District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Spiro Stafilatos, 38, of Silver Spring, MD, was found guilty today by a jury in D.C. Superior Court, for the vehicular death of pedestrian, Shuyu Sui, in December 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Stafilatos was found guilty of one count each of second-degree murder, aggravated assault while armed and fleeing. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2026.

            According to court documents, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on December 30, 2022, Stafilatos was driving a dark Buick LeSabre sedan along the 700 block of 14th Street, NW, near the White House. Uniformed U.S. Secret Service agents, on mountain bikes, observed that the vehicle’s front tag was missing and the Maryland hard tag in the rear had no sticker. The Buick was then observed turning right into the 1400 block of G Street, NW and proceeded to the 700 block of 15th Street, NW, where it stopped and let a passenger out. Officers positioned themselves behind the vehicle and ran the tags through dispatcher, who advised that the tag belonged to a 2016 Chevrolet.

            As officers approached the vehicle, identified themselves, and made contact with the defendant, they advised Stafilatos of his infraction, to which the defendant asked if he was going to get a ticket. Officers asked for the defendant’s license, which he did not provide. Also, during the stop, officers noticed what they believed to be an open beer container to the right of the driver. While conducting the traffic stop, the officers noticed that the vehicle was still in drive and instructed Stafilatos to put the car in park. Instead, the defendant fled the scene, travelling north on 15th Street, NW before turning onto the 1400 block of New York Avenue, NW. As the vehicle entered an intersection on a solid red traffic signal, it was struck by another vehicle who was driving on a green traffic signal and the impact caused the Buick to rotate counterclockwise and strike two pedestrians, who were walking nearby in the crosswalk. Both pedestrians were thrown and fell into the road in the middle of New York Avenue, NW. Both victims were transported to local hospitals. Despite all life-saving measures, one victim, Shuyu Sui, was pronounced dead at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The second victim, Jiahui Wang, was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was treated for trauma to the body and head.

            Stafilatos was transported to Howard University Hospital for complaints of pain in the head and back. He was placed under arrest and has been in custody since.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Carter and Will Lawrence.

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DISH Wireless LLC (DISH), located in Englewood, Colorado, has agreed to pay $17,280,240 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA), common law, and the Communications Act of 1934 relating to claims to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Emergency Broadband Benefits Program (EBBP) and its successor program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

“The Justice Department will take action where companies and individuals knowingly violate the rules of federal programs and receive federal funds to which they are not entitled,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure integrity in the FCC’s programs.”

“DISH and its employees fraudulently signed up ineligible applicants to receive federal monies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro for the District of Columbia. “By doing so DISH received payments which they were not entitled. This is a shameful act on the part of a large corporation that is rightfully required to pay $17 million.”

“DISH continued seeking FCC program funds for months after its executives learned about its agents’ enrollment fraud and after an FCC OIG advisory warning. FCC OIG is committed to holding accountable bad actors who misuse taxpayers funds,” said FCC Inspector General Fara Damelin.  “We appreciate the dedication and outstanding work of our investigative team, our FCC colleagues, and our law enforcement partners, who together strengthen the integrity of FCC programs and ensure participating providers serve intended recipients.”

The EBBP, created by Congress during the COVID-19 Pandemic pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, provided $3.2 billion in 2021 to assist low-income consumers with discounted broadband services and devices. The follow-on ACP provided an additional $14 billion for the same services between 2022 and 2024. For both programs, consumers could be eligible for discounted broadband services if they met certain income thresholds or participated in one of a number of specified federal, state, or Tribal assistance programs, including but not limited to Medicaid, SNAP (i.e., Food Stamp Program), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the National School Lunch Program.

DISH, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, provides wireless telecommunication services to consumers in the United States through Boost Mobile, a division of DISH. Between May 2021 and February 2022, DISH enrolled more than 130,000 subscribers into EBBP and ACP based on their participation in the free school breakfast and lunch program in which all students who attend a high-poverty school become eligible for these services, known as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. For each of these subscribers, DISH received up to $50 per month during EBBP and $30 per month under ACP.

The settlement resolves allegations that DISH received monthly federal payments from EBBP and ACP that it was not entitled to receive because certain CEP subscribers enrolled by DISH agents were ineligible.

The United States alleges DISH engaged in the following FCA covered conduct: (1) DISH submitted claims to the EBBP and ACP from May 12, 2021 through Feb. 28, 2022 for discounted broadband services and devices for subscribers who did not qualify for the programs; (2) DISH failed to implement effective policies and procedures to ensure the eligibility of those subscribers; (3) DISH failed to adequately screen, train, or supervise third-party sales agents by failing to ensure each third-party agent was properly registered in the Universal Service Administrative Company’s  Representative Accountability Database; (4) DISH internal sales employees in Texas, Florida, New York, and West Virginia trained and directed third-party sales agents to submit inaccurate customer applications with incorrect school information; and (5) these third-party sales agents submitted false or incomplete information to the FCC’s National Verifier which was used to determine participant eligibility for the EBBP and ACP. As a result,  DISH enrolled more than 16,000 households on the basis of purported school attendance at a CEP school more than 25 miles from the household address without any verified school attendance, enrolled 130 households on the basis of a purported dependent over the age of 21 attending a CEP school, and for some CEP schools, DISH enrolled more households into EBBP than the actual student enrollment at the CEP school. Moreover, after learning of problems with the company’s CEP enrollments, DISH corporate executives failed to take corrective action from September 2021 through April 2022.  

The United States further alleges that DISH engaged in the following common law covered conduct: (1) submitting claims for more than 66,000 subscribers who did not identify a school-aged student as part of their applications; and (2) enrolling more than 2,400 subscribers using duplicate beneficiaries as the basis for their eligibility.

The Civil Settlement also resolves an administrative order by the Wireline Competition Bureau of the FCC against DISH for similar allegations. See In the Matter of Request for Review of the Decision of the Universal Service Administrator by DISH Wireless LLC, et al., WC Docket Nos. 21-450, 20-445, Order, DA 25-72 (released Jan. 17, 2025).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The civil False Claims Act resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the FCC’s Office of the Inspector General and the FCC’s Office of General Counsel.

The civil False Claims Act investigation was handled by Trial Attorney Jennifer Chorpening, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Johnson for the District of Columbia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hair for the District of Columbia.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of civil liability.

WASHINGTON — DISH Wireless LLC (DISH), located in Englewood, Colorado, has agreed to pay $17,280,240 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA), common law, and the Communications Act of 1934 relating to claims to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Emergency Broadband Benefits Program (EBBP) and its successor program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

“DISH and its employees fraudulently signed up ineligible applicants to receive federal monies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “By doing so DISH received payments which they were not entitled. This is a shameful act on the part of a large corporation that is rightfully required to pay $17 million.”

“The Justice Department will take action where companies and individuals knowingly violate the rules of federal programs and receive federal funds to which they are not entitled,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure integrity in the FCC’s programs.”

“DISH continued seeking FCC program funds for months after its executives learned about its agents’ enrollment fraud and after an FCC OIG advisory warning. FCC OIG is committed to holding accountable bad actors who misuse taxpayers funds,” said FCC Inspector General Fara Damelin.  “We appreciate the dedication and outstanding work of our investigative team, our FCC colleagues, and our law enforcement partners, who together strengthen the integrity of FCC programs and ensure participating providers serve intended recipients.”

The EBBP, created by Congress during the COVID-19 Pandemic pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, provided $3.2 billion in 2021 to assist low-income consumers with discounted broadband services and devices. The follow-on ACP provided an additional $14 billion for the same services between 2022 and 2024. For both programs, consumers could be eligible for discounted broadband services if they met certain income thresholds or participated in one of a number of specified federal, state, or Tribal assistance programs, including but not limited to Medicaid, SNAP (i.e., Food Stamp Program), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the National School Lunch Program.

DISH, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, provides wireless telecommunication services to consumers in the United States through Boost Mobile, a division of DISH. Between May 2021 and February 2022, DISH enrolled more than 130,000 subscribers into EBBP and ACP based on their participation in the free school breakfast and lunch program in which all students who attend a high-poverty school become eligible for these services, known as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. For each of these subscribers, DISH received up to $50 per month during EBBP and $30 per month under ACP.

The settlement resolves allegations that DISH received monthly federal payments from EBBP and ACP that it was not entitled to receive because certain CEP subscribers enrolled by DISH agents were ineligible.

The United States alleges DISH engaged in the following FCA covered conduct: (1) DISH submitted claims to the EBBP and ACP from May 12, 2021 through Feb. 28, 2022 for discounted broadband services and devices for subscribers who did not qualify for the programs; (2) DISH failed to implement effective policies and procedures to ensure the eligibility of those subscribers; (3) DISH failed to adequately screen, train, or supervise third-party sales agents by failing to ensure each third-party agent was properly registered in the Universal Service Administrative Company’s  Representative Accountability Database; (4) DISH internal sales employees in Texas, Florida, New York, and West Virginia trained and directed third-party sales agents to submit inaccurate customer applications with incorrect school information; and (5) these third-party sales agents submitted false or incomplete information to the FCC’s National Verifier which was used to determine participant eligibility for the EBBP and ACP. As a result,  DISH enrolled more than 16,000 households on the basis of purported school attendance at a CEP school more than 25 miles from the household address without any verified school attendance, enrolled 130 households on the basis of a purported dependent over the age of 21 attending a CEP school, and for some CEP schools, DISH enrolled more households into EBBP than the actual student enrollment at the CEP school. Moreover, after learning of problems with the company’s CEP enrollments, DISH corporate executives failed to take corrective action from September 2021 through April 2022.  

The United States further alleges that DISH engaged in the following common law covered conduct: (1) submitting claims for more than 66,000 subscribers who did not identify a school-aged student as part of their applications; and (2) enrolling more than 2,400 subscribers using duplicate beneficiaries as the basis for their eligibility.

The Civil Settlement also resolves an administrative order by the Wireline Competition Bureau of the FCC against DISH for similar allegations. See In the Matter of Request for Review of the Decision of the Universal Service Administrator by DISH Wireless LLC, et al., WC Docket Nos. 21-450, 20-445, Order, DA 25-72 (released Jan. 17, 2025).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The civil False Claims Act resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the FCC’s Office of the Inspector General and the FCC’s Office of General Counsel.

The civil False Claims Act investigation was handled by Trial Attorney Jennifer Chorpening, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Johnson for the District of Columbia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hair for the District of Columbia.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of civil liability.

The Department of Justice today announced the results of Operation Iron Pursuit, a one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. More than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort.

The operation commenced April 1 and ended April 30. The Administration for Children and Families recognizes April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims.”

“Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today’s announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work — with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America’s children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice.”

Victims recovered include a 10-year-old from Utah who was flown from Cuba to home and the child’s biological mother. The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.

Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, abuse, kidnapping, and possessing, distributing, or receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Some of the alleged offenders include:

• A Columbus, Ohio, man who pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children and to cyberstalking exes;
• A District of Columbia man charged with producing child pornography;
• A New York man charged with sexually exploiting a child; and
• A Pennsylvania man and former felon charged with sexually exploiting a child and illegally possessing a gun.

This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. And Operation Restore Justice, concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.

The FBI’s VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

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

WASHINGTON – Robert Lowe, 42, of Montgomery Village, MD, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for the April 2024 murder of 43-year-old Kenneth Goins at a D.C. bar in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Lowe was found guilty on one count each of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior felony conviction). According to the expected sentencing guidelines range, Lowe faces a potential maximum sentence of 33 years in prison for these crimes. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2026, before the Honorable Todd Edelman. 

           According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, at approximately 1:10 a.m. on April 27, 2024, Lowe and the victim were inside of Desperados Burger and Bar, located at 1342 U Street, NW. The defendant went to the bar.  Once there, he came up behind Mr. Goins and struck him in the head with a bottle. The two began to fight. In the ensuing fight, Mr. Goins started to get the best of the defendant and the defendant shot the victim multiple times, striking him once in the abdomen. The defendant then fled the bar, got on his motorcycle, and drove away. Members of MPD’s Third District were in the area and heard the gunshots. Body camera footage shows a person getting onto a motorcycle in the alley and a person in front of the bar pointing towards the man on the motorcycle yelling “hey, him.”  The motorcycles took off and officers followed in their cruisers but lost them during pursuit. Officers attempted to render aid to the victim until EMS arrived on scene. Unfortunately, Mr. Goins died from his injuries.

            Lowe was arrested on May 22, 2024, and has been in custody since.

           Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. 

           This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Tamara Rubb.

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WASHINGTON - A four-count Indictment was issued in U.S. District Court today charging Cole Tomas Allen, 31, with Attempt to Assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in connection with the April 25 shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

The Indictment returned by the federal grand jury also charges Allen, of Torrance, California, with Assaulting an Officer or Employee of the United States with a Deadly Weapon, with Transportation of a Firearm and Ammunition in Interstate Commerce with the Intent to Commit a Felony, and with Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.   

“Today’s indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a U.S. Secret Service officer after he traversed the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their swift action to neutralize this threat and prevent the death of the President. The use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core. We will pursue the maximum punishment available under the law against anyone who travels to the District of Columbia to engage in such acts.” 

