that he paid a District of Columbia government employee in return for confidential information.

            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.

            Silvers pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2023.

            According to court papers, from July 2016 through June 2018, Silvers admitted to giving more than $2,000 in bribes to a program specialist with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development in exchange for confidential, un-redacted Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) offer of sale notices. TOPA provides tenants living in the District of Columbia with the right to purchase their residence should the owner decide to sell the property. Under TOPA, tenants are allowed to re-assign their right to purchase to a third party. TOPA requires the owner (seller) to provide the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development with offer of sale notices before the proposed real estate transaction.  The offer of sale notices include, among other things, information not released to the public, such as the names of tenants residing at the property.

            The D.C. government employee, Dawne Dorsey, 40, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to a federal bribery charge for related conduct.

            This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the D.C. Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

WASHINGTON – Azriel Echavarria, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 16 months in prison on a firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Echavarria pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2022, by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on years of supervised release.

            On March 10, 2022, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department observed as Echavarria broadcast live footage of himself on Instragram Live as he waved a gun around inside an apartment in the 800 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE. MPD officers placed Echavarria under arrest after he left the apartment and executed a search warrant to recover the firearm, a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. Police also recovered ammunition and drugs from the apartment, which was not Echavarria’s home or place of business. At the time of the offense, Echavarria was on probation for Maryland convictions of burglary and illegal gun possession. He has been held since his arrest.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. Valdivia, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

            WASHINGTON –Justin Q. Taylor, 23, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse for attacking a woman earlier this year at the Shaw-Howard University Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.

           Taylor pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Dec. 9, 2022, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr.

           According to the facts agreed to by both parties, in the early afternoon of Jan. 28, 2022, Taylor followed a woman down the escalator of the Metro station, in the 1800 block of Seventh Street NW. When they got to the bottom, he grabbed her without warning by the waist and pressed his pelvis against her buttocks as she struggled to get away.  The woman fought him off and screamed and Taylor ran back up the escalator and caught a Metro bus a short distance away.

            A Metro Transit Police Officer saw Taylor boarding the bus after hearing a description of the attacker.  That officer pulled the bus over, finding Taylor on board.  Taylor was brought back near the scene, where the victim identified him as the man who had just assaulted her.

            At the time of the offense, Taylor was on probation for a similar offense he committed in December 2018. In that case, he attacked a woman after the two had just gotten off a bus.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who handled the case from the Metro Transit Police Department.  He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan. 

            Finally, U.S. Attorney Graves commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case. 

WASHINGTON – Kirkland Shipley, 48, a former teacher and girls’ rowing coach at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced today to three years in prison for 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 on June 3, 2022, 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. He was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. Following his prison term, Shipley will be placed on two years of probation. He also 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 to 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.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate 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.

            WASHINGTON –Tyrone Williams, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 31 years in prison for 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 was found guilty by a jury on June 8, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury also found him guilty of attempted robbery of a senior citizen. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo to 30 years in prison on the murder charge and an additional year for committing the offense while on supervised release.  A two-year sentence for the attempted robbery runs concurrently with the other time. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release. At the time of the murder, he was on supervised release for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

            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 sentence, 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.

 

WASHINGTON – Jerome Alexander, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 11 ½ years for killing a man in December 2019 in a busy commercial shopping area in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Alexander pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 9½ to 14 years. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan accepted the plea and sentenced Alexander accordingly. Following his prison term, Alexander will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 19, 2019, shortly before 4 p.m., Alexander, armed with an illegal firearm, approached Richard Washington on a pedestrian-filled sidewalk in front of a variety store in the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. Mr. Washington had shopped inside the store and was walking back to his car in a parking lot. Alexander attempted to force Mr. Washington to give him his property. As Alexander walked towards him, Mr. Washington tried to walk away, but Alexander continued to follow him.

            Mr. Washington kept trying to create separation between himself and Alexander and told Alexander that he didn’t have anything. Alexander, however, continued to stalk Mr. Washington, who eventually swung his arm at Alexander, but his arm did not connect and thus, did not strike Alexander. Others on the street began to run away from the two as Alexander, with his right hand still in his right coat pocket, continued towards Mr. Washington. As Mr. Washington walked away from Alexander in front of the windows of the store, Alexander took out his firearm and shot Mr. Washington in the torso. Alexander then sprinted towards Benning Road NE, and fled. Shoppers and pedestrians ran in fear at the sound of the shooting, running across the busy intersection on Minnesota Avenue, and away from the perceived danger. Some stayed to call for help. Mr. Washington, 28, died from his injuries later that day.

