District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Donnell Owens, a former employee of the American Federation of Government Employees, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for an embezzlement scheme in which he stole more than $270,000 from the labor union.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Mark Wheeler, Director of the Washington District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.

            Owens, 34, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Owens will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $273,745 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

            According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Owens, from October 2014 through June 2018, Owens worked as a Secretary to the Director of Communications at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. which represents workers in various functions of the private sector and the government affecting commerce throughout the United States and overseas.  During this period, Owens embezzled more than $270,000 in AFGE funds for his use and the use of others. 

            As detailed in court documents, throughout the scheme Owens abused and misused his position and employment at AFGE in order to seek and obtain illegal monetary gains at the expense of the labor organization.  For example, Owens submitted false and fraudulent check requests for payments related to services, such as photography and videography, that were purportedly provided by alleged vendors.  As a result of these submissions, AFGE funds were subsequently disbursed.  These check requests listed fictitious dollar amounts for fake work assignments supposedly performed by vendors, who were not actually hired by AFGE.  In fact, the purported vendors who allegedly performed the fake work assignments were really friends and associates of Owens, who he recruited as part of his illegal scheme. 

            As Secretary to the Director of Communications, Owens also had access to an Amazon account and a union credit card linked to it. During the scheme, Owens also used this account and linked credit card to embezzle items and make dozens of unauthorized personal purchases, including clothing, shoes, jewelry, and party supplies.  Additionally, Owens used union credit cards to purchase items from other online retailers for personal use, including T-shirts for his online business, microphones, and flowers. 

            To avoid detection and cover up the fraud, Owens provided falsified signatures, fraudulent expense vouchers, and altered receipts for these items.  However, the investigation revealed photos of Owens, his family members, and associates wearing the clothing purchased on Amazon with the union credit card on social media accounts belonging to the defendant. 

            This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller and Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Mariela Andrade.

            WASHINGTON – Tavon Davis, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for fatally beating a man in June 2017 and, in a separate offense, stabbing an inmate in the neck at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Davis pleaded guilty in July 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 9 ½ to 14 years. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and, on May 20, 2022, sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 28, 2017, Davis killed the victim, Michael Vest, on the porch of a residence in the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue NE, using a wooden object to strike him in the head multiple times. Police were called at approximately 8 a.m., and Mr. Vest, 29, was discovered slumped in a chair. He was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma.

            Davis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on June 30, 2017. He was held at the D.C. Jail while awaiting trial. On July 3, 2020, according to the government’s evidence, he stabbed another inmate in the neck using a homemade knife. The victim attempted to shield himself with his hands, and, as a result, his arms also were injured.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON –Robert Dean, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for fatally stabbing a woman with a screwdriver in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Dean was found guilty by a jury in November 2021 of second-degree murder while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 31, 2018, shortly before 5:04 p.m., Dean stabbed his former girlfriend, Tamiya White, 38, at her parking lot in the 1000 block of Mount Oliver Road NE before she drove herself to the local McDonalds to seek help. Ms. White’s two children were in the apartment at the time.

            Dean was arrested on April 5, 2018. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Bode Forensics and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST).  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Emma McArthur and Eric Hansford; Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Paralegal Specialists Grazy Rivera and Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Litigation Technology Specialist Taylor Davis; Forensic Child Interviewers Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias; Intern Lauren Rogers, and teams from the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit and the Litigation Technology Unit.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso and George A. Pace, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Daquon Wood, 29, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

            Wood is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.

            Wood, who utilized the street nickname “Fly Quon,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Wood admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Wood was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Wood will be placed on four years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Wood and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of the District of Columbia  – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. 

            As part of his role in the conspiracy, Wood distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory.  Wood encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and, as part of the conspiracy possessed and trafficked in fully automatic machineguns – including “giggle switch” devices which convert semi-automatic Glock-style handguns to be capable of fully automatic fire. As part of his sentence, Wood agreed to forfeit an ARMSCOR AK 22 rifle that was seized from a hiding spot or “trap” that he maintained.

            Wood was arrested on May 5, 2021. He has been detained ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with help from former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Vaillancourt and Christopher Berridge.

The Department of Justice today filed a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to compel Stephen A. Wynn, a U.S. businessperson and hotelier who previously served as the CEO of Wynn Resorts, to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as the agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a senior official of the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Wynn was advised to register as an agent by the department but declined to do so.

“The filing of this suit – the first affirmative civil lawsuit under FARA in more than three decades – demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring transparency in our democratic system,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Where a foreign government uses an American as its agent to influence policy decisions in the United States, FARA gives the American people a right to know.”

According to the complaint, from at least June 2017 through at least August 2017, Wynn contacted the then-President and members of his administration to convey the PRC’s request to cancel the visa or otherwise remove from the United States a Chinese businessperson who left China in 2014, was later charged with corruption by the PRC and sought political asylum in the United States. Wynn engaged in these efforts at the request of Sun Lijun, then-Vice Minister of the MPS. Wynn conveyed the request directly to the then-President over dinner and by phone, and he had multiple discussions with the then-President and senior officials at the White House and National Security Council about organizing a meeting with Sun and other PRC government officials.

During the time that he engaged in this conduct, Wynn’s company owned and operated casinos in Macau, a special administrative region in the PRC. The department alleges that Wynn acted at the request of the PRC out of a desire to protect his business interests in Macau.

This enforcement action is being handled by the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division. Trial Attorney Nathan Swinton is litigating the case.

WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and first-degree child sexual abuse of a minor, with aggravating circumstances.

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

            Christopher Ham, 48, of Largo, Maryland, pleaded guilty in December 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Ham will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender for life. 

            According to the government's evidence, Ham was identified during a law enforcement investigation into the sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl. Ham entered into a relationship with a woman who resided in the District of Columbia, and who had access to the little girl. In October of 2019, he traveled from Maryland into the District of Columbia, where he took advantage of this relationship to sexually abuse the child.

            Ham was arrested on April 6, 2021, and he has remained in custody.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

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

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Michael Drummond, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a scheme in which Wells Fargo Bank customers lost $124,000 from their accounts. According to the government’s evidence, the participants in the scheme attempted to steal another $80,000 from the bank’s customers, but the bank detected that fraud and stopped the loss. 

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

            Drummond pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, he will be required to pay $124,000 in restitution. He also must pay $124,000 in a forfeiture money judgment.

            In entering his plea, Drummond admitted to orchestrating a scheme that was carried out in 2017 in which Drummond recruited bank employees who would make unauthorized withdrawals from Wells Fargo customer accounts.  The bank employees used the bank’s internal systems to check the account balances of customers without the customer’s knowledge.  Those employees then told Drummond the customer’s name and account balance. 

            Drummond then sent another accomplice into the bank to pose as the customer and to withdraw the funds, unbeknownst to the actual customer.  The conspirators used this scheme to steal $124,000 in cash and an $80,000 cashier’s check from two of the bank’s customers.  Although Wells Fargo was able to detect the theft and stop payment of the $80,000 cashier’s check, Wells Fargo incurred losses on behalf of its customers for the $124,000 in cash that Drummond and others stole. 

            Another conspirator, Tiara Langston, 30, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, entered a guilty plea in November 2020 to related charges and was sentenced in March 2021 to a 15-month prison term.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the work of those who are handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert, who is prosecuting the matter.

            WASHINGTON –An Ohio man, a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to a 30-year prison term on a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.

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

            Joshua McCarty, 38, of Mansfield, Ohio, pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, McCarty will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images that he distributed. McCarty also must register as a sex offender following his release from prison. 

            According to the government’s evidence, in July of 2019, a mere two months after being released from prison after serving five years for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, McCarty used a mobile messaging application to communicate with an individual who he believed was a father with access to young children. McCarty distributed links containing over 1.8 gigabytes of images and videos, depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. During his communications with this individual, McCarty sent a photo depicting his sex offender registration profile in Ohio.

            McCarty was arrested on July 19, 2019, and he has remained in custody.

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

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

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Walter Parker, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Parker was found guilty by a jury in February 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of illegal possession of a weapon by a felon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Parker will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            On April 10, 2019, at about 6 p.m., an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department observed Parker take a gun out of his waistband and put it inside a dumpster outside of an apartment building in the 3600 block of Hayes Street NE.  After discarding the loaded gun, Parker then ran from officers.  The firearm was recovered and determined to be a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber and 11 in the magazine.

            At the time of this offense, Parker was on probation on a Maryland charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon. He also had prior convictions in the District of Columbia for robbery and fleeing a law enforcement officer.

            Following his arrest in this case, Parker was placed on pre-trial release. However, he failed to abide by conditions of release and was ordered to surrender in May 2020. He did not surrender or return to Court until he was arrested in August 2020 on unrelated charges. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Berridge and Jeffrey Poulin, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Paralegal Specialists Kate Abrey, Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Genevieve de Guzman, Donville Drummond, and Rhonda Richardson.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary L. Dohrmann and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily (Meg) Ariotti, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Victor Davis, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 74 months in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

            Davis is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.

            Davis, who utilized the street nickname “Wee,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Davis admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Davis was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Davis will be placed on four years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Davis and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals.  As part of his role in the conspiracy, Davis distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory. 

            Davis encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and admitted to having participated in shootings in defense of the co-conspirators’ territory. Davis was arrested in relation to another offense on May 4, 2020. He has been detained ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with help from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Vaillancourt and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Berridge.

 

A Haitian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit hostage taking for his role in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving in Haiti and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping.

The indictment charges Joly Germine, 29, aka Yonyon, who is described as a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. He is the first defendant to be charged in connection with the missionaries’ kidnapping. Germine was previously charged with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian jail into U.S. custody on May 3, 2022, on the basis of an arrest warrant in that matter, and Germine has since been detained in the District of Columbia.

“This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.”