“As alleged in today’s indictment, the heavily armed defendant rushed security and shot a Secret Service Officer in an attempt to assassinate President Trump— but was stopped thanks to the courageous and immediate response from law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under the leadership of President Trump, violent political actors will never win— we will prosecute anyone who engages in these horrific acts to the fullest extent of the law.” 

“The facts of this case are clear - Cole Allen traveled to Washington D.C. attempting to assassinate President Trump and senior members of his administration, and attacked federal law enforcement in the process - only stopped by brave security personnel who stood in the way,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We are grateful to our interagency partners for working with us in the investigation to add this additional charge. This FBI has been working 24/7 on this case since the night of the attack, and we will continue to do so until justice is done.” 

The 2026 Dinner took place on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton. President Trump was present at the Dinner. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., the defendant approached a U.S. Secret Service (USSS) security screening checkpoint located on the Terrace Level of the hotel and sprinted through one of the magnetometers at the checkpoint and ran in the direction of the stairs leading to the ballroom where the President was located.   

As the defendant did so, he fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, hitting a USSS officer once in the chest. The USSS officer drew his service weapon and fired five times at the defendant. The defendant fell to the ground, was restrained by law enforcement, and was placed under arrest. The defendant suffered a minor injury to his knee but was not shot.   

At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of the Mossberg shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel. The defendant also possessed a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol, dozens of rounds of unspent 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and .38 caliber ammunition, two knives, four daggers, multiple sheaths, multiple holsters, needle nose pliers, and wire cutters. 

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine, Charles Jones, and Adam Barry of the National Security Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.   

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WASHINGTON - David Andrew Williams, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in connection with the armed robberies of five restaurants in Southeast and Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Over a series of robberies, this defendant used a firearm to terrorize restaurant workers and undermine the safety of our neighborhoods. Today’s guilty plea holds him accountable and brings a measure of justice to the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and prosecute violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Williams pleaded guilty before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and to carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Sept. 1, 2026.  

According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, at about 6 p.m., Williams entered a Subway restaurant on the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE. He approached an employee at the cash register, pulled a handgun out of his bag and ordered the employee to “open the drawer.” Another employee opened the register and handed Williams approximately $100 in cash. Williams then grabbed the till from the employees and poured the loose coins into a Subway cookie bag before leaving the restaurant.  

On Dec. 29, 2024, about 2:17 p.m., Williams returned to the same Subway restaurant. As he approached the cash register, he reached into a bag slung over his shoulder and drew a handgun. An employee handed Williams a box with cash. The employee poured out some change, but Williams put the firearm back into his bag and left without taking the change.  

On Dec. 30, 2024, Williams was wearing a surgical mask when he entered Manny & Olga’s Pizza, drew his handgun and demanded cash. Williams took all of the money from the cash register and walked out of the store. 

On  Jan. 14, 2025, he struck the Chipotle restaurant on the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Williams pointed the pistol at an employee while stating, “You need to open the cash register.” Another employee came to the register and opened it for Williams, who grabbed money and fled out of the restaurant. 

On Feb. 3, 2025, Williams robbed the Dunkin Donuts on the 800 block of Quincy St. NW. He entered the restaurant, drew a gun, and demanded money from the register. Williams took money from the register tray and left the store. Later that evening, Metro Transit Police officers arrested Williams on a Largo-bound Blue Line train. Officers recovered a black 9 mm ghost gun, with ammunition loaded in the magazine, from the bag Williams carried.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Metro Transit Police, and the FBI Washington Field Office.  

The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  

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WASHINGTON – Johnny Gregory, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for charges stemming from strangling his wife in January 2026, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

            Gregory was found guilty of one count of strangulation. The Honorable Deborah Israel scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2026.  

            “Today’s guilty verdict reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions. He chose violence, and he will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office is committed to supporting survivors of domestic violence and prosecuting these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

            According to the government’s evidence, on January 5, 2026, Gregory and his wife got into an argument over laundry detergent. Gregory pushed his wife to the ground, punched her several times in the face, put his knee on her chest, and strangled her with two hands. The victim lost consciousness and urinated on herself. She was taken to a local hospital and treated for her injuries. The victim’s 15-year-old daughter was present at the time of the assault.

            Gregory was arrested on January 6, 2026, and has been in custody since.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

             This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Friedman and Charles Klug.   

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WASHINGTON - Curtis Nathaniel Suber, 35, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison in connection with unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while driving drunk and carrying drugs he intended to sell, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            On Nov. 26, 2025, Suber pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Suber to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 46-month prison term. 

            According to court papers, about 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2025, MPD officers observed a silver vehicle speeding through an intersection in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Officers followed and found the vehicle crashed into a residential apartment building. The vehicle’s airbags had deployed, and smoke was rising from the car. As officers approached, Suber stepped out holding a half-empty bottle of Hennessy. 

            Officers recovered a loaded Glock .45 with 23 rounds in the magazine wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. Suber’s backpack contained marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, and ecstasy, along with a set of digital scales and $4,200 in cash. Suber tested positive at the time of arrest for cocaine, amphetamines, and fentanyl. 

            Suber had been convicted in 2023 of carrying a pistol without a license and had completed a term of supervision for that offense just over a year before his arrest in this case. 

            The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office. 

            The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

            This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. 

            Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. 

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WASHINGTON – Cierra Charity Lee, 20 and Kayvon Edwards, 21, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with the Oct. 20, 2025, kidnapping and armed robbery of two female victims in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Lee and Edwards pleaded guilty to kidnapping and armed robbery before Judge Christopher R. Cooper. Co-defendant Robynn Danielle Bynum, 18, of Fort Washington, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Apr. 16, 2026, to the same counts. Judge Cooper scheduled Lee’s sentencing for August 4; Edwards for September 10. A date for Bynum’s sentencing is pending.  

 “They lured these women with the promise of a babysitting job, but instead subjected them to a terrifying kidnapping and armed robbery involving a knife and duct tape,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This was a calculated effort, directed by Edwards from jail, to intimidate and silence a witness connected to a rape case. Such conduct shows a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others. Our office will continue to hold accountable those who resort to violence and coercion to obstruct justice.” 

According to court documents, a U.S. Park Police officer responded on Oct. 20, 2025, at about 11:45 p.m. for a report of a stabbing in the 3200 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. The officer found two victims. One had been stabbed several times in her back. The second had knife wounds on her right wrist. 

Investigators determined that the victims were attacked earlier that night at a residence near Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road SE. The victims went to the residence for a “babysitting job” when two individuals escorted them into a basement and attacked them. Bynum stabbed Victim 1 multiple times in the back and injured Victim 2 during the assault. 

Lee and Bynum then forced both victims into a bathroom where they bound them with duct tape. While the victims were restrained, Lee questioned Victim 1 about a rape case pending against Edwards in Prince George's County. Lee and Bynum then searched the victims' pockets and stole their phones and car keys.  

Lee and Bynum then led the victims to a car and told them they were being driven to Pennsylvania. A flat tire scuttled those plans. The assailants abandoned the car and the victims, who were able to escape and seek help. 

MPD officers later found the victims' car parked in the 3200 block of M Street SE. Officers noted blood stains and pieces of duct tape on the back seat and observed that the front passenger tire was flat. 

Investigators determined that Edwards, who was awaiting trial for rape at the time and held in Prince George's County, orchestrated the attack through a series of monitored phone calls. On those calls, Edwards asked Bynum about her driving abilities, warned her about getting caught by the police, and pleaded with Bynum to not let him down. Additionally, Edwards directed Lee to restrain Victim 1, ensure she could not flee, and silence her as a witness. Lee assured Edwards that Victim 1 would drop the charges and not appear in court.   

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter. 

26cr58 

WASHINGTON – Joseph Gallina, 34, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to coercing and enticing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Gallina pleaded guilty before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 24, 2026. The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.  

“This case is a stark reminder of the grave harm caused by those who exploit and manipulate minors for their own purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant’s actions were calculated, predatory, and deeply damaging. My office remains committed to holding offenders accountable and to protecting vulnerable children from abuse, coercion, and exploitation in all forms.” 

According to court documents, in July 2024 Gallina communicated with a minor child using text messages and several different mobile applications.  

During these conversations, Gallina instructed the minor child to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of herself. The minor child produced those images and sent them to Gallina.  

Gallina discussed meeting the minor child in person and told her that her family could not know about their relationship. Gallina told the minor child, “[b]eing a minor, I could get into a lot of trouble for doing that. You would have to stop contact with ypur (sic) family.”  

Gallina then posted a solicitation on a fetish website which included sexually explicit images of the minor child and sought to arrange sexual encounters between the minor child and adult men in the D.C. area. Several men responded to Gallina’s post and one of the men met the minor child in the District of Columbia and had sex with her.  

Gallina told the minor child that he wanted to see a video of her sexual encounter with the adult man and gave her specific instructions for what he wanted her to say and do during the sexual encounter. When the minor child was not able to record her sexual encounter with the stranger, Gallina told her that he was “disappointed.”  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen Shinskie. 

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. 

 24cr529 

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WASHINGTON – Miquel Beasley, 23, of Maryland, was convicted yesterday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for an armed carjacking and armed robbery that took place in March 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Beasley was found guilty of one count of armed carjacking, one count of armed robbery, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was indicted in D.C. Superior Court on February 5, 2025. The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2026.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:15 p.m. on March 22, 2024, the victim, a 62-year-old Army veteran, met up with Beasley in the 3900 block of First Street SE to purchase marijuana. Beasley entered the victim’s car from the passenger side and once in the vehicle he produced a black handgun, put the handgun to the victim’s head, and demanded that the victim exit his car. The victim got out of his car, and Beasley got into the driver’s seat and drove away. 

           He was arrested on January 30, 2025, and has been in custody since.

           Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Alexander Cook and Samuel Ison.

2025 CF3 001237

WASHINGTON – Gary Saleem Price, 46, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2026.  

According to court documents, in 2017, Price was convicted of first-degree child sexual abuse and required to register as a sex offender. Following his incarceration in that case, Price was required to remain in a transitional living placement in Baltimore, Maryland. In November 2024, Price absconded from that placement. Price ultimately settled in Washington, D.C.

In March 2026, law enforcement found Price living at an address in the District. Since absconding from the transitional living placement, Price was not registered as a sex offender in the District of Columbia, even though he was required to do so due to his prior conviction.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. 

This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley. 

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. 

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WASHINGTON - Brandon Smith, 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison for conspiring to traffic at least nine firearms to a prohibited buyer over the course of six months, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Brandon Smith was already on supervised probation for a violent felony when he chose to traffic firearms, and he continued even after being told the buyer intended to use them for violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Over the course of six months, he arranged the sale of at least nine guns—including one with an obliterated serial number—to a prohibited individual. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a sustained and deliberate effort to arm someone who could not legally possess firearms. My office remains committed to holding accountable those who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal guns.” 

On Jan. 9, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty before Judge Howell to conspiracy to commit trafficking in firearms. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 108-month prison term. 

According to court papers, beginning in November 2023, ATF opened an investigation after a confidential source reported that Smith, then on supervised probation for a violent felony, was actively advertising firearms for sale by texting photographs of guns to prospective buyers, including individuals with prior felony convictions. 

During the next six months, Smith sold or arranged the sale of nine firearms to a buyer on six separate occasions. During the transactions, Smith sold his own personal carry firearm on multiple occasions when a supplier failed to deliver, then purchased a replacement for himself afterward. 

In early January 2024, as Smith and the buyer discussed an upcoming transaction, the buyer told Smith he needed the firearms because he was “at war” after his cousin had been killed. Smith proceeded with the sale. The buyer had also told Smith he was serving a criminal justice sentence at the time of the transactions. Smith acknowledged that he, too, was “on papers.” 

Smith arranged a total of six transactions from Nov. 30, 2023, through May 30, 2024, resulting in the sale of nine firearms. At least one of the firearms had its serial number obliterated. 

On Oct. 26, 2024, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the 1600 block of 16th Street SE and found Smith in the front passenger seat of a parked vehicle. Officers observed open containers of alcohol and discovered a satchel at his feet. Inside the satchel, in plain view, was a loaded Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun with a round in the chamber and 16 additional rounds in the magazine. The bag also contained a bank card and government-issued identification in Smith’s name. 

Smith has prior convictions for Simple Assault (2011), Attempted Robbery (2013), and Robbery and Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence (2016), for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was serving a term of supervised probation from the 2016 conviction at the time of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. 

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The matter was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan. 

Hidden camera photo taken as Smith sold a firearm on Nov. 30, 2023.  

The Glock .40 caliber pistol that Smith sold for $900 on Nov. 30, 2023.  

The Walther P99 9mm pistol that Smith sold for $900 on Dec. 12, 2023. 

The Glock Model 19x 9 mm that police recovered from Smith’s bag on Oct. 26, 2024. 

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WASHINGTON – Thomasz Szabo, 27, of Romania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for his role as leader of an online swatting ring that targeted more than 75 public officials, four religious institutions, and multiple journalists in a nationwide threat spree, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Szabo, aka “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” pleaded guilty June 2, 2025, to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives. In addition to the 48-month prison term, District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Szabo to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 57-month prison sentence. 

“Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists — Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country. Szabo was extradited from Romania to face justice in an American courtroom, and today he has reaped the consequences of his actions.” 

“Mr. Szabo deliberately wasted public resources and recklessly put the lives of innocent people at risk for his own amusement,” said Tara McLeese, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms that swatting is not a prank, and those that perpetrate this crime will be held accountable. We are thankful to our U.S. and international law enforcement partners as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case.”