            Alexander was arrested on Dec. 31, 2019. He has been detained ever since.

            Mr. Washington, at 6’8” in height, was known as Big Rich to his Morehouse College Football teammates, where in 2012 and 2013 he donned the number 74. To his family and friends, he was a gentle giant and beloved family member.

            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 Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Coronado and Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Carl Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend earlier this year in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Jones pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter and carrying a dangerous weapon. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of seven to nine years in prison. The Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2022.

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 27, 2022, at approximately 12:38 a.m., Jones went to the apartment of his girlfriend, Ladonia Boggs, in the 1500 block of Benning Road NE. Jones, who did not reside at the apartment, got into an altercation with Ms. Boggs over the death of their nearly two-month-old baby, which took place in May of 2021. During the altercation, he fatally stabbed Ms. Boggs with a knife. He then dragged her body to the front door of her apartment unit. Jones temporarily left the apartment at approximately 1:55 a.m. to throw a trash bag from the apartment into a nearby dumpster. Then, at approximately 2:52 a.m., he used Ms. Boggs’s cellphone to call 911, reporting that a male with a knife chased a woman into her house. Jones then left the apartment building before police officers arrived.

            Ms. Boggs, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene. Jones was arrested on April 27, 2022. He has been detained ever since.

            At the time of her death, Ms. Boggs was awaiting court proceedings following her indictment on a charge of tampering with physical evidence in the baby’s death. She was accused of disposing of the baby’s body in a dumpster. Ms. Boggs had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

            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 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 case.

WASHINGTON – Malik Thomas, 30, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals for retaliating against his romantic partner by beating her pet cat to the point of inflicting traumatic brain injury and a broken pelvis, among other injuries.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Chris Schindler, Vice President of Field Operations, Humane Rescue Alliance.

            Thomas pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Frederick H. Weisberg sentenced him to 150 days in jail.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 18, 2021, officers responded to an apartment in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street NW, based on reports of a domestic violence incident in progress. When officers arrived, they found Thomas hiding in a closet. He told police that he “killed” the cat to retaliate against his partner for locking him out of the apartment that his partner owned. Thomas admitted he picked the cat up by his neck and slammed him on a cement tile floor, before pouring old grease on the cat and throwing him in a trashcan.

            Police found the cat alive, but severely injured and unable to walk or stand. A veterinarian who examined the cat explained that he suffered fractures to his pelvis. The cat also suffered bleeding from the nose, hemorrhaging of the eye, effusion in the abdomen, and traumatic brain injury. The doctor explained that injuries of this severity are only typically found in animals who have been struck by a motor vehicle or have fallen from a great height. The cat later died.

            Thomas was arrested on the day of the incident.

            The Humane Rescue Alliance submitted a victim impact statement highlighting the studied link between animal abuse and domestic violence. In homes where there is domestic abuse, it’s not just the people who are at risk; animals are often targeted as well. Domestic violence victims concerned about the safety of their animals can have their service provider call the Humane Rescue Alliance 24/7 for help at 202-723-5730.

            In announcing the plea and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Contee, and Vice President Schindler commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Humane Rescue Alliance.

            They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sabrina Hudgens and the Litigation Technology Unit. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Monisha Rao, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein, who investigated the case.

WASHINGTON – Michael Terrell Roberson, 31, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.

            Roberson entered the guilty plea on Sept. 6, 2022, the day his trial was to begin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No sentencing date was set. Roberson faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime supervised release. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

            According to court documents, in September 2015, Roberson used his personal email account to distribute a video depicting the rape of a prepubescent child. Roberson distributed the video to a man who was previously prosecuted and who lived in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, in exchange for access to cloud storage accounts containing child pornography. For the next 14 months, they exchanged dozens of emails with log-in information for cloud storage accounts associated with child pornography and discussed their sexual interest in children.

            HSI discovered the online activity in 2019 after receiving a tip from the Norfolk, Virginia, Police Department. The police department had received a report from a citizen who stated that she discovered child pornography on her husband’s cellphone. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of Roberson’s communications. HSI agents were able to locate and interview Roberson, who admitted to communicating with the other man and sending him child pornography.

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

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Norfolk Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo, of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Miranda, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Gregory Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for killing a woman on Interstate 295 in February 2022 and for threatening a different woman with a gun in 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

          Johnson pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree murder, carrying a pistol without a license, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 13 ½ to 22 years. The Honorable Robert Okun accepted the plea and sentenced Johnson accordingly. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.