“Today’s indictment demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crime against our citizens, here or abroad,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to keep our citizens safe and bring perpetrators to justice.”

“This indictment is a step towards achieving justice for the victims who were volunteering their services in Haiti when they were kidnapped and held for weeks on end,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to holding accountable those who carry out acts of violence against Americans abroad to further their own aims.”

The charges brought today are related to the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sixteen of the kidnapping victims were U.S. citizens, including five children, one as young as eight months old. 

According to the indictment, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release.  One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison. Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom. Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021. The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021. 

Germine will have his initial appearance in the case tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – A Haitian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit hostage taking for his role in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving in Haiti and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping.

            The indictment charges Joly Germine, 29, also known as “Yonyon,” who is described as a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. He is the first defendant to be charged in connection with the missionaries’ kidnapping. Germine was previously charged with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian jail into U.S. custody on May 3, 2022, on the basis of an arrest warrant in that matter, and Germine has since been detained in the District of Columbia.

            “This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.”

            “Today’s indictment demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crime against our citizens, here or abroad,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to keep our citizens safe and bring perpetrators to justice.”

            “This indictment is a step towards achieving justice for the victims who were volunteering their services in Haiti when they were kidnapped and held for weeks on end,” said Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to holding accountable those who carry out acts of violence against Americans abroad to further their own aims.”

            The charges brought today are related to the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sixteen of the kidnapping victims were U.S. citizens, including five children, one as young as eight months old. 

            According to the indictment, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release.  One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison.  Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom.  Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021.  The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021. 

            Germine will have his initial appearance in the case tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

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

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – James Hutchings Jr., 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, has been found guilty by a jury in the District of Columbia of a federal conspiracy charge for his role as the middleman in an illegal transfer of weapons involving people prohibited from possessing firearms.

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

            Hutchings was found guilty yesterday following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2022.

            In 2018, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force began investigating an individual named Linwood Douglas Thorne, as a major heroin supplier. On Dec. 19, 2018, the FBI and ATF executed simultaneous search warrants on Thorne’s Maryland business and residence in the District of Columbia, finding 44 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl; 55 pounds of marijuana; five firearms; and significant drug paraphernalia.

            In addition to the search warrants, the task force’s investigation—which began in July of 2018—led to the recovery of eight additional firearms, approximately 1.5 additional kilograms of marijuana, 260 additional grams of heroin, and several firearms magazines and accessories.

            The ATF conducted a parallel investigation into three of the firearms found at Thorne’s residence and discovered that the firearms were purchased by a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army named Kofi Appiah. After additional investigation, including the discovery of multiple digital devices, law enforcement identified Hutchings as the middleman who facilitated the transfer of the firearms from Georgia to the District of Columbia. Both Hutchings and Thorne were prohibited persons based on their prior convictions, and thus, were ineligible to possess firearms.

            During trial, the government presented multiple law enforcement witnesses, along with digital and business records establishing and corroborating the defendant’s guilt. With this conviction, the defendant faces up to five years of imprisonment. He is currently on supervised probation out of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

            Appiah pleaded guilty in September 2020 and was later sentenced to 37 months in prison. Thorne, 50, was found guilty in March 2022 of multiple counts and is awaiting sentencing.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF, as well as those from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were on the Safe Streets Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by joint law enforcement and prosecution partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who prosecuted the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Regan, Samuel Frey, and Gregory Rosen, as well as Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson of the Federal Major Crimes Section.

WASHINGTON – Wilber Vigil-Benitez, 26, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for unlawfully possessing and trafficking firearms, including an assault rifle and a semi-automatic handgun with a large capacity magazine. 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Vigil-Benitez, also known as “Solitario,” pleaded guilty in November 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to seven counts of illegal possession of firearms. He was sentenced on May 4, 2022, by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

            The charges against Vigil-Benitez, who was affiliated with MS-13, arose from a law enforcement investigation that showed that he sold firearms illegally in Washington, D.C.  In particular, from September 2017 to April 2018, he sold a total of 13 firearms to undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department. The transactions occurred outside a convenience store in Southwest Washington. The weapons included stolen firearms, an assault rifle, and a semi-automatic handgun with a large capacity magazine. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

 

Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the U.S. Department of Justice following issuance of a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which found that the Amadea is subject to forfeiture based on probable cause of violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kerimov as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea. In sanctioning Kerimov, the Treasury Department also cited Kerimov as an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Federation Counsel.

According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation. Additionally, Kerimov and those acting on his behalf and for his benefit caused U.S. dollar transactions to be routed through U.S. financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea.

“This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine.”

“Last month, I warned that the department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”

“This seizure demonstrates the FBI's persistence in pursuing sanctioned Russian oligarchs attempting to evade accountability for their role in jeopardizing our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Russia’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”

“This seizure of Suleiman Kerimov’s vessel, the Amadea, nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “This Task Force will continue to bring to bear every resource available in this unprecedented, multinational series of enforcement actions against the Russian regime and its enablers.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to contribute our expertise in support of Task Force efforts to take possession of seized assets of Russian oligarchs during these forfeiture operations,” said Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Upon receipt of a mutual legal assistance request from the United States, Fijian authorities executed the request, obtaining a domestic seizure warrant from a Fijian court.

The Amadea, International Maritime Organization number 1012531, is believed to be worth approximately $300 million or more. The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Canberra, Australia, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.

Trial Attorney Andrew D. Beaty of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Fijian authorities for their cooperation in this matter.

 

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging four defendants with participating in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws by smuggling firearms and munitions to Haiti. 

            The indictment charges Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 29, a Haitian national; Eliande Tunis, 43, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida; Jocelyn Dor, 29, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Orlando, Florida, and Walder St. Louis, 33, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Miami. They are charged with conspiring to violate export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering money.

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

            Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis were apprehended in Florida in October and November 2021. They pleaded not guilty and are being detained pending trial.  The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 30, 2021. On May 3, 2022, the Haitian government transferred Germine into United States custody on the basis of the District of Columbia arrest warrant. Germine appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

            The indictment alleges that, from at least September through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis conspired to acquire and supply firearms and munitions to members of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti.  As alleged in the indictment, 400 Mawozo is a Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From at least on or about Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom.

            Germine, who has been incarcerated in Haiti since 2018, serves as a leader of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones, the indictment alleges.  According to the indictment, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis obtained from Germine specifications for weapons and ammunition that Germine and other gang members wanted sent to Haiti.  Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis, all of whom resided in Florida, purchased a number of firearms at Florida gun shops, including rifles, pistols, and handguns, while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms.  Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis then smuggled the firearms and ammunition to Haiti, concealing them in shipping containers, the indictment alleges. The indictment also outlines the defendants’ use of the U.S. financial system to facilitate the illegal firearm purchases.

            The 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, in the fall of 2021.  The kidnapping of the U.S. citizens remains under investigation and no charges have been filed for those crimes.

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

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.

As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.

In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.

According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!” On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.” 

On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition and combat gear in the hotel room and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.

On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.

Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.

Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.

Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.

In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

WASHINGTON – A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

            Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.

            As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.

            In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder, and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.

           According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!”  On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.” 

            On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition, and combat gear in the hotel room, and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.

            On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.

            Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.

            Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.

            Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.

            In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

 

WASHINGTON – John Nelson McQuillen, 65, of Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to helping his longtime partner to flee and avoid apprehension after she attempted to kill a woman in Northeast Washington. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            McQuillen pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2022.

            According to the government’s evidence, McQuillen and his longtime partner, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shared an adult son who was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio in March 2021.  Over the ensuing months, McQuillen and Dunmire became frustrated with the investigation of their son’s death, and Dunmire began to conduct her own investigation. Dunmire’s mental state significantly deteriorated over this time.

            On Nov. 5, 2021, McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car from Norfolk to the victim’s home in Northeast Washington. Dunmire had mistakenly identified the victim as responsible for their son’s murder, and McQuillen knew that Dunmire intended to harm this person. In fact, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was not involved in any way in the homicide.

            Surveillance video shows Dunmire, wearing a brown vest and brown baseball cap and carrying a cardboard box, knocking on the front door of the victim’s home at approximately 9:25 p.m. Dunmire announced herself as a “UPS” delivery person, stating that she had a package for the victim. When the victim opened the door, Dunmire fired two shots from a silver revolver that she was holding inside of an opening cut in the back of the carboard box. The two shots struck the victim in the abdomen. McQuillen then drove himself and Dunmire out of the area and changed the license plates on their vehicle. MPD officers stopped the vehicle soon thereafter in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue NE.

            During the stop, Dunmire shot herself, using the revolver that she had used to shoot the victim. She later died. The victim was transported to a hospital and survived the injuries.

            McQuillen was arrested in Virginia on March 11, 2022, and transported to Washington, D.C. on April 5, 2022, where he remains detained pending sentencing.

           In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and for the valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones, who is prosecuting the matter.

WASHINGTON – Kurt Madsen, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, has been found guilty by a jury on charges stemming from a hate crime in which he attacked two Hispanic construction workers with a construction tool that he used as a weapon in Northwest Washington.

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

            Madsen was found guilty by a jury on April 26, 2022, of two bias-related assaults and possession of a prohibited weapon. The verdict followed a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Robert D. Okun to a total of 540 days in jail. However, the judge suspended the jail term to the time already served by Madsen, on the condition that he successfully complete two years of probation. Madsen was detained for a total of 160 days before trial.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 13, 2019, at approximately 6 p.m., the victims, all of whom are Hispanic construction workers, were closing their construction site near Seventh Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW for the day. Madsen – who was not working at the site -- came to where the men were working and asked to use their power washer. After being denied permission to use the power washer, Madsen became enraged and began screaming racist and xenophobic epithets.