“Swatting is not just a nuisance – it’s extremely dangerous,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan. “I am proud of our investigators, as well as thankful for our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their steadfast efforts to ensure justice is served. This shows that we will cross the globe to track threats down.” 

“Mr. Szabo’s and his co-conspirators’ incessant swatting attacks created a tremendous drain on law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars and put innocent civilians in harm’s way,” said Michael Burgwald, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division. “Today’s sentencing is an important step toward ensuring that those who believe swatting is just a prank will be disabused of that notion and making it clear that those who engage in it will face justice.” 

“For years, Thomasz Szabo sought to stoke fear and incite panic in victims from afar," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Now, he will spend the next 48 months in a federal prison. The sentence handed down by the Court today serves to demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will track down offenders wherever they may be and hold them responsible for their crimes. We will take all available steps to identify and bring to justice those who put lives at risk by making false threats of violence.” 

According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting,” that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there. 

As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior. 

Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media. 

During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.” 

Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police.  

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, and Springfield Resident Office; the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest; the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities’ assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo. 

24cr386 

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WASHINGTON – Andrew Jacobson, 25, of Great Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to coercing and enticing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

Jacobson pleaded guilty before Judge Rudolph Contreras who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 2, 2026. 

According to court documents, between October 2025 and January 2026, Jacobson traveled from Maryland to the District of Columbia at least three times to sexually abuse a minor child. On a fourth occasion, Jacobson lured the minor child to Maryland and sexually abused the child in his Maryland home and filmed that act of sexual abuse.  

Jacobson also communicated with the minor child over various messaging applications, where Jacobson would ask the minor child to engage in sexual conduct with him, discuss sexual acts he wanted to perform on the minor child, and even at one point encouraged the minor child to engage in sexual acts for money and offered to post on a messaging app advertising that she was selling content.  

This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Kelley. 

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. 

26cr84 

WASHINGTON – Kiyel Kearney, 23, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 40 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded revolver in May 2025 when his status as a felon prohibited him from having any firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Kearney pleaded guilty Jan. 16, 2026, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 40-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Kearney to serve two years of supervised release.  

 According to court documents, on May 10, 2025, about 11:45 p.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department, assigned to the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, received a ShotSpotter notification of gunfire in the 1200 block of Harvard Street, NW. Following the gunshots, MPD officers observed a gray Acura sedan occupied by four individuals speeding and disregarding a red light at the intersection of Sherman Ave NW, and Harvard Street NW.  Officers saw the vehicle entering the opposing lanes of traffic in the 100 block of Michigan Ave NW. Officers lost sight of the vehicle before it appeared again in the 200 block of Michigan Ave NW. Officers observed the vehicle lose control and crash. The four occupants, including Kearney, exited the car and fled on foot. 

MPD officers pursued Kearney as he was observed running with one free hand, with his other hand appearing to be holding his waist area, consistent with preventing a firearm from falling from his body. Following a foot pursuit through the active lanes of traffic on North Capitol Street NW, Kearney slipped, fell to the ground, and surrendered to the officers. An officer searched Kearney and felt a hard metal object and recovered a semiautomatic Glock 33 .357 caliber pistol, with 14 rounds of ammunition in a 15-round capacity magazine. 

Police recovered a semiautomatic Glock 33 .357 caliber pistol, with 14 rounds of ammunition in a 15-round capacity magazine. 

Firearm and magazine recovered from the defendant.  

Additionally, Kearney can be seen in surveillance video interacting with other individuals and appears agitated. Kearney is seen removing a backpack from his body and then retrieving a long gun.  Surveillance video shows an unknown individual discharge a firearm with an MPD SUV present. As the defendant is fleeing on foot, at about 1:06 a.m., he shoots the long gun numerous times in the direction of the alley.  At least three other individuals are seen discharging firearms as a result of the defendant’s shooting. A bystander was struck in the chin and head by a stray bullet and was taken to the hospital; it is unclear which firearm caused the injury. 

MPD crime scene investigators recovered multiple 5.56 shell casing from the area where the defendant was seen firing the long gun.  

At the time of this offense, Kearney had a pending case in D.C. Superior Court for a May 12, 2023, felony offense for illegally possessing a firearm in the 3000 block of 14th Street, NW. In that case, Kearney was apprehended by officers while in possession of a Glock 43x 9mm firearm, with one round of ammunition with eight rounds in the magazine. 

This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. 

It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Seidel and Anthony Scarpelli.   

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WASHINGTON - Ronnie Rogers, 70, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 236 months in prison for his role as a key figure in a large-scale conspiracy that imported and distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other controlled substances in the Washington, D.C., area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Rogers pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to a three-count superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue, and 100 grams or more of heroin; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.  

In addition to the 236-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Rogers to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of 248 months in prison. 

According to court papers, the Drug Enforcement Administration opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was importing and distributing fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, and other controlled substances into the District and elsewhere. The investigation identified Rogers, Wayne Glymph, 49, of Port Tobacco, Maryland, and Samuel Braxton, 57, aka “Fats,” of Temple Hills, Maryland, as key leaders of the organization. 

Braxton orchestrated the conspiracy from inside FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, where he was serving a federal sentence, using a contraband cell phone to connect Glymph and Rogers with foreign nationals who supplied kilogram quantities of fentanyl and other drugs. Rogers and Glymph received shipments of drugs, then cut, packaged, and redistributed them throughout the D.C. area. Rogers also had redistributors stationed near drug treatment facilities to exploit people struggling with opioid addiction. 

From at least July 2021 through November 2023, when Rogers was arrested, the conspiracy trafficked more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 2 kilograms of fentanyl analogue, more than 236 grams of heroin, more than 500 grams of cocaine, and large quantities of cocaine base. Law enforcement intercepted communications and seized multiple parcels of fentanyl destined for Rogers’s residences, including shipments in August, October, and November 2022, and additional seizures in 2023. 

On Nov. 29, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at two residences used by Rogers in Washington, D.C., and District Heights, Maryland, and at a third location used by Rogers and Glymph in Waldorf, Maryland. Officers recovered kilogram quantities of fentanyl, carfentanil, heroin, and cocaine base, along with five firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, drug packaging materials, cutting agents, scales, and about $24,500 in cash. 

Glymph was sentenced to 162 months in prison on Jan. 14, 2026. Braxton, who led the organization while incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix, was sentenced to 162 months on March 24, 2026. 

Rogers has prior federal drug trafficking convictions from the District of Columbia, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland, and served three prior prison terms of more than 10 years each for drug trafficking. He was on supervised release at the time of this offense. 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division,  FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, Chief Tarrick McGuire of the Alexandria Police Department, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.   

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This operation was supported in part by the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) supplies grant funding and strategic assistance to MCIN member sites. These resources enable the identification, disruption, and dismantling of criminal organizations through enhanced interagency collaboration and data sharing.

Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Washington Field Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George's County Police Interdiction Unit, Charles County Sheriff's Office, Arlington County Police, Virginia State Police, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt), the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Matthew Kinskey. 

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WASHINGTON – Charles Lewis, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty Friday in connection to the  deadly beating of 55-year-old Mark Carter, that occurred in Southeast Washington, D.C. on October 10, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The charges have a sentencing range of 12-15 years of incarceration. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 2, 2026.

            The government’s evidence indicates that on October 10, 2022, Lewis confronted the victim, Mark Carter, in an alleyway off Southern Ave SE, regarding an ongoing feud about the victim’s use of a car that belonged to the defendant’s family member. Lewis found Carter with the car in the alleyway. The defendant grabbed Carter and threw him to the ground. Lewis repeatedly punched and kicked Carter in the head and the body until he became unresponsive. The defendant then dragged Carter out into the middle of Southern Avenue SE and fled the scene. The victim succumbed to his injuries five days later on October 15, 2022.

            Lewis was arrested on December 7, 2022, and has been in custody since. 

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner, Jr. and Peter Roman.

2022 CF1 002264

WASHINGTON - Lanoix Pierrelus, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 41 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while also carrying 50 fentanyl pills he intended to sell, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

On Aug. 26, 2025, Pierrelus pleaded guilty before Judge Nichols in U.S. District Court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 41-month prison term, Judge Nichols ordered Pierrelus to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 51-month prison term. 

According to court papers, on Oct. 22, 2024, Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in a high-crime area observed a group of about eight individuals congregating in the street near a Toyota sedan. When Pierrelus noticed the officers’ approach, he moved quickly toward the rear passenger door of the vehicle, reached toward his groin area, and crouched behind the car. Officers searched the area where he had crouched and recovered a loaded Ruger Model 57 pistol, with a round in the chamber and 21 rounds in the magazine. 

When officers searched Pierrelus following his arrest, they recovered a black satchel containing 50 blue pills stamped “M30.” The pills appeared to be oxycodone but were later confirmed by a DEA laboratory chemist to be fentanyl, with a total net weight of about 5.4 grams. Pierrelus admitted he intended to sell them. 

Pierrelus was on court-ordered supervision for a prior felony firearm conviction at the time of the offense. 

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division Office.  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole. 

25cr49 

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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Mayor Muriel Bowser, and District public safety leaders announced the Protecting Victims Act of 2026, new legislation aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence. The legislation includes measures to strengthen protections for survivors, enhance accountability measures against offenders, and protect privacy and safety. Although violent crime is down in the District year-to-date, domestic violence-connected assault with a dangerous weapon charges have been increasing, making this bill a timely intervention to protect District residents and reverse a concerning trend. 

“Even as overall crime declines, the persistence of domestic violence—and the tragic rise in domestic violence homicides—underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement tools,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Too often, these cases reflect repeated abuse, where prior incidents or pending charges did not stop further harm. The Protecting Victims Act will help ensure that the most dangerous offenders can be identified, detained when appropriate, and held fully accountable under the law. My office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement and community partners to intervene earlier and prevent violence before it escalates. With these additional tools, prosecutors and judges will be better positioned to protect survivors and prevent further tragedy.”

“This legislation is about making sure that survivors are protected and that their safety and privacy are respected. It’s also about making sure that when someone needs help, they can trust that help will be there, and that when someone breaks the law, there are clear and consistent consequences,” said Mayor Bowser. “With the Protecting Victims Act, we want victims and survivors to know that we are here for them, and we want abusers to know that they will face swift and certain consequences.”

The Protecting Victims Act of 2026 builds on ongoing efforts across the District to close gaps in enforcement and ensure that court-issued protections are meaningful, enforceable, and responsive to the realities survivors face.  

Key provisions of the Protecting Victims Act of 2026 include: 

Strengthening Enforcement of Court Orders to Protect Victims

• Holds offenders accountable for repeated violations of temporary and civil protection orders by punishing repeated violations as felony offenses.
• Improves enforcement of stay away and no contact orders by providing courts with additional tools to enforce serious violations of release conditions, including a presumption that they should securely hold a defendant when they commit a new crime against the same victim.
• Strengthens consequences for violations of post-conviction stay away and no contact orders in misdemeanor intrafamily offenses and misdemeanor sex offenses by making a violation of these orders a felony with penalties consistent with other felony cases.  

Strengthening Pretrial Detention of Domestic Violence Offenders

• Provides courts with improved tools to protect victims of domestic violence by detaining abusers who harm them prior to trial, including:
  • Creating a new hold for individuals charged with an intrafamily offense who were, at the time of the offense, released pending trial or sentencing in another intrafamily offense case.
  • Giving courts the ability to detain offenders charged with an offense against an intimate partner who have a history of domestic violence or were subject to a protection order at the time of the offense.
  • Giving courts the ability to detain offenders charged with a repeat violation of a protection order or felony threats against an intimate partner. 

Enhancing Accountability for Domestic Violence Offenders

• Updates language in the District’s kidnapping statute to more clearly state what the prohibited conduct is and to capture criminal conduct that the community would recognize as kidnapping. The new statute also provides multiple tiers of liability to address varied factual scenarios of different severity.
• Creates a felony version of unlawful entry to address circumstances in which an offender who has unlawfully entered a private dwelling or property and then commits an assault or a crime of violence. Currently, DC law provides no criminal liability when a person unlawfully enters the home of another without intent to commit another crime, or refuses to leave that home, and then commits an assault or a crime of violence.
• Creates an enhancement for sentencing purposes that applies to violence and threats where the offender knew or consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the victim was pregnant.
• Creates a new offense to address circumstances in which the defendant committed certain offenses in the presence of a child, or where the child witnessed the offense, including by sight, sound, or otherwise. 

Protecting Victim and Survivor Privacy and Safety 

• Amends the Metropolitan Police Department’s public disclosure requirements by providing protection to individuals who are willing to come forward to law enforcement to report that they have been a victim of or witness to a crime. 

“As violent crime continues to decrease, domestic violence related incidents are leading to an increase in Assault with a Dangerous Weapon offenses, and account for 30% of this year’s homicides,” said Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Jeffery Carroll. “MPD has redoubled outreach to domestic violence survivors District-wide. We want all DC residents to know the signs of domestic violence and know the resources offered by MPD and our partners. Most importantly, we want every survivor to know they are not alone.” 

Throughout April, MPD has led outreach efforts to highlight domestic violence prevention and resources at more than 20 events across all eight wards, including apartment buildings, places of worship, retail stores, and community centers. 