          According to the government’s evidence in the 2020 assault, Johnson messaged the victim, the mother of his infant child, on Aug. 31, 2020, stating that he wanted to see her. As the victim drove toward her house with their daughter in the backseat, Johnson followed in his vehicle. As they approached a narrow, residential street in Northeast Washington, Johnson swerved in front of her and forced her to stop. He then exited his vehicle, loaded a handgun, and pointed it at the victim, demanding that she give their daughter to him. The victim was able to maneuver her car away from Johnson and she fled to safety with the child.

            Separately, in the 2022 murder, Johnson picked up Passion Pleasant and drove with her down I-295 on the morning of Feb. 5, 2022. Johnson was wearing a GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his release in the previous assault case. At some point during the drive, Johnson produced a firearm and shot Ms. Pleasant five times in the chest, fatally wounding her. She left the vehicle and collapsed on the shoulder of the highway, where she was assisted by several passing motorists. Ms. Pleasant, 32, and a mother of six children, succumbed to her injuries on the highway and died a few minutes later.

            Johnson was arrested on the scene of the murder on Feb. 5, 2022. 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 Amy Trotto, Forensic Child Interview Specialist Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Robert Platt, Yasmin Emrani, and Eliot Folsom, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Kenneth Gaughan, 44, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for carrying out a series of financial schemes. In one, he embezzled more than $438,000 from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., where he was previously employed as Assistant Superintendent. In the other, he fraudulently obtained more than $2.1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Darrell Waldon, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region.

            Gaughan, who used the alias of Richard Strauski, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to three counts: one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in the PPP and EIDL case, and one count of wire fraud in the case involving the Archdiocese. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay restitution, and the amount will be determined at a later date.

            “For a decade, Kenneth Gaughan stole money meant to help needy people, businesses, and organizations, starting with a scheme defrauding his own employer and later looting government COVID-relief efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “He went to great lengths to conceive, carry out, and conceal his crimes.  Now, he will be facing the consequences of his greed with confinement in a federal prison.”

            “Kenneth Gaughan is facing the consequences for defrauding his employer for years and then enriching himself with taxpayer funds meant to help businesses and employees at a time of crisis,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Waldon. “Instead of enjoying his ill-gotten yacht, new car and home, he will now be serving his sentence in prison thanks to our IRS-CI and law enforcement partner investigators. We will continue to pursue CARES Act fraud and bring these criminals to justice.”

            “This sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable those who attempt to defraud pandemic-related assistance programs designed to aid businesses and employees in these challenging times,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sobocinski. “We will continue to collaborate with our partners to combat this self-serving type of fraud. I want to thank our partners at the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, for their efforts in bringing Kenneth Gaughan to justice.”

            “Those that commit fraud against SBA’s programs will be brought to justice and held accountable,” said SBA OIG’s Special Agent in Charge McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs every day. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

Scheme Involving the Archdiocese of Washington:

            In his guilty plea, Gaughan admitted defrauding the Archdiocese of Washington of more than $438,000.  Gaughan began working for the Archdiocese as its Director of Counseling in 2008 and was later promoted to Assistant Superintendent.  In his role, Gaughan was responsible for recruiting and acting as the point of contact for contractors who provided various services to the Archdiocese.  These included contractors that could help the Archdiocese implement anti-bullying, crisis intervention, and professional development programs at the approximately 95 Catholic schools overseen by the Archdiocese in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Gaughan also obtained invoices for services from contractors and provided those invoices, along with requests for payment and supporting documentation, to his superiors for approval.

            Beginning in at least June 2010 and continuing through April 2018, Gaughan caused the Archdiocese to pay invoices manufactured by Gaughan purportedly for anti-bullying and crisis intervention programs, as well as for software used to send mass messages to Archdiocese students and families.  To execute the scheme, Gaughan concealed his ownership and control of three companies, including by submitting forms using an alias.  Gaughan then transmitted fraudulent invoices for these companies and persuaded the Archdiocese to issue checks for services that Gaughan knew the companies did not provide as represented.  Gaughan opened virtual and private mailboxes to receive the checks issued to pay for the fraudulent invoices. He deposited the checks into the bank accounts he controlled and converted the money to his personal use. 

Scheme Involving Government Programs:

            According to court documents, Gaughan subsequently carried out his scheme targeting federal funds from at least March 2020 through August 2020. The PPP loans were created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These forgivable loans were to be used by businesses and organizations for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The EIDL loans, part of a program run by the Small Business Administration, also were designed to help businesses and organizations facing hardship.