            Madsen then picked up a scraper, a long, rod-like construction tool with a sharp metal blade at one end.  He struck one of the victims in the back with the scraper, after which he attempted to stab the victim in the stomach with the blade of the scraper.  At this point, the second victim tried to intervene, and Madsen struck that victim in the face several times, cutting the victim’s face and loosening two of his teeth. Two bystanders saw the attack and stopped to help. One bystander took the scraper from Madsen and remained on the scene until police arrived.  The other bystander called 911. Madsen was arrested at the scene.

            In announcing the verdict and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth, Paralegal Specialist Kathryn Hoey, and other support personnel, including the Litigation Technology Unit.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Lindemann, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalin Nohria and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Millicent Jones, who investigated the case.

            Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws.

            For more information:https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes

A member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Ulrich has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

Ulrich is the second Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.

As described in court documents, Ulrich was a member of the Georgia chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as a member, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.

In his guilty plea, Ulrich admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keepers members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to use force to stop the transfer of power.

In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, 2021, Ulrich and others used an application called “Signal” to prepare for the actions that would take place that day. Ulrich encouraged others in a group called “Oath Keepers of Georgia” to join him in Washington. In one chat, on Dec. 5, 2020, he messaged the group, “I seriously wonder what it would take just to get ever patriot marching around the capital armed? Just to show our government how powerless they are!” On Dec. 11, 2020, Ulrich messaged the group chat that “Civil War” may be necessary if Joseph R. Biden became President of the United States, adding, “I made my peace with God before I joined.” Another individual later messaged, “Remember, it is not over until January 20th.” Ulrich responded, “And if there’s a Civil War then there’s a Civil War.”

Ulrich also purchased tactical gear and other items, including two-way radio receivers, a recon backpack, a tactical holster, a medical tourniquet, and a half skull motorcycle helmet. Ulrich was told by another co-conspirator that others would be available with firearms. On Jan. 4, he traveled with other Oath Keepers to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, staying in a downtown hotel with others.

On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, Ulrich and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. Ulrich was wearing a tactical vest, radio equipment, a body-worn camera, goggles, a camouflage tactical backpack, a black neck gaiter, and an Oath Keepers hat.

He and others weaved through the restricted area in a military “stack” formation with hands on shoulders and gear. Ulrich marched in a line up the stairs on the east side of the Capitol. He entered the building at 3:22 p.m., maneuvering himself toward the entrance to the Rotunda as law enforcement officers were attempting to clear the area. After officers deployed chemical-irritant spray, Ulrich left the Capitol and gathered with other co-conspirators approximately 100 feet from the building. In the aftermath of Jan. 6, Ulrich continued to communicate with co-conspirators on Signal, including one message urging them to “stay below the radar.”

Ulrich was arrested on Aug. 9, 2021, in Guyton, Georgia. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; co-defendant Joshua James pleaded guilty, and the remaining nine defendants have pleaded not guilty, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers.

Ulrich faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, including its Macon, Georgia Resident Agency.

In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

WASHINGTON – A member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Ulrich has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

            Ulrich is the second Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.

            As described in court documents, Ulrich was a member of the Georgia chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.

            In his guilty plea, Ulrich admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keeper members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to use force to stop the transfer of power.

            In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, 2021, Ulrich and others used an application called “Signal” to prepare for the actions that would take place that day. Ulrich encouraged others in a group called “Oath Keepers of Georgia” to join him in Washington. In one chat, on Dec. 5, 2020, he messaged the group, “I seriously wonder what it would take just to get ever patriot marching around the capital armed? Just to show our government how powerless they are!’ On Dec. 11, 2020, Ulrich messaged the group chat that “Civil War” may be necessary if Joseph R. Biden became President of the United States, adding “I made my peace with God before I joined.”  Another individual later messaged, “remember, it is not over until January 20th.”  Ulrich responded, “And if there’s a Civil War then there’s a Civil War.”

            Ulrich also purchased tactical gear and other items, including two-way radio receivers, a recon backpack, a tactical holster, a medical tourniquet, and a half skull motorcycle helmet. Ulrich was told by another co-conspirator that others would be available with firearms. On Jan. 4, he traveled with other Oath Keepers to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, staying in a downtown hotel with others.

            On Jan. 6, after learning the Capitol had been breached, Ulrich and others traveled to the Capitol on golf carts, driving around multiple barricades, including marked law enforcement vehicles. Ulrich was wearing a tactical vest, radio equipment, a body-worn camera, goggles, a camouflage tactical backpack, a black neck gaiter, and an Oath Keepers hat.

            He and others weaved through the restricted area in a military “stack” formation with hands on shoulders and gear. Ulrich marched in a line up the stairs on the east side of the Capitol. He entered the building at 3:22 p.m., maneuvering himself toward the entrance to the Rotunda as law enforcement officers were attempting to clear the area. After officers deployed chemical-irritant spray, Ulrich left the Capitol and gathered with other co-conspirators approximately 100 feet from the building. In the aftermath of Jan. 6, Ulrich continued to communicate with co-conspirators on Signal, including one message urging them to “stay below the radar.”

            Ulrich was arrested on Aug. 9, 2021, in Guyton, Georgia. He was among 11 defendants indicted on Jan. 12, 2022, in the District of Columbia on seditious conspiracy and other charges; co-defendant Joshua James pleaded guilty, and the remaining nine defendants have pleaded not guilty, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers.

            Ulrich faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, including its Macon, Georgia Resident Agency.

            In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

WASHINGTON – Gary Proctor, 44, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to life in prison on charges stemming from the 2015 murder of his cousin in an attack he carried out at the cousin’s home in Southwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Proctor was found guilty in August 2019, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of charges of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 27, 2015, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Proctor entered the residence of the victim, Jerome “Beanie” Diggs, in the 1300 block of First Street SW, and fired eight shots, striking Mr. Diggs seven times. Proctor ran out of the house, leaving the victim for dead. But Mr. Diggs managed to pick up the phone and call his sister, telling her that their cousin, “Little Gary” Proctor, had just shot him.

            When his sister asked the wounded Mr. Diggs why he didn’t call for help, he stated that he did not think he was going to make it, and he wanted someone to know what happened to him. The sister hung up and instantly called 911, where she relayed what Mr. Diggs had told her. Meanwhile, Mr. Diggs, still clinging to life, crawled out the back door of his home where he was spotted by several neighbors who also called for help. One of these neighbors heard Mr. Diggs state “Lil Gary” was the person who shot him. Mr. Diggs, 47, lost consciousness shortly thereafter and died later that day from his wounds. Proctor was arrested pursuant to a warrant the very next day and has been held in custody ever since

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson and Chrisellen Kolb; former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Security Specialists Laverne Perry, Tanya Via, and Wanda Queen;  Administrative Services Specialist Karen Lee-Putt; Supervisory Paralegal Sharon Newman; Paralegals Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.

        Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler, who investigated the case, and Gilead Light and Alicia Long, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Leon A. Miller, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for armed robbery and a firearms offense stemming from a hold-up last fall at a liquor store in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Miller pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for Miller to be sentenced to a term of imprisonment between seven and nine years. The Honorable J. Michael Ryan accepted the plea and sentenced Miller accordingly. Following his prison term, Miller will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            In court documents, Miller also admitted to committing two other robberies of liquor stores, also in Northwest Washington, and of two store customers. The five robberies took place on three successive evenings.

            Miller pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Oct. 14, 2021, robbery of Paul’s Wine and Spirits, in the 5200 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW. According to a factual proffer, Miller entered the store at approximately 6 p.m., brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, and demanded that a store employee open the cash registers. He stole about $200 in cash. He also demanded three specific kinds of champagne, none of which the store carries.

            Miller also admitted robbing The Wine Specialist, in the 1100 block of 20th Street NW, on the evening of Oct. 12, 2021. There, he also brandished what appeared to be a black handgun and demanded that an employee open the cash registers. He took approximately $2,000 in cash as well as two bottles of champagne, valued at roughly $950.

            The next evening, Oct. 13, 2021, Miller entered Press Liquors, in the 500 block of 14th Street, brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, and demanded an employee open the registers. He stole approximately $900 in cash. In addition, he brandished the gun at two customers and took their wallets and phones.

            Miller was arrested about an hour after the robbery of Paul’s, near the Dupont Circle Metro station. 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 assistance provided by the Metro Transit Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON - The Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has refreshed its guidance on how persons may effect service of civil summonses and complaints on it under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i). 

            Specifically, the Civil Division has updated its mailing and physical address for service by certified and registered mail and hand delivery, respectively.  Additionally, the Civil Division has refreshed its guidance to allow service of civil summonses and complaints by email under certain terms and conditions.  The Office hopes that accepting service of civil summons and complaints by email under these terms and conditions will reduce the transactional costs associated with traditional means of service, minimize the number of inadvertent mis-deliveries arising from service by mail, and streamline the Office’s internal intake processes. 

            The specifics of the new guidance have been posted to the Office’s website (https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/civil-division)

**

The details also are below:

Service of Process in Civil Actions

*** EFFECTIVE APRIL 25, 2022 – SUPERSEDES PRIOR GUIDANCE ***

Hand Delivery or Email Service as outlined below are the preferred means for service of civil process (i.e., service of civil summonses and complaints) on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia because, due to safety and security procedures, all mail sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office is initially routed through a central mail room at the Department of Justice, which can occasionally result in the delay or mis-delivery of that mail.  Service will not be deemed perfected until actual receipt by a Civil Process Clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Litigants who sue federal defendants should note that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(1) and the corresponding Superior Court Civil Rule 4(c)(4)—which impose a duty to avoid unnecessary expenses of serving the summons on certain individuals, corporations, and associations—do not apply to service on the United States and its agencies, corporations, officers, and employees.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not authorized to accept service on behalf of the Attorney General or other federal agencies, corporations, officers, or employees.  Thus, if an applicable rule requires any such entities and persons to be served, they must be served separately and in addition to service upon the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hand Delivery and Certified / Registered Mail Service

Service of process on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia of civil summonses and complaints under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)(1)(A) may be made by (i) hand delivery or (ii) registered or certified mail at the following:

Civil Process Clerk
U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
601 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530

For hand delivery, the entrance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office is on D Street, NW, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, NW. 