The DC Victim Hotline is available at 844-4-HELP-DC (844-443-5732) and is a 24 hours a day 7 days a week chat- and text-based resource and crisis line for all crime victims in the District of Columbia. Visitors to the hotline receive strength-based and trauma-informed services and referrals in over 200 languages.  

Residents and visitors are reminded: if you are in immediate danger, call 911.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro highlighted new efforts underway at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including the creation of the Violent Intimate Partner Emergency Response (VIPER) team, which prioritizes high-risk domestic violence cases and seeks to secure victims’ grand jury testimony as early as possible. This initiative ensures that, at the earliest stages following an arrest, a prosecutor and victim-witness specialist are engaged to support survivors, strengthen evidence collection, and help build cases that do not rely solely on victim testimony. By identifying high-risk cases—including those involving repeated abuse, strangulation, or the presence of children during the offense—VIPER connects victims with time-sensitive resources and supports stronger, more effective investigations. These enhancements are designed to better protect victims, hold offenders accountable, and prevent cases from falling through gaps in the system.

WASHINGTON - Tayon Wright, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison for unlawful possession of a Glock pistol that was discovered after he fled from a car he had crashed following a police pursuit, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Tayon Wright was a felon on supervised probation when he chose to illegally arm himself with a Glock outfitted with a giggle switch — a device that transformed it into an automatic weapon capable of unleashing lethal fire in seconds,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence is a direct message to any others who think they can disregard the law without facing the consequences.” 

Wright pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Wright to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 33-month prison term. 

According to court papers, at about 2:15 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2024, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a pursuit in progress. Prince George’s County Police were chasing a stolen black Audi through Southeast D.C. The Audi lost control on 13th Street SE, struck a curb, and crashed. 

Wright, the sole occupant of the vehicle, fled from the Audi on foot. Officers found a black Glock 9mm handgun in the street next to the vehicle. The firearm was outfitted with a switch that allowed it to fire as an automatic, had a round in the chamber, and was surrounded by 21 rounds of loose ammunition. Wright is not considered a suspect in the vehicle theft. 

After a brief foot chase, officers arrested Wright. A search of his jacket revealed cocaine base in multiple forms, amphetamines, 15 Oxycodone pills, and $152 in U.S. currency. 

Wright had November 2021 felony convictions in Prince George’s County for armed carjacking and possession of a regulated firearm, which made it illegal for him to possess a firearm or ammunition. He was still on supervised probation for those convictions at the time of this offense. 

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office,  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman. 

Photo of a black Glock firearm equipped with a “giggle switch” that police found in the street next to the crashed Audi. The firearm was surrounded by 21 rounds of loose ammunition. 

WASHINGTON – Antonio Gaither, 17, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for a spree of robberies and carjackings that took place in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Gaither, who was sixteen years old at the time of the offenses and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, to one count of carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of robbery. At Gaither’s sentencing on April 24, 2026, the United States requested a sentence of twelve years of incarceration, representing a sentence at the top of his sentencing guidelines for each count, to be followed by three years of supervised release. 

            The Honorable Judge Jennifer DiToro sentenced Gaither to a fully suspended sentences of 48 months for carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and 24 months for each count of robbery, with 18 months of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration for carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.  On March 17, 2026, Gaither’s co-defendant, Derrick West, also received a suspended sentence over the government’s objection.

            According to the proffer of facts, on September 19, 2024, at approximately 10:31 p.m., in the 500 block of 48th Place NE, Gaither, his co-defendant Derrick West and two additional suspects, pulled up next to the first victim, while she was parking her car. Two of the suspects exited their vehicle and one pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered her to exit her vehicle. Two of the suspects took the victim’s car, and all four suspects fled the scene.

            Separately, on September 20, 2024, at approximately 12:45 a.m., in the 800 block of P Street, NW, Gaither, West, and additional suspects approached the victim, who was sitting in his vehicle with his doors unlocked. One of the suspects opened the driver’s side door and ordered the victim to exit the vehicle, while another suspect assaulted the victim, striking him about the face and body. The victim exited the vehicle and fled in fear of his safety. The suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, taking with them the victim’s wallet, credit cards and phone which were inside the car.

            In addition, on September 30, 2024, at approximately 5:21 p.m., in the 100 block of 35th Street, NE, Gaither and West approached a third victim, who was talking on his cell phone as he walked away from his vehicle. One of the defendants grabbed the victim’s phone out of his hand. Both Gaither and West demanded the victim’s car keys. Out of fear for his safety, the victim handed over the keys, but he was still punched in the face several times by both defendants. The defendants took the victim’s cell phone and fled the scene in his vehicle.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and Ben Helfand, who prosecuted the case. 

2024 CF3 011077 

WASHINGTON – Daniel Bangura, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for charges stemming from the July 2023 shooting of 46-year-old Donald Childs, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Marks pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed on January 13, 2026. Bangura also pleaded guilty on that day to obstruction of justice. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson sentenced Bangura to the 66-month prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release. His co-defendant, Iesha Marks, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2026. 

            “Today’s sentencing reflects the serious consequences that come with participating in senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant may not have pulled the trigger, but he played an undeniable role in the death of an innocent man standing on his own street.” 

            According to the government’s evidence, at 2:43 p.m. on July 30, 2023, Bangura drove Marks to the 100 block of Farragut Street, NW. As they rode through a busy intersection, Marks extended her arm out of the front passenger window and fired multiple shots directly into Farragut Street, striking and killing Mr. Childs, who was standing on the sidewalk. Bangura sped away from the scene and drove Marks to Pennsylvania in order to dispose of the murder weapon.   

            Bangura has been in custody since he was indicted in May of 2025.  

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmin Emrani, who prosecuted the case.  

2025 CF1 005760 

WASHINGTON - Evan Tangeman, 22, of Newport Beach, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 70 months in prison for laundering millions of dollars generated by an elaborate social engineering scheme orchestrated by a multi-state criminal enterprise that stole more than $263 million in cryptocurrency and used the proceeds to support the criminal enterprise’s fantastically extravagant lifestyles, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“This criminal enterprise was built on greed so brazen it borders on the cartoonish. They stole millions, spent it on half-million-dollar nightclub tabs, Lamborghinis, and Rolexes,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “But Evan Tangeman didn't just launder the money that fueled that lifestyle. When his co-conspirators were arrested, he moved to destroy the evidence. That is consciousness of guilt, and this office and the court have treated that accordingly." 

Tangeman pleaded guilty Dec. 8, 2025, to participating in a RICO conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and admitted that he helped to launder at least $3.5 million for members of the enterprise. Tangeman’s admission of guilt was the ninth plea to result from this investigation. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Tangeman to serve three years of supervised release.  

The criminal enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through at least May 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms and was comprised of individuals based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and abroad. 

Tangeman, aka "E," "Tate," "Evan|Exchanger," was a money launderer for the group that also included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets. 

Tangeman not only enabled his co-conspirators to dissipate millions in victim funds but also benefited directly and indirectly from the thefts himself, including receiving exotic automobiles as compensation for his work and using commissions earned for laundering on luxury goods. Finally, when the first members of the criminal enterprise – co-defendants Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano – were arrested and the massive scale of their fraud revealed, it was Tangeman who took it upon himself to direct co-defendant Tucker Desmond to destroy digital devices belonging to members of the enterprise. 

Members and associates of the social engineering enterprise used stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars which were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 up to over $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals for travel, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of exotic cars, ranging in value from $100,000 up to $3,800,000. 

Tangeman converted the stolen cryptocurrency into fiat cash and worked with real estate agents in Los Angeles to procure large mansions for members of the social engineering enterprise. The members were unemployed young men, often under 20 years old and did not want to draw law enforcement attention for renting homes for $40,000 to $80,000 per month with no legitimate source of income. Some of those homes were valued between $4,000,000 up to nearly $9,000,000. Tangeman also arranged for rental homes in Miami when the group moved to Miami in September 2024. 

Tangeman was well rewarded for his criminal conduct. Co-defendant Lam arranged for the purchase of a widebody Lamborghini Urus for Tangeman. At the time of the execution of the search warrant on Tangeman’s residence, law enforcement identified and seized additional vehicles, including one black 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost, valued at more than $300,000. The agents also seized a white and black Porsche GT3 RS. 

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices as well as the United States Attorney’s Officers in the Central District of California, Southern District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey. 

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg provided valuable assistance. 

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Warrant to Seize Property Subject to Forfeiture by Telephone

Jiang Wen Jie Criminal Complaint

Huang Xingshan Criminal Complaint

Application for a Warrant to Seize Property Subject to Forfeiture

The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division, together with its partners, today announced a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against Southeast Asian criminal organizations operating scam centers that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.  

The Scam Center Strike Force’s actions include criminal charges against two Chinese nationals who managed a cryptocurrency investment fraud compound in Burma and attempted to open another compound in Cambodia, the seizure of a Telegram messaging app channel used to recruit human trafficking victims to a scam compound in Cambodia in order to work a law enforcement impersonation scam, and the seizure of 503 fake invesment websites, among other actions.

Additionally, the Strike Force has continued to identify funds involved in money laundering from scam centers, seeking to seize and forfeit the same, and collectively the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department’s Criminal Division, and their partners have restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be tied to money laundering from cryptocurrency scams.

Also today, in a coordinated interagency action, the Department of the Treasury announced  sanctions against Cambodian scam center operators, and the Department of State announced rewards for information leading to the seizure or recovery of proceeds related to the Tai Chang scam center in Burma.

“The President’s Executive Order Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens establishes a clear, whole-of-government strategy to confront cyber-enabled crime and transnational scam operations – bringing together law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic, and financial tools in a unified effort,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Building on that direction, the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 has delivered real operational results and reflects the kind of focused action this strategy demands. Together, these efforts are driving a coordinated campaign to disrupt and impose consequences on the transnational criminal organizations behind these schemes.”

“Today we announce significant milestones in that fight,” Pirro continued. “We have charged the Chinese bosses who ran a scam compound in Burma, where trafficked workers were beaten and forced to steal from Americans. We have seized a Telegram channel that was luring workers into a forced labor compound in Cambodia where they were ordered to pose as U.S. banks and NYPD to steal American’s life savings. We have taken down more than 500 websites used to steal people’s savings. And my Office continues to work to identify funds stolen from victims, having now caused restraint of more than $700 million in cryptocurrency involved in money laundering from U.S. victims of fraud. This Administration is lock-step in combatting these scams, and we are not done.”

“The Department’s Criminal Division is proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Pirro’s office on the latest enforcement actions of the Scam Center Strike Force to stop foreign-based criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas may believe that they cannot be reached, but the Department of Justice and our Strike Force partners are working to ensure that these criminals cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside.”

Joining today’s announcement were FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia, U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Assistant Director Brent Daniels, Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg, and Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Jonathan Burke. 

“Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump Administration,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.”

“The FBI remains committed to protecting Americans from fraud, holding perpetrators accountable, and leveraging partnerships, intelligence, and enforcement to safeguard the public,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia. “These joint actions represent a significant blow to transnational criminal organizations preying upon our American citizens.”

“The Scam Center Strike Force has been a collaborative effort since its formation,” said Assistant Director of Field Operations Brent Daniels of U.S. Secret Service. “The Secret Service is proud to be a part of this group, which is dedicated to pursuing the criminal networks that rely on our online and financial infrastructure to target American citizens.”

“The Department of State, in support of the Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force, is announcing two reward offers under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program to disrupt cyber scam centers in Southeast Asia and hold accountable those who prey on Americans online,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “Under the leadership of Secretary Rubio, the State Department, together with our partners, will continue to protect the American people from cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes perpetrated by these insidious scam centers.”

Background: Cyber-Enabled and Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud in Southeast Asian Scam Centers 

Cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud (referred to by the scammers as “pig butchering”) is among the fastest growing and most financially devastating forms of cybercrime targeting Americans. In these schemes, victims are cultivated over time and deceived into depositing funds into fraudulent investment platforms that appear to show substantial returns. In reality, all victim funds flow directly to the scammers. The scam continues until the victim runs out of money or discovers the fraud, at which point the scammers cease contact. 

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams became the most commonly reported crime type in 2023, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 83 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s newly released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as most victims do not report to law enforcement. According to the United States Institute of Peace, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023. 

Many of these schemes are run out of industrial-scale compounds along the Burma-Thailand border and in Cambodia. Criminal syndicates often lure workers to Thailand with promises of high-paying technical jobs, then seize their identification documents and traffic them to work in scam compounds. Within the compounds, trafficked workers are frequently forced to conduct fraud operations against victims in the United States and elsewhere under threat of violence. Public reporting on these compounds has documented beatings, electrocutions, and murder. 

Criminal Charges: Shunda Compound, Min Let Pan, Burma 

The Strike Force unsealed criminal complaints and arrest warrants against two Chinese nationals in connection with cryptocurrency investment fraud operations at the Shunda compound in Min Let Pan, Burma: two managers in the compound, Huang Xingshan, also known as “Ah Zhe,” and “Huang Xing Saan” and Jiang Wen Jie, also known as “Jiang Nan.”  They are charged with wire fraud conspiracy. 