            In Gaughan’s case, he used funds from the two programs, in part, to purchase a $300,000 yacht, a $1.13 million rowhouse, and a $46,000 luxury sports sedan. 

            According to the government’s evidence, in the course of his scheme, Gaughan sought over $2.7 million in PPP loans on behalf of nine companies.  Some of the applications were submitted in his own name, and others were in the name of another individual.  Gaughan received approximately $2.1 million in PPP and EIDL funds through applications to SBA lenders for the companies, which falsely purport to register emotional support animals.  Gaughan made false representations to receive the loan funds, including forged paperwork and bank records.

            Gaughan then used a portion of the loan proceeds to purchase a 2020 Cruisers Yachts 338 CX 33-foot watercraft, a 2020 Kia Stinger, and a rowhouse in Northeast Washington. 

            Gaughan was arrested in both cases on Aug. 11, 2020.

            At the time of Gaughan’s arrest, the government obtained a warrant authorizing the seizure of the yacht, the Kia Stinger, Gaughan’s investment account, and Gaughan’s bank accounts.  The government also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the home Gaughan purchased with his fraudulently obtained proceeds. Additionally, the government filed a lis pendens on that property to give proper notice of the forfeiture litigation and to prevent the sale of the property prior to the resolution of this case.

            The matter involving the Archdiocese of Washington was investigated by the FBI.  The PPP and EIDL matters were investigated by the IRS-CI, FBI, and SBA-OIG. 

            The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Bernstein, formerly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.  They were supported by Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart and Quiana Dunn-Gordon, Victim-Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.  The seizure and forfeiture matters were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind Lal, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Grisier, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Brantley, and Senior Attorney Advisor James S. Alexander of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.

# #

            On May 17, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

            Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

WASHINGTON – Barry Marable, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for firing a gun in a busy area of Northeast Washington and fatally wounding a 22-year-old man whose car was stopped at a traffic light.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Marable pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Neal E. Kravitz. Following his prison term, Marable will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Oct 24, 2018, just before 6 p.m., the victim, Roger Thomson Marmet, known as Tom to his family and friends, was driving home from a job with the non-profit So Others Might Eat (SOME). Mr. Marmet was driving down 17th Street NE and stopped for a light at 17th and Bladensburg Road NE.

            Marable, meanwhile, was in the same area. He saw a man at a nearby gas station who he believed had assaulted him about one week earlier. Marable removed a firearm from his pocket and pointed it towards the gas station. He fired four times from an alley – with two sidewalks and four lanes of traffic between him and the other man, who was unarmed. One of these shots struck Mr. Marmet, who died less than an hour later. No one else was hit by the gunfire.

            Marable was arrested on Dec. 28, 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 also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Deputy Chief Sharon Donovan, of the Office’s Homicide Section, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert, Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Gauri Gopal, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – The former Chief Executive Officer of Souktel, Inc., Jacob Korenblum, has agreed to pay the United States $100,000 to resolve allegations that he knowingly caused employees of the company to submit false claims to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in Souktel’s performance of grants and contracts to provide customized technology platforms on aid projects in developing countries. 

           The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Vanessa Freeman for the USAID Office of Inspector General.

           “Companies and individuals that do business with the federal government have a responsibility to have controls in place to prevent overbilling and charge only for the work that is actually performed,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This case underscores our resolve to work with USAID and other partners to promote accountability and protect taxpayers’ money.  It also underscores that companies that discover and disclose their wrongdoing and cooperate in the government’s investigation will be in a far better position than those that fail to disclose their wrongdoing.”

            “USAID-funded organizations must ensure that invoices submitted to the government for payment reflect actual work performed on a project,” said USAID OIG Special Agent in Charge Freeman.  “USAID OIG, using its global investigative resources, will continue to work with the Department of Justice to hold accountable those who compromise the integrity of important U.S. foreign assistance programs.” 

            Souktel was a digital consulting firm based in Delaware, with offices in Washington, D.C., Toronto, Canada, and Ramallah, West Bank. Beginning in 2013, the firm was awarded USAID-funded sub-grants and sub-contracts to design and build software programs for mobile phones, used to reach aid workers and beneficiaries in developing countries. In 2019, Souktel self-disclosed to USAID OIG that it had made significant overbillings to USAID prime implementers on several of its projects. The company dissolved in 2021.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and USAID OIG determined that between February 2014 and January 2017, Souktel submitted at least 55 invoices that contained false or speculative labor hours for its staff. Specifically, despite being under cost-reimbursement awards and required to bill USAID only for labor hours incurred, Souktel, at the direction of its CEO, Jacob Korenblum, submitted fabricated timesheets to five prime awardees to support false or speculative labor hours of its staff while working on USAID-funded projects. 