Email Service

In addition to the means of service provided under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)(1)(A), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia may also be served with civil summonses and complaints by email according to the following terms and conditions, which must be strictly adhered to if email service is attempted.  If service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is performed consistent with the following provisions, the Government will not argue under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(5) that service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has not been accomplished.

• Service may be made at [email protected] and no other email address. 
• The subject of the email must contain the caption of the suit with the court assigned docket number—e.g., “John v. Doe, 20-9999”. 
• The summons, complaint, and all exhibits or other documents must be combined into a single PDF, with the summons coming first in the PDF, unless the file size of the combined PDF exceeds 20 megabytes.
• Service packages exceeding 20 megabytes must be broken into PDF files of no more than 20 megabytes and sent using separate emails with a notation in the subject that it is multi-part service—e.g., “John v. Doe, 20-9999 (Email 1 of 2)”. 
• If you are serving a copy of a motion for provisional relief with your summons and complaint (i.e., a motion for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order), you must also email the Civil Chief indicating as much.  To email the Civil Chief, you may visit this website and follow the corresponding link: https://www.‌justice.‌gov/usao-dc/civil-division

If your service under this procedure is received and accepted, you will receive a responsive email indicating as much.

Serving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia via email under these procedures does not relieve a litigant from delivering or serving the other copies as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)—e.g., to the Attorney General or relevant agencies.  Further, the U.S. Attorney’s Office does not waive other requirements for effective service under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4—e.g., the requirements of Rule 4(c)(2).  Lastly, this procedure for email service applies only for service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and not for U.S. Attorney’s Offices for other federal judicial districts or any other component of the Department of Justice.

Please note that the [email protected] email address should not be used for any other communications with the U.S. Attorney’s Office aside from civil service of process under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)(1)(A).  Other communications sent to that address will be deleted and no response will be forthcoming. 

 

WASHINGTON - A former manager for a defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2016, Ronald L. Thomas, of Wellington, Florida, worked in Afghanistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company as a project director and in other roles. In 2016 and 2017, Thomas served as a paid consultant for a Mexican oil and gas venture. From 2010 to 2017 Thomas evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the salaries and bonuses he earned for each of those years. In total, Thomas did not report approximately $870,000 in compensation he earned from 2010 through 2017, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $227,000.

            Thomas is the third defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, and James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022.

            Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and 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 Brittney Campbell and Sarah Ranney 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 - Kevin Goggins, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for fatally shooting a man outside an apartment complex in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Goggins pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of eight to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.

            According to plea documents, on Oct. 9, 2020, at approximately 10 p.m., Goggins exited a vehicle with two other armed individuals, in the 1600 block of W Street SE, a residential area that includes an apartment complex. He and the others fired into a group of individuals who were congregating outside of the apartment complex. Goggins then ran back into the waiting vehicle and fled the scene.

            Yisa Jeffcoat, 28, was standing outside the apartment complex and was struck by one of the gunshots.  Medical personnel were unable to revive Mr. Jeffcoat, who died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

            Goggins was arrested on Dec. 14, 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 Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of 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 Lashone Samuels, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Karina Hernandez, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Kevin Cooke, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to four years in prison for a series of incidents in which he stalked and assaulted his ex-girlfriend and set fire to her family’s residence in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.

            Cooke pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of arson, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, stalking, and simple assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Following completion of his prison term, Cooke is to be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, Cooke stalked and harassed his ex-girlfriend and her family between March 2021, when the relationship ended, and October 2021, when he was arrested. He set fire to the exterior of the victims’ apartment building in the 300 block of Anacostia Road SE on multiple dates, terrorizing those in the building. Cooke was under a stay-away and no-contact order issued by the Court barring him from the victim and her family’s apartment building. Nonetheless, on Aug. 30, 2021, at approximately 2 a.m., he lit items on fire and threw them into the victims’ window. Nearly 2 ½ hours later, he also fired approximately 16 rounds at the victims’ building. No one was hurt.

            Cooke also arranged a meeting with his ex-girlfriend by hacking an Instagram account of one of her friends. He surprised his ex-girlfriend on Sept. 12, 2021, at her college residence hall, grabbed her, dragged her into a laundry room, and hit her in the face multiple times. He fled before police arrived. Finally, on Oct. 2, 2021, he was caught on surveillance video using a gas can and accelerant to once again set fire to the exterior of the family’s apartment building. He was arrested on Oct. 4, 2021.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department’s Fire Investigation Unit and the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan, Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams, and Special Agents Neil D’Cunha and Nelson Rhone of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit.

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

WASHINGTON – Edward Magruder, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison on a federal drug charge stemming from his travels to New York to obtain large amounts of heroin that he would later redistribute in the Washington, D.C. area.

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

            Magruder pleaded guilty in October 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 12 to 15 years, followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly accepted the plea and sentenced Magruder accordingly.

            The investigation began in the summer of 2018. FBI agents received information that Magruder would travel to New York to acquire narcotics and then return to Washington, D.C.  In particular, FBI agents learned through their investigation that, between December 2018 and May 31, 2019, Margruder traveled to New York from Washington, D.C. on at least seven separate occasions.  On each trip, he stayed in New York for only a short period of time – generally, a few hours -- and then returned to Washington, D.C. 

            On June 7, 2019, FBI agents learned that Magruder had traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York via Greyhound bus.  Agents traveled to New York to conduct surveillance.  They observed him at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan at approximately 2:30 p.m. Agents observed him as he stood outside of the bus terminal for approximately an hour and made several calls using a flip phone.  Magruder was carrying a bright blue backpack. 

            The following day on June 8, 2019, Magruder departed the Port Authority Bus Terminal and began traveling towards Washington, D.C.  He arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C. at approximately 4:30 p.m. He walked off the bus carrying the same bright blue backpack.  Agents approached Magruder, stopped him, and searched his backpack.  At the bottom of the backpack, underneath several items of clothing, were two blocks of compressed tan powder, wrapped in duct tape and several plastic bags.  Each block weighed approximately 600 grams.  A chemist with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s  (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory examined the blocks.  She concluded that together they weighed approximately 1,200 grams (1.2 kilograms), and that they consisted of a mixture and substance containing heroin.  The estimated street value of the heroin is approximately $100,000.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

            WASHINGTON –Thomas Keelen, 53, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to four years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a federal charge of possessing child pornography.

            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 Robert J Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Keelen pleaded guilty in August 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Paul L. Friedman.  Upon completion of his prison term, Keelen will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison. 

            According to the government’s evidence, law enforcement received a series of eight Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that indicated that Keelen was using email accounts to transfer and transport child pornography.  The eight Cybertips contained over 2,000 files, a portion of which depicted young boys being sexually abused by adult men.  In December of 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Keelen’s home in Southeast Washington. Digital devices recovered during the search of Keelen’s home contained videos and images depicting the sexual exploitation of children as young as eight years old.

            Keelen was arrested on Dec. 2, 2020, and he has remained in custody.

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

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

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD’s Youth Investigations Division. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Larson, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Archie Kaslov, 55, and Candy Evans, 52, of New York, N.Y., were sentenced to prison terms today for their roles in a wide-ranging fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which involved one of their sons pretending to be a New York mobster to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer.

            The sentencings took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

            Kaslov was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The first six months of his time on supervised release must be spent in home detention. Evans was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Evans, too, must spend the first six months of her supervised release in home detention.

            Consistent with their plea agreements, each defendant was ordered to pay $4,217,542 in restitution. Kaslov also was ordered to pay $1,057,682 in a forfeiture money judgment.

            In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Kaslov and Evans, as well as their sons, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Robert Evans, and Robert Evans’ common-law ex-wife Gina Russell, on various charges related to the extortion scheme.

            As part of the scheme, a New York woman conspired with Kaslov, Candy Evans, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, Robert Evans, and Russell to extort money and gold bars from the Maryland man, which caused him to embezzle funds from his employer between January 2017 and March 2017. He converted the funds to cash and gold bars and delivered the money and gold bars to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters to whom the New York woman owed money. In reality, all of the funds he embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Evans-Kaslov family.

            Kaslov pleaded guilty in September 2020 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he drove members of his family around New York with cash obtained from the scheme. On one such occasion, he drove to the New York diamond district on 47th Street, where he and family members spent tens of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds from the scheme on watches, including Rolexes.

            Kaslov also admitted that, after the Maryland man delivered approximately $2 million in gold bars to Tony John Evans and other individuals, Kaslov and others turned around and sold the gold bars for cash. Kaslov also traveled to Texas in May 2017 with a family member, where the two paid more than $300,000 in cash, the majority of which was proceeds from the scheme, to purchase a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead from a car dealer.  In January 2020, Kaslov and Candy Evans sold that Rolls Royce in New Jersey for $120,000.

            Candy Evans pleaded guilty in September 2020 to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct. As part of her guilty plea, she admitted that once the FBI launched its investigation, she counseled the New York woman whom the Maryland man met on Backpage to lie to people, including the FBI. In April 2017, Candy Evans, believing that married individuals could not be compelled to testify against each other, advised the New York woman and Russell to get married to prevent such testimony about the scheme in Court.  The New York woman and Russell married at City Hall in New York. 