The Shunda compound operated from at least January 2025 until approximately November 2025, when it was seized by the Karen National Liberation Army of Burma. The compound used scam websites and mobile applications disguised as legitimate investment platforms to defraud victims, including Americans. Workers within the compound were trafficked individuals who were held against their will and forced to defraud victims under the threat of violence and torture. 

The FBI deployed personnel to Thailand following the compound’s seizure. Working with Thai authorities, including the Anti-Cyber Scam Center task force of the Royal Thai Police, FBI agents reviewed thousands of mobile devices and hard drives recovered from Shunda. Agents also interviewed tens of former compound workers. That investigation identified a hierarchical organization of Chinese operators running the compound and supported the charges against the two defendants.

According to the investigation, Huang served at Shunda as a high-level manager and enforcer and personally participated in the physical punishment of trafficked compound workers. Jiang served as a team leader directly supervising workers who specifically targeted American victims. Under Jiang’s supervision, one of the people under his command successfully defrauded a single American victim of over $3 million utilizing a fraudulent investment platform. The theft was celebrated within the organization as a paradigm of success.

After the Shunda compound was seized, Huang and Jiang relocated to another scam compound located in Cambodia where they attempted to continue their cryptocurrency investment fraud operation. In early 2026, Huang and Jiang decided to return to Burma, traveling through Thailand. 

Huang and Jiang were arrested on immigration charges by Thai law enforcement in early 2026 in Thailand. The case is being investigated by FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché in Bangkok and Thai authorities including the Anti-Cyber Scam Center task force of the Royal Thai Police.

The Strike Force conducted a first-of-its-kind seizure of a Telegram channel with more than 6,000 followers that was used to recruit individuals to travel to Cambodia under false promises of high-paying employment. Once there, recruited workers were held against their will and forced to defraud victims, including Americans, as part of a sophisticated law enforcement impersonation scheme. 

The Telegram channel included postings for jobs in Cambodia that were specifically for workers who spoke with “American” accents, would work a night shift (i.e., during U.S. daytime hours), and some specifically sought attractive female candidates. The Telegram channel was connected to a scam compound in rural Cambodia near the Thai border. 

Once at the scam compound, the scam workers specifically targeted U.S. persons. In the fraud scheme, victims received cold calls from individuals posing as bank representatives, including impersonators of JPMorgan or other U.S. bank customer service agents, warning them that their bank accounts had been used to purchase firearms from an actual U.S. gun store website. Victims were then transferred to individuals posing as “NYPD detectives” or other supposed law enforcement, and later sent to the “New York Supreme Court” or other purported prosecutorial officials. Through sustained pressure conducted over WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams, victims were induced to disclose their bank account information and ultimately transfer their savings to the scammers.

The Telegram seizure case is being handled by FBI’s Miami Field Office, USSS Headquarters, and investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. As part of the Strike Forces’s efforts at public-private collaboration on the scam center threat, after being alerted by law enforcement, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and Meta voluntarily took internal investigative measures to combat the fraud operating on their systems and occurring under their names.

503 Web Domain Seizures 

The Strike Force announced the seizure of more than 503 .com web domains identified through the Operation Level Up initiative as having been used to defraud U.S. victims. The seized domains all were disguised as legitimate “investment platforms,” which victims reported to law enforcement were causing them to unknowingly deposit cryptocurrency funds and view supposed “returns” on what they believed were legitimate investments.

Operation Level Up, established in January 2024, by FBI and USSS is an ongoing proactive initiative to identify and notify victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud. As of March 2026: (i) Operation Level Up has notified 8,935 victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud; (ii) 77% of those victims were unaware they were being scammed; (iii) the estimated savings to victims is $562,726,245 of monies they otherwise would have sent to their scammers; and (iv) ninety-three victims have been referred to an FBI victim specialist for suicide intervention due to the devastating nature of these scams. Some victims have reported to law enforcement that—prior to being notified by the FBI about the scam—they were in the process of liquidating their 401K, selling their home, or obtaining a sizable loan. One elderly victim was surviving on disability pay; he had already paid the scammers $1,200 and would have cut into money he needed for food to pay more. Each of the 503 .com domains seized was identified by a victim contacted by Operation Level Up and involved in laundering that victim’s cryptocurrency funds.

Visitors to these domains are now informed on a splash page that it has been seized by law enforcement. The investigation was conducted by the Operation Level Up Initiative, with the FBI’s Detroit and Phoenix Field Offices handling the seizure with support from investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Restraint of Cryptocurrency Involved in Money Laundering from Scams

The Scam Center Strike Force continues its work to identify, seize, and forfeit funds involved in money laundering related to scams, so that funds can be returned to victims whenever possible. Under leadership from the FBI and the USSS, more than $701,962,392.15 million in cryptocurrency has been identified as allegedly involved in laundering of funds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and restrained through voluntary actions of cryptocurrency providers, as well as U.S. legal process. The Strike Force is working tirelessly to forfeit funds with its goal of returning funds to victims, and it continues to support victims who have lost homes and life savings to these schemes. FBI San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, Seattle, Phoenix, Nashville, and Honolulu Field Offices, and the USSS Headquarters, San Francisco, Nashville, and Washington Field Offices investigated these matters and conducted associated seizures.

State Department Rewards and Actions Related to Tai Chang

Consistent with the Strike Force’s whole of government approach, in a coordinated action, the Department of State today announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the seizure or recovery of proceeds from fraud and money laundering schemes associated with the Tai Chang scam centers in Burma’s Karen State.

The Strike Force also announced the seizure of the latest domain used by the Tai Chang scam centers, fortuneprimeglobalirts.com. The domain was a new iteration of the centers’ fraudulent investment platform and was launched after the Strike Force seized its predecessor domain, tickmilleas.com. The latest seized domain was designed and functioned similarly to its predecessor scam investment website. Visitors to the domain are now informed on a splash page that it has been seized by law enforcement, and victims are encouraged to submit complaints to the FBI. The Tai Chang scam centers were subject of web domain seizures by the Strike Force and designations by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced in November 2025.

FBI’s San Diego Field Office is investigating the case in conjuction with the FBI Law Enforcement Attaché in Bangkok. Tips should be sent to them at [email protected].

Treasury Department Sanctions 

Also in a coordinated action, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced new sanctions against individuals and entities perpetrating cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes against Americans using forced labor and violence in Cambodia. The sanctions target Cambodian Senator Kok An, Cambodian businessman Rithy Raksmei, several associates, and their respective business empires, including holding companies for scam center operations.

About the Scam Center Strike Force 

The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.

On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.

The Strike Force’s founding partners are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, who have now been joined by numerous additional law enforcement agencies as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.

The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division. The Shunda Compound cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Emma Ellenrieder for the District of Columbia. Cryptocurrency investigations and seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock and Jafer Aftab for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer for the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor and Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The Tai Chang case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Datta, all for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Cantor. The Telegram and 503 domain seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seifert, Blaylock, and Ellenrieder. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Thailand provided significant assistance on the Shunda Compound case.

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

If you have been defrauded out of your money by a Southeast Asian Scam Center scheme, please contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.  

This press release has been updated to include more information about the assistance of Thai authorities.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division, together with its partners, today announced a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against Southeast Asian criminal organizations operating scam centers that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.   

The Scam Center Strike Force’s actions include criminal charges against two Chinese nationals who managed a cryptocurrency investment fraud compound in Burma and attempted to open another compound in Cambodia, the seizure of a Telegram messaging app channel used to recruit human trafficking victims to a scam compound in Cambodia in order to work a law enforcement impersonation scam, and the seizure of 503 fake investment websites, among other actions.  

Additionally, the Strike Force has continued to identify funds involved in money laundering from scam centers, seeking to seize and forfeit the same, and collectively the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department’s Criminal Division, and their partners have restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be tied to money laundering from cryptocurrency scams.  

Also today, in a coordinated interagency action, the Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against Cambodian scam center operators, and the Department of State announced rewards for  information leading to the seizure or recovery of proceeds related to the Tai Chang scam center in Burma. 

“The President’s Executive Order Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens establishes a clear, whole-of-government strategy to confront cyber-enabled crime and transnational scam operations – bringing together law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic, and financial tools in a unified effort,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Building on that direction, the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 has delivered real operational results and reflects the kind of focused action this strategy demands. Together, these efforts are driving a coordinated campaign to disrupt and impose consequences on the transnational criminal organizations behind these schemes.” 

“Today we announce significant milestones in that fight,” Pirro continued. “We have charged the Chinese bosses who ran a scam compound in Burma, where trafficked workers were beaten and forced to steal from Americans. We have seized a Telegram channel that was luring workers into a forced labor compound in Cambodia where they were ordered to pose as U.S. banks and NYPD to steal American’s life savings. We have taken down more than 500 websites used to steal people’s savings. And my Office continues to work to identify funds stolen from victims, having now caused restraint of more than $700 million in cryptocurrency involved in money laundering from U.S. victims of fraud. This Administration is lock-step in combatting these scams, and we are not done.” 

“The Department’s Criminal Division is proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Pirro’s office on the latest enforcement actions of the Scam Center Strike Force to stop foreign-based criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Duva. “Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas may believe that they cannot be reached, but the Department of Justice and our Strike Force partners are working to ensure that these criminals cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside.” 

Joining today’s announcement were Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia, U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Assistant Director Brent Daniels, Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg, and Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Jonathan Burke.

“Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump Administration,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “Treasury will continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.”

"The FBI remains committed to protecting Americans from fraud, holding perpetrators accountable, and leveraging partnerships, intelligence, and enforcement to safeguard the public," said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia. "These joint actions represent a significant blow to transnational criminal organizations preying upon our American citizens."

“The Scam Center Strike Force has been a collaborative effort since its formation. The Secret Service is proud to be a part of this group, which is dedicated to pursuing the criminal networks that rely on our online and financial infrastructure to target American citizens,” said Assistant Director of Field Operations Brent Daniels, U.S. Secret Service. 

“The Department of State, in support of the Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force, is announcing two reward offers under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program to disrupt cyber scam centers in Southeast Asia and hold accountable those who prey on Americans online,” said Senior Bureau Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “Under the leadership of Secretary Rubio, the State Department, together with our partners, will continue to protect the American people from cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes perpetrated by these insidious scam centers.” 

Background: Cyber-Enabled and Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud in Southeast Asian Scam Centers  

Cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud (referred to by the scammers as “pig butchering”) is among the fastest-growing and most financially devastating forms of cybercrime targeting Americans. In these schemes, victims are cultivated over time and deceived into depositing funds into fraudulent investment platforms that appear to show substantial returns. In reality, all victim funds flow directly to the scammers. The scam continues until the victim runs out of money or discovers the fraud, at which point the scammers cease contact.  

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams became the most commonly reported crime type in 2023, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 83 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses rose 24 percent in 2025 to more than $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s newly released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as most victims do not report to law enforcement. According to the United States Institute of Peace, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023.  

Many of these schemes are run out of industrial-scale compounds along the Burma-Thailand border and in Cambodia. Criminal syndicates often lure workers to Thailand with promises of high-paying technical jobs, then seize their identification documents and traffic them to work in scam compounds. Within the compounds, trafficked workers are frequently forced to conduct fraud operations against victims in the United States and elsewhere under threat of violence. Public reporting on these compounds has documented beatings, electrocutions, and murder.  

Criminal Charges: Shunda Compound, Min Let Pan, Burma 

The Strike Force unsealed criminal complaints and arrest warrants against two Chinese nationals in connection with cryptocurrency investment fraud operations at the Shunda compound in Min Let Pan, Burma: two managers in the compound, Huang Xingshan, also known as “Ah Zhe” and “Huang Xing Saan,” and Jiang Wen Jie, also known as  “Jiang Nan.” They are charged with wire fraud conspiracy. 

Aerial surveillance photo of the Shunda compound in Burma, where forced-labor conducted fraud operations under threat of violence.   

The Shunda compound operated from at least January 2025 until approximately November 2025, when it was seized by the Karen National Liberation Army of Burma. The compound used scam websites and mobile applications disguised as legitimate investment platforms to defraud victims, including Americans. Workers within the compound were trafficked individuals who were held against their will and forced to defraud victims under the threat of violence and torture.  

The FBI deployed personnel to Thailand following the compound’s seizure. Working with Thai authorities, including the Anti-Cyber Scam Center task force of the Royal Thai Police, FBI agents reviewed thousands of mobile devices and hard drives recovered from Shunda. Agents also interviewed tens of former compound workers. That investigation identified a hierarchical organization of Chinese operators running the compound and supported the charges against the two defendants.  

Phones seized at the Shunda compound.

According to the investigation, Huang served at Shunda as a high-level manager and enforcer and personally participated in the physical punishment of trafficked compound workers. Jiang served as a team leader directly supervising workers who specifically targeted American victims. Under Jiang’s supervision, one of the people under his command successfully defrauded a single American victim of over $3 million utilizing a fraudulent investment platform. The theft was celebrated within the organization as a paradigm of success.  

Interior of one of the buildings at the Shunda compound.

After the Shunda compound was seized, Huang and Jiang relocated to another scam compound located in Cambodia where they attempted to continue their cryptocurrency investment fraud operation. In early 2026, Huang and Jiang decided to return to Burma, traveling through Thailand.  

Huang and Jiang were arrested on immigration charges by Thai law enforcement in early 2026 in Thailand. The case is being investigated by FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché in Bangkok and Thai authorities including the Anti-Cyber Scam Center task force of the Royal Thai Police.