            Korenblum cooperated with the investigation and agreed to settle the matter prior to a determination of liability in a civil case. Under the settlement agreement, he agreed to pay $100,000 on top of slightly more than $90,000 that Souktel paid as reimbursement to USAID after its self-disclosure.

           The investigation in this matter was conducted by USAID OIG and Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Brian Foster, 40, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing a man in Southeast Washington while the victim sat in his car, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Foster pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 14 years in prison. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 28, 2022, by the Honorable Rainey R. Brandt. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 18, 2021, at approximately 12:40 p.m., the victim, Anthony Mitchell, 44, parked his car in the 3700 block of First Street SE. Shortly thereafter, Foster and two friends got into a nearby car and started smoking marijuana and PCP while listening to music.  After about eight minutes, Foster got out of the car, walked over to where Mr. Mitchell sat in his car on First Street, pulled out a handgun, and, at around 12:58 p.m., shot Mr. Mitchell twice, through the closed door of Mr. Mitchell’s car. The shots hit Mr. Mitchell in the left side of his face and in his left arm, left lung, and spine, killing him.  Foster then walked back to his own car, got in, and drove away, passing Mr. Mitchell’s car on the way.

           Foster was arrested on Oct. 26, 2021.  He has been in custody ever since.

           In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman and Deputy Chief Laura Bach of the Homicide Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON –Matthew Stitt-Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances for abusing three minor children.

            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).

            Stitt-Johnson pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2023. Stitt-Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 68 ½ years.

            According to the government’s evidence, Stitt-Johnson sexually abused three children, an eight-year-old, a five-year-old, and an eight-month-old infant, between 2015 and 2020. Stitt-Johnson took videos of his sexual abuse of the five-year-old child and the eight-month-old infant. While the five-year-old and her sister reported the abuse to their mother, the abuse was not reported to law enforcement agencies. In 2021, law enforcement officers received a tip that Stitt-Johnson downloaded child pornography from a cloud-based service and subsequently executed a search warrant on his home, recovering two cell phones belonging to Stitt-Johnson.

            Videos depicting the sexual abuse of the five-year-old victim and eight-month-old victim were discovered in his cell phones, along with 13,000 images of child pornography. Stitt-Johnson distributed the images of his sexual abuse of children in Internet forums dedicated to trading child pornography, particularly trading images of the rape and torture of infants and toddlers, and actively sought out and distributed other child pornography images over a two-year period.

            Stitt-Johnson was arrested on Dec. 17, 2021. He has been in custody since.

            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 plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division (YFSD), Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.  They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Daniel Haines, Victim/Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Janani Iyengar.

 

WASHINGTON – Taheed Ebron, 21, and Nathan Coleman, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for kidnapping two men at gunpoint over a five-day period in August 2021 and using blindfolds and zip ties to restrain their victims.

            The announcement was made today 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).

            Both defendants pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of armed kidnapping. Ebron also pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in a separate firearm case. The guilty pleas were contingent upon the Court’s approval. Ebron’s plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison, and Coleman’s plea called for eight to 10 years in prison.

            The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Ebron was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. Coleman was sentenced on June 24, 2022, to a 9 ½-year prison term. Following completion of their prison terms, Ebron and Coleman each will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 24, 2021, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped a man at gunpoint while he was walking home in the 1300 block of Corcoran Street NW. The defendants pulled the man’s COVID face mask over his eyes as a blindfold and forced him into the rear of Ebron’s silver Nissan Rogue SUV. They demanded that he turn over his cellphone, credit and debit cards, and personal identification numbers (PINs). The defendants then drove the man to multiple ATM locations and used his financial cards to withdraw more than $1,400 from his accounts. They also used the man’s cards and cellphone to make a series of purchases and transactions, including a $1,200 PayPal transfer. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the SUV, forcing him to lay face down on the ground in an alley before driving away. 

            Just days later, on Aug. 28, 2021, at approximately 3:45 a.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped another man at gunpoint near the intersection of 13th and E Streets NE while he was riding an electric scooter on the way to work. After seeing the man, Ebron parked his silver Nissan Rogue SUV in the intersection, and Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator exited the vehicle. The defendants ran toward the man and caught and threw him to the ground. They then hooded him using a drawstring bag and restrained his hands with zip ties that Ebron and Coleman had purchased the previous day. The defendants forced the man  into the SUV and demanded his wallet, cellphone, and PINs. They drove him to an ATM and withdrew more than $1,000 from his bank account. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the vehicle, instructing him to run straight ahead and not look back or else be shot. The defendants then used his debit card to make a series of purchases and withdrawals.