            Candy Evans further panicked and wanted a letter that would exonerate her, Kaslov, and their three sons from any involvement in the scheme to get money from the Maryland man. Thus, she directed Russell and the New York woman to sign a handwritten, notarized confession attempting to fully implicate themselves and to exonerate Candy Evans, Kaslov, and their sons. Later that month, when the New York woman was scheduled to meet with the FBI, Candy Evans counseled the woman to lie by telling the FBI that there actually never had been an extortion scheme and that the Maryland man had invented the entire story about mobsters to justify why he embezzled money from his employer. In October 2017, two days after the FBI executed search warrants at various Evans-Kaslov family members’ residences, Candy Evans called an FBI special agent who was investigating the case and told him that Kaslov and two of her other sons had not done anything illegal, which she acknowledged was false, and that it was just Tony John Evans, Russell, and the New York woman who had committed the crimes.  In November 2017, prior to Russell’s interview with the FBI, Candy Evans also instructed Russell to lie to the FBI.

            On May 6, 2021, the Vice President of Investigation and Fraud for a New York bank informed the government that Candy Evans had attempted to withdraw $50,000 in cash from an account that she recently opened. The bank contacted the government after it conducted due diligence regarding the attempted withdrawal and learned, from a prior Department of Justice press release, that Evans had been involved in the above-described criminal scheme. The government successfully moved the Court to restrain Evans from dissipating the $50,000 in funds. Today, Judge Sullivan said he will grant the government’s motion requiring that the bank pay the $50,000 in restrained funds towards Evans’ restitution obligation, which will be distributed to the victim from whom the Maryland man embezzled the funds.

            Kaslov and Candy Evans are the second and third defendants to be sentenced in connection with this case. In September 2018, their son, Tony John Evans, now 33, pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. Judge Sullivan sentenced him to five years in prison.

            Their son, Robert Evans, now 34, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. He is awaiting sentencing. Russell, now 33, also pleaded guilty in July 2019 to interference with interstate commerce by extortion and is awaiting sentencing. Charges remain outstanding against Corry Blue Evans, 29, who has pleaded not guilty.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. They expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Arvind Lal, who assisted with forfeiture issues, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds that Evans attempted to dissipate, Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar, and former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Brittany Phillips, Stephanie Frijas, Kristy Penny, and Joshua Fein.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has reached an agreement to settle claims in four civil cases arising from the June 1, 2020, law enforcement response to racial justice demonstrations in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

            As part of the settlement, the United States Park Police (USPP) and the United States Secret Service (USSS) agreed to update and clarify their policies governing demonstrations, and to implement the policy changes within 30 days of today’s settlement. The plaintiffs, Black Lives Matter D.C. and individuals who attended the protests, agreed to dismiss their claims for equitable relief against the United States.

            Changes to the agency’s policies include more specific requirements for visible identification of officers, limits on the use of non-lethal force and procedures to facilitate safe crowd dispersal. 

            “The federal government is committed to the highest standards for protecting civil rights and civil liberties in any federal law enforcement response to public demonstrations,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “These changes to agency policies for protest responses will strengthen our commitment to protecting and respecting constitutionally protected rights.”

            “From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the White House sidewalk, the National Park Service takes immense pride in caring for some of our nation’s most storied civic spaces,” said Director Chuck Sams of the National Park Service. “We hope this updated policy can serve as a model for others to uphold civil rights and facilitate safe demonstrations. It is good for the public and good for our officers. The United States Park Police is committed to ensuring people can gather safely to express our most fundamental and cherished right to free speech. This updated policy is designed to be accessible and understandable to both our officers and the public, further strengthening that commitment.”

            “We appreciate the Park Police and Secret Service for their efforts to constantly review and revisit their law enforcement policies to evolve and protect those that seek to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights,” said Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “These revisions to our law enforcement partners’ policies will further protect those rights.” 

            USPP’s updated policy, which it released today, will:  

            - Require officers to wear fully visible badges and nameplates including on outerwear, tactical gear and helmets;

            - Implement guidelines concerning the use of non-lethal force, including de-escalation tactics;

            - Adopt clearer procedures for issuing dispersal warnings and permitting demonstrators to disperse; and

            - Strengthen pre-event planning and on-site coordination between USPP and other law enforcement agencies. 

            Within the next 30 days, the USSS will:

            - Amend its policies to provide that the fact that some demonstrators have engaged in unlawful conduct does not ordinarily provide blanket grounds for use of force, crowd dispersal or declaration of unlawful assembly.

            This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

WASHINGTON – Jahlil Perry, 19, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for carrying out a carjacking last August of an Uber driver in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Perry pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jason Park. Following his prison term, Perry will be placed on 24 months of supervised probation, with the potential of an additional 24 months of incarceration if he violates the terms of that probation. Perry also must pay $1,410 in restitution to the victim.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 13, 2021, at approximately 9:20 p.m., Perry and a co-defendant – Cordell Green, 20, of Laurel, Maryland, pulled next to the Uber driver’s SUV and boxed him in while he was making a pick-up in the 1200 block of 16th Street NE. Green opened the rear driver-side door, pointed his gun at the driver, and ordered him out of the SUV. Perry walked around the car, opened the passenger door, and pointed his gun directly at the driver’s head. The driver stumbled out of the car, in a panic, and Perry ordered him to turn over his cellphone. Green then drove away with Perry in the passenger seat.  As they rode off, Perry threw the cellphone out the window, cracking the screen. Both he and Green laughed about how scared the victim was, and Perry declared, “I feel like a god.”

            A short time later, while being pursued by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department, Green crashed the SUV, totaling the vehicle. Both Green and Perry were apprehended and arrested fleeing the scene of the crash and have been in custody ever since.

            Inside the SUV, police officers found two firearms, both of which were equipped with high-capacity magazines and which each were loaded with at least 12 rounds. Both weapons were “ghost guns,” unserialized and untraceable privately manufactured firearms. Additionally, officers recovered a dash camera from inside the vehicle, which had been installed by the victim and captured the offense in its entirety.

            Green also pleaded guilty to charges. He is to be sentenced on Aug. 19, 2022.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON - A former Acting Branch Chief of the Information Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG) was convicted today by a jury of multiple federal charges stemming from the theft of proprietary software and sensitive databases from the U.S. government.

            Murali Y. Venkata, 56, of Aldie, Virginia, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, theft of government property, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction. Venkata, along with co-conspirators Charles K. Edwards, who previously served as the Acting Inspector General of DHS-OIG, and Sonal Patel, another official at DHS-OIG, executed a scheme to steal confidential and proprietary software from the government along with the personally identifying information (PII) of hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

            Venkata worked for DHS-OIG from June 2010 until he was placed on administrative leave in October 2017 following the charges in this case, including serving for a period as an Acting Branch Chief in the Information Technology Division. Before he joined DHS-OIG, Venkata worked at the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). At both agencies, Venkata had access to software systems, including one used for case management and other systems holding PII of federal employees.

            Edwards pleaded guilty in January 2022 and Patel pleaded guilty in April 2019 to stealing property from the U.S. government for the purpose of developing a commercial version of a case management system to be offered for sale to government agencies. Venkata was convicted for his role in the conspiracy, which included exfiltrating proprietary source code and sensitive databases from DHS-OIG facilities, as well as assisting Edwards in setting up three computer servers in Edwards’s residence so that software developers in India could access the servers remotely and develop the commercial version of the case management system.

            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, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of DHS-OIG, and Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb of USPS-OIG made the announcement.

            Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado and Trial Attorney Celia Choy, of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey, of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, also of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section for the District of Columbia, provided significant assistance in the investigation of this matter.

WASHINGTON – Taheed Ebron, 21, and Nathan Coleman, 29, both of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to 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 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 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 are contingent upon the Court’s approval. Ebron’s plea calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison, and Coleman’s plea calls for eight to 10 years in prison. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2022.

            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 pleas, 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 – Jamar Skeete, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 56 months in prison on federal charges stemming from his years-long role in at least four business e-mail compromise fraud and money laundering schemes that caused more than $1.5 million in intended losses.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Greg L. Torbenson, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge for the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

            Skeete pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of money laundering, one count of identity theft, and two counts of wire fraud.  On the same date, he also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in a case that was originally indicted in the Southern District of New York and transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for plea and sentencing.  He was sentenced in both cases by the Honorable District Judge John D. Bates. Following his prison term, Skeete will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay combined restitution judgments in the two cases totaling $697,836, and forfeiture money judgments totaling $381,387.  

            According to the statements of offense acknowledged by Skeete, between September 2017 and June 2019, Skeete received and laundered the proceeds of at least four separate business e-mail compromise schemes targeting the City of Flint, Michigan, an Illinois-based company operating senior care facilities, and other businesses.  Skeete used two stolen identities and multiple fraudulent shell company accounts to receive and launder the proceeds of the business e-mail compromise schemes in the District of Columbia and elsewhere.  He also assumed an address used in two of the schemes by submitting a fraudulent “hold mail” request to the U.S. Postal Service.  In the schemes originally charged in the Southern District of New York, Skeete conspired with 14 other individuals to launder other fraud proceeds out of a fraudulent shell company account.  All told, Skeete participating in diverting and laundering more than $1.5 million

            In a business e-mail compromise (or BEC) scheme, conspirators infiltrate the computer systems of a victim company through phishing attacks or otherwise.  Once there, they impersonate the victim’s business partners and, claiming a change in bank accounts, trick the victim into sending payments not to business partners, but to the conspirator’s bank accounts.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, with assistance provided FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart and former Paralegal Specialist C. Rosalind Pressley.  Significant assistance was also provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Li and Thomas Burnett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

            WASHINGTON – Elias Eldabbagh, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty in federal court today to carrying out a scheme to steal more than $31 million under the CARES Act and laundering the proceeds of his scheme. Eldabbagh succeeded in stealing $2,385,000 under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

            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.

            “While many Americans were struggling with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this defendant brazenly attempted to steal more than $31 million in emergency funds intended to help small businesses and employees survive COVID-19,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The United States Department of Justice will prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, those individuals who scheme to rob vital government programs.”