Telegram Channel Seizure 

The Strike Force conducted a first-of-its-kind seizure of a Telegram channel with more than 6,000 followers that was used to recruit individuals to travel to Cambodia under false promises of high-paying employment. Once there, recruited workers were held against their will and forced to defraud victims, including Americans, as part of a sophisticated law enforcement impersonation scheme.  

The Telegram channel included postings for jobs in Cambodia that were specifically for workers who spoke with “American” accents, would work a night shift (i.e., during U.S. daytime hours), and some specifically sought attractive female candidates. The Telegram channel was connected to a scam compound in rural Cambodia near the Thai border.   

Once at the scam compound, the scam workers specifically targeted U.S. persons. In the fraud scheme, victims received cold calls from individuals posing as bank representatives, including impersonators of “JPMorgan” or other U.S. bank customer service agents, warning them that their bank accounts had been used to purchase firearms from an actual U.S. gun store website. Victims then were transferred to individuals posing as “NYPD detectives” or other supposed law enforcement, and later sent to the “New York Supreme Court” or other purported prosecutorial officials. Through sustained pressure conducted over WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams, victims were induced to disclose their bank account information and ultimately transfer their savings to the scammers.  

The Telegram seizure case is being handled by FBI’s Miami Field Office, U.S. Secret Service Headquarters, and investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. As part of the Strike Forces’s efforts at public-private collaboration on the scam center threat, after being alerted by law enforcement, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and Meta voluntarily took internal investigative measures to combat the fraud operating on their systems and occurring under their names. 

503 Web Domain Seizures 

The Strike Force announced the seizure of more than 503 dot-com web domains identified through the Operation Level Up initiative as having been used to defraud U.S. victims. The seized domains all were disguised as legitimate “investment platforms,” which victims reported to law enforcement were causing them to unknowingly deposit cryptocurrency funds and view supposed “returns” on what they believed were legitimate investments.  

Operation Level Up, established in In January 2024, by FBI and the U.S. Secret Service is an ongoing proactive initiative to identify and notify victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud. As of March 2026: (i) the Operation Level Up has notified 8,935 victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud; (ii) 77% of those victims were unaware they were being scammed; (iii) the estimated savings to victims is $562,726,245 of monies they otherwise would have sent to their scammers; (iv) 93 victims have been referred to an FBI victim specialist for suicide intervention due to the devastating nature of these scams. Some victims have reported to law enforcement that—prior to being notified by the FBI about the scam—they were in the process of liquidating their 401K, selling their home, or obtaining a sizable loan. One elderly victim was surviving on disability pay; he had already paid the scammers $1,200 and would have cut into money he needed for food to pay more. Each of the 503 dot-com domains seized was identified by a victim contacted by Operation Level Up and involved in laundering that victim’s cryptocurrency funds. 

Visitors to these domains are now informed on a splash page that it has been seized by law enforcement. The investigation was conducted by the Operation Level Up Initiative, with the FBI’s Detroit and Phoenix Field Offices handling the seizure with support from investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Restraint of Cryptocurrency Involved in Money Laundering from Scams

The Scam Center Strike Force continues its work to identify, seize, and forfeit funds involved in money laundering related to scams, so that funds can be returned to victims whenever possible. Under leadership from the FBI and the USSS, more than $701,962,392.15 in cryptocurrency has been identified as allegedly involved in laundering of funds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and restrained through voluntary actions of cryptocurrency providers, as well as U.S. legal process. The Strike Force is working tirelessly to forfeit funds with its goal of returning funds to victims, and it continues to support victims who have lost homes and life savings to these schemes. FBI San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, Seattle, Phoenix, Nashville, and Honolulu Field Offices, and the USSS Headquarters, San Francisco, Nashville, and Washington Field Offices investigated these matters and conducted associated seizures.  

State Department Rewards and Actions Related to Tai Chang

Consistent with the Strike Force’s whole of government approach, in a coordinated action, the Department of State today announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the seizure or recovery of proceeds from fraud and money laundering schemes associated with the Tai Chang scam centers in Burma’s Karen State.   

The Strike Force also announced the seizure of the latest domain used by the Tai Chang scam centers, fortuneprimeglobalirts.com. The domain was a new iteration of the centers’ fraudulent investment platform and was launched after the Strike Force seized its predecessor domain, tickmilleas.com. The latest seized domain was designed and functioned similarly to its predecessor scam investment website. Visitors to the domain are now informed on a splash page that it has been seized by law enforcement, and victims are encouraged to submit complaints to the FBI. The Tai Chang scam centers were subject of web domain seizures by the Strike Force and individuals and entities associated with the Tai Chang scam centers were designated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced in November 2025. 

FBI’s San Diego Field Office is investigating the case in conjunction with the FBI Legal Attaché in Bangkok. Tips should be sent to them at [email protected].

Treasury Department Sanctions 

Also in a coordinated action, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control today announced new sanctions against individuals and entities perpetrating cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes against Americans using forced labor and violence in Cambodia. The sanctions target Cambodian Senator Kok An, Cambodian businessman Rithy Raksmei, several associates, and their respective business empires, including holding companies for scam center operations. 

**********************************************

About the Scam Center Strike Force

The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.  

On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order. 

The Strike Force’s founding partners are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, who have now been joined by numerous additional law enforcement agencies, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.  

The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division. The Shunda Compound cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma Ellenrieder for the District of Columbia. Cryptocurrency investigations and seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock and Jafer Aftab for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jahiel Baer for the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor and Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The Tai Chang case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Datta, all for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Cantor. The Telegram and 503 domain seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seifert, Blaylock, and Ellenrieder. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Thailand provided significant assistance on the Shunda Compound case. 

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

If you have been defrauded out of your money by a Southeast Asian Scam Center scheme, please contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.  

26sz27   

WASHINGTON – Jewral McIntyre, 44, of Venice, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to participating in a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained more than $257,980 in Paycheck Protection Program loans, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

          “Fraud is never a victimless crime—McIntyre’s actions diverted critical resources from the small businesses and workers who needed it most,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our office remains committed to rooting out fraud, holding accountable those who exploit federal programs for personal gain, and safeguarding taxpayer funds.” 

          McIntyre pleaded guilty before Judge Rudolph Contreras to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Sentencing is pending.  

           According to court documents, McIntyre was owner of Rat Pack Worldwide Security & Consulting, a security consulting business registered as a corporation in Florida. In January 2021, an individual asked if he wanted to apply for a PPP loan in the name of Rat Pack. 

           McIntyre agreed that the individual who had approached him would receive a portion of the PPP funds if the loan application was approved and funded.  

           At the individual’s request, a co-conspirator created a PPP loan application for Rat Pack containing materially false statements, claiming that Rat Pack had 18 employees and an average monthly payroll of $103,192.35. In fact, Rat Pack had no W2 employees, and its payroll was only a fraction of the amount claimed.  

           In addition, the co-conspirator created false and fraudulent supporting documents to submit with the loan application. Those documents included false financial payroll reports for 2020 and false Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Forms 941), for each quarter of 2020.  

           On March 12, 2021, the Small Business Administration and Capital Bank approved McIntyre’s fraudulent PPP loan application and deposited $257,980.87 into Rat Pack’s bank account.     

           Next, the co-conspirators prepared a loan forgiveness application for Rat Pack. It falsely claimed Rat Pack had 18 employees at the time McIntyre received the PPP loan. It also falsely claimed that, for the period of March 12, 2021, through May 14, 2021, Rat Pack spent the full amount of the loan, $257,980.87, on payroll costs. On Aug. 8, 2022, McIntyre e-signed and submitted the loan forgiveness application. As a result, Capital Bank and the SBA forgave Rat Pack’s PPP loan. 

            The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP.  In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.  

           Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office. 

           This case was investigated jointly by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Babu Kaza and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold.       

            Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving 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.

25cr157 

WASHINGTON – Jasper Collinson, 26, of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

According to court documents, in October 2025, Collinson messaged with another user on a messaging application. Collinson told the other user about Collinson’s interest in child sexual abuse material. During the course of the communications, Collinson distributed nine videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Collinson also told the other user about a private channel on the messaging application where users distributed hundreds of videos depicting child sexual abuse. On Nov. 5, 2025, the FBI arrested Collinson.  

A search of Collinson’s phone showed several conversations with other online users about child sexual abuse material. In one of the conversations, Collinson discussed prior experiences of having sex in front of a friend’s child and failed efforts to arrange to meet up with a minor for the purpose of having sex.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley. 

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. 

 25cr364 

WASHINGTON –– Mario Bustamante Leiva, 50, a Chilean national illegally residing in the United States, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison in connection to a string of thefts that included stealing the Gucci handbag belonging to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem as she dined with her family at a District restaurant, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Leiva pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft. At the completion of his 36-month prison sentence, Leiva will be subject to deportation.  

“Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District. He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses, and monetizing the stolen cards within minutes,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “His pattern of theft ends here. He will serve his prison term and be deported.” 

According to court papers, on three separate days in April 2025, Bustamante Leiva targeted female diners at restaurants in the District of Columbia. During the offenses, Bustamante Leiva surveilled his targets, stole purses containing wallets, credit cards, and personal identifying information, and used the stolen cards to make fraudulent purchases within minutes of each theft. During one of those offenses, Bustamante Leiva worked in concert with his co-defendant, Cristian Montecino-Sanzana. 

On April 12, 2025, surveillance video captured the defendants pausing outside Nando’s, located in the 800 block of F Street NW, appearing to peer through the front window. Montecino-Sanzana then entered the restaurant while Bustamante Leiva removed his jacket and draped it over his arm. The pair seized a woman’s purse and exited the restaurant. Minutes later, they traveled to a supermarket in the 400 block of L Street NW, where Montecino-Sanzana used the victim’s stolen credit card to purchase a $500 Visa gift card. 

On April 17, 2025, Bustamante Leiva entered the restaurant inside the Westin Hotel in the 900 block of 9th Street NW, where families were dining. He used his coat to conceal his theft of a purse belonging to a victim as she sat with her family. Surveillance video captured him walking behind the woman and taking her purse. He returned to the supermarket, where he used the victim’s stolen credit card to purchase wine and a $400 gift card. He later used the gift card to pay for a motel room in the 6700 block of Georgia Avenue NW.

On April 20, 2025, Bustamante Leiva entered Capital Burger in the 1000 block of 7th Street NW, where he deliberately seated himself within arm’s reach of his next victim. Unbeknownst to him, that victim was then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who was having dinner with her family. Surveillance cameras recorded Bustamente Leiva repeatedly looking down toward Noem’s purse before bending down and snatching it. Noem’s purse contained several credit cards and about $3,000 in cash.  

Surveillance photo of Bustamante Leiva with Kristi Noem’s purse and wallet. 

After the theft, Bustamante Leiva traveled to a restaurant in the 2900 block of M Street NW, where surveillance cameras recorded him in possession of Noem’s purse, wallet, and at least one of her credit cards, which he used to make an unauthorized purchase. 

On April 26, 2025, law enforcement located Bustamante Leiva at a motel in the 6700 block of Georgia Avenue NW and arrested him. A search of his room recovered Noem’s purse and wallet, the gift card purchased with a stolen card, about $3,174 in cash, and other items. 

Bustamante Leiva entered the United States at Orlando International Airport on Aug. 16, 2021, on a visa waiver authorizing him to remain until Nov. 13, 2021. He did not leave and continued to reside in the country illegally. He also has active warrants in Utah and New York stemming from 2021 charges involving retail theft, credit card theft, and stolen property. 

Co-defendant Montecino-Sanzana was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to 13 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release for his role in one of the thefts. He also faces deportation at the completion of his prison term. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand. 

25cr141 

WASHINGTON - A 15-count indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and charges six individuals in connection with their roles in a conspiracy that allegedly stole at least 20 cars in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania, transported the vehicles across state lines, and sold the vehicles to buyers in the United States and the African nation of Ghana.  

Law enforcement is continuing to investigate the defendants involved in this ring in relation to the theft of more than 100 vehicles in the District of Columbia and more than 30 vehicles in Prince George’s County, Maryland. 

Officers also executed a search warrant yesterday at an automobile storage facility in Decatur, Georgia, which is suspected to be linked to the auto-theft ring.  

The indictment follows a year-long investigation into an alleged D.C.-based auto theft ring that carried out vehicle thefts using electronic devices that enabled the conspirators to reprogram cars to accept previously blank key fobs.  

Charged in the indictment are Jacob Hernandez, 29, of Los Angeles; Dustin Wetzel, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia; James Young, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Khobe David, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Chance Clark, 25, of Waldorf, Maryland. One additional defendant remains at large and is considered a fugitive. The indictment against that defendant remains sealed. 

According to the allegations in the indictment, members of the conspiracy caused the vehicles – primarily recently manufactured Honda Civics and CRVs and Acura TLXs and RDXs – to be stolen and then transported them to storage locations that included a parking garage in Southeast Washington D.C. At the garage, co-conspirators allegedly disguised the appearances of the stolen cars by swapping license plates and obscuring Vehicle Identification Numbers. Before transporting the vehicles, the defendants disabled the stolen vehicles’ GPS and Bluetooth capabilities to inhibit detection. 

All six of the indicted individuals are charged with conspiracy to possess, sell, and transport stolen motor vehicles. 