            A joint MPD and FBI investigation led to Coleman’s arrest on Sept. 6, 2021, and Ebron’s arrest the following day.  Both have been in custody since their arrests.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from MPD’s Special Investigation Section and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews, and Victim/Witness Specialists Christina Bloodworth and Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Mary L. Dohrmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – A 46-year-old man, formerly of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and other charges stemming from sexual abuse that he committed against a minor girl in the District of Columbia and Maryland over more than two years.  The victim was between the ages of 13 and 15 years old at the time.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron of the District of Maryland, State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division

            The defendant, who is not named here to protect the privacy of the victim, pleaded guilty in November 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and second-degree child sexual abuse, with aggravating circumstances.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for life. He also must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

            In a related case, involving the same victim, the defendant pleaded guilty in June 2022 in Prince George’s County to second-degree rape.  He was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for that offense. 

            The defendant admitted to sexually abusing a teenage girl, and recording it on a cellphone, but claimed that he was only doing so to “train” the victim to fight off would-be rapists. More than 200 such images and videos were discovered on the defendant’s cellphones. Additionally, when law enforcement took the defendant into custody on March 23, 2020, the victim disclosed that he had raped her earlier that day. He has been in custody ever since.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The FBI 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. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office.

            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.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy E. Larson and Angela Buckner of the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth G. Wright and Timothy F. Hagan of the District of Maryland, and Assistant State’s Attorney Niki Holmes, formerly of the State’s Attorney’s Office for Prince George’s County. Assistance was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.

 

WASHINGTON – A former senior executive for a defense contractor pleaded guilty in the District of Columbua today to tax evasion.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2013 through 2015, Zachary A. Friedman, of New York, New York, worked in the United Arab Emirates as a senior executive for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company. From 2013 to 2015 Friedman evaded taxes he owed to the IRS by providing false information to his tax preparer that underreported the income he earned for each of those years. In total, Friedman concealed approximately $530,000 in income, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $207,000.

            Friedman is the fourth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires (February 2022), James Robar (March 2022), and Ronald Thomas (April 2022) all pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

            Friedman is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

            IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States.

            Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Sarah Ranney and Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Officer Philip Dupree, 38, formerly of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in Maryland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating a man’s civil rights and obstruction of justice. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves of the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

            The indictment alleges that during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. Dupree allegedly detained a man identified as T.S. and then deployed pepper spray in an unreasonable use of force against him. Dupree allegedly obstructed justice by submitting a probable cause statement that offered a false justification for his use of force on T.S.

           The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Dupree faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his alleged use of unreasonable force. The obstruction of justice charge carries with it a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            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 Kathryn Rakoczy of the District of Columbia.

            The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

            WASHINGTON –Christopher Young, 31, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and second-degree child sexual abuse for abusing a minor child, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Young pleaded guilty on Aug. 23, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2022.

            According to the government’s evidence, Young, pretending to be a young girl, reached out to the victim, a 10-year-old child, in June 2019 through a messaging application. In the messages that Young exchanged with the victim, he blackmailed her for the purpose of sexually abusing her. While pretending to be a young girl, Young messaged the victim, stating that if the victim did not engage in sexual acts with Young, embarrassing photographs of the victim would be disseminated to the victim’s family. Young also photographed his sexual abuse of the victim. One of these photographs was recovered from Young’s e-mail account.

            The victim reported the abuse to her mother, and Young was arrested on July 23, 2019. He has been in custody since his arrest.

            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 plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigation Division, Human Trafficking Unit.  They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jodi Lazarus, Kathleen Kern, Rachel Bohlen, and Janani Iyengar.

 

WASHINGTON – Delante R. Pierce, 36, who had no fixed address, pleaded guilty today to felony charges stemming from two break-ins in Northwest Washington last fall, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Pierce pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of second-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2022.  The charges carry a statutory minimum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and/or a $50,000 fine.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2021, Veterans Day, shortly after 6 a.m., Pierce entered a restricted area of a hotel in the 1200 block of 22nd Street NW, and stole, among other things, a tool kit. Pierce then entered an occupied residence in the 2100 block of N Street NW. The resident was awakened from his sleep and discovered Pierce standing in his bedroom.  Pierce initially claimed he was there to fix a sink, but he then fled the residence with the victim’s Apple Watch and other possessions. He left behind the items he had just stolen from the hotel.  A short time later, police were able to locate Pierce in the Adams Morgan neighborhood by tracking the victim’s Apple Watch. Pierce abandoned bags containing the victim’s property and fled the police, but he was quickly apprehended. After being identified by the victim, Pierce was placed under arrest. He has remained in custody ever since.