            “Elias Eldabbagh stole funds that were meant to help businesses and their employees during a crisis to spend on a luxury car and enriching himself,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Waldon. “During the two years since the CARES Act was passed, IRS-CI special agents have rooted out and continue to pursue these selfish criminals who thought they could get away with stealing from those who truly needed help.”

            “OIG will continue to safeguard SBA programs from fraudsters determined to steal funds meant to support the nation’s small businesses,” 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. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

            Eldabbagh pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to wire fraud and laundering the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. Wire fraud carries a statutory penalty of 20 years and financial penalties. Engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived funds carries a statutory penalty of 10 years and financial penalties. Eldabbagh faces a likely recommended sentence of between 11 and 14 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden took the plea and scheduled sentencing for Aug. 25, 2022.

             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 also used stolen identities, stolen tax returns and stolen financial records from a Washington, D.C. consulting company. Eldabbagh fraudulently doctored the stolen documents to be 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 has agreed to forfeit the Tesla Model 3, the contents of 21 bank accounts, and he has 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 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 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 helps 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 plea, 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 is being 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 – A former Congressional staffer pleaded guilty today to theft of public funds in connection with his scheme to fraudulently inflate his salary and bonus payments, thereby paying himself more than he was legitimately owed. 

            According to court documents, Sterling Carter, 24, of Glenwood, Georgia, was employed as the Director of Operations by a Member of Congress. In that position, Carter was responsible for managing the office’s budget and processing payroll and bonus payments for all employees in the office. Between November 2019 and January 2021, Carter submitted fraudulent paperwork which purported to authorize a higher salary and bonus payments for himself. Carter concealed this theft from the Congressperson and the office’s Chief of Staff by falsely representing, in both communications and a budget spreadsheet, that he was only being paid what he was legitimately owed. In total, Carter received $79,491.67 in unauthorized salary and bonus payments.  

            Carter pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to theft of public funds. Carter will be sentenced on July 28, 2022. He faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

            The FBI investigated this matter. Trial Attorneys Nicole Lockhart and Jordan Dickson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Ruben Verastigui, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 151 months in prison on a federal charge of receipt of child pornography.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Verastigui pleaded guilty on July 9, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Upon completion of his prison term, Verastigui will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 15 years.

            According to the government’s evidence, from April 2020 through February 2021, Verastigui was active in an online group devoted to trading child pornography and discussing child sexual abuse. Verastigui shared child pornography videos with another member of the group and made numerous comments about sexually abusing children. Verastigui indicated his preference for babies, saying they were his “absolute favorite,” and solicited another group member for videos of babies being raped. The other group member promptly sent Verastigui a video of a baby being raped, to which Verastigui responded enthusiastically. The other group member then sent Verastigui numerous other videos of child pornography.

            Verastigui was arrested on Feb. 5, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Villanueva, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Homeland Security Investigations and the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney April Russo, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Bryant Webster, 38, of Suitland, Maryland, was sentenced today to 39 years in prison for a series of home invasions carried out over a 50-day period in 2016 in which he sexually assaulted three men, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Webster pleaded guilty in July 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 32 to 39 years. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck accepted the plea and the Honorable Marisa Demeo sentenced Webster accordingly. Webster is required to register as a sex offender for life.

            According to the government’s evidence, the attacks took place from mid-August to October 2016. In the first assault, Webster entered a residence in a Capitol Hill neighborhood and photographed himself sexually abusing a man who was unconscious. Less than two weeks later, at about 6 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2016, Webster entered an apartment in the same neighborhood without permission. The victim was awakened to find Webster, a stranger, standing in the doorway of his bedroom, dressed all in black, holding a handgun with a red laser sight. He bound the victim’s hands and feet with duct tape, gaged him by putting a T-shirt in his mouth, and raped him repeatedly while threatening to kill him.

            The third attack also took place in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, at about 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2016. Webster crept into a home. He was again armed with a handgun with a laser sight and also had a backpack filled with knives, gloves, screwdrivers, duct tape, a hammer, binoculars, and condoms. He similarly used duct tape to bind the victim, gagged him with a T-shirt, and raped him. The victim managed to alert a roommate who entered the home during the rape, a struggle ensued, and the victim called 911. Police arrested Webster at the scene. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Suzanne Curt and Elizabeth Danello, Deputy Chiefs of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Jones; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Brooks; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker, and former Paralegal Specialist Donhue Troy Griffith.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenechukwu Okocha, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Keith Baham, 22, and David McKinney, 21, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in a carjacking and armed robbery that took place in February 2019 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Baham was sentenced yesterday to a 15-year prison term and McKinney was sentenced yesterday to a prison term of 7 ½ years. Both defendants were found guilty by a jury in February 2020, of armed carjacking, armed robbery, first-degree theft, and unauthorized use of vehicle, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following their prison terms, both men will be placed on five years of supervised release. 

            According to the government’s evidence, the victim, then 18, knew McKinney and was driving his car with him on Feb. 25, 2019. They picked up Baham, and Baham and McKinney had the victim drive to the 3100 block of Apple Road NE. Once there, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Baham brandished a firearm, threatened to shoot the victim, and told the victim to drop everything and to hand over his belongings. While the victim was held at gunpoint, the men took the victim’s wallet, cellphone, and other personal items before fleeing the scene in the victim’s car.

            Baham was arrested on July 30, 2019. McKinney was arrested on July 18, 2019. Both have been in custody since their arrests.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames, Paralegal Specialists Jessica Pierce, Sabrina Turner, and Debra McPherson, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and former Investigative Analyst William Hamann of the Criminal Investigations Unit.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Kevin Birney, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Marcha Johnson, 43, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing a man last fall in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Johnson pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert Okun. Following completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release. 

            According to court documents, in the early evening hours of Oct. 6, 2021, Johnson was in the Unit block of O Street NW, having parked his car in front of a seniors’ apartment building.  Just before 8 p.m., the victim, Rufus Davis III, 20, rode up to the area on a scooter and started speaking with Johnson and others.  Mr. Davis was scolded by Johnson, who got in Mr. Davis’s face and spoke to him in an animated manner.  The two men continued to speak for several minutes until they again came close to each other near Johnson’s car.  As Mr. Davis approached Johnson and the others, Johnson pulled a gun, just inches in front of Mr. Davis’s face, and fired one shot.  Johnson fired two more shots at Mr. Davis’s back as Mr. Davis tried to move away from Johnson.  Then, as Mr. Davis laid on the ground, Johnson stood over him and fired the final two bullets in his revolver into Mr. Davis’s head from just inches above Mr. Davis. 

            Johnson was arrested on Oct.13, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Giovannelli and Jeffrey Wojcik, who prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON –Christopher Grooms, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 12-year prison term for a home invasion sexual assault in Southeast Washington that occurred in 2006, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Grooms pleaded guilty in December 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted first-degree sexual abuse while armed, with aggravating circumstances. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa Demeo. The sentence of incarceration will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Grooms is also required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 25, 2006, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Grooms knocked on the door of an acquaintance in the 1300 block of Morris Road SE. The victim, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was staying over at the apartment while babysitting for a friend. The victim recognized Grooms and answered the door. Grooms pushed his way inside, grabbed her by the hair and brandished a gun. He forced the victim into a back bedroom where a four-year-old child was sleeping on a bunk bed. He pushed the victim onto the lower bunk. Grooms raped the victim while brandishing the gun and threatening to kill her.

            When the sexual assault was over, Grooms stole a cell phone and left. The victim made a prompt report to police and obtained medical care to ensure the health of the baby as well as her own health. She also received a sexual assault examination the same day. The rape kit was tested in 2007 and yielded a DNA mixture that included the victim and a male contributor. In 2020, advances in DNA technology led to a match between the male DNA profile from the rape kit and the DNA profile of the defendant. A confirmatory DNA sample was later obtained from the defendant and resulted in a very strong statistic of inclusion of the defendant in the DNA mixture.

            Grooms was indicted for first-degree sexual abuse while armed, with aggravating circumstances in September 2021, and has been held in custody since. 

            In 2012, Grooms was convicted of attempted first-degree sexual abuse for a sexual assault that occurred in 2008 involving a different 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, including the Seventh Police District, the Sexual Assault Unit and the Cold Case Unit of the Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Cynthia Muhammad, Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Bohlen and Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Nota: Las imágenes de la incautación están disponibles aquí. Vea la declaración del Fiscal General sobre la incautación aquí.

Lunes 4 de abril de 2022 - Las fuerzas y cuerpos de seguridad españoles ejecutaron hoy una orden judicial española que congela el Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (el Tango), yate de lujo de 77 metros de eslora propiedad del oligarca ruso sancionado Viktor Vekselberg. Las autoridades españolas actuaron de conformidad con una solicitud de asistencia del Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU. tras la emisión de una orden de incautación, presentada en el Tribunal de Distrito de EE.UU. para el Distrito de Columbia, que alegaba que el Tango estaba sujeto a decomiso por los delitos de fraude, blanqueo de capitales y estatutos sancionadores. Por separado, las órdenes de incautación obtenidas en el Tribunal de Distrito de EE.UU. para el Distrito de Columbia apuntan a aproximadamente 625.000 dólares asociados a partes sancionadas en nueve instituciones financieras de EE.UU. Esas incautaciones se basan en violaciones de sanciones por parte de varios ciudadanos rusos especialmente designados.