This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Criminal Investigations Unit, and the FBI Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Michael Lee and Trial Attorney Haley Pennington are prosecuting the matter. 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. 

Car transporter in Maryland loaded with several of the recovered vehicles. 

Vehicle thefts were carried out using On-Board Diagnostics II devices that enable them to reprogram cars to accept previously blank key fobs. The above OBD2 device was recovered from a stolen vehicle in Pennsylvania in February 2025.

Stolen cars linked to the ring on shipping containers in Baltimore destined for Ghana. 

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WASHINGTON -  Laura Lee Dudley, 45, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 11 months in prison for her role in a years-long conspiracy to steal more than $393,340 from her nonprofit employer by making unauthorized personal purchases on the organization’s corporate credit card, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Dudley exploited a position of financial trust to systematically steal from a nonprofit. She spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on gift cards and personal items while records were falsified to cover the theft,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to root out fraud and corruption and bring to justice those who exploit positions of trust.”  

Dudley pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, 2025, before Judge Carl J. Nichols to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. In addition to the 11-month prison term, Judge Nichols ordered Dudley to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $393,340.57, jointly and severally with her co-defendant, and a criminal forfeiture money judgment of $333,825.  

According to court papers, Dudley was employed by a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provided educational programs, training, and development assistance in the Middle East and North Africa. She joined the organization in January 2008, initially as an administrative assistant responsible for purchasing supplies on a corporate credit card. She later transferred to the Accounts Receivable Department as an accountant. 

Beginning on or about Jan. 1, 2020, Dudley and co-conspirator Daniel Park began using the organization’s corporate credit card to purchase items on Amazon. They bought gift cards, electronics, and beauty products for their personal use. Dudley and Park had the packages shipped to both the organization’s headquarters and their personal residences. The organization paid the credit card bill each month. 

Employees were required to log all credit card purchases and upload supporting invoices into an electronic expense system. To conceal the scheme, Dudley and Park failed to report their unauthorized purchases and, in some instances, Park created fake invoices that were uploaded into the log to cover the personal transactions. 

The scheme was facilitated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Park was among the few employees working in person at the organization’s headquarters, enabling him to receive Amazon packages on Dudley’s behalf. Dudley also came into the office periodically to pick up her deliveries. 

The fraud was discovered when the organization’s new Chief Financial Officer questioned the volume of Amazon purchases in the Administration Department. Law enforcement subsequently uncovered Dudley’s participation and determined that she had received about $333,825 of the about $393,340 stolen from the organization. She was terminated by the organization on May 3, 2022. 

Park previously was sentenced to eight months of incarceration. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office.  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane G. Lucas of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

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WASHINGTON – Daryl Smith-Winfree, 44, a New York-based cocaine supplier, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96 months in prison for his role in a large-scale narcotics distribution conspiracy that funneled multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from New York into the Washington metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“On multiple occasions Daryl Smith-Winfree drove kilogram quantities of cocaine from New York to the Washington area, hiding them in his car, and kept meticulous ledgers on his phone tracking every customer and every delivery,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “With seven prior convictions, he chose to continue dealing. Today’s sentence reflects both the seriousness of this conspiracy and his long history of choosing crime over every other option available to him.” 

Smith-Winfree pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2026, before Judge Amir H. Ali to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 96-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Smith-Winfree to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of 120 months. 

According to court documents, beginning in the summer of 2024, the FBI launched an investigation into a large-scale cocaine conspiracy spanning the District, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Smith-Winfree served as a cocaine supplier, personally transporting multi-kilogram quantities from New York to customers in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Those customers included co-defendant Marcus DeVonta Williams, who then redistributed the cocaine throughout the region. 

On Jan. 28, 2025, law enforcement observed Smith-Winfree meet Williams in the parking lot of a shopping center in Wilmington, Delaware. Smith-Winfree entered Williams’s vehicle carrying an unknown object and remained inside for about 18 minutes before leaving without it. On March 24, 2025, surveillance captured a second meeting between the two at a Walmart parking lot in Wilmington.  

The following day, Williams provided co-defendant Tavon Valentine Lee with 250 grams of cocaine. When Montgomery County Police stopped Lee shortly afterward, they recovered about 257 grams of cocaine, a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol, and suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills. Inside a bag Lee had discarded before the stop, officers found cocaine packaging consistent with kilogram-quantity distribution, cocaine residue on cutting instruments, and a parking receipt tied to Williams’s vehicle. 

On June 3, 2025, a Howard County police officer conducted a traffic stop on Smith-Winfree in Maryland based on GPS data indicating he was on the way to resupply Williams with cocaine. A drug-detecting dog reacted strongly to Smith-Winfree’s Honda Pilot. A search of the vehicle revealed three kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. That same day, officers executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence and recovered more than 200 grams of cocaine, $35,000 in additional currency, and numerous items to distribute cocaine. 

A search warrant executed on Smith-Winfree’s iCloud account revealed digital ledgers tracking cocaine deliveries by date and quantity, with entries corresponding to customers including Williams. Smith-Winfree admitted responsibility for at least five kilograms of cocaine. 

Co-defendant Lee pleaded guilty Jan. 30, 2026, to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Co-defendant Williams pleaded guilty Feb. 4, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Sentencings are pending. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and Michael L. Barclay. 

A search of Smith-Winfree’s Honda Pilot revealed three kilograms of cocaine hidden inside.  

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WASHINGTON – Mark Williams, 59, of Virginia, was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court, to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing one of his minor students in 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Williams was found guilty on February 12, 2026, of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a secondary education student and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan ordered Williams to serve a total prison term of 16 years, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. William is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

            “Mark Williams groomed and sexually abused an underage student. It took years for the victim to gain the courage to come forward and disclose the abuse she suffered. Williams even left the country, but justice ultimately caught up with him,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who exploit vulnerable individuals, especially children. This sentence is well deserved.”

            According to the government’s evidence, in the spring of 2014, Williams was the victim’s high school teacher at Duke Ellington School for the Arts. Williams began an independent study with the victim, who was 17 years old at the time. Their independent study met in a locked, windowless room in the basement of Duke Ellington. Williams then initiated a romantic and sexual relationship with the victim, during which they participated in sexual acts while on campus.

            Williams was arrested on November 21, 2023, and has been in custody since he failed to appear for trial on February 2, 2026.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Investigative Analyst Lucas Jetson, and Victim Witness Coordinators Guisela Castillo and Katina Adams.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Platt, who assisted with investigating the case.

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WASHINGTON – Dontrey Bell, 33, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison in connection with possessing several videos of himself as he exposed and manipulated his genitals in close proximity to a child as she slept, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Bell pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of transportation of child pornography. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Bell to serve 15 years of supervised release.  

“Bell’s actions represent a profound betrayal of trust and a disturbing exploitation of a child’s vulnerability. The evidence in this case revealed calculated and deeply troubling conduct that cannot be tolerated in any community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office remains committed to holding offenders accountable and ensuring that those who prey on children face serious consequences. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims and pursue justice in every case.” 

According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, a witness called police to report she had discovered five videos and one image depicting Bell sneaking into a girl’s bedroom and engaging in sexual behavior near the child while the child was asleep. 

In one of the videos, the child is seen waking up, and an adult male tells the child that he is in the bedroom to get cats out of the room. In another video, the individual recording the video turns the camera on himself selfie-style and records himself putting his head under child’s covers while the child is sleeping.  

The witness identified the male as Bell. The phone was linked to Bell’s cloud storage. The videos showed were timestamped between Aug. 9, 2022, and Apr. 28, 2023, and recorded between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. 

This case was investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Michael Lawlor.  

The matter 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. 

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WASHINGTON - Edner Escarne, 52, a former manager at the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with four counts of tax evasion and five counts of failing to file a tax return.  

Escarne, of the District of Columbia, was arrested at his residence this morning by agents from Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. At his first appearance this afternoon, Escarne was arraigned and pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey. 

Escarne served as Director of Talent Acquisition between November 2017 through January 2025, at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). According to charging documents, for the years 2019 through 2023 which are at issue, Escarne received an aggregate government salary of over $1 million.   

The indictment alleges that on at least four occasions Escarne submitted false Forms W-4 in which he falsely claimed that he was exempt from federal income tax withholding when, in fact, he was not entitled to claim exempt status. By claiming exempt status, Escarne caused the OCC to withhold little or no federal income taxes from his wages for the years 2019 through 2022. 

In addition, the indictment alleges that Escarne did not timely file his taxes for the tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. 

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Santiago of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. 

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WASHINGTON – Pierre Black, 63, a resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for unlawful distribution of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Pierre Black operated a street-level fentanyl distribution scheme out of a storefront in the District,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He sold the drug to an undercover officer on six occasions—an amount large enough to equal roughly 80,000 potentially lethal doses. He also kept a loaded firearm alongside his supply and conducted these activities in a neighborhood already reeling from a fatal overdose.” 

Black pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols to one count of unlawful distribution of fentanyl. In addition to the 63-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Black to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit $13,310.  

According to court papers, in early 2025, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division Overdose Section and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating drug sales in the 700 block of H Street NE following a suspected fatal fentanyl overdose in the area. Investigators identified Black as a street-level fentanyl trafficker operating out of a store in that block. 

As part of the investigation, an undercover officer conducted controlled purchases from Black. Over six purchases, the officer bought a total of 177 grams of fentanyl for more than $13,000. 

On Sept. 5, 2025, officers arrested Black and searched his residence. In a bedroom closet safe, they recovered a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm handgun with nine rounds of ammunition in a 10-round magazine. On top of a safe, officers found 55.3 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and heroin. In the kitchen, they found an additional 14.27 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, heroin, and medetomidine, a sedative used by veterinarians. Black admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection with his drug trafficking. 

Black has eight prior convictions, including four for drug distribution or possession with intent to distribute. 

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel. 

The 53.90 grams of fentanyl purchased on July 28, 2025 (left), and the 55.13 grams of fentanyl purchased on Aug. 21, 2025 (right). 

Investigators recovered a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm handgun with nine rounds of ammunition in a 10-round magazine. 

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WASHINGTON –Naquel Matao Henderson, 28, a three-time convicted felon residing in  the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 56 months in federal prison in connection with a street robbery in Northeast when he crashed a scooter into a car stopped at a traffic light, demanded money from the victim motorist for a new pair of pants, grabbed the motorist’s satchel from around her neck, and then fled from police, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Following a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Henderson on April 8, 2025, of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, robbery, and unlawful possession of oxycodone. In addition to the 56-month prison term, District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Henderson to serve three years of supervised release. Government prosecutors had asked for a 72-month prison sentence. 

Henderson, aka “Marquel,” additionally is currently awaiting trial for a January 2019 murder. 

According to court documents, June 24, 2024, a police commander driving an unmarked cruiser requested backup at 2:15 p.m. at 15th and Benning Roads NE. He reported that he had just witnessed a potential robbery.  

A motorist had been traveling on the 1400 block of Maryland Ave. when she stopped her car at a traffic light. When the light turned to green, a motorized scooter ridden by Henderson collided with the front driver’s side of her car. The driver got out of her car to check on the damage and to see if the scooter rider was injured. Henderson claimed the crash had damaged his pants and demanded that she give him $100 to buy a new pair.  

The driver refused to give Henderson any money and pointed out that it was he who had crashed into her car. Henderson then pushed the driver with two hands and snatched the satchel that was around her body. As Henderson fled down the 700 block of 15th Street, NE, tossing items out of the satchel, two police officers arrived and gave chase. During the foot pursuit, one of the officers observed Henderson crouching down near a backyard fence with a firearm in his hand. Officers eventually tackled Henderson and ordered him to release the firearm.  

Henderson fought and resisted while he struggled with an officer over a loaded firearm. Police eventually recovered a Glock 30, .45 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber, and an additional 14 bullets scattered nearby.  

 Officers searched Henderson and recovered 50 oxycodone pills. The pills were manufactured by two different companies and were stored in two different pill bottles – neither of which listed Henderson as the prescribed user of the narcotic.  

At the time of his arrest, Henderson had two prior felony convictions also was on pretrial release in D.C. Superior Court, where he was charged with numerous violent offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder while armed. 

Joining in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson. 

Surveillance photo of Henderson riding his scooter directly into the front driver’s side of the motorist’s vehicle as she approaches the intersection of 15th and Maryland Ave, NE.

Surveillance photo of Henderson snatching the driver’s satchel away. 

Police recovered a Glock 30, .45 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber, and an additional 14 bullets scattered nearby. 

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WASHINGTON – Lawrence Smith, 55, a resident of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced today to 12-months-and-a-day in prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Lawrence Smith was a regular participant in a drug operation that fed narcotics into a District of Columbia neighborhood in Southeast,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This prosecution was the product of a long-term federal wiretap investigation which dismantled this conspiracy that was poisoning the Potomac Gardens community. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to pursuing every link in that chain.”           

Smith pleaded guilty on Jan. 9, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. In addition to the 12-month sentence, Judge Kelly ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. The government had requested a sentence of 15 months. 