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

WASHINGTON – Latonja Dashawn Carrera, also known as Latonja Dashawn Martin, 46, of Camp Springs, Maryland, has been indicted on two felony counts and three misdemeanor counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person.

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

            The indictment was returned on Aug. 17, 2022, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. According to court documents, Carrera was the Administrator for a Mental Health Community Residential Facility (MH-CRF) in Southeast Washington, licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health.  As alleged in court documents, beginning in January 2019, Carrera used the bank account of a MH-CRF resident – a veteran who at the time was 73 years old – to pay for her own personal utility and credit card bills.

            In total, Carrera is accused of completing five fraudulent transactions in January and February of 2019 in the amount of $3,090.14 using the veteran’s account, whose sole sources of income were benefits from the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs.

            Carrera was arrested in December 2020.

            Carrera is scheduled to be arraigned before the Honorable Judge Michael K. O’Keefe on Aug. 24, 2022.  An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

WASHINGTON – Tyrone Edmondson, 49, who had no fixed address, was sentenced today to a five-year prison term on charges stemming from a series of break-ins in Northwest Washington last fall, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Edmondson pleaded guilty in May 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary.  The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a five-year prison term.  The Honorable William W. Nooter accepted the plea today and sentenced Edmondson accordingly.  Following his prison term, Edmondson will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on August 11, 2021, shortly after 6:00 a.m., Edmondson entered an occupied home in the 1500 block of Park Road NW through its kitchen window.  The resident was awoken by the noise of Edmondson inside his home and called the Metropolitan Police Department.  Edmondson sought to take memorabilia and household items, but was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police Department in the home’s entryway.  Edmondson was arrested and charged for this offense but was released on his personal recognizance over the government’s objection.  On October 21, 2021, between approximately 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., Edmondson entered a garage appurtenant to a home in the 3600 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW.  Edmondson took a large number of household goods, which surveillance footage shows he pushed away in a shopping cart.

            Edmonson returned to the home in the 3600 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW shortly after 2:00 a.m. on November 3, 2021.  The residents were alerted to Edmondson’s presence in their backyard by a surveillance camera and called the Metropolitan Police Department.  Edmondson was arrested by responding officers and has remained in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the cases 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.  Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.

 

Note: A video statement from Department officials is available here.

An Iranian national and member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was charged by complaint, unsealed today in the District of Columbia, with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and with providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot.

According to court documents, beginning in October 2021, Shahram Poursafi, aka Mehdi Rezayi, 45, of Tehran, Iran, attempted to arrange the murder of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, likely in retaliation for the January 2020 death of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF) commander Qasem Soleimani. Poursafi, working on behalf of the IRGC-QF, attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington, D.C. or Maryland.

“The Justice Department has the solemn duty to defend our citizens from hostile governments who seek to hurt or kill them,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This is not the first time we have uncovered Iranian plots to exact revenge against individuals on U.S. soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt every one of these efforts.”

“Iran has a history of plotting to assassinate individuals in the U.S. it deems a threat, but the U.S. Government has a longer history of holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our citizens,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Let there be no doubt: The FBI, the U.S. government, and our partners remain vigilant in the fight against such threats here in the U.S. and overseas.”

“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, through the Defendant, tried to hatch a brazen plot: assassinate a former U.S. official on U.S. soil in retaliation for U.S. actions,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Iran and other hostile governments should understand that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to thwart their violent plots and bring those responsible to justice.”

“An attempted assassination of a former U.S. Government official on U.S. soil is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to identify and disrupt any efforts by Iran or any hostile government seeking to bring harm or death to U.S. persons at home or abroad. This should serve as a warning to any others attempting to do the same – the FBI will be relentless in our efforts to identify, stop, and bring to justice those who would threaten our people and violate our laws.”

According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2021, Poursafi asked Individual A, a U.S. resident whom Poursafi previously met online, to take photographs of the former National Security Advisor, claiming the photographs were for a book Poursafi was writing. Individual A told Poursafi that he/she could introduce Poursafi to another person who would take the pictures for $5,000-$10,000. Individual A later introduced Poursafi to an associate (referred to in court documents as the confidential human source or CHS).