Según los documentos presentados en este caso, la investigación estadounidense alega que Vekselberg compró el Tango en 2011 y lo ha poseído continuamente desde entonces. Además, alega que Vekselberg usó compañías ficticias para ocultar su propiedad del Tango con el fin de evitar la supervisión bancaria de las transacciones en dólares estadounidenses relacionadas con el mismo. Además, después de que Vekselberg fuera sancionado por el Departamento del Tesoro de EE.UU. el 6 de abril de 2018, la orden alega que Vekselberg y quienes trabajaban en su nombre continuaron realizando pagos en dólares estadounidenses a través de bancos estadounidenses para el apoyo y mantenimiento del Tango y sus propietarios, incluidos un pago por una estancia en un lujoso resort de villas acuáticas en las Maldivas en diciembre de 2020 y tarifas de amarre para el yate. Vekselberg tenía interés en estos pagos y, por lo tanto, se requirió una licencia del Departamento del Tesoro, que no se obtuvo.

“Esta es la primera incautación por parte de nuestro grupo de trabajo de un activo perteneciente a un individuo sancionado con estrechos vínculos con el régimen ruso. No será la última”, ha dicho el Fiscal General, Merrick B. Garland. “Juntos, con nuestros socios internacionales, haremos todo lo posible para responsabilizar a cualquier persona cuyos actos criminales permitan al gobierno ruso continuar su guerra injusta”.

“La acción de hoy deja claro que los oligarcas rusos corruptos no pueden evadir las sanciones para vivir una vida de lujos mientras los ucranianos inocentes sufren”, ha dicho la Fiscal General Adjunta, Lisa O. Monaco. “Hoy, el Departamento de Justicia cumple con su compromiso de responsabilizar a aquellos cuya actividad criminal fortalece al gobierno ruso mientras continúa librando su injusta guerra en Ucrania. Ese compromiso no hemos terminado de cumplirlo”.

“Hoy también anunciamos otro ejemplo de cómo el FBI hace uso de su presencia y sus alianzas internacionales, así como de su pericia y su experiencia, para rastrear e incautarse de dinero y activos ilícitos para contrarrestar las amenazas a nuestra seguridad nacional”, ha dicho el director del FBI, Christopher Wray. "Seguiremos utilizando todas las herramientas legales para perseguir los activos de los oligarcas rusos designados, como sea y donde sea que los oculten".

La incautación fue coordinada a través del Grupo de trabajo KleptoCapture del Departamento de Justicia, grupo de trabajo interinstitucional encargado de hacer cumplir la ley y dedicado a hacer cumplir las sanciones amplias, las restricciones a la exportación y las contramedidas económicas que EE.UU. ha impuesto, junto con sus aliados y socios, en respuesta a la invasión militar no provocada de Ucrania por parte de Rusia. Anunciado por el Fiscal General el 2 de marzo y ejecutado por la Oficina del Fiscal General Adjunto, el Grupo de trabajo hará uso de todas las herramientas y la autoridad del Departamento para contrarrestar los esfuerzos para evadir o socavar las acciones económicas emprendidas por el gobierno de EE.UU. en respuesta a la agresión militar rusa.

“La incautación de este yate de lujo demuestra nuestra determinación para responsabilizar a quienes apoyan la invasión injustificada de otro país soberano por parte de Vladimir Putin”, ha declarado el fiscal federal para el Distrito de Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “Seguiremos utilizando todas las herramientas para hacer cumplir las sanciones dirigidas al régimen de Putin y los oligarcas que lo apoyan. Trabajando con nuestros socios federales e internacionales, seremos incansables en nuestros esfuerzos para llevar ante la justicia a quienes violen estas sanciones y confiscar activos cuando sea apropiado y legal”.

“La incautación hoy del yate de Viktor Vekselberg, el Tango, en España es el resultado de un esfuerzo multinacional sin precedentes para hacer cumplir las sanciones de Estados Unidos dirigidas a aquellas elites que han permitido la invasión ilegal y no provocada de Ucrania por parte de Rusia”, dijo Andrew Adams, director del Grupo de trabajo KleptoCapture. “Para aquellos que han vinculado su fortuna a un régimen brutal y anárquico, la acción de hoy es un mensaje de que los países comprometidos con el estado de derecho están igualmente comprometidos con separar a los oligarcas de sus lujos corruptos. Esta incautación es solo el comienzo del trabajo de este Grupo de trabajo en este esfuerzo global para castigar a aquellos que han apoyado y continúan apoyando la tiranía para obtener ganancias financieras”.

“El FBI continuará trabajando con sus socios para proteger la integridad del sistema bancario y respaldar la aplicación de los programas de sanciones”, ha dicho el agente especial a cargo Michael F. Paul, de la oficina local del FBI en Minneapolis. “Los agentes y analistas del FBI, independientemente de dónde estén asignados en todo el mundo, trabajarán incansablemente para garantizar que quienes intentan evadir las sanciones rinden cuentas”.

“La invasión rusa de Ucrania fue un acto de agresión no provocada que tiene como objetivo la vida y el bienestar de millones de personas y amenaza la seguridad internacional”, ha declarado el agente especial interino a cargo Ricky J. Patel, de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) de Nueva York. “Durante décadas, el régimen de Putin ha sido apoyado por un grupo de oligarcas rusos que abusaron de su poder en beneficio propio para acumular una riqueza incalculable. Como brazo de investigación del Departamento de Seguridad Internacional (DHS) el grupo de HSI se encuentra al frente de la lucha contra las redes globales que buscan violar las leyes de EE.UU. y explotar los sistemas financieros de nuestro país. Trabajando con nuestros socios en el Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU. y el FBI, responsabilizaremos a los oligarcas de Putin y les negaremos el lujoso estilo de vida que aprecian”.

Al recibir una solicitud de EE. UU. en virtud del tratado bilateral de asistencia judicial recíproca en asuntos penales, la autoridad central española de asistencia judicial recíproca remitió la solicitud a un fiscal español, quien obtuvo una orden de incautación de un tribunal español. La orden fue ejecutada por la Guardia Civil española el 4 de abril.

Se cree que el Tango, número 1010703 de la Organización Marítima Internacional, tiene un valor aproximado de 90 millones de dólares o más. El yate se encuentra ahora en Mallorca.

La carga de probar la confiscación en un procedimiento de confiscación recae sobre el gobierno.

Este asunto está siendo investigado por la oficina de campo del FBI de Minneapolis con la asistencia de la oficina de campo de HSI en Nueva York.

La fiscal federal adjunta para el Distrito de Columbia Karen P. Seifert y los asistentes legales para el Distrito de Columbia Brian Rickers y Jessica McCormick están gestionando la incautación. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia ha brindado una asistencia significativa en el trabajo con las autoridades españolas, así como la Sección de Blanqueo de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos (MLARS por sus siglas en inglés) de la División Criminal.

 

In English

WASHINGTON – Herbert Smallwood, 41, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for stabbing an acquaintance last year in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Smallwood pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on July 22, 2022, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr.

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 30, 2021, at approximately 7 p.m., Smallwood was traveling in an SUV that was following another vehicle being driven by an acquaintance. The other vehicle, a Ford Focus, crashed and flipped over in the rear of the 1600 block of 17th Place SE. Smallwood got out of the SUV with a knife and stabbed the victim, Joseph Ogundoju, multiple times. Mr. Ogundoju, 46, died a short time later.

            Surveillance video shows Smallwood’s vehicle following Mr. Ogundoju’s vehicle immediately before it crashed. The victim’s blood also was found on Smallwood’s clothing. Smallwood was arrested on June 30, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A former school principal pleaded guilty today to stealing at least $175,000 from an association that raises funds from parent contributions and fundraisers to provide school-related services and activities to students, admitting that she used the money for personal purposes, including to qualify for a home mortgage loan.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Matthew R. Stohler, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bridget Coates, 48, of Falls Church, Va., was the principal of St. Thomas More Catholic School in Southeast Washington at the time her criminal activity began, in 2012, until she resigned in 2018. She pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under the Court’s sentencing guidelines, Coates faces a likely range of 27 to 33 months in prison and a potential fine of up to $100,000. She also has agreed to pay $175,000 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

            The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2022.

            According to court documents, from June 2012 through December 2017, Coates devised a scheme to steal from the school’s Home School Association, an organization affiliated with the school that supported student services and activities. As the school principal, Coates had access to the Home School Association’s checks and could use her discretion to pay expenditures for only school-related purposes. Coates, however, engaged in a pattern of purchasing personal goods and services with the funds. Over the time period, she wrote approximately 66 unauthorized checks and deposited at least $175,000 into her personal bank account. Among other things, she used the funds to help her qualify for a home-mortgage loan.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Stohler and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Marco Crocetti, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

Note: Footage of the seizure is available here. View the statement from the Attorney General on today's seizure here.

Spanish law enforcement today executed a Spanish court order freezing the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (the Tango), a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Spanish authorities acted pursuant to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance following the issuance of a seizure warrant, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that the Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violation of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes. Separately, seizure warrants obtained in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia target approximately $625,000 associated with sanctioned parties held at nine U.S. financial institutions. Those seizures are based on sanctions violations by several Russian specially designated nationals.

According to documents filed in this case, the U.S. investigation alleges that Vekselberg bought the Tango in 2011 and has owned it continuously since that time. It further alleges that Vekselberg used shell companies to obfuscate his interest in the Tango to avoid bank oversight into U.S. dollar transactions related thereto. Additionally, after Vekselberg was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department on April 6, 2018, the warrant alleges that Vekselberg and those working on his behalf continued to make U.S. dollar payments through U.S. banks for the support and maintenance of the Tango and its owners, including a payment for a December 2020 stay at a luxury water villa resort in the Maldives and mooring fees for the yacht. Vekselberg had an interest in these payments and therefore a license was required from the Treasury Department, which was not obtained.

“Today marks our taskforce’s first seizure of an asset belonging to a sanctioned individual with close ties to the Russian regime. It will not be the last,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Together, with our international partners, we will do everything possible to hold accountable any individual whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war.”

“Today’s action makes clear that corrupt Russian oligarchs cannot evade sanctions to live a life of luxury as innocent Ukrainians are suffering,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today the Department of Justice delivers on our commitment to hold accountable those whose criminal activity strengthens the Russian government as it continues to wage its unjust war in Ukraine. That commitment is one we are not finished honoring.”