According to court papers, the FBI began a long-term investigation in 2024 into drug trafficking at the Potomac Gardens housing complex in Southeast Washington. As part of that investigation, agents obtained authority to wiretap phones used by Ronald Hunt and Garrett Isley, alleged leaders of the conspiracy whose cases are pending. Intercepted calls revealed that Smith regularly communicated with Isley and obtained narcotics from him on an almost every-other-day basis, then redistributed them to others. In his plea agreement, Smith admitted responsibility for distributing between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine. 

Co-defendant Maurice Tutt was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Co-defendant Michael Augment pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Augment’s sentencing is pending. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, Montgomery County Police, and Fairfax County Police.  

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solomon S. Eppel and Nihar Mohanty.  

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WASHINGTON – Gerald Anthony Evans, 30, a previously convicted felon and sex offender who resides in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for his unlawful possession of a 12-gauge shotgun that he carried as he rode a WMATA bus, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“Gerald Evans boarded a public bus in the District of Columbia carrying a loaded stolen shotgun, which he admitted was his,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “With 23 prior law enforcement encounters, Evans has had every opportunity to choose a different path. Instead, he chose to carry a weapon onto a bus full of commuters. That choice has consequences.”  

Evans, aka “Big Woobie G,” pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 21-month prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Evans to serve three years of supervised release.  

According to court papers, on Dec. 10, 2024, a Metro Transit Police officer observed Evans board WMATA Bus 5476 without paying his fare. The officer identified himself and asked Evans to step off the bus. 

During the stop, officers asked Evans about a bag hanging below his coat. Evans said, “that’s my gun.” Officers opened the bag and found a Mossberg 590 Shockwave 12-gauge shotgun loaded with one round in the chamber and three rounds in the magazine. A check of the serial number revealed the shotgun had been reported stolen. 

Evans’s criminal history includes a 2013 arrest for armed carjacking for which he pleaded guilty to attempt to commit robbery. While he was on probation for that case, he was found guilty of second-degree assault in Prince George’s County and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with ten years suspended. In 2022 he violated probation and was sentenced to 18 months confinement. In April 2016, Evans pleaded guilty in Prince George’s county to a sex offense in the fourth degree. He repeatedly has failed to register as a sex offender in the jurisdictions in which he has lived.  

This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Bloss. 

Gerald Anthony Evans, 30, a previously convicted felon and sex offender who resides in the District of Columbia, in a photo taken by police body-worn camera. The shotgun was in the satchel resting on his lap. 

Evans, circled in red, boarded the WMATA bus carrying a loaded shotgun that he had stowed in a black satchel.  

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WASHINGTON – Monteze Morton, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Friday, April 10, 2026, to 14 years in prison for killing Dimitrious Brown, 29, on March 22, 2024, in Washington DC, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Morton pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable J. Michael Ryan ordered Morton to serve his 14-year prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release and he must also register as a gun offender.

            According to the government’s evidence, Morton shot Brown following a brief altercation in the 2800 block of Hartford Street SE. Morton had previously been convicted of robbery and armed robbery in Maryland and was not allowed to own or possess a firearm.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles Janssen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Jonathan McCrimmon, 28, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a pistol at a Metro station in Anacostia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

McCrimmon pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 12-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered McCrimmon to serve three years of supervised release. Government prosecutors had requested a sentence of 12 months. 

According to court documents, on Sept. 17, 2025, just before 6 p.m., members of the Metro Transit Police Department stopped McCrimmon for publicly smoking marijuana in the Anacostia Metro Station parking garage. Officers patted him down and recovered a silver Armi Galesi .25 caliber pistol from his inner leg. The Italian-made firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber. 

Officers also determined that McCrimmon had an outstanding warrant out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and placed him under arrest as a fugitive from justice. 

In a post-arrest interview, McCrimmon acknowledged his status as a convicted felon, that he understood he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, and that he had been carrying the loaded pistol recovered by officers. 

McCrimmon was previously convicted of second-degree burglary in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. 

This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter. 

This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. 

Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. 

The Italian-made Armi Galesi .25 caliber pistol found in McCrimmon’s possession. 

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WASHINGTON – Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3, 2026. 

LeGro, a video journalist, was arrested June 26, 2025, after FBI agents executed a search warrant at his residence and seized several electronic devices. During the execution of the warrant, agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive hidden under a rug in the basement of the residence. A review of LeGro's laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse. These videos depicted adult men sexually abusing prepubescent children and forcing them to engage in sex acts.  

This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which 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.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. 

This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell for the District of Columbia.  

It 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. 

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WASHINGTON – Dearay Wilson, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 18 years in prison today for shooting and killing 53-year-old Jeremy Black in June 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

            Wilson pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026, to second-degree murder while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz ordered Wilson to serve his 18-year prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release and must also register as a gun offender. 

            “This sentencing sends a clear and necessary message: violent crime will not go unanswered,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Dearay Wilson and other shooters indiscriminately fired over 45 rounds into a busy public street, killing Jeremy Black—an innocent man walking with his wife and friends after dinner. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones, and this office remains committed to stopping outrageous killing on the streets of the District.” 

            According to the government’s evidence, in the evening hours, on June 29, 2021, Wilson and three other individuals, armed with firearms, drove to Johnson Avenue Northwest. Once in the area, they fired multiple shots at a group of people outside an apartment building in the 1400 block of R Street Northwest. Jeremy Black was an innocent bystander walking through the area with his wife and two friends following dinner at a local restaurant. Black and a friend were crossing Johnson Avenue when Wilson and the other shooters indiscriminately fired over 45 rounds on a busy public street. Black was struck once in his left torso and died at the scene. After the shooting, Wilson and the other shooters fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.  

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas, Kathleen Gibbons, and Sarah Santiago, who prosecuted the case. 

2021 CF1 006737 

WASHINGTON – Jerome Israel, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced for three carjackings, which took place in August 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Israel pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025, to one count of armed carjacking and two counts of unarmed carjacking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld declined to sentence the defendant under the Youth Rehabilitation Act and affirmed her initial sentencing on March 4th for the defendant to serve 29 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:27 p.m. on August 20, 2022, Israel and a co-conspirator approached a victim from the rear on the corner of 7th and D Streets, SE. The victim, who was driving a 2021 grey Nissan Sentra, was unloading items from the vehicle when approached by the two men, who were wearing ski masks. As the co-conspirator brandished a firearm, the defendant reached into the victim’s pants’ pockets and took a cell phone, wallet, house key and the car keys to the Nissan. Both men got into the Nissan and drove off.

            Three days later, in the early morning hours of August 23, 2022, Israel and a co-conspirator drove the stolen Nissan to a gas station in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, where they approached a second victim. The victim, who was driving a 2009 white BMW 328i, parked at a gas pump and exited the vehicle to purchase items at the gas station’s window. The victim was approached by the co-conspirator, who brandished a firearm and took the victim’s car keys while Israel searched the victim’s pants’ pockets and stole his wallet. Israel got the car keys from his co-conspirator and drove off in the victim’s vehicle. The co-conspirator drove off in the Nissan.

            Two days later, on August 25, 2022, at approximately 5:51 p.m., Israel and a co-conspirator approached a third victim at a Citgo gas station in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. They were driving the stolen BMW from two days earlier. The victim, who was driving a 2021 blue Dodge Challenger, was parked at a gas pump, and the two men drove up behind him. The defendant approached the victim, brandished a firearm, and demanded the car keys. The victim informed them that the keys were inside the vehicle. The two co-conspirators drove off in the victim’s Challenger and the stolen BMW.

            Israel was arrested on August 30, 2022, and has been in custody since.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Lee and Ella Gladman, who prosecuted the case.

2022 CF1 007472

WASHINGTON – Nelson Kuma, 37, Richard Hounnou, 45, and Norma Munoz-Bent 68, all from Maryland, were indicted on charges of criminal negligence and appeared in court yesterday for their arraignment, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            After the arraignment, Kuma, Hounnou, and Munoz-Bent were released pending trial. They are scheduled to appear before the Honorable Carmen McLean on May 29, 2026.

            The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on March 31, 2026. It is alleged that on the date of his death, and while in the care of PIW staff, G.W., a 58-year-old male, became unresponsive and stopped breathing. Kuma and Hounnou, who were employed by PIW as psychiatric counselors, and Munoz-Bent, a registered nurse, discovered G.W. in this condition, but failed to timely and properly assess G.W., failed to perform CPR, and failed to provide any potentially lifesaving measures. G.W. did not receive life saving measures for at least 21 minutes. By the time lifesaving measure started, it was too late, and G.W. could not be resuscitated. 

            Joining the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Lucas acknowledged the work of those who are investigating and prosecuting the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). They commend the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is prosecuting the case.

            The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia urges anyone with information regarding abuse of a vulnerable adult at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington to call our tipline at (202) 252-0809.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

2026 CF2 005110; 2026 CF2 005111; 2026 CF2 005112

WASHINGTON – A complaint was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Zabdiel Aaron Rothschild, 26, of the District of Columbia. with Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

According to court documents, starting in January 2025, Rothschild used the gaming and messaging application Discord to communicate with three minor victims. During the communications, Rothschild asked for and received sexually explicit videos of the minor victims.  In one instance, Rothschild told a minor victim, who was only 13 at the time, that he wanted to see her engaging in specific sexual acts. The minor victim followed Rothschild’s directions and recorded herself engaging in the conduct described by Rothschild.  

At various points in his conversations where he is alleged to have coerced or enticed these minor victims into engaging in illicit sexual conduct, Rothschild openly discussed the age difference and discussed numerous sexual and violent acts he would do to his minor victims. For example, Rothschild told one minor victim, “little teens belong to old men like me” and “it’s normal for kids to have a crush on older people.” In another conversation, Rothschild told a minor victim, “I have the lifelong fantasy of carving my initials into a girl,” and he told another minor victim, “I can’t wait to choke you and use your unconscious body.”  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the San Antonio Field Office.

This case is being investigated by the FBI's San Antonio, Washington, and San Francisco field offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley. 

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. 

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

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WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has reached a civil settlement agreement with Woodholme Country Club Inc. (“Woodholme”), whereby the club will pay $1,042,500 to resolve allegations that the club violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible.

            When Congress enacted the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, it authorized forgivable PPP loans to eligible small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). At the time of the loan covered by this settlement, certain entities organized under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code were not eligible for PPP loans, including section 501(c)(7) organizations.

            In early 2020, Woodholme, a Maryland country club, applied for a PPP loan in the amount of $695,000 and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan even though it was ineligible as a section 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization. After receiving the PPP loan, Woodholme sought and received forgiveness of the entire loan amount. The United States contended that Woodholme knowingly falsely represented its eligibility to receive the PPP loan, and that it caused the SBA to pay lender fees to the bank that processed the loan. Woodholme will pay $1,042,500 to the United States to resolve these allegations.

            “Today’s settlement represents another victory in the Trump Administration’s effort to claw back stolen pandemic-era funds on behalf of U.S. taxpayers," said U.S. Small Business Administration General Counsel Wendell Davis. "The agency is grateful to our federal law enforcement partners for their strong support in this case, and we look forward to continued cooperation as we work to hold criminal fraudsters accountable.” 

            The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under these provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The qui tam complaint was filed by Relator Aidan Forsyth and is captioned United States ex rel. Aidan Forsyth v. Woodholme Country Club Inc., et al., Civ. A. No. 24-1175 (D.D.C.). Mr. Forsyth will receive a total share of approximately $104,250 in connection with the settlement.

            The civil settlement resulted from an investigation by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy C. Hurley with the support of attorney Caitlin J. Kelly of SBA’s Office of the General Counsel.   

            Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

            The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON – Nakita Walker, 45, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for the March 15, 2023, vehicular deaths of Mohamed Kamara, Jonathan Alberto Cabrera Mendez and Olvin Josue Torres Velasquez, on Rock Creek Parkway, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Walker was found guilty of three counts of involuntary manslaughter for the occupants of the car she struck, one count of fleeing a law enforcement officer, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon of her passenger. According to the expected sentencing guidelines range, Walker faces a maximum sentence of twenty-nine and a half years in prison for these crimes.

            “We continue to rid this city of those who commit homicide," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Their place is behind bars. Three lives were lost—a hardworking Lyft driver and two passengers who trusted they would arrive safely. Their families have endured unimaginable loss, and while nothing can undo that pain, this outcome affirms that reckless and violent actions have consequences. Justice has been served, and our thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones.”

           Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2026. 

           According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on the evening of March 14, 2023, Walker went to a movie and hung out with friends. As she was driving home in the early hours of March 15, 2023, she was pulled over by a Park Police officer for speeding and running a red light in front of him. She initially complied with the stop, then midway through she took off, reaching speeds of 100 mph on Rock Creek Parkway. While fleeing, she crossed the double-yellow lane line and crashed into another vehicle, killing all three of its occupants.

           Walker was arrested on May 22, 2023, where she has been in custody since.

           Joining the announcement was Chief Scott Brecht of the United States Park Police.

           This case was investigated by the United States Park Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

           This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter.

2023 CF1 003258

WASHINGTON – A complaint was filed Friday, April 3, in U.S. District Court charging Drew Collin Imparato, 26, a registered sex offender residing in the District of Columbia, with Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

According to court documents, in 2019, Imparato was convicted of Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Distribution of Child Pornography and was sentenced to five years’ incarceration. Following his release from custody, Imparato sought out online forums that sold child sexual abuse material. Imparato spent $12,000 to purchase hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse material through Telegram and other online applications.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen. 

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. 

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

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