On Nov. 9, 2021, Poursafi contacted the CHS on an encrypted messaging application, and then directed the CHS to a second encrypted messaging application for further communications. Poursafi offered the CHS $250,000 to hire someone to “eliminate” the former National Security Advisor. This amount would later be negotiated up to $300,000. Poursafi added that he had an additional “job,” for which he would pay $1 million. 

Poursafi directed the CHS to open a cryptocurrency account to facilitate payment, but stipulated that the CHS would likely have to carry out the murder before he/she could be paid. He further explained to the CHS that if he/she was paid and the murder was not completed, Poursafi’s “group” would be angry. A later search of one of Poursafi’s online accounts revealed pictures of Poursafi wearing a uniform with an IRGC patch. During their communications, the CHS made several references to Poursafi being associated with IRGC-QF. Poursafi never denied his involvement with IRGC-QF. 

On Nov. 14, 2021, the CHS asked Poursafi for help locating the former National Security Advisor. Poursafi subsequently provided the CHS with the target’s work address in Washington, D.C. According to results from the search of one of Poursafi’s online accounts, on Nov. 25, 2021, Poursafi took screenshots of a map application showing a street view of the former National Security Advisor’s office. One screenshot noted that the address was “10,162 km away,” which is the approximate distance between Washington, D.C. and Tehran, Iran.    

On Nov. 19, 2021, Poursafi told the CHS that it did not matter how the murder was carried out, but his “group” would require video confirmation of the target’s death. The CHS asked Poursafi what would happen if the killing was attributed to Iran. Poursafi told the CHS not to worry and that Poursafi’s “group” would take care of it. 

Poursafi also advised the CHS to communicate about the plot in construction and building terms.  For example, when the CHS asked Poursafi to specify how the murder was to be carried out, Poursafi told the CHS that he only asked the CHS to build a structure, but the method of construction was up to the CHS. 

On Dec. 22, 2021, Poursafi sent the CHS a photograph of two plastic bags, each of which appeared to contain bound stacks of U.S. currency and a handwritten note beneath them that said, “[CHS’s name] 22.12.2021”. 

On Dec. 29, 2021, Poursafi asked the CHS when the murder would be carried out and informed the CHS that his “group” wanted it done quickly. 

On Jan. 3, 2022, Poursafi noted he was under pressure from “his people” to complete the murder and that Poursafi had to report any delays. The CHS asked Poursafi how many people were involved. Poursafi told the CHS that he only had to report to one person, but that there was a chain of command to whom his superior reported. That same day, Poursafi expressed regret that the murder would not be conducted by the anniversary of Qasem Soleimani’s death. He stated he was concerned that if it was not carried out soon, the job would be taken from Poursafi and the CHS. Poursafi counseled the CHS that if he/she used a “small weapon,” he/she would have to get close to the target, but if he/she used a “larger weapon,” he/she could stay farther away. 

On Jan. 18, 2022, the CHS sent Poursafi publicly available information that suggested the former National Security Advisor might be travelling out of the Washington, D.C., area during the time Poursafi indicated he would like the CHS to carry out the murder. Poursafi told the CHS that he needed to “check something.” Within an hour, he told the CHS that the target was, in fact, not travelling. He then provided the CHS with specifics regarding the former National Security Advisor’s schedule that do not appear to have been publicly available.      

On Jan. 21, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS that after successful completion of the first “job,” he had a second “job” for the CHS and informed the CHS that surveillance of the second target was complete. Poursafi said the information was gathered “from the United States,” not “via Google,” indicating someone working on behalf of the IRGC-QF had already conducted pre-operational surveillance on the second target in the United States.

On Feb. 1, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS that if he/she did not eliminate the target within two weeks, the job would be taken from the CHS. He also informed the CHS that someone checked the area around the former National Security Advisor’s home, and he believed there was not a security presence, so the CHS should be able to “finish the job.”

On March 10, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS he had another assassination job for the CHS in the United States, but to “keep [the former National Security Advisor] in the back of your mind.” Approximately one month later, Poursafi encouraged the CHS to accept this offer, explaining that if it was done successfully, Poursafi would be able to ingratiate himself with his “group” and regain the tasking to murder the former National Security Advisor. 

On April 28, 2022, the CHS told Poursafi that he/she would not continue to work without being paid. Poursafi agreed to send the CHS $100 in cryptocurrency to a virtual wallet the CHS created earlier that day, to prove payment could be made. Later that day, the cryptocurrency wallet received two payments totaling $100.

If convicted, Poursafi faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, and up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot. Poursafi remains at large abroad.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough provided assistance in the case.