“Today we announce another example of the FBI using our worldwide presence and partnerships, as well as our expertise and experience, to track and seize illicit money and assets, to counter threats to our safety and national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to use every lawful tool to go after designated Russian oligarchs' assets – however and wherever they hide them.”

The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

“The seizure of this luxury yacht demonstrates our determination to hold accountable those who support Vladimir Putin’s unwarranted invasion of another sovereign nation,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to use every tool to enforce the sanctions aimed at Putin’s regime and the oligarchs who support it.  Working with our federal and international partners, we will be unflagging in our efforts to bring to justice those who violate these sanctions, and to seize assets where appropriate and lawful.”

“Today’s seizure of Viktor Vekselberg’s yacht, the Tango, in Spain is the result of an unprecedented multinational effort to enforce U.S. sanctions targeting those elites who have enabled Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “For those who have tied their fortunes to a brutal and lawless regime, today’s action is a message that those nations dedicated to the rule of law are equally dedicated to separating the oligarchs from their tainted luxuries. This seizure is only the beginning of the Task Force’s work in this global effort to punish those who have and continue to support tyranny for financial gain.”

“The FBI will continue to work with its partners to protect the integrity of the banking system and support the enforcement of sanctions programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael F. Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “FBI agents and analysts, regardless of where they are assigned around the world, will work tirelessly to ensure those who attempt to evade sanctions are held accountable.”

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine was an unprovoked act of aggression that has targeted the lives and well-being of millions of people and threatened international security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York.  “For decades, the Putin regime has been supported by a group of Russian oligarchs that abused their power for private gain to amass untold riches. As DHS’s investigative arm, HSI stands at the forefront of combatting global networks that seek to violate U.S. law and exploit our nation’s financial systems.  Working with our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, we will hold Putin’s oligarchs accountable and deny them the lavish lifestyles they cherish.”

Upon receipt of a request from the United States pursuant to a bi-lateral treaty for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the Spanish central authority for mutual legal assistance forwarded the request to a Spanish prosecutor, who obtained a freezing order from a Spanish court. The order was executed by Spain’s Guardia Civil on April 4.

The Tango, International Maritime Organization number 1010703, is believed to be worth approximately $90 million or more. The yacht is now in Mallorca.

The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

The matter of the Tango is being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Madrid and the HSI New York Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia and Paralegal Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick for the District of Columbia are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in working with the Spanish authorities, as well as the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).

 

En Español

WASHINGTON – Spanish law enforcement today executed a Spanish court order freezing the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (the Tango), a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Spanish authorities acted pursuant to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance following the issuance of a seizure warrant, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that the Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violation of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes.

            According to documents filed in this case, the U.S. investigation alleges that Vekselberg bought the Tango in 2011 and has owned it continuously since that time. It further alleges that Vekselberg used shell companies to obfuscate his interest in the Tango to avoid bank oversight into U.S. dollar transactions related thereto. Additionally, after Vekselberg was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department on April 6, 2018, the warrant alleges that Vekselberg and those working on his behalf continued to make U.S. dollar payments through U.S. banks for the support and maintenance of the Tango and its owners, including a payment for a December 2020 stay at a luxury water villa resort in the Maldives and mooring fees for the yacht. Vekselberg had an interest in these payments and therefore a license was required from the Treasury Department, which was not obtained.

            “Today marks our taskforce’s first seizure of an asset belonging to a sanctioned individual with close ties to the Russian regime. It will not be the last.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Together, with our international partners, we will do everything possible to hold accountable any individual whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war.”

            “Today’s action makes clear that corrupt Russian oligarchs cannot evade sanctions to live a life of luxury as innocent Ukrainians are suffering,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today the Department of Justice delivers on our commitment to hold accountable those whose criminal activity strengthens the Russian government as it continues to wage its unjust war in Ukraine. That commitment is one we are not finished honoring.”

            “Today we announce another example of the FBI using our worldwide presence and partnerships, as well as our expertise and experience to track and seize illicit money and assets, to counter threats to our safety and national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to use every lawful tool to go after designated Russian oligarchs' assets – however and wherever they hide them.”

            The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

            "The seizure of this luxury yacht demonstrates our determination to hold accountable those who support Vladimir Putin’s unwarranted invasion of another sovereign nation,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia.  “We will continue to use every tool to enforce the sanctions aimed at Putin’s regime and the oligarchs who support it.  Working with our federal and international partners, we will be unflagging in our efforts to bring to justice those who violate these sanctions, and to seize assets where appropriate and lawful.”

            “Today’s seizure of Viktor Vekselberg’s yacht, the Tango, in Spain is the result of an unprecedented multinational effort to enforce U.S. sanctions targeting those elites who have enabled Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “For those who have tied their fortunes to a brutal and lawless regime, today’s action is a message that those nations dedicated to the rule of law are equally dedicated to separating the oligarchs from their tainted luxuries. This seizure is only the beginning of the Task Force’s work in this global effort to punish those who have and continue to support tyranny for financial gain.”

            “The FBI will continue to work with its partners to protect the integrity of the banking system and support the enforcement of sanctions programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael F. Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “FBI agents and analysts, regardless of where they are assigned around the world, will work tirelessly to ensure those who attempt to evade sanctions are held accountable.”

            “The Russian invasion of Ukraine was an unprovoked act of aggression that has targeted the lives and well-being of millions of people and threatened international security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York.  “For decades, the Putin regime has been supported by a group of Russian oligarchs that abused their power for private gain to amass untold riches. As DHS’s investigative arm, HSI stands at the forefront of combatting global networks that seek to violate U.S. law and exploit our nation’s financial systems.  Working with our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, we will hold Putin’s oligarchs accountable and deny them the lavish lifestyles they cherish.”

            Upon receipt of a request from the United States pursuant to a bi-lateral treaty for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the Spanish central authority for mutual legal assistance forwarded the request to a Spanish prosecutor, who obtained a freezing order from a Spanish court. The order was executed by Spain’s Guardia Civil, Spanish National Police, today, April 4.

            The Tango, International Maritime Organization number 1010703, is believed to be worth approximately $90 million or more. The yacht is now in Palma de Mallorca.

            The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

            Separately, seizure warrants obtained in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia target approximately $625,000 associated with sanctioned parties held at nine U.S. financial institutions. Those seizures are based on sanctions violations by several Russian specially designated nationals.

            The matter of the Tango is being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office with assistance from the HSI New York Field Office. In announcing that forfeiture action, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Paul, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Patel commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI and HSI.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert is handling the seizure and investigation, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in working with the Spanish authorities, as well as the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).

 

An Alabama man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for federal and local firearms offenses stemming from the discovery of weapons in his pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 72, of Falkville, Alabama, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal and local firearms offenses stemming from the discovery of weapons in his pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

According to court documents, Coffman traveled from Alabama to the District of Columbia several days prior to Jan. 6, 2021. He parked his red GMC Sierra pickup truck in the 300 block of First Street SE, on the morning of Jan. 6. Less than half a mile away in the U.S. Capitol Building, a joint session of the U.S. Congress was scheduled to meet in the afternoon to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Coffman admitted in his plea agreement that he exited the pickup truck at 9:20 a.m. and walked in the direction of the U.S. Capitol Building, and towards a rally near the National Mall. Inside the pickup truck were several loaded firearms within arms-reach of the driver’s seat, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, a crossbow with bolts, machetes, camouflage smoke devices, a stun gun, and a cooler containing 11 mason jars filled with ignitable ingredients for Molotov cocktail incendiary weapons. Coffman also carried a loaded handgun and a loaded revolver as he walked around the area that day. A search of Coffman’s residence in Alabama later that month led to the discovery of 12 additional mason jars containing ignitable substances, each constituting the component parts of Molotov cocktails.

Coffman did not have a license to carry a pistol in the District of Columbia and had not registered any firearms or destructive devices in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.

Coffman has been in custody since his arrest on Jan. 6, 2021. Coffman will be placed on three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Coffman was sentenced in the District of Columbia by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in two separate criminal cases, one brought in the District of Columbia on Jan. 7, 2021, and the other brought in the Northern District of Alabama and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing. Coffman had pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2021, to two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, a federal offense, regarding the component parts of Molotov cocktails discovered in his pickup truck in Washington, D.C., and at his residence in Alabama. Coffman also pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license, a District of Columbia offense. Judge Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him to 46 months in prison on each of the federal offenses, and 15 months on the District of Columbia offense, with the time running concurrently.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Friedman for the District of Columbia and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

WASHINGTON – A former ambassador for Sri Lanka pleaded guilty today to diverting and attempting to embezzle $332,027 from the government of Sri Lanka during its 2013 purchase of a new embassy building in Washington, D.C.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

            Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya, 61, of Arlington, Virginia, served as ambassador for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United States and to Mexico from 2008 to 2014.  He pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties.

            The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2022.

            According to court documents, from in or around late 2012 through November 2013, Wickramasuriya devised a scheme to defraud the government of Sri Lanka during its 2013 purchase of a new embassy building in Washington, D.C. by inflating the price of the real estate transaction by $332,027 and, at closing, diverting those funds from the government to two companies which had no role in the real estate transaction.  At and after the January 2013 closing, Wickramasuriya directed these payments. Later in 2013, Wickramasuriya ultimately had an equal amount of funds redirected back to government accounts, leaving the Sri Lankan government with no loss.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, HSI Special Agent in Charge Villanueva, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from Homeland Security Investigations and FBI. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the prosecution of the case, including Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Angela DeFalco, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Grisier, Alejandra Arias and Steven Brantley, of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind Lal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Christian A. Levesque, Acting Deputy Chief of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions (HRSP) Section of the Department’s Criminal Division. